Volume 1, Chapter 29: Cooking (1)

Xue Wu was startled. She instinctively looked up and saw Shen Ran’s smiling face.

At some point, everyone else had withdrawn, leaving only the two of them in the small kitchen. Today, Shen Ran was not dressed as casually as before. He wore a luxurious, deep black cloak, with dark patterns embroidered in silver thread along the collar and cuffs. His hair, as dark and thick as a waterfall, was held up by a jade crown, making him look completely out of place in such a setting.

Xue Wu bit her lip slightly and said, somewhat flustered, "Your Majesty, why have you come here?"

Shen Ran’s gaze rested on her face. After a moment, he curled his lips into a smile and said slowly, "Since Ah Wu can come, naturally I can too."

His tone was filled with laughter, gentle and doting. The lethality was simply fatal. Xue Wu’s hand trembled; never mind cooking, she almost dropped the spatula she was holding. She lowered her head deeply and whispered, "I am not like Your Majesty. You are a gentleman, and a gentleman, a gentleman stays far from..."

She did not finish the sentence. As the daughter of a military general, she had never been too diligent with poetry and literature.

Shen Ran chuckled. "I don’t know what a gentleman ought to do, and even if I did, I wouldn’t care. I do things only according to my own heart. For example..."

As he spoke, he leaned down slightly, staring into Xue Wu’s eyes, as if he were about to kiss her the next second.

Xue Wu’s breath hitched. She went rigid, unable to move. The faint scent of cooking oil in the small kitchen made the cool, snow-like fragrance of plum blossoms on Shen Ran’s body even more distinct. The distance between them was now infinitely small. Their lips were only a hair’s breadth apart, yet the kiss did not descend.

Xue Wu’s palms were slick with nervous sweat. She had instinctively closed her eyes, but because she waited for so long with no response, her eyelashes fluttered, and she opened them slightly.

"Your, Your Majesty, oh..."

The moment she spoke, her chin was hooked by a hand, and a moist sensation touched her lips. Something pried open her teeth, launching an irresistible, aggressive conquest.

With a "clatter," the spatula she had been using fell to the ground. Xue Wu seemed so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands or feet; she could only passively follow his lead to catch her breath, letting Shen Ran deepen the kiss.

I don’t know how much time passed, but until Xue Wu felt as if she might faint from the sensation—which felt like plummeting from a great height—Shen Ran finally let her go. However, letting her go was even worse. Xue Wu’s body went limp, and she could not stand steadily. As Shen Ran released her, she stumbled and began to fall.

Xue Wu let out a low gasp and fell directly into an embrace. Instantly, an overwhelming scent of plum blossoms mixed with dragon’s saliva incense rushed toward her, making her tremble all over.

For some reason, Shen Ran had carried the scent of plum blossoms since birth. Although he used incense to mask it, it could still be smelled when one was close.

Shen Ran held her hand and whispered, "Be careful."

Xue Wu’s face turned bright red, as if she were running a fever. She whispered, "Th-thank you, Your Majesty." Her voice was severely distorted. As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a buzz in her ears and immediately covered her mouth with her hands.

Shen Ran laughed again. A moment later, he leaned into Xue Wu’s ear and asked, "Is it uncomfortable?" After a brief pause, he added, "Do you like it?"

Xue Wu froze for a moment. Realizing belatedly what his two questions were referring to, her face grew even hotter. She neither nodded nor shook her head, appearing like a statue. But this time, Shen Ran was unwilling to let her off lightly. He stared at her with extreme stubbornness, as if demanding an answer.

After a long stalemate, Xue Wu shook her head very slowly, and then nodded very slowly. The only time she and Shen Ran had been together without this step... it felt quite good, like riding the clouds.

Layers of smiles rippled in the young emperor’s eyes. He asked in confusion, "What does that mean? I don’t understand. Why both nod and shake your head?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Wu’s eyes trembled violently; she seemed to want to glare at him, but didn’t dare. Having obtained the answer he wanted, Shen Ran curled his lips and finally stopped pushing her.

He looked at the plate of shredded carrots he had placed on the stove earlier. "Why did you suddenly think of making these?"

Xue Wu was stunned and bit her lip, saying nothing. She had originally intended to make them for Zhao Yuanzhuo. But would Shen Ran be angry if she said so? Very likely. She didn’t want to lie, and she especially didn’t want to lie to Shen Ran. She had always longed for honesty and sincerity between husband and wife, even though they had long been husband and wife in name only.

Shen Ran reached out to ruffle her hair and laughed, "What is it? Is this question so hard to answer?"

Xue Wu’s breathing became rapid, and she still didn't speak.

Shen Ran said, "Say whatever is on your mind. I won't be angry."

Xue Wu: "...?" He seemed to have seen through her thoughts all at once.

After a moment of silence, Xue Wu said, "I’m sorry." Instead of answering the question, she apologized first.

Shen Ran laughed again, "What are you sorry for?"

Xue Wu said, "I... it was for—" Her voice grew quieter under Shen Ran’s amused gaze. The name "Yuanzhuo" was simply too difficult to say out loud. Yet, silence here spoke louder than words; even without saying it, it was as if she had.

A strange, unreadable glint flashed in Shen Ran’s eyes. He tilted his head and laughed lazily, "Although the Empress is cooking for someone else in my small kitchen, considering that you at least remembered to prepare a bowl of sweet soup for me, I won’t hold it against you this time."

Xue Wu was stunned. She instinctively wondered what sweet soup she had prepared, but seeing his gaze drop to her lips—his glass-like, affectionate eyes carrying an ambiguous hue—she realized in an instant.

Yes, she was that bowl of sweet soup.

Her cheeks burned like fire, and the little deer in her heart almost crashed into a wall and died. Xue Wu lowered her head, feeling secretly ashamed of her sudden attraction to his appearance. She had always disliked people who only cared about looks. Yet, it turned out she was such a person herself.

In truth, she was still afraid. But she could not resist the temptation of the man before her. Even knowing he was teasing her, she still sank into it.

Masking the complex, indistinguishable emotions in her eyes, Xue Wu pushed Shen Ran away and whispered, "I... I am also willing to cook for Your Majesty, but Yuanzhuo is injured, so I just, just..."

A finger pressed against her lips, and the rest of her words came to an abrupt halt.

Shen Ran laughed, "I understand. Ah Wu, you and I are one as husband and wife. Since you treat him as a younger brother, he is my younger brother too."

An array of strange emotions welled up in her heart. Xue Wu widened her eyes slightly and asked instinctively, "R-really?"

"A monarch’s word is never a joke; naturally, it is true." Shen Ran laughed softly. "Ah Wu, I know your heart aches for him, and perhaps you are angry with me in your heart, thinking I am heartless toward him. But with Zhao Yuanzhuo’s temperament, tempering him a little now may not be a bad thing. After all, even if the Zhao family is truly wronged, I fear there are few others besides me who would be willing to keep a potential threat that refuses to hide its edge. Of course, if you still feel uncomfortable, I will be more careful in the future."

Xue Wu lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Shen Ran held her hand. "Ah Wu, I don't mind you being angry, but..." He paused for a moment and said, "At least don't be angry for too long, alright?"

Xue Wu: "..."

From ancient times to the present, the majesty of an emperor has been unquestionable. Though she didn't know the reason, for Shen Ran to be able to do this for her, and even make such a promise, could be considered impeccable in anyone’s eyes.

Xue Wu nodded gently. "Alright."

"Good." Shen Ran reached out and tapped his own lips. "Then prove it."