The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 41

Rivalry

Zhou Jin frowned upon hearing this, and the hand supporting Shen Lingyan tightened slightly: “You are not allowed to say that…”

“Then what do you want me to say?” Shen Lingyan countered. The imperial physician had already told her that this illness was difficult to cure, and could only be gradually worn down. All her expectations would be extinguished. How was this different from being told to wait for death?

Looking at the pale Shen Lingyan, Zhou Jin felt a pang of heartache. She glanced at the pouring rain outside. The hand that held her touched her sleeve, and it was damp. Just now, she had also seen her slip a handful of silver to the jailer…

“You came secretly?”

“I was afraid you’d starve to death, and no one would bring my troops,” Shen Lingyan fought back her tears. Zhou Jin’s words just now completely broke her composure. She now felt as if she was speaking with the kindness of a person near death.

The next second, Shen Lingyan felt an arm wrap around her waist, followed by a dizzy spell. She had actually been picked up and held horizontally. The feeling of being suspended in the air was terrifying, so Shen Lingyan had to wrap her arms around Zhou Jin’s neck, her face flushed to the roots of her ears.

“What are you doing!” Shen Lingyan began to breathe rapidly again, and she was about to cough. Zhou Jin quickly extended a hand to soothe her breathing, looking utterly flustered: “Don’t get excited… I’m just holding you… Look how weak you’ve become…”

It was the first time Zhou Jin had shown such an expression. In that instant, she seemed no longer the overbearing and scheming Regent, but a young girl who had just experienced her first crush? Shen Lingyan was so startled that she forgot the violent urge to cough. One hand tightly gripped Zhou Jin’s collar, the other encircled her neck, and her eyes stared unblinking at Zhou Jin.

Holding Shen Lingyan, Zhou Jin kicked open the cell door. The expression on her face vanished quickly; by the time she reached the dungeon exit, she had reverted to an icy-cold demeanor.

“Hold an umbrella for this King.” With Zhou Jin’s command, four or five palace maids and eunuchs immediately surrounded them, holding up large oiled paper umbrellas in front and behind, completely shielding Shen Lingyan. As Zhou Jin stepped out, raindrops still hit her skirt.

The rain hadn’t lessened at all. Zhou Jin no longer cared about how ostentatious it looked; she carried Shen Lingyan all the way back to Chaohui Palace.

Shen Lingyan was already weak, and now she felt even colder all over. Zhou Jin sensed this and placed her hands inside her own embrace, quickening her pace to place the person on the bed.

“What exactly do you want to do?” Shen Lingyan knew she had been carried back to the bed. She looked around, and seeing that no one had been alerted, she finally suppressed her anger and asked Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin pursed her lips and remained silent. She took a silk quilt and covered Shen Lingyan, tucking the corners all around. Only after confirming there were no drafts did she breathe a sigh of relief. Then, she took off her own soaking wet outer robe, remaining in her undergarments, and lay down on the outside of the bed in the dark.

“Zhou Jin!” Shen Lingyan whispered. She hadn’t expected Zhou Jin to get onto the bed. Now, she was too weak to offer any resistance. If Zhou Jin were to do anything to her…

Zhou Jin looked at Shen Lingyan’s startled eyes, and anger welled up. She buried her head in Shen Lingyan’s neck, her voice muffled: “You’re still guarding against me at a time like this? Don’t worry, I won’t lay a hand on someone who doesn’t have much time left.”

This was spoken out of spite. No matter what Shen Lingyan was like now, Zhou Jin simply couldn’t bring herself to harm her.

Shen Lingyan, however, felt as if she had swallowed a reassurance pill. Her hand, which had been gripping the quilt, relaxed. The two remained silent, feeling the warmth of Zhou Jin’s breath on her neck—a feeling that was deeply comforting…

They lay like this for an unknown amount of time, neither of them feeling sleepy. Zhou Jin lifted her head from Shen Lingyan’s neck and gently wrapped an arm around Shen Lingyan’s waist. At this moment, Zhou Jin resembled a fragile child, perhaps even more vulnerable than the ailing Shen Lingyan: “I don’t want the political power anymore… you rest well. I will go on the expedition in a few days…”

The voice was very soft, blending into the dark night, almost drowned out by the sound of the pouring rain. Fortunately, Chaohui Palace was quiet inside and out, and Shen Lingyan heard Zhou Jin’s words clearly.

“You changed your mind? Do you feel that since I’m about to die, whether you fight for this power or not doesn’t matter?” Shen Lingyan’s words became sharp. She didn’t truly think that way, but the words spoken in defiance were always hurtful.

Zhou Jin didn’t seem to mind. She tightened her grip slightly, but her tone became resolute: “No, I won’t let you die.”

Shen Lingyan sighed and slowly moved her hand to Zhou Jin’s waist as well. They held each other like this, but Shen Lingyan still felt a bit unnatural.

In what capacity were they embracing like this?

Shen Lingyan forced herself to ignore the question. She subconsciously spoke in a huff: “Hmph, you led out a hundred thousand elite troops for me. If you don’t give me a satisfactory result this time, you can forget about being the Regent.”

Zhou Jin chuckled upon hearing this: “If I’m not the Regent, should I be your Empress?”

Shen Lingyan didn’t know what she thought of, but her face immediately turned crimson. The hand around Zhou Jin’s body pinched her in retaliation, and she softly chastised her for being improper.

Seeing that Shen Lingyan’s mood had finally improved, Zhou Jin gradually relaxed. With her other hand, she stroked Shen Lingyan’s hair. Feeling the slight pain from her waist, Zhou Jin retaliated by tousling Shen Lingyan’s hair.

A Female Emperor and a Regent. After several rounds of this back-and-forth teasing, it finally ended with Shen Lingyan falling asleep.

Zhou Jin’s eyes glowed faintly in the deep night. She held Shen Lingyan’s hand, which had fallen slack. It was cold to the touch, causing Zhou Jin’s heart to tremble.

Zhou Jin had never imagined that Shen Lingyan would be diagnosed with hematemesis today. The emergence of this illness completely disrupted all of Zhou Jin’s plans. During her time in the dungeon, she had carefully pondered her relationship with Shen Lingyan.

As she thought and thought, Zhou Jin finally discovered the place in her heart she had been avoiding—this might be love.

In her previous life, Zhou Jin achieved fame and fortune, completely sidelined Shen Lingyan, and smoothly ascended to the throne of the Female Emperor. But she had never felt this way before. So, from the moment she first saw Shen Lingyan in this life, Zhou Jin felt something was wrong. Her eyes, her demeanor—they were not what her former self should have been like.

Thus, Zhou Jin began to approach Shen Lingyan, started to change her temperament, began to restrain her aggression, and started to worry about Shen Lingyan’s every move, whether she was happy or not.

Zhou Jin had always avoided contemplating why she changed. Now that Shen Lingyan was by her side, Zhou Jin finally had time to settle her mind, tracing the contours of Shen Lingyan’s face with her gaze while rubbing Shen Lingyan’s hand with her fingers.

Her heart felt full.

“Stupid Shen Lingyan, this King has fallen for you.”

Zhou’s voice was very, very soft, and her face actually turned slightly red for the first time. After saying this, she dared not look up at Shen Lingyan, afraid that Shen Lingyan might open her eyes and give her despair.

“My ambition is only you now… you must get well.” After saying this, Zhou Jin finally closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep, the air filled with the fragrance of Shen Lingyan’s body.

The rain drizzled all night. The cold wind blew gently through the window lattice, dissipating the summer heat. The two slept in each other’s arms, warm beneath the imperial silk quilt.

The rain gradually stopped as the sun rose, and half a sun emerged from the clouds.

Because they had each other by their side, both woke up early the next day. The moment they opened their eyes and looked at each other, both were startled and immediately shifted their gaze to the scenery outside.

Several birds kept by the palace landed under the exquisite eaves. Black swifts occasionally flew across the sky. After the summer rain, the air was not yet hot, and Shen Lingyan was still comfortably covered by the silk quilt.

Zhou Jin suddenly remembered that Shen Lingyan needed to take her medicine. She didn’t speak but slowly got up, washing and dressing as if Chaohui Palace were her own Regent’s Residence.

Shen Lingyan also tried to get up, but the moment she made a move, she started to cough. Hearing this, Zhou Jin rushed over to support her, a hint of anger in her voice: “Why are you getting up? Are you worried that I’ll steal your empire? Lie down properly. You need to rest and recuperate now.”

Shen Lingyan was startled by Zhou Jin’s outburst. The Zhou Jin she knew was either decisive and ruthless or somewhat of a white lotus, but she had never been genuinely angry like this. Shen Lingyan, who had been a little defiant, couldn’t speak, so she obediently allowed Zhou Jin to press her back onto the couch, watching Zhou Jin and Yun Zhu busy themselves bringing in breakfast. The dignified Regent had actually fallen to this level.

Looking at Zhou Jin like this, Shen Lingyan felt a tiny bit of schadenfreude. She forced herself to suppress the sweetness welling up in her throat, coughed softly a few times, and asked: “What you said last night, does it still count?”

Zhou Jin’s hand, holding the food, paused. She turned around and walked to Shen Lingyan’s bedside, hooking Shen Lingyan’s chin, and asked, frustrated: “It’s come to this, and you’re still thinking about that?”

Seeing Shen Lingyan’s worried look, she had to compromise, nodding impatiently while helping her sit up to eat breakfast.

Just as Shen Lingyan sat down, the door of Chaohui Palace was suddenly pushed open. Everyone looked up in surprise at the “uninvited guest.”

Dai Sulan was a little stunned by the scene. Then she walked to Shen Lingyan’s side, looking at Zhou Jin with confusion: “Wasn’t the Regent Your Highness imprisoned in the dungeon?”

No one dared to question or discuss the matter of Zhou Jin being released from the dungeon, but Dai Sulan was different. She had been a straightforward and open person since childhood, accustomed to being neither humble nor arrogant towards people. Facing this challenge, Zhou Jin was momentarily stunned.

“I was too worried about Her Majesty the Female Emperor, so I ran out.” Zhou Jin sat down composedly. Even with Dai Sulan standing, her aura couldn’t shake her in the slightest.

A trace of complexity flashed in Dai Sulan’s eyes, quickly replaced by innocent concern.

“I’ll attend to Your Majesty for breakfast,” Dai Sulan quickly offered. Shen Lingyan hadn’t even responded yet, but Zhou Jin looked at her first, showing a hint of displeasure.