The moment Wei Yi Yi woke up, without as much as a word, she was thrown to the bath.
Scented candles were lit, their flames fluttering along the wind, bringing their pleasant, sweet smell to the air.
Warm water filled the wooden tub. Flower petals were leisurely floating; their number covers the surface of the water. Along with them, Wei Yi Yi soaks into the bath. And along with her, as she raises from the tub, they stick to her skin.
Wei Yi Yi direct a look at Tang Mei. It was full of disappointment.
In books, aren"t they supposed to slide thru your skin to show how smooth and silky you are?! Why are they sticking like glue?! Why am I peeling them off one by one?! Can I just shake them off?
"Your Majesty, this servant doesn"t know what runs thru your mind but please stay awake," Tang Mei said as the empress kept changing her expressions.
Back into her chambers, Wei Yi Yi stood still as a number of unfamiliar servants pour into her room.
They helped her into the numerous layer of the ceremonial gown. The innermost jacket was cold to the touch and soft as it brush against the skin.
A long fiery red skirt with b.l.o.o.d.y peonies embroidered at its hem was fastened around her breast.
Her already pitiful hills were flattened to the ground.
When the final piece falls into her shoulders, thousand golden feathers were seen dancing around the robes.
The skirt touches the ground, the robes slide across the floor, wide sleeves cover even her small delicate hands.
As the whole dress weighs down on her shoulders, who knew clothes could be this heavy?
When Jiang Yu walked in, different shades of red leads him to a beauty sitting in front of the bronze mirror. The elegant phoenix coronet gives a stunning contrast to the silky hair that was cleanly combed.
It was his empress.
"Once again, you seem like a different person." Jiang Yu wave away the servants.
In the mirror, Wei Yi Yi saw a red figure stand behind her. Tilting her head to look over, she paused, and blurted out the first thing that came into mind.
"You look terrible," she said.
Instead of compliments, the first thing that hit him was an outright insult. Jiang Yu thought he heard wrong. "Wh---"
"Here," Wei Yi Yi pointed under her eyes. "They"re showing. Didn"t you sleep well?"
"Isn"t it the empress" fault?" Jiang Yu remarked. Turning Wei Yi Yi to face him, he noticed that even her usual bangs were brushed away and only two long locks of hair remained freely swaying by each side of her face.
Despite the minimal cosmetic applied to her face, her appearance shows a youthful and vibrant type of beauty. Full of lively expression, her eyes speak deep emotions.
It paused his breath. Occupy all his sense. Even the eyes refused to tear the gaze away. Like the bright twinkle of the stars, it tempts you into looking absentmindedly.
Jiang Yu cannot help but let out a sigh of appreciation.
This is the woman that he married. The one that will birth his son and accompany him until death.
"Fix that sleeping habits of yours. It makes it easier for the a.s.sa.s.sins to kill you at night," he generously warned her.
Last night, Wei Yi Yi slept soundlessly and Jiang Yu waited for at least Jiang Chen to wake up.
It was out of his usual character.
He was the emperor. Why is he waiting upon his own empress?
He could have her waken up by the servants or he could have gone to his other consorts.
But he remained there. And he doesn"t have the heart to forcefully wake her up.
Standing next to the bed, he lightened the lantern and pulled out some memorials to read. Jiang Yu even deliberately make sounds as he moved.
Even so, the two didn"t wake up. Instead, Jiang Chen curled up, swing his leg over, and moved even closer to Wei Yi Yi"s side.
Yet, Jiang Yu still doesn"t have s.p.a.ce. And despite the desire to toss the child out of the way, he held on to his last thread of humanity.
"This is my own nephew," he told himself.
By the time he realized it, he had spent the whole night working.
"It"s Boss that doesn"t have a good sleeping habit," Wei Yi Yi countered. She doesn"t go grabbing people in her sleep nor roll around in bed like him. Also, there are servants whose duty is to guard at night. "In fact, I slept well last night---- ow! ow! Don"t pinch my cheeks!"
"You slept like a rock. Of course, you slept well."
Wei Yi Yi bet that by the time Jiang Yu let go, she acquired a natural blush on.
Signing helplessly, Jiang Yu lean over her shoulders and extend his hands to reach for the red rouge.
With his face suddenly zooming in, Wei Yi Yi almost dropped her heart. "Happiness will go away if you keep sighing, Boss," she said as she darted her gaze somewhere else.
"Whose fault is that?"
Wei Yi Yi flashed a smile. "Whatever I did, It"s not like I"m bringing them outside to show. I only show them to you because we"re close."
"...I know... We"re close so... we can act in a way that"s only known between us," Jiang Yu said as if he was convincing someone.
"En!" Wei Yi Yi agreed almost immediately.
Seeing her energetic respond, Jiang Yu chuckled a bit. He wondered if her energy will last for the whole day.
"Alright, Yi Yi. Close your eyes a bit for me," he said.
Obediently closing her eyes, Wei Yi Yi didn"t see the warm smile on Jiang Yu"s face.
The ticklish tip of a brush stroke gently across her forehead. Her first instinct is to flinch away. Jiang Yu caught her chin with his other hand, saying, "Be obedient. Don"t move."
Wei Yi Yi went rigid. Brows drawing close, she sat there looking like she was bracing for impact.
"Don"t crunch your brows. Relax."
"It"s just some huadian. I"m not putting anything else."
"It will be brief."
"Yi Yi, open your eyes now."
Peaking from one eye, Wei Yi Yi fears that Jiang Yu doodled in her face like what her "brothers" did whenever they found an opening.
Facing the mirror, a beautiful scarlet flame drawn between her brows reflects towards her.
"You look so surprised," Jiang Yu said.
"It"s because you"re so good with your hands, Boss."
Wei Yi Yi finally has a proof that Jiang Liu is not adopted. His elder brother has the same talent after all.
"The servants could do a better job than this," Jiang Yu coughed to hide the tug on his lips.
"No. It"s amazing. I actually thought you"ll draw a chicken on my face."
Wei Yi Yi let out a giggle while Jiang Yu eyes twitch.
In a menacing aura, he rained endless questions towards her. "What misunderstanding is running on your head? How low are your expectations towards me?"
Wei Yi Yi sweats furiously.