Yu Jingchen noticed Nan Zhiyun's thoughts. The corners of his lips curved slightly, a movement no one observed, not even himself.
"Let's go, accompany me for a walk," Yu Jingchen said.
"Yes..." Nan Zhiyun could only follow. Yu Jingchen walked ahead, and she followed behind, a certain distance still maintained between them.
Yu Jingchen felt dissatisfied with the current situation. Why maintain such a distance?
"Are you counting ants with your head down?" Yu Jingchen couldn't help it.
Nan Zhiyun looked up blankly, then heard Yu Jingchen say to her, "Why are you walking so slowly? You've already trampled all the ants to death."
Nan Zhiyun: "..."
"Why are you still standing there foolishly? Walk faster," Yu Jingchen said, impatient as always.
Nan Zhiyun had no choice but to quicken her pace, but Yu Jingchen's speed was genuinely a bit difficult. Following behind him was somewhat strenuous.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Shu's knee injury only recently healed. This might be a bit difficult," Xing Lai finally spoke up, reminding him. Your Majesty, what are you doing? How could Concubine Shu keep up with your pace? Besides, is this a leisurely stroll? Just walking around at such speed?
Hearing this, Yu Jingchen finally reduced his stride, waiting for Nan Zhiyun to catch up. She was already panting slightly, and it was July, making the weather quite unpleasant.
From his angle, Yu Jingchen saw that Nan Zhiyun's face was already beaded with fine sweat, and her cheeks were flushed, likely due to the heat. Yu Jingchen was quite tall, and Nan Zhiyun, standing beside him, barely reached his chest.
"Are you hot?" Yu Jingchen suddenly asked.
Nan Zhiyun shook her head; she naturally wouldn't dare to speak the truth.
"You're covered in sweat, isn't that a sign of being hot? I only asked if you were hot, and it's that difficult to answer? I'm not so incompetent that I can't tell the difference between a lie and the truth, am I?" Yu Jingchen said.
Nan Zhiyun stood before him obediently like a child who had made a mistake, waiting to be lectured. Seeing her demeanor, Yu Jingchen, who was about to say something, stopped himself.
"There's a pavilion over there, let's go rest for a bit," Yu Jingchen said, then walked towards the pavilion. Nan Zhiyun had to follow. The pavilion was located by the lake, so the breeze made it quite cool.
However, upon reaching the pavilion, Nan Zhiyun again found herself unsure of what to do. Without Yu Jingchen's instructions, she didn't dare to sit down on her own.
Yu Jingchen had probably spent a lot of time with Nan Zhiyun recently, so he wasn't surprised this time. After all, this woman only did things after he told her to.
"Sit down," Yu Jingchen no longer deliberately made things difficult.
Nan Zhiyun sat down opposite Yu Jingchen. There was only one table here, so no matter where Nan Zhiyun chose to sit, she would be quite close to Yu Jingchen.
Xing Lai and the others were observant and immediately had tea prepared, iced tea at that, which was most suitable for the weather. Initially, the two of them sitting in the pavilion looked quite harmonious, but unfortunately, such scenes were always short-lived.
The women in the harem, upon hearing that Yu Jingchen was taking Nan Zhiyun for a walk, came in droves. And now, a large group had arrived.
"Your concubines and sisters pay their respects to Your Majesty." Chen Xiurong led the way.
Yu Jingchen was annoyed by the crowd of brightly dressed women, all decked out and reeking of heavy perfume.
However... they had seen the Emperor? It seemed they had deliberately ignored Nan Zhiyun beside him.
"What are you all doing here?" Yu Jingchen frowned, looking impatient.
"Your concubine and sisters were bored and decided to stroll in the imperial gardens. We didn't expect to hear that Your Majesty was here, so we came with my sisters to pay our respects," Chen Xiurong said.
Her words completely omitted any mention of Nan Zhiyun, clearly showing she didn't take her seriously. Chen Xiurong, who was Consort Yun in the previous life, was naturally someone Nan Zhiyun remembered most vividly. If it weren't for her, she probably wouldn't have ended up in the cold palace so tragically.
Nan Zhiyun felt a pang of discomfort and immediately stood up from her seat. Her sudden movement drew the attention of everyone present.
"Your Majesty, since there are so many people now, your concubine will not linger here and spoil Your Majesty's mood. This concubine will take her leave," Nan Zhiyun said. Before she could receive a reply from Yu Jingchen, she prepared to leave.
However, just as she turned, she heard Yu Jingchen's voice, tinged with anger, ring out.
"Stop! Did I permit you to leave?" Yu Jingchen's tone was filled with displeasure. The people around them thought Nan Zhiyun had angered the Emperor, and they were all preparing to watch a good show.
Nan Zhiyun herself thought so too. She stood still, her body stiff, fearing that Yu Jingchen would embarrass her in front of so many people the next moment.
"So eager to leave?" Yu Jingchen asked. Nan Zhiyun bit her lip gently and remained silent.
"What is Concubine Shu doing? Are you unhappy because we've arrived?" Yin Xiuyi spoke this time.
"Heh, Concubine Shu has a noble status and naturally dislikes being with people like us. But Your Majesty hasn't spoken yet, and Concubine Shu leaving like this is rather disrespectful," Min Meiren said this time.
Nan Zhiyun's face turned pale at their words. In their eyes, she was always just an object of mockery and ridicule.
"Sit down," Yu Jingchen commanded. He had heard the previous words, but he hadn't reacted. Was he indulging them, tacitly allowing them to treat her this way?
Nan Zhiyun suddenly understood. Perhaps the purpose of him asking her to accompany him for a walk today was precisely this: to publicly humiliate her! Boundless sorrow welled up in her heart.
Nan Zhiyun gave up. She prepared to sit down again, but somehow, someone bumped into her, and Nan Zhiyun was abruptly thrown to the side. The pavilion wasn't very large, and it was by the lake. With such a fall, Nan Zhiyun tumbled directly into the water.
Yu Jingchen's pupils constricted. Xing Lai was also startled by the scene and immediately ordered someone to rescue Nan Zhiyun. Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun in the water, his heart tightening.
The concubines beside them assumed a look of eager anticipation, watching the spectacle. At this moment, Yu Jingchen himself jumped in, shocking everyone.