The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 7

“Where am I blushing… I’m clearly just hot.” Shen Lingyan refused to admit it, fanning herself with her hand, pretending she was genuinely warm, her eyes avoiding Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin didn’t expose her, but instead, she affectionately took Shen Lingyan’s hand and, this time, seriously instructed, “We are going to see the surprise this King has prepared for you. You are not allowed to run so fast again.”

Hearing this, Shen Lingyan finally looked at Zhou Jin. She nodded obediently like a child, prompting Zhou Jin to reach out and gently rub Shen Lingyan’s soft hair, the smile in her eyes once again undisguised.

So, the two of them walked hand-in-hand, strolling slowly along the palace path. Memorials and state affairs were completely forgotten. Basking in the summer breeze was more comfortable than anything else.

After walking for an unknown duration, Shen Lingyan only noticed the pond covered in lotus flowers when they turned into the Imperial Garden. The lotus flowers stood gracefully in the water, mostly surrounded by green leaves. In the center of the pond, however, stood an extremely vibrant and magnificent golden lotus-shaped sculpture, with a red-crowned crane standing on top of it.

“Your Majesty, are you satisfied?”

Zhou Jin asked her very earnestly, as if someone carefully holding a sky full of stars had come to find their beloved, afraid the stars might spill and fall to the mortal world.

Shen Lingyan stared intently at the lotus flowers in the pond, especially the golden one that shimmered under the sun.

She nodded without speaking.

Zhou Jin didn’t need her to say anything. Standing side by side, they knew what the other wanted to say without many words, and that was enough.

The two lingered until dusk. When the palace lit up its candles and the lotus flowers were gradually swallowed by the sunset, Shen Lingyan and Zhou Jin slowly walked back. The palace path was long and seemed endless, but Shen Lingyan was not in the least bit anxious. She also took this opportunity to gently persuade Zhou Jin to hand over the reins of government.

As soon as Zhou Jin heard the implication in Shen Lingyan’s words, she began to speak in a saccharine tone: “What is Elder Sister talking about… When has A-Jin ever seized power? This entire realm belongs to Elder Sister. What am I counted as?”

Hearing these words, Shen Lingyan found them utterly uncomfortable. Didn’t this mean she had no intention of returning the power?

Isn’t there a saying that goes… ‘return a person’s trick in kind’?

So, Shen Lingyan also resorted to childish persistence, stopping and tugging at Zhou Jin’s sleeve, insisting that Zhou Jin provide a solution no matter what.

Having no choice, Zhou Jin… picked up Shen Lingyan and carried her away, laughing as she walked: “Elder Sister, why don’t Ah Jin teach you how to handle state affairs? When I see that you can stand on your own, Ah Jin will naturally let go.”

Shen Lingyan was still dissatisfied with this, but to be able to stand on the ground instead of being carried by Zhou Jin, Shen Lingyan had to nod, indicating that she would diligently follow Zhou Jin and learn how to handle government matters. Only then did Zhou Jin put her down.

“Then Elder Sister, have a good rest. Ah Jin must go now.” Zhou Jin rubbed Shen Lingyan’s head, still smiling as she left without the slightest hint of lingering, which made Shen Lingyan watch her retreating figure for a long time.

As night fell, Shen Lingyan looked at the abundant dinner but had no appetite. For some reason, her mind drifted to the soup from noon. Why did that seemingly ordinary bowl of soup leave such a fragrant, lingering taste that she was still reminiscing about it?

Shen Lingyan symbolically ate a few bites before devoting herself entirely to reading the memorials. The memorials that had just been reviewed had to be confirmed again. But at some point, half of the table full of memorials was missing. Upon asking, she learned that Zhou Jin had taken on more than half of the burden for Shen Lingyan.

Shen Lingyan looked at her now fewer memorials and secretly speculated that perhaps Zhou Jin was still not reassured about handing over power to her. However, the thoughtfulness in helping her share the burden of the memorials… was a good gesture after all.

“Yun Zhu, thank the Prince Regent on my behalf.” After giving this instruction, Shen Lingyan plunged herself into the remaining struggle. Reading the memorials one by one, Shen Lingyan gradually lost patience. Finally, straining her mental focus, she finished checking the last one. After placing that memorial on the table, Shen Lingyan felt she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She barely managed to let Yun Zhu and the maids wash her up, then fell asleep the moment she touched the bed. Even extinguishing the candles was done by Yun Zhu.

Shen Lingyan could not tolerate any light while sleeping, so all the candles in the palace were blown out by Yun Zhu, who then quietly stepped outside to keep watch by the door.

It was an unknown hour in the middle of the night when Shen Lingyan felt an unbearable hunger in her stomach. As she sat up clutching her belly, she realized it was deep into the night. She was lying in an exquisite gold-threaded blanket, and all the furnishings around her seemed to be asleep as well; not a sound could be heard outside.

It was at this moment that Shen Lingyan felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness. Rubbing her painfully empty stomach, she wanted to complain but found no one to confide in.

It was also the fault of the original owner, who was indeed a madwoman, had few friends, and the maids were not very close to her; mostly, they pitied her.

It’s laughable. An Empress has fallen to the point of being pitied by her maids.

Shen Lingyan sighed, pulling the blanket to lie down again, but was jabbed in the back by something hard. Turning around, she saw a wooden box. The box was neither too big nor too small, looking exquisite and beautiful, but Shen Lingyan was a little scared.

She hadn’t known it was beside her when she got up…

“Who… hmm…” Just as Shen Lingyan was about to shout and ask who it was, her mouth was covered. She was so frightened that tears were about to come out. Fortunately, she heard a voice just in time: “Your Majesty Elder Sister, don’t be afraid… Ah Jin has come to bring you delicious food…”

With that, Zhou Jin let go of the hand covering Shen Lingyan’s mouth and opened the wooden box. The aroma instantly wafted out, lingering at Shen Lingyan’s nose.

With no candles lit in the palace, Zhou Jin crept onto Shen Lingyan’s bed in the dark, still not allowing Shen Lingyan to call out. She pointed a finger towards the door with a perfectly proper expression.

Shen Lingyan also didn’t want to cause a disturbance late at night, so she compromised and began to drool over the contents of the food box.

With a glance, Shen Lingyan understood Zhou Jin’s thoughtfulness. Knowing that greasy food was unsuitable for the middle of the night, she had prepared light dishes. Though light, they were incredibly palatable. Shen Lingyan ate happily, and Zhou Jin watched contentedly.

“Hmm… How did you know I was hungry? Hiccup—” Shen Lingyan actually let out a hiccup. She covered her mouth in embarrassment, but Zhou Jin thought nothing of it, picking up a handkerchief to wipe Shen Lingyan’s mouth, then mysteriously explaining to her: “This King… calculated with my fingers at my residence and knew Your Majesty must be hungry, so I prepared it and brought it over.”

Even if Shen Lingyan didn’t believe it for a hundred reasons, looking at Zhou Jin’s innocent eyes, she couldn’t bear to expose her. Instead, she completely shifted her attention to the food.

The fragrant and delicious small dishes paired with stomach-nourishing millet porridge thoroughly satisfied Shen Lingyan.

“Your Majesty, were the lotus flowers beautiful today?” Zhou Jin tilted her head, looking at Shen Lingyan, who was focused solely on the food.

Mentioning the lotus flowers, Shen Lingyan thought of the shimmering golden lotus. Her eyes showed a look of longing and affection, which Zhou Jin didn’t miss. She curved her lips: “Then shall we host a small flower appreciation banquet in three days? What does Your Majesty think?”

Shen Lingyan didn’t think much further; she only knew that a banquet meant good food, so she nodded quickly.

Her adorable foolishness, seen through Zhou Jin’s eyes, was once again heart-stirring.

But… why host a flower appreciation banquet…?