In the blue sky, the fluttering clouds look particularly white.
You can feel the breath of summer in the bright sunshine.
I hurried back to Shui Xinyuan from Jiaofang to Chunying Palace, but I didn’t have the leisure to experience the taste of early summer.
Several maids followed Shui Xinyuan. In order to match Shui Xinyuan's pace, they almost trotted all the way. This shows how fast Shui Xinyuan walked...
In fact, she wanted to run away, but she was concerned that the maid might not be able to keep up with her. Moreover, if the imperial guards saw the queen running away, they would definitely think something had happened.
Shui Xinyuan walked back to Chunying Palace with a brisk pace that was close to a trot. The maids came out to greet Shui Xinyuan with smiles.
"Empress, you are back!"
"Don't worry, His Majesty hasn't come back yet."
"Really...really?"
Shui Xinyuan gasped, looked around the room, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Great, His Majesty said that he would return to the palace early today. I originally planned to finish my dance practice earlier, but I didn't expect that I would still practice so late..."
"...Why are you coming back so early? I sometimes want to wait for you to come back."
"ah?"
Shui Xinyuan and the maid suddenly turned around and found that the emperor had returned at some unknown time and was leaning against the door.
"Ah ah, Your Majesty, you are back! Sorry, I just came back... ah, tea... no, I need to change clothes first... but..."
"Shui Xinyuan..."
Lu Fusu couldn't help but burst into laughter. Seeing Shui Xinyuan's face turning red due to nervousness, he stroked her head lovingly.
"Don't worry, go take a shower and change clothes first. It doesn't matter if you drink tea later."
"well."
"Mother, the bath water is ready."
"...Ah, Chunxiang, you go boil the water first! Fengxia, you can go and have a rest. Thanks for your hard work, follow me all the way back!"
Shui Xinyuan hurriedly ran to the soup hall, and the maid quickly chased after him.
Lu Fusu looked at them leaving with a silly smile.
"Your Majesty should say hello to the empress later..."
Chunxiang said with a wry smile, and Lu Fusu shrugged mischievously.
"I saw Shui Xinyuan rushing back on the way, so I slowed down to avoid catching up with her."
"Yeah?"
"Wouldn't Shui Xinyuan be very depressed if he saw me coming back early?"
"That's right! I'm looking forward to taking care of everything for His Majesty, and waiting for His Majesty to come back..."
...Since we have slowed down, why not just wait for the Queen to finish making tea for Her Majesty before saying hello?
Chunxiang thought to herself.
"It's cute to see her panic sometimes."
"Yeah……?"
It is certainly a good thing that the emperor and the queen are in love, Chunxiang can only think so.
…
It has been almost a year since Lu Fusu succeeded to the throne and Shui Xinyuan became the queen.
This year, life has been almost peaceful. Although there was an attempt to rebel, fortunately it was quickly put down. Everyone involved in the rebellion believed that it was absolutely necessary to avoid something like this from happening again.
...Lu Fusu teases Shui Xinyuan with such pranks from time to time and enjoys it, which means that his current life is peaceful.
After a while, Shui Xinyuan returned to the room. Before he could tie up his freshly washed hair, he was ready to make tea for the emperor.
She tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ears, selected tea leaves that would be brewed soon, and poured hot water.
Lu Fusu looked at it and smiled slightly apologetically.
"You don't have to be so anxious. If you had known earlier, I would have returned to the palace later."
"Ah? Oh...it's okay."
Shui Xinyuan smiled and placed the tea in front of Lu Fusu.
"I just want to get your Majesty tea quickly."
"But your hair is still wet."
Lu Fusu stretched out his hand and wrapped a piece of Shui Xinyuan's hair around his fingertips.
Chunxiang and the other maids left quietly without saying a word.
Lu Fusu picked up the tea cup with one hand and drank tea, while the other hand was still playing with Shui Xinyuan's hair.
Because Lu Fusu had pulled his hair, Shui Xinyuan could not sit on the chair and could only look at Lu Fusu with a troubled expression.
"emperor……"
"Um?"
Lu Fusu put down the teacup as if nothing had happened and tapped his thigh with his fingers.
"..."
Shui Xinyuan looked at Lu Fusu with even more confusion. Lu Fusu was still patting his thigh.
Shui Xinyuan helplessly sat sideways on Lu Fusu's lap. Lu Fusu nodded and put his arms around Shui Xinyuan's body...
Recently, Lu Fusu seems to like holding Shui Xinyuan and sitting on his lap.
"Uh, um... Your Majesty, my hair isn't dry yet..."
"yes!"
"It will make your clothes wet..."
"oh."
Although Lu Fusu responded, he had no intention of letting go. Instead, he hugged her tightly and pressed her head on his chest.
Lu Fusu kissed her bangs, and Shui Xinyuan couldn't help but shrink his neck.
"Won't it be...cold?"
"It's cool, does it feel comfortable?"
Lu Fusu smiled softly, and when he lowered his head to kiss her lips, Shui Xinyuan felt that his lips were a little cold, but after two or three kisses, they regained their original warmth.
"...Are you busy practicing dance?"
Lu Fusu asked softly between kisses, and Shui Xinyuan opened his eyes slightly.
"Well……"
"Don't you go to dance practice every day?"
"Oh...yes! Because that day is coming..."
It is an important festival of the year to celebrate the anniversary of the new emperor's successful succession to the throne.
Every time there is a new emperor, the date of this festival will change. Every year on the day when the current emperor ascends the throne, the whole country celebrates. Everyone puts down their work, sings and dances, and holds banquets to celebrate. However, the level of excitement varies slightly from place to place.
The palace where the emperor lived would invite the princes, nobles and officials to hold grand banquets. Of course, the palace actresses, musicians and composers were the protagonists of the banquets. Therefore, the palace actresses all practiced dancing hard in the workshops.
"...Last year, I just watched everyone's performance..."
"Yeah... I didn't expect so many people to ask for it..."
After Shui Xinyuan, a former palace concubine, became the queen, she naturally became an audience member at the banquet celebrating Lu Fusu's accession to the throne last year.
When quelling the rebellion, Shui Xinyuan danced "Snow Moon Wind Flower" in front of everyone, and the soldiers who arrived later were amazed!
After hearing this, the officials asked Lu Fusu's confidant Dr. Hubu one after another, saying that they also hoped to be lucky enough to see the queen's dancing.
Zhuge Qing had no choice but to discuss with Shui Xinyuan, and Shui Xinyuan agreed to perform "Snow Moon, Wind and Flowers" at the next banquet... but Lu Fusu agreed reluctantly.
"...I'm sorry, I was too selfish and willful."
Shui Xinyuan lowered her head, and Lu Fusu smiled bitterly and stroked her hair.
"No, I am too selfish. I have always monopolized your beautiful dance...and you have never danced in this festival, right?"
"Yes, because before that, I was no longer a palace concubine..."
Even at grand banquets, not every court actress has the opportunity to perform.
It was only three years after Shui Xinyuan became a palace dancer that she was finally able to perform with other palace dancers.
Although Chen Shaowu, who teaches dance, later told her that in terms of strength, she should have been able to perform long ago, but in the dance studio, Shui Xinyuan, who was just a farmer's daughter, rarely had the opportunity to participate in such lively occasions.
It wasn't until spring that she had the chance to attend the banquet and finally meet Lu Fusu again.
In the summer, Lu Fusu had ascended the throne and Shui Xinyuan became the queen. She had no chance to dance during the late emperor's festival in early autumn, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the celebration of the New Year.
"...I've always wanted to dance at the party."
As long as he dances at the banquet, he will definitely meet Lu Fusu... Even if he thought so at the time, he couldn't attend as he wished.
At that time, it was Shui Xinyuan's dream to attend the palace's festive banquet.
Lu Fusu narrowed his eyes and gently combed Shui Xinyuan's slowly drying hair.
"That's right. It's hard for me to ask you to dance 'Snow Moon, Wind and Flowers' in the room. I couldn't relax and watch carefully last time, but I can enjoy it next time."
"...I can also dance around the room!"
"May I?"
"right."
Shui Xinyuan raised his head and smiled.
"No matter where I am, I can always dance for Your Majesty."
"...but isn't 'Setsuki Kazuka' special?"
"It's very special, so if His Majesty likes it, I can dance in the room."
Shui Xinyuan gently placed her hand on his hand that was combing her hair.
"However, your Majesty, please don't tell others... I want to dance at the banquet because that was my dream when I wanted to see your Majesty. So, I told Zhuge Qing that everyone please come back..."
"...Is this dance also for me?"
"It's all for Your Majesty...I want to dance at the banquet, it's just my willfulness..."
"Is your willfulness also for me?"
Lu Fusu's soft words made Shui Xinyuan's ears feel itchy, and she couldn't help but shrink her neck.
Lu Fusu smiled softly and kissed Shui Xinyuan on the cheek.
"I'm looking forward to the banquet..."
"Um……"
Shui Xinyuan was about to say: "Me too," but her lips were already slightly blocked...