Male Lead Is Always That Heartless

Chapter 23

Gu Yi turned her eyes and saw the bright yellow figure not far away.

Xiao Yan saw Gu Yi wrapped in a light-brown cloak and walked quickly. The scattered hair at the corner of her forehead was still wet; she must have just come out of the hot spring pool. But just now, she stopped and was looking at Qi Zhuang.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!” Gu Yi bowed momentarily but did not hear the Emperor’s call. She raised her eyebrows slightly before she heard Xiao Yan say, “Rise.”

Gu Yi saw that a string of courtiers followed him. “Your Majesty, are you out for a walk? I see that the maple leaves are already red in the mountains. The scenery is magnificent!”

Xiao Yan said, “I’m going to see Lady of Fairness Gong in Luoxia Pavilion.”

Gu Yi laughed and said, “Your Majesty is kind and generous. “Sister Gong fell yesterday. Your Majesty is considerate to see Sister Gong. She must be happy!”

The key is that you can see the female lead!

Xiao Yan, however, did not look at her again and walked away. After taking a few steps, he thought: Although she’s smiling, she’s ridiculing Lady of Fairness Gong for losing her manners in front of me yesterday. He secretly laughed.

When Lady of Fairness Gong listened to the palace servant who walked ahead that the Emperor would come to Luoxia Pavilion, she immediately ordered Chunya, “Quick! Bring my precious hairpins!”

Chunya immediately took out a few rouge boxes, “Lady of Fairness, why don’t you try this Fei Shi balm?”

Lady of Fairness Gong received it and lightly tapped her lips, “The color is gorgeous.” She glanced at the bronze mirror and saw the person coming behind her.

Lady of Fairness Gong turned around and smiled, “A Wan came just in time.”

Zhao Wan looked at the palace staff acting in the pavilion and already understood, “Congratulations, Lady.”

Lady of Fairness Gong smiled faintly, “Stay in the pavilion to serve tea.”

Zhao Wan’s heart trembled slightly, bowed, and said, “I shall follow orders.”

Half a moment later, Xiao Yan stepped into the Luoxia Pavilion.

Lady of Fairness Gong hung her neck low, “Greetings, Your Majesty.” The dangling hairpins on her head swayed lightly.

“Rise.” He lifted his robe and sat, asking, “Lady of Fairness was frightened yesterday. Are you feeling better today?”

Lady of Fairness Gong’s face showed embarrassment, “I was terrified and lost my manner yesterday. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!”

Xiao Yan: “It wasn’t a big deal. You don’t need to be terrified.”

Zhao Wan dragged the tea tray to Xiao Yan’s side, her heart beating faster and faster. She held her overly rapid breathing and said crisply, “Your Majesty, please drink the tea.”

Xiao Yan’s gazed over her face, “Are you the palace maid from yesterday?”

Zhao Wan put down her tea cup and knelt, “It’s precisely me.”

Xiao Yan’s gaze fell on her ankles. A circle of white veil still seemed to be wrapped under the stockings. “Get up, you have done a great job.”

He turned back to look at Gao Gui, “Reward her with fifty taels.”

Zhao Wan bowed, “A Wan thanked His Majesty for his great favor.”

Xiao Yan looked closer at her, remembering an old incident. He raised an eyebrow, “Have I ever seen you in the Xiuyi Hall? On that day, a palace maid delivered cloth to Noble Lady Gu. Was it you, too?”

Lady of Fairness Gong noticed the word ‘too’ and smiled lightly, “Where else has Your Majesty seen A Wan?”

Zhao Wan’s heart sank, bowed, and said: “Replying to Your Majesty and Lady of Fairness, I once worked at the Laundry Bureau and sent a cloth to Noble Lady Gu. That night, the rain was heavy. Noble Lady Gu took pity on me and gave me new clothes. I was fortunate enough to see His Majesty in the Xiuyi Hall’s side hall. Then — in the middle of the Peach Garden, I unintentionally bumped into His Majesty. I hope His Majesty will forgive me.” After saying this, she pressed her forehead against the ground.

Xiao Yan looked at the top of her dark head, and his glazed eyes turned slightly, “After the mid-autumn palace banquet that day, it was also you …… who sent the sobering soup for me?”

Zhao Wan mumbled, “Indeed, it is me.”

Xiao Yan coldly laughed in his heart, “You are meritorious. Get up.”

Lady of Fairness Gong pinched her embroidered handkerchief and laughed softly, “It seems that A Wan has some fate with His Majesty.”

Zhao Wan couldn’t guess what Lady of Fairness Gong was thinking. Her face was slightly pale, and she hung her head.

Xiao Yan felt uninterested. He drank his tea and got up, “I still have political affairs. Lady of Fairness should recuperate.”

Lady of Fairness Gong’s lips twitched. Your Majesty, are you leaving so soon and not staying for dinner?

She wanted to open her mouth but heard the thunder rolling in the sky, rumbling loudly.

Xiao Yan looked outside the pavilion; the black clouds were intense and stacked, and heavy rain was about to pour.

“Let’s go. Rush back to Xuanyu Pavilion before the rain.”

Lady of Fairness Gong couldn’t persuade him further and glanced over Zhao Wan, “A Wan, prepare an umbrella and send His Majesty.”

Gao Gui did not prepare an umbrella and immediately said, “Thank you, Miss.”

Zhao Wan took one of the green oil paper umbrellas in the pavilion and followed the Emperor and his party, headed outside.

Outside the pavilion, bean-sized raindrops fell in bunches, crackling all over the ground. Zhao Wan opened the umbrella and quickly followed Xiao Yan, holding the umbrella in her hand to shield him from the rain. As the rain got faster, a gust of wind swept up the ground, blowing the raindrops diagonally and hitting people in the face.

Zhao Wan saw that raindrops had stained Xiao Yan’s front lapel, and she mumbled, “Your Majesty …… forgive me, I’m stupid.”

Xiao Yan turned back to look at her and saw that she was bathing in the rain. The fine rain was like a weave, converging into small strands and sliding down her cheeks continuously; she looked like a chicken in the soup. He glanced at the pavilion in front of him.

“Go to the Xunxie Pavilion to avoid the rain.” His footsteps became faster.

Zhao Wan dragged her injured foot and barely managed to keep up. Eunuch Gao Gui sprinted to the Xunxie Pavilion and proclaimed, “His Majesty has arrived.”

In the Xunxie Pavilion, Tao Jia was rubbing Gu Yi’s hair. When she heard this, she was stunned: “Noble Lady, quick, let me comb your hair.”

Gu Yi glanced at the rain shadow outside the window, “It’s too late.”

She got up, took one of the oil paper umbrellas in the pavilion, and headed out. At a glance, she saw Xiao Yan striding with an oil paper umbrella behind his head held up by a palace maid. She fixed her eyes on the person holding the umbrella: Zhao Wan!

No wonder it is suddenly raining so heavily! So, it’s like that!

Xiao Yan walked the steps. There was an eloquent servant who held the silk handkerchief. He raised his eyes to see Gu Yi holding an umbrella, standing under the eaves, staring blankly at him, “What are you waiting for? Why don’t you go inside!” Waiting for the wind to blow you?

Gu Yi gave an ‘oh’ sound and immediately followed his footsteps. She didn’t forget to instruct the palace staff, “Please help the palace maidservant who is drenched in the rain. Prepare a towel for wiping her body, and then have someone send some hot tea to her.”

Zhao Wan took the towel handed over by the palace staff and glanced at Xiao Yan’s back as he entered the pavilion with a complicated expression. His Majesty seemed to be a different person when it came to Noble Lady Gu.

Gu Yi watched as Xiao Yan removed his cloak and sat down, wiping his face with a handkerchief, “Your Majesty, is your hair wet? Take off your crown first.” As she said that, she walked to Xiao Yan and pulled out the hairpin to remove the crown.

Xiao Yan saw that she had not combed her hair. Her black hair was like a waterfall, hanging softly behind her back. He could not help but reach out and caress it for a moment. The hair fell gently in his palm, and there was a rich fragrance.

Gu Yi glanced at Zhao Wan outside the pavilion, “Why don’t I call someone to come in and wipe His Majesty’s hair?”

Xiao Yan handed her the silk handkerchief, “You do it.”

Fine.

Gu Yi obediently took the silk handkerchief, turned behind him, and wiped the wet hair on his temples. As the sky darkened and the thunder continued, the lights in the Xunxie Pavilion were lit one by one, and the candles shone all over the place. It was raining nonstop, and the wind blew inside. It was a cold autumn day.

Gu Yi saw Xiao Yan’s dry hair and asked, “Is Your Majesty cold? Drink some hot tea, or call someone to serve ginger tea?”

Xiao Yan twisted his head to look at her, “Ginger tea ……” and said, “Although the hot spring pool is good, you can not go every day.”

Okay.

Gu Yi: “Respectfully follow Your Majesty’s teachings.” She turned around and walked to the door. She saw that the palace clothes on Zhao Wan were wet and said to the palace staff in the Xunxie Pavilion, “Find a change of clothes for A Wan.”

She also told Zhao Wan, “After changing into the new clothes, go to the dining room and bring a pot of ginger tea.”

When she returned to the hall, she saw that Xiao Yan had already gotten up and walked over to the table to look at the black and white stumps on the chessboard. Xiao Yan frowned and said, “What kind of chess is this?”

Gu Yi explained and said, “Five-in-a-row, whoever connects five pieces first wins.”

Xiao Yan looked at the white pieces on the board that were already connected into five pieces and asked her, “You hold the black pieces?”

Thank you, someone has offended me.

But Gu Yi still honestly said, “Exactly.”

Xiao Yan smiled, “Accompany me in a game. You’re still playing black.”

Gu Yi wryly said, “Black goes first.”

You wait!

Unsurprisingly, Gu Yi won the first game. The one who played first had a better chance of winning. Finally, she felt the joy of slaughtering novices once again.

“Your Majesty, I apologize!” She smiled slightly, hiding her talent. The villain is pleased with herself.

Xiao Yan’s pair of dark brown glazed eyes looked at her, sparing a smile, “Again.”

In the second game, Xiao Yan won.

Gu Yi: ….

Not Mary Sue at all! So angry, oh!

Zhao Wan, carrying a tray, waited outside the room for a few moments. At this moment, she finally found the time to open her mouth: “Your Majesty, Noble Lady, the ginger tea is ready.”

Gu Yi followed, “Your Majesty, drink the tea first. Your Majesty’s dragon body is important, so let’s not play this five-in-a-row game.”

She turned her head again and called out to Zhao Wan, “Come inside!”

Zhao Wan changed into a pastel-colored palace dress, wearing a Yuehua skirt underneath. She moved like the bright moon. She slowly walked, and despite her slightly drooping eyebrows, she still looked gorgeous.

Gu Yi hurriedly turned her head to look at Xiao Yan, trying to see a tiny spark of amazement in his eyes. However, Xiao Yan still fixed his gaze on the chessboard. Not forgetting to comment on her, he said, “Your heart is too hasty, and you don’t know how to look ahead. Thus, you always lose.”

Thank you!

Gu Yi coughed falsely, “Your Majesty might as well drink the tea first. Ginger tea is bitter when it gets cold.”

Zhao Wan, however, looked shocked. So, this is how A Yan gets along with the palace consorts? She gently pushed the cup before Xiao Yan, “Your Majesty, please drink the tea.”

Xiao Yan raised his eyes at the right time to look at her but did not speak. He turned his head to see that Gu Yi only held the cup and did not drink, and her gaze went to that palace maid.

“Noble Lady Gu, drink the ginger tea while it’s hot. It will get bitter when it’s cold.”

Doggy Xiao, are you mocking me again?

Gu Yi laughed and took a sip. There was some sweetness, and she couldn’t help but look at Zhao Wan and ask, “Why is it sweet?”

Zhao Wan bowed and replied, “Replying to Noble Lady, the water used to boil the tea had osmanthus flowers and sweet dates, hence some sweetness.”

Gu Yi nodded, “That’s how it was. You have this ingenious idea.” She turned her eyes to look at Xiao Yan, “Your Majesty, shouldn’t she get a reward?”

Xiao Yan took another look at the palace maid, and the strangeness in his heart grew even more. Lady of Fairness Gong had pushed this servant girl in front of him to seek favor. But why does Gu Yi repeatedly do this? Was it because of her looks, or was she jealous?

Gu Yi looked at Xiao Yan expectantly, and Xiao Yan finally eyed Zhao Wan and said: “I’ll reward you with fifty taels. Go and look for Gao Gui when you leave.”