Chapter 73: Matriarchy 14

Liu Qingyun hurried into the palace and saw Le Yixian lying on the bed, her face pale. He stopped in his tracks.

“Your Highness just drank her medicine and fell asleep,” the attendant reported softly.

Liu Qingyun nodded and walked over.

He looked down at her and felt she had grown thinner.

Sitting by the bedside, Liu Qingyun stared fixedly at Le Yixian, not blinking once.

When Le Yixian opened her eyes in a daze, dusk had already fallen. A few candles had been lit in the palace, their light hazy and indistinct. She vaguely saw a figure by her side and, thinking it was an attendant, called out, “Water.”

Her voice was slightly hoarse, but the person made no move.

Le Yixian frowned a little, thinking, could this attendant have fallen asleep?

“You’re finally awake,” the person suddenly spoke.

In the dim light, Le Yixian could just make out the outline of the face beside her. “Yuandao?”

“…?” Liu Qingyun was silent for a moment, then repeated her words, “Yuandao? Who is that?”

This question struck Le Yixian like a bolt of lightning, waking her up completely.

Of course, she was still in the world of consciousness.

“I must have been muddled from sleep,” she said, her eyes shifting as she tried to make sense of things.

Unexpectedly, Liu Qingyun looked at her deeply, said nothing more, and stood up. He poured a cup of water from the pot that had been kept warm by the bedside.

“Here, drink some water first.” He set down the teacup and helped Le Yixian sit up.

Le Yixian felt a trace of worry. “Qingyun.”

“Hmm?” Liu Qingyun held the cup in one hand and gently stirred the warm water with a silver spoon in the other. Soft steam curled up, blurring the look in his eyes. He tasted a sip with the spoon, found the temperature just right, then scooped up a small spoonful and brought it to Le Yixian’s slightly chapped lips.

Le Yixian was startled by his gesture—just now…

Had her adorable Qingyun just taken a sip from this very spoon, and now he was offering it to her lips?

Isn’t this, indirectly, a kiss?

Le Yixian’s face grew warm. “Qingyun, perhaps I could manage myself.”

“Hurry and drink, or the water will get cold,” Liu Qingyun said, his expression unchanged, as if he had done something utterly ordinary, and urged her on.

Le Yixian could only open her mouth, and Liu Qingyun fed her spoonful by spoonful.

After several mouthfuls, Le Yixian felt much better and stopped drinking.

After putting the teacup aside, Liu Qingyun sat back down, gazing at Le Yixian with concern, not blinking. “Does it hurt?”

Le Yixian had broken her leg in the fall, and her whole leg was immobilized.

“It hurt a lot at first, but seeing you makes the pain go away,” Le Yixian replied with a smile.

“Really?” Liu Qingyun asked.

“Yes,” Le Yixian nodded, then after a moment’s thought, continued, “But it still hurts a little. If you could give me a kiss, the pain would be gone.”

Liu Qingyun: “…”

“Ahem, I was only joking… Qingyun? Mmm…” Seeing him fall silent, Le Yixian covered her mouth and coughed to hide her embarrassment, but halfway through her words, she felt Liu Qingyun lean in. Then, a soft, warm sensation filled her mind.

Liu Qingyun’s kiss was gentle and proper, just lips touching lips, nothing more.

Le Yixian’s throat felt dry again, and she licked her lips.

Bending over, Liu Qingyun seemed startled by this, sprang up, and retreated several steps, almost tripping over the chair and small table behind him. Items on the table clattered to the floor with a crisp sound.

“Qingyun,” Le Yixian was also startled by his sudden movement.

Liu Qingyun raised a hand to show he was fine, but his words stumbled out, “You… how could you move like that?”

“I didn’t,” Le Yixian replied innocently.

“Still saying you didn’t, your… tongue…” Liu Qingyun couldn’t finish the sentence.

Le Yixian blinked, then understood.

She sighed inwardly—she’d thought her adorable one had matured a bit, learning even the art of indirect kisses while feeding her water, but in the end, he was still an innocent child.

“I… I’ll go home first. I’ll see you again tomorrow.” Without waiting for Le Yixian to respond, Liu Qingyun hurried outside.

Le Yixian couldn’t stop him, not with her broken leg.

Recalling his behavior just now, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Too adorable.

An attendant peered in from outside. “Your Highness?”

“Clean up the things,” Le Yixian pointed to the cup and kettle on the floor.

The attendant responded, quickly and quietly tidied everything up, and left.

Once outside, he paused.

Another attendant looked at her. “What is it?”

“Isn’t there a silver spoon missing?” she asked.

“You must be mistaken.” The other attendant glanced at the tray in her hand. “Who would dare take anything from the Eastern Palace?”

The attendant was puzzled. “Maybe you’re right.”

By the time Liu Qingyun returned home, his expression had returned to calm.

As he entered the main hall, a figure lunged at him. “Little brother, I’ve missed you so much!”

It was his elder brother, Liu Qingfeng, who had spent many years traveling and studying in foreign lands. He was tall and handsome, his brows bold and eyes bright—a stark contrast in temperament to the gentle Liu Qingyun.

Yet the brothers were exceptionally close.

Seeing him suddenly appear, Liu Qingyun was both surprised and delighted. “Brother, how have you come back?”

“Oh, I was studying in a neighboring country and received a letter from Mother, saying you’re to wed the Crown Princess soon. So I hurried back. You’ve grown taller in just six months,” Liu Qingfeng said, slinging an arm around his younger brother’s shoulder and giving his back a hearty pat.

“What are you carrying? It’s poking me,” Liu Qingfeng let go and asked curiously.

“Nothing,” Liu Qingyun replied.

“Brother, you didn’t even let me know you were coming home,” Liu Qingyun said.

Liu Qingfeng, whose mind was simple and easily distracted, grinned, “I wanted to surprise you. Was it a good one?”

Wait just a moment…