Male Lead Is Always That Heartless

Chapter 26

The sky was already bright when Gu Yi woke up in the morning. She twisted her head and was surprised to see Xiao Yan was still on the bed. His eyebrows were tightly closed, and he seemed to be sleeping heavily. It was rare.

Gu Yi looked at him for a while. Xiao Yan opened his eyes and saw Gu Yi with a bitter smile on her face.

“Noble Lady Gu, what are your thoughts?”

Taunting me first after getting up in the morning; who is the poor little thing with tears in his eyes last night? 

Gu Yi smiled, “I miss Your Majesty. Admiring Your Majesty’s sleeping face.”

Xiao Yan: ……

Xiao Yan rolled over and got off the bed.

The palace staff heard the commotion and fishtailed in.

Gu Yi got up, watched Xiao Yan change his clothes, and hesitantly asked, “Your Majesty, how long do you intend to stay at the Wu Shan Palace?”

“Three days from now, I will return to the capital.”

There were still three days. The plot of Beauty Wan must be carried out within these three days. Xiao Yan noticed the silence behind him and turned his head to look at her. He saw her lowered her eyes in silence.

“If you like Wu Shan, just come back next summer.”

Gu Yi raised her eyes and hummed. She got off the bed and allowed the palace staff to change her clothes.

What to do? After last night, will Xiao Yan still go to that hot spring pool? What if he doesn’t go? Will he still confer that title for Zhao Wan if he doesn’t? What to do!

Xiao Yan and Gu Yi changed into their clothes, but no joy was on their faces. Did she really like Wu Shan Palace so much? Or having so much fun outside and not wanting to return to the palace? 

Xiao Yan deliberated for a moment. “There is a garden at the capital near the mountains. The winter snow is beautiful. After the six departments tidy it up a bit, it’s possible to go there in winter.”

Gu Yi’s heart moved slightly. Xiao Yan thought she had the heart to play, but — this was a cross-server chat (*).

T/N: 跨服聊天 is an internet buzzword that refers to two people having a conversation, but the content of the conversation is different.

Our sorrows and joys, under the banner of the plot, couldn’t be shared. 

Gu Yi reluctantly smiled, “I thanked His Majesty first.”

Let’s talk about it when I’m alive! 

After breakfast, Gu Yi returned to the Xunxie Pavilion and began to plot her life and death matter!

She summoned Tao Jia, “Go to the Luoxia Pavilion and tell them I want to embroider a silk handkerchief. I need a competent person to help me, and I chose A Wan!”

Tao Jia was puzzled, “I can help you to do it! Why are you looking for someone from the Luoxia Palace?”

Gu Yi: “Zhao Wan came from the Department of Production and is good at women’s skills. I want to embroider a handkerchief for His Majesty. I can’t be sloppy.”

Tao Jia nodded, unwillingly said: “I will go ……,” whirled around and left.

Gu Yi paced back and forth in the room alone. In the original book, Zhao Wan was favored in the hot springs pool; although there had been previous encounters, it felt like Xiao Yan had spontaneous lust. But Gu Yi felt that the Xiao Yan in front of her eyes was not like the general description of the book. He was not flirtatious; the harem and the former dynasty related, favors and punishments were all calculated. There were already palace consorts in the outer palace; he did not need to touch a palace maid. Also, this palace maid was the Lady of Fairness’s people.

What to do! She rubbed the scented pouch on her waist, thinking hard to no avail.

*

Inside the Luoxia Pavilion, Lady of Fairness Gong was very anxious. After living in the outer palace for a few days, the emperor only sat and drank a cup of tea in her place. He never came and did not call her to the Xuanyu Pavilion. She thought she could stand out among the concubines when she accompanied him to Wu Shan, but that was not true. Three days later, they will return to the capital.

There would be no more opportunities like this! 

The emperor rarely grants favors. Gaining a foothold in the harem was like the struggle in the previous dynasty. There was a fight, and factions protected each other. If she couldn’t use anyone, then others would use her.

Consort De and Shu were from the previous dynasty. She couldn’t climb on them. Consort Duan and Jing were more like decorations. Although Wang Xiu was from the new dynasty, she was useless. The emperor probably wouldn’t even look at the rest of the Beauties and Talent Lady.

Although Noble Lady Gu came from a local official family, she was favored. The emperor was currently interested in appointing Gu Zhizhu. If the Gu family entered the capital to join the court, Noble Lady Gu wouldn’t be only a Noble Lady. At this moment, she could only control those who had no support but might have a future.

Lady of Fairness Gong’s eyes could not help but fall on Zhao Wan, seeing her stand by the window, graceful and elegant.

Chunya hurriedly entered the room and said, “Noble Lady Gu sent someone to ask A Wan to go to the Xunxie Pavilion to help her embroider. Lady of Fairness, what should we do?”

Lady of Fairness Gong’s willowy brows knitted slightly. Did Noble Lady Gu think of the same thing as her? 

After a few turns of thought, she said to Zhao Wan, “A Wan, since Noble Lady Gu has requested, you can go but return quickly.”

Zhao Wan said ‘yes’ and was about to leave when Lady of Fairness Gong called out, “But …… A Wan, remember who your master is. ”

Zhao Wan’s heart sank, “Yes, Lady of Fairness.”

*

Gu Yi rubbed the embroidered handkerchief and took a closer look. She had embroidered this handkerchief for two or three days since Xiao Yan suspected her of being slack. Based on her sloppy women’s skills, she barely embroidered a flower, a red flower, a green leaf, and minimalist lines. She wondered if the female lead could save this.

Zhao Wan came into the pavilion. She looked at Gu Yi leaning on a pearwood chair. She wore a colored pastel dress lined with a brown jacket, her face slightly pink, and her pair of almond eyes bright and dazzling. Seeing that it was her, her eyebrows arched, “A Wan came just in time!”

Zhao Wan avoided her eyes, bowing, “Greetings to Noble Lady Gu.”

Gu Yi: “Get up quickly. Come closer and take a look at this embroidered handkerchief of mine.”

Zhao Wan had never understood Noble Lady Gu’s character. She encouraged her to enter the Xiuyi Hall’s side hall that day but rebuked her in the Peach Garden. And now let her embroider silk handkerchief? Is she seeking favor like Lady of Fairness Gong or just insulting her? Or, in the eyes of the highly favored Noble Lady Gu, she is a valuable palace maid?

Gu Yi saw Zhao Wan lowering her eyebrows, walking to her, and taking the silk handkerchief in her hand, but her face seemed to stiffen.

Zhao Wan asked softly, “What kind of embroidery is Noble Lady trying to make?”

Gu Yi pointed to the blank space above the green leaf and red flower, “Embroider two butterflies right here ……”

Zhao Wan: “What color does Noble Lady want?”

Gu Yi: “Just do as you deem fit. Embroider it in the Xunxie Pavilion and give it to me later today.”

Zhao Wan dared not to refuse, so she just stayed.

*

As the sun set, Gu Yi counted the hours and sent Tao Jia to Xuanyu Pavilion to find Eunuch Gao.

“Just say I invite His Majesty to dinner and a chess game.”

Tao Jia trotted off quickly.

Eunuch Gao heard Tao Jia’s message and said, “Wait for a moment.” Whirling around, he entered the hall.

After a few moments, he stepped out and smiled, “His Majesty said that Noble Lady has a heart and that he will go to the Xunxie Pavilion at Xushi (*).”
T/N : 7=9pm

Tao Jia laughed: “Thank you, Eunuch Gao.”

Xunxie Pavilion’s people were suddenly busy, holding candlesticks and walking around the palace; their footsteps were noiseless and excited. The lights were brightly lit, and the smoky fragrance of osmanthus drifted out from the rosewood stove.

Zhao Wan squeezed the embroidered silk handkerchief. She hesitated; is the emperor coming? Should she continue to stay in the pavilion —

Gu Yi walked into the flower hall and saw Zhao Wan sitting on a stool, staring blankly. She asked out loud, “Are you done with the handkerchief?”

Zhao Wan returned to her senses, hurriedly bowed, and said, “It’s done.”

Gu Yi joyfully said, “Let me take a look!”

Zhao Wan handed over the embroidered handkerchief, and Gu Yi took a look. Yellow and green butterflies flew vividly. The red flowers and green leaves look even more dull.

“Excellent!” She praised and put the embroidered handkerchief into her arms.

Zhao Wan mumbled, “Then …… I’ll leave ……”

Gu Yi nodded and smiled, “You came out for half a day. Sister Gong should be anxious.” She must not rush.

Zhao Wan came out of the brightly lit Xunxie Pavilion, and the cold wind of the autumn night blew on her face. She felt even more frigid. She turned back and glanced at the Xunxie Pavilion, the warm and melting lights, and the occasional laughter of the palace people, which was different from the dark and silent night. She wrapped the purple-red palace coat tightly and hastened her footsteps. After walking briefly, she saw eight palace people walk with lamps. The lights shook her eyes slightly.

Eunuch Gao’s voice rose high, “Who is in front?”