I Quit Being This Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 31

The news that the Empress had been released from the Cold Palace spread throughout the entire Imperial Palace in less than fifteen minutes.

Some people were surprised, some were shocked, and others hurried to prepare congratulatory gifts, intending to be the first to present a gift to Her Highness the Empress upon her return to the palace.

Mangkai was also puzzled when she heard that she was leaving the Cold Palace, but thinking back to the conversation the two had by the bed last night, she understood what was intended.

“Your Highness the Empress.” The Chief Attendant, dressed in neat formal attire, bowed to Mangkai. “The imperial carriage is prepared. Please allow the maids to pack your belongings. This official respectfully escorts you back to your palace.”

Mangkai stood inside the door without speaking, but the excited Xiao Lu’s eyes lit up. She squeezed Mangkai’s hand so hard it hurt.

“Your Highness…” Xiao Lu tearfully gripped Mangkai’s hand. “We can go back! It’s been a year! We can finally go back, wuwuwuwu…”

Mangkai reached out and rubbed Xiao Lu’s red-rimmed eyes, sighing softly. “Do you want to go back?”

“I will go wherever Your Highness goes,” Xiao Lu held Mangkai’s hand, her nose red from crying. “Xiao Lu will always follow you.”

Mangkai pursed her lips. “Alright, then we shall leave this place.”

The following events were quick and simple.

There was nothing in the Cold Palace. The bedding and supplies were terribly plain. Xiao Lu and the others didn’t plan to take anything. Now that Mangkai was leaving, everything was fine, as long as they left the place, regardless of the lack of gold or jewels.

The maids hurried to see Mangkai off, seemingly considering it ill-omened to stay there for another second.

The imperial carriage was extremely luxurious, with a retinue of nearly a hundred people accompanying it.

Mangkai felt a bit lost standing in front of it, but seeing Xiao Lu’s excited eyes, she felt helpless and could only step inside.

“The procession begins—”

“Gong—”

As the drumbeats and gongs sounded, Mangkai felt the carriage slowly lift and move forward.

Crossing over a brazier.

Spitting cooling water.

A cleansing bath.

Mangkai didn’t understand all these rituals, but she followed whatever the old palace matrons told her to do. She was fussed over all day until late at night, when the group of ‘congratulating’ concubines finally withdrew.

Watching Xiao Lu tidy the bedding, Mangkai suddenly felt that this elaborately carved and painted Empress’s sleeping quarters wasn’t such a great place either.

“It’s too noisy,” Mangkai murmured.

Xiao Lu turned her head when she heard the sound. “What did you say, Your Highness?”

Mangkai shook her head.

Xiao Lu didn’t mind. She walked over and supported Mangkai, saying, “Your Highness must be tired today, from the Cold Palace to here, and then all those concubines. Xiao Lu knows you hate them the most.”

Mangkai laughed. “You truly understand me.”

“Of course,” Xiao Lu smiled. “I have served Your Highness for so long, after all.”

Meanwhile, the other maids had already made the bed and stood nearby, waiting for instructions.

Xiao Lu glanced at them, nodded, and said, “Alright, you may all leave. I will attend to Her Highness for the night.”

“Yes.”

Mangkai couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re very authoritative.”

“Hee,” Xiao Lu chuckled. “It’s all because Your Highness taught me well~”

Just as Xiao Lu was carefully removing all the gold and jewels from Mangkai’s hair, a set of footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by the sound of the curtain being drawn.

Xun Fangwen, wearing a black-and-gold long dress and a matching black-and-gold cloak covering her whole body, entered. Her eyes immediately landed on Mangkai, who was sitting at the dressing table.

Xiao Lu’s eyes instantly lit up. She quickly bowed. “Your Majesty!”

Mangkai turned to look at her, wondering if she should also bow, but before she could speak, she heard the woman behind her say faintly, “I need to talk to the Empress. You may all leave.”

Xiao Lu excitedly glanced at Mangkai, then turned to look at Xun Fangwen, her small face flushed and excitedly stomping her feet. “Understood! This servant will withdraw immediately!”

Mangkai: “…”

What is this little girl thinking about, at such a young age?

Once everyone had left, Mangkai said with a hint of exasperation, “You came in when I was only halfway through removing my makeup. Aren’t you afraid of being scared?”

Xun Fangwen pursed her lips. “I’ve seen you in all sorts of states. What’s so strange about removing makeup?”

Mangkai pouted and continued to take off the hair ornaments herself.

Xun Fangwen stood there, watched for a moment, then walked over and placed her hands on Mangkai’s shoulders.

“Let me help you.”

Long, slender fingers gently swept past Mangkai’s ears, taking off the earrings.

The cold fingers touched Mangkai’s skin, making her get goosebumps behind her ears.

Xun Fangwen then proceeded to remove the hairpins and various fragmented hair ornaments, placing them one by one on the dressing table, finally letting Mangkai’s long hair fall down her back.

“You…” Mangkai couldn’t help but look at the woman behind her through the bronze mirror. “Why are you so skillful? Have you done this often before?”

Xun Fangwen didn’t speak. She gently stroked Mangkai’s long hair, saying softly, “Your hair is a color I really like.”

It was a lustrous black, just like the night.

Mangkai looked back and said, “My hair wasn’t like this before. It only started turning black after I arrived here.”

Xun Fangwen’s hand paused.

Mangkai didn’t notice and continued, “Have you ever eaten chestnuts? It was that color on the outside. My original hair was light chestnut, and it looked a bit orange when the sun hit it. I remember the dean of students used to point me out as an example every day when I was in school, but I really didn’t dye my hair.”

Not hearing a response from the person behind her, Mangkai assumed she didn’t understand her words, so she explained, “Ah, I mean before… that…”

Unable to explain clearly, she simply changed the subject. “Why did you come to my palace in the middle of the night? Don’t you need to sleep?”

Xun Fangwen withdrew her slightly trembling hand and stared at the top of Mangkai’s head for a long time. Only when Mangkai turned her head to look at her did she say, “I’m going back.”

With that, she didn’t hesitate, leaving the sleeping quarters the same way she had come in. Before she left, she even closed the door for Mangkai.

Mangkai: “…??”

This woman is so strange.

On the way back to her palace, Xun Fangwen couldn’t help but curve her lips. Looking at the hand that had just stroked Mangkai’s long hair, and recalling that she had said she originally had long chestnut-colored hair, she suddenly burst out laughing.

The Chief Attendant accompanying Xun Fangwen couldn’t help but ask, “Did Your Majesty encounter something joyous?”

Xun Fangwen withdrew her hand and lightly cleared her throat. “Ahem, no.”

After all, she couldn’t share this joy in her heart with this group of paper people.

She had found Mangkai.

Although her appearance had changed, her identity had changed, and the era had changed.

But Mangkai’s hazy, easygoing nature made Xun Fangwen repeatedly suspect that it was her.

The moment at the dressing table just now made Xun Fangwen’s heart nearly leap out of her chest.

Combined with their previous conversation on the roof, Mangkai seemed to be looking for her, too.

This is wonderful!

Xun Fangwen stopped, looked back at Mangkai’s sleeping quarters, and said with some regret, “Should I go back?”

The Chief Attendant looked at Xun Fangwen suspiciously, not understanding what was wrong with the Female Emperor. Why was she as happy as a child after just one trip to the Empress’s palace?

“Your Majesty…”

“Never mind.”

Xun Fangwen clasped her hands, smiling. “I’ve finally found her. I don’t want to reveal it too soon. Her current state…”

…is quite adorable.

The attendant next to her: “…???”

Truly, the mind of the Emperor is as vast as the ocean.

It’s completely unfathomable.

The next morning, before Mangkai had even woken up, she heard a familiar shout from outside the door.

“Empress Sister—”

Mangkai frowned and buried her face in the quilt.

The maid serving by the bed, waiting for Mangkai, was startled by the noise. She glanced at the sleeping Mangkai and quickly and quietly opened the door to see what was happening.

Xiao Lu also came out of the opposite wing, and the maid serving her helped her put on her coat, running out as well.

Consort Chun wandered around the large Empress’s sleeping quarters, completely unsure which room Mangkai was in, shouting in the courtyard, “Empress Sister, Chun’er has come to see you!!!!”

Xiao Lu was startled and quickly ran over. “Consort Chun, please stop shouting. Her Highness the Empress slept very late yesterday. Please don’t disturb her.”

“Slept very late?” Consort Chun wondered. “Why did she sleep very late? Doesn’t Sister know that early to bed and early to rise makes for good health?”

Xiao Lu crossed her arms and said haughtily, “His Majesty came last night and spoke with our mistress for a long time. They… Wait! Consort Chun, don’t go in there! That’s not Her Highness the Empress’s sleeping quarters, that’s the outhouse!!!!”

Consort Chun stumbled and, after trying three wrong rooms, finally found Mangkai’s door.

“Sister!!!”

Consort Chun rushed in, saw Mangkai still sleeping on the bed, ran straight over, sat on the edge of her bed, and shook Mangkai’s body. “Did that heartless woman come looking for you last night? Did she bully you? Why did you sleep so late? What happened between you two? Why did she let you out of the Cold Palace? Why, why, why!!!!”

Mangkai felt dizzy from the shaking. She groggily opened her eyes, saw the familiar person, and sighed softly. “It’s you, Xiao Chun.”

Consort Chun froze, then blushed. “Sister, what did you call me?”

Mangkai huddled in the quilt, closing her eyes and whispering, “Xiao Chun, what’s wrong?”

Consort Chun’s face was flushed. She cupped her cheeks, her eyes beginning to shine.

Sister called me by such an intimate name! What an honor!

Sister is so cute when she sleeps. She looks like a beautiful water lily!

Sister’s lips look so pink and soft. I really want to kiss them, wuwuwuwuwu!!!

Mangkai was completely unaware of what Consort Chun was thinking. She slowly opened her eyes, looked at the other person, and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Consort Chun covered her eyes, shaking her head. “I’m not! How could such a cute girl like Xiao Chun only think about Sister!”

Mangkai: “…”

Forget it. I’m used to her.

Sitting up, Mangkai yawned and asked, “What time is it now?”

Consort Chun counted on her fingers. “About 7 a.m.”

“Oh…”

Mangkai thought for a moment, as if something had occurred to her. She turned to Consort Chun and said, “Speaking of which, should we go visit a brothel?”

Consort Chun: “…”

Consort Chun: “Huh?”