"Don't worry, Zi Xian, I'll be careful not to let anyone find out," Situ Chuan Qiong said confidently. "Besides, with Xiao Xiang'er here, she won't let her father do anything to hurt me!"
Since his imperial brother said so, Situ Zi Xian said no more. Seeing that it was getting late, he got up to leave and prepare for his disguise.
at the hour of Hai, Situ Zi Xian, disguised as Situ Chuan Qiong, arrived at the Empress's Kun Ning Palace.
"Why is Your Majesty visiting so late? This concubine didn't have time to prepare anything," Chu Yu Lan (Xiao Wen Qiang) said, rushing out to meet him.
"Empress, there's no need to prepare. Tonight, I suddenly remembered our past days and wanted to sit down and chat with you. I wonder if Empress is interested?" Situ Zi Xian stated his purpose for the night.
"This concubine couldn't ask for more," Xiao Wen Qiang ordered Chu Li, who was waiting nearby, "Go and prepare some late-night snacks."
Chu Li responded and quickly had everything ready. Then, with great tact, she took the other palace attendants and withdrew together.
Situ Zi Xian personally poured a cup of wine and handed it to Xiao Wen Qiang, "Empress, I was wrong that day. I was too hasty and didn't consider your feelings. I apologize now."
Xiao Wen Qiang took the cup and drank it in one gulp. Then, looking into his eyes, she said, "Now that there's no one else, Zi Xian, why don't you tell me the truth?"
Situ Zi Xian's pupils widened for a moment, and he felt his breath catch. He tried hard to control his expression and feigned confusion, "What is Empress talking about? Why did you suddenly mistake me for Zi Xian? Although Zi Xian and I are indeed quite similar, we are not so alike as to be mistaken for each other!"
Seeing that he wouldn't admit it, Xiao Wen Qiang reached out and touched Situ Zi Xian's face. "Your disguise skill is impressive. Where is the seam? It's really impossible to tell!"
Situ Zi Xian flusteredly pulled away the woman's hand, which was fumbling on his face, but he didn't let go immediately. He still stubbornly insisted, "Empress, please stop joking. I don't like this kind of jest."
Xiao Wen Qiang pulled her hand back and her smile faded. "I don't like this joke either! But are you two brothers making a fool of me? How dare you deceive a woman who deeply loves him with such tactics, Situ Chuan Qiong, do you find it amusing?"
Situ Zi Xian saw that Chu Yu Lan (Xiao Wen Qiang)'s expression was not one of joking. This time, he stopped pretending. He looked around and listened intently to confirm no one else was present. Then, he reached for his neck and tore off a human skin mask.
Xiao Wen Qiang looked at Situ Zi Xian's familiar face revealed behind the mask and tears flowed down her cheeks. "It really is you!"
Situ Zi Xian placed the mask on the table. Looking at the woman silently weeping, he could only offer a handkerchief and say softly, "Imperial sister-in-law, please don't cry. I didn't mean to deceive you. How did you recognize me?"
Xiao Wen Qiang was the first to realize that Situ Zi Xian and Situ Chuan Qiong, these two brothers, were playing a substitution game, starting with the soul artifact locator. However, she couldn't reveal this truth and had already thought of a better reason.
"Zi Xian, you have a mole on the knuckle of your right little finger, the Emperor does not." Xiao Wen Qiang took the handkerchief and wiped away her tears, her voice still a little hoarse.
Situ Zi Xian quickly extended his right hand and examined it closely. He found a faint mole on the outer side of his little finger's knuckle. If it hadn't been pointed out, he himself would never have noticed it.
"So this is where my weakness was. I thought my disguise and imitation weren't good enough!" Situ Zi Xian murmured.
"Your disguise is fine, and your imitation is also fine. It's just that you don't know how well I know the Emperor. I remember every detail about him clearly." Xiao Wen Qiang was no longer crying. She looked up and stared at him, saying, "Zi Xian, tell me the truth. The person in the Emperor's chambers last time, was that also you?"
Situ Zi Xian originally intended to deny it, but upon seeing her eyes, he blurted out as if possessed, "It was me!" He then clearly saw the light in the woman's eyes gradually dim. It was disappointment towards his imperial brother, and Situ Zi Xian, though aware of it, felt a hidden excitement.
"Ha! He even had you do such a thing for him?" Xiao Wen Qiang's eyes reddened with anger, but she didn't cry this time. "How much does he despise me? If he doesn't like me or love me anymore, he could have just told me. I wouldn't force him to touch me! Why did he have you come and insult me!"
"No... it's not like that!" Situ Zi Xian quickly explained. "Nothing happened between you and me that day! I used a hallucinogen, which made you have this misconception."
In fact, Situ Zi Xian himself was not entirely sure at first. But later, after returning, he sorted out everything from beginning to end according to the timeline. Only then did he confirm that nothing should have happened between him and Chu Yu Lan (Xiao Wen Qiang); there wasn't enough time.
"Is that so?" Xiao Wen Qiang thought to herself that this Situ Zi Xian was not easy to fool. However, on the surface, she still appeared very sad. "Whatever you say goes now. Anyway, I wasn't clear-headed that day. Even if nothing happened between us, the two of you doing this still makes me feel disgusted!"
"I'm sorry..." Regarding this, Situ Zi Xian had nothing to say. He also felt he was in the wrong. Chu Yu Lan was clearly his benefactor, yet he had been continuously helping his imperial brother to hurt her.
"And this time? Why are you substituting for him again?" Xiao Wen Qiang continued to press.
"It's because Imperial brother felt that the last incident was not handled well and wanted to apologize to you..." Situ Zi Xian honestly confessed.
"He wants to apologize to me, but instead of coming himself, he sends someone to substitute?" Xiao Wen Qiang said sarcastically, "Listen to yourself, do you believe that? If he truly felt he had wronged me, he should have come himself. If he didn't want to come, then is this apology even necessary?"
"This..." Situ Zi Xian also thought his imperial brother had gone too far with her, so he was unable to offer any defense.
"Then if you are here, where is the Emperor himself?" Xiao Wen Qiang, who had already checked the locator, already knew the answer.
"Imperial brother... he went to see Concubine Leng Xian," Situ Zi Xian knew this answer might make the woman in front of him even more enraged, but he still said it.
Xiao Wen Qiang knew Situ Zi Xian was not lying. She no longer pretended to be angry and simply said with a blank expression, "As expected! It seems that the years of us going through life and death together are still not as significant as the year-plus of being with Leng Yuan Xiang. Situ Chuan Qiong, you have truly disappointed me to the extreme!"
Situ Zi Xian saw her expressionless face and thought she had lost all hope. Hearing her say she was disappointed in his imperial brother, he felt a hidden sense of smugness: if she no longer liked his imperial brother, would she perhaps notice him?