Ye Yang felt a headache coming.
He had finally waited for Feng Luan’s favorability to fall back to a safe level. He thought that he had fallen out of favor, and that at least for the time being, he could live a peaceful and happy life. But he never expected that this happiness would be so short-lived. It had only been a few days. Why did Feng Luan’s favorability score suddenly rise?!
Feng Luan was consumed by remorse, lamenting his penchant for suspicion and excessive caution. Recalling the day he bid Ye Yang farewell, the latter was still gripped by a raging fever, his steps faltering as if unable to find his footing. How could he have acted with such callous indifference……
Ming Yan, always astute in reading expressions and tones, immediately discerned the source of Feng Luan’s recent aloofness towards Ye Yang upon noticing his guilt-ridden countenance. Since her business with Feng Luan was already concluded, she hastily rose to take her leave, intending to afford the emperor an opportunity for a private explanation.
But Ye Yang, seeing her depart, wished he could follow suit immediately. He had barely risen from his seat, not even taking half a step forward, when Feng Luan caught hold of his arm, cautiously saying, “Wait, there is something zhen wishes to discuss with you.”
Ye Yang, “……”
Ye Yang, recalling Feng Luan’s dangerously high favorability score towards him, resolved to take a chance and seize the opportunity.
Ye Yang intentionally darkened his expression, averting his gaze. “I have no interest in listening to your ramblings.”
「Feng Luan’s favorability score has increased by 1, current favorability score is 74」
Ye Yang, “……”
What the?!
He’d been giving Feng Luan the cold shoulder, so why did Feng Luan’s favorability score increase?!
He hadn’t figured out the reason behind it yet, so he turned to Ming Yan with a pleading look, only to notice that even Ming Yan’s attitude had changed.
「Ming Yan’s favorability score has increased by 5, current favorability score is 61」
Ye Yang, “……”
What could Ming Yan’s change in score signify?
It’s only been a few days, when did Ming Yan’s score become so high?!
Must be a bug! This has to be a glitch in the favorability system!
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
No matter what he does, everyone’s favorability score just keeps inexplicably rising like a strange bug!
Tf Tjcu vlvc’a kjca atlr xlcv bo yeu.
Tf Tjcu jcv Mfcu Oejc kfgf ibmxfv lc j rajifwjaf, cflatfg wbnlcu jc lcmt. Vfcrlcu atf rlaejalbc, Zlcu Tjc rwlifv ja tlw, atfc qgbwqais ifoa klatbea tfrlajalbc. Tf Tjcu ofia fwyjggjrrfv; ecjyif ab rerajlc atf rajcvboo, tf gfiemajcais mbcalcefv ab uijgf ja Mfcu Oejc jcv jrxfv, “Qtja vb sbe kjca ab rjs?”
He comprehended the extent of his disrespect towards the emperor, devoid of any hint of reverence in his speech. He anticipated Feng Luan’s ire, yet to his surprise, Feng Luan cast upon him only a profound gaze, suffused with deeper remorse. Softly, he acknowledged, “Zhen perceives your discontent. In these recent days…… the fault lies solely with zhen.”
Ye Yang, “……”
The atmosphere turned even more ominous, resembling uncannily the melodramatic scenes from those romantic idol dramas he had once watched.
Feng Luan continued, “Zhen had initially believed that your presence by zhen’s side harbored ulterior motives, perhaps connected to the actions of your father. Zhen deemed you nothing more than a pawn in your father’s scheme.”
Ye Yang felt even more bewildered.
Only then did Feng Luan motion for him to sit down and carefully explain the reasons behind these matters. Every word was uttered with caution, fearing to upset Ye Yang further. He believed that by doing so, he could appease him. After explaining everything, he finally said to Ye Yang, “You have heard the words zhen spoke to Ming Yan. Zhen needs to make a trip to Yanzhong.”
Having overheard the conversation between Ming Yan and Feng Luan, Ye Yang realized that the matter was not particularly relevant to him. Without dwelling on it, he casually responded, “Then go ahead.”
“When returning to the palace, zhen will announce that zhen is ill,” Feng Luan paused, hesitating before inquiring, “Would you be willing to accompany zhen?”
Ye Yang replied, “No.”
Feng Luan, “……”
Ye Yang thought simplistically. He was enjoying his peaceful days, and he would be even happier if Feng Luan were not around. With nothing pressing to do, why should he wander aimlessly? Wouldn’t it be better to relax in the palace, perhaps play some mahjong or chat with his friends?
Feng Luan was taken aback.
In his mindset, those who could accompany the emperor in disguise on private visits were undoubtedly among the closest of confidants. If this person were a concubine, it would almost be synonymous with being someone deeply cherished by the emperor. And yet, Ye Yang was refusing……
Feng Luan pondered, realizing that Ye Yang was indeed still upset.
If that was the case, then this matter couldn’t be rushed. After all, there were still a few days before returning to the palace. Feng Luan had to take it slow. First and foremost, he needed Ye Yang’s forgiveness.
Not skilled in apologizing, and understanding that it wasn’t appropriate for any intimacy at the moment, Feng Luan could only have Kang Ning escort Ye Yang back. Then, he would ponder alone in his tent, contemplating how to earn Ye Yang’s forgiveness.
He still remembered Ming Yan’s clever scheme from before; giving a gift was indeed the safest approach. However, they were currently out in the wilderness, so he couldn’t just present Ye Yang with a sable. After much thought, sudden inspiration struck him, and he finally came up with an idea.
Yes, they were in the desolate wilderness. What could possibly exist in such a place?
Nothing but small animals and flora—he could send flowers!
……
Thinking he had come up with a brilliant idea, the next day, when Ye Yang went out for a ride, Feng Luan hastily instructed Kangning to place the flowers he had collected the previous night into Ye Yang’s tent. Not knowing Ye Yang’s preferences, he attempted to compensate with quantity. Unfortunately, it was autumn, and aside from some unidentified wildflowers, most were wild chrysanthemums. The yellow and white flowers filled every table and chair in Ye Yang’s tent. Feng Luan even arranged several bouquets under the bed, encircling them to create a magnificent display. In no time, Ye Yang’s tent was transformed into a floral paradise.
Feng Luan was thoroughly pleased with the result.
He was concerned about revealing the surprise he had prepared for Ye Yang. Thus, he went out for the hunt as usual that day, but his mind was elsewhere. Returning from the autumn hunt, he had nothing to show for his efforts. However, the anticipation of Ye Yang’s surprise when he returned to the tent couldn’t help but bring a satisfied smile to Feng Luan’s face. He managed to contain his expression upon returning from the hunt, wary of giving any hints to Ye Yang ahead of time.
Ye Yang was grilling skewers in the camp as usual, and today he even indulged in some wine. Seeing Feng Luan return, Shen Xiangning nudged Ming Yan beside her and asked, “His Majesty’s expression…… didn’t you say they had reconciled?”
Ming Yan replied, “Well, His Majesty returned empty-handed today…… Oh, here comes His Majesty.”
The two immediately fell silent as Feng Luan approached Ye Yang with a stern expression. After observing him for a while, noticing no sign of intending to return to the tent early, Feng Luan couldn’t help but inquire with Ye Yang.
“Have you returned to the tent today?” Feng Luan, desiring to keep the surprise concealed a while longer, maintained a composed demeanor as he inquired, “Do you not intend to return sooner?”
Unaware that his demeanor inherently carried a certain gravity, Feng Luan’s stern expression made him appear somewhat intimidating. Ye Yang, puzzled by his question, interpreted Feng Luan’s expression as a sign of anger. However, he needed to decrease Feng Luan’s favorability score at the moment and was not inclined to comply with his wishes. Therefore, he responded, “No, I haven’t returned, and I don’t want to. Got a problem? Not happy about it?”
Feng Luan’s score remained unchanged, though he furrowed his brow slightly. With a serious nod, he remarked, “Please remember to return and check on it later.”
Feng Luan’s solemn expression gave the impression that there was something extraordinary inside the tent. Ye Yang, busy grilling skewers, casually nodded to indicate his understanding. Feng Luan didn’t linger. He instructed Kang Ning to infiltrate the ‘enemy camp’ to keep an eye on Ye Yang and see when he planned to return to the tent.
Ye Yang was in a good mood today, and as the sky darkened early, he stayed outside until nightfall. He then moved to another tent and played cards for a while before returning to his own tent just before falling asleep.
Outside his tent, there were usually palace servants attending to him. Normally, lamps would have been lit inside the tent when darkness fell, and someone would have been waiting outside. However, today, he didn’t see anyone outside, and the candlelight inside the tent was dimmer than usual. A sense of unease began to creep over him, but he reassured himself that this was the imperial camp and the assassins had already been captured. The autumn hunt was not expected to encounter further trouble. Perhaps the palace servants had gone off to have some fun. Without dwelling on it, he simply lifted the curtain of the tent door and peered inside—
Inside the dimly lit tent, Ye Yang’s eyes fell upon a scene of stark white, interspersed with yellow chrysanthemums, their blooms gathered in clusters that almost covered the entire surface of the table and floor. A few candles scattered among them provided faint illumination, clustering around the tables and chairs before the screen. And at that moment, there was someone sitting there.
The wind from outside blew in through the door curtain that Ye Yang had lifted, bringing with it a chilly breeze. The candlelight flickered, casting shadows, and gently swaying the sheer bed curtains. The pallid moonlight spilled over the figure of the person, but failed to illuminate their face. In the dim light, Ye Yang saw the person slowly raise their hand, their movements stiff, their voice trembling and faltering as they spoke, “Why…… Why didn’t you come to zhen?”
Ye Yang, “……”
Startled, Ye Yang let out a loud shout and hastily dropped the door curtain, taking several steps back. His heart pounded in his chest.
Whose damn funeral parlor is this?!
He had just thought he had stumbled into some horror movie set, but now he finally realized what was going on.
That person had to be Feng Luan, right?
Why did that dog emperor scare him like that?!
He carefully recalled Feng Luan’s words and actions today. Remembering how Feng Luan had purposely instructed him to return to the tent earlier in the afternoon, everything fell into place. It was all a setup by Feng Luan, waiting to scare him upon his return.
And coupled with Feng Luan’s earlier words…… Wasn’t it all about not wanting to accompany Feng Luan on his secret excursion? Was it necessary to set up a funeral parlor in his tent to scare him like this?!
The term ‘funeral parlor’ carried profound implications, and upon careful consideration, Ye Yang believed this was undoubtedly a death threat from Feng Luan.
If he didn’t accompany him on the secret excursion, this time next year would be Ye Yang’s death anniversary.
Ye Yang, “……”
You dog emperor!
As Ye Yang mustered up his courage to return, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was definitely something wrong with the favorability system.
Despite Feng Luan’s seemingly high favorability score, he had still issued a death threat. It appeared that yesterday’s sudden increase in score was also a bug in the favorability system. Ye Yang even began to feel that the favorability score displayed by the entire system was no longer reliable.
He approached the tent with trepidation, hesitating to lift the curtain and enter. Just then, he encountered Feng Luan emerging from inside, wearing a perplexed expression. Upon seeing Ye Yang, a hint of relief appeared on Feng Luan’s face, and he said, “Ah Yang—”
Seeing him smile, Ye Yang inexplicably felt that his expression was sinister. Without waiting for him to continue, Ye Yang hastily said, “I, I, I will! I’ll accompany you! Wherever you want to go, whether it’s the ends of the earth, I’ll go with you!”
If Feng Luan could see Ye Yang’s approval rating he would be so confused right now 😄. Thanks for the double update!
ty for reading! (♡´ ˘ `)
Oh my 😂
Thank You for the new chapter ( ๑ ᴖ ᴈ ᴖ)♥
LMAO the misunderstandings are gold 😂 keep digging pits for yourself, hun XD