the cat in emperor's arms

begging

Cheng Yannan saw her losing her composure, his brows furrowed, and he couldn’t help but interrupt her:

“Li Miaoxue!”

The frail woman beside him, whose delicate bones seemed easily breakable, had vacant eyes and looked like she was about to collapse. Instinctively, just like when he was a child, he stepped forward and partially shielded her, speaking harshly with every word:

“Are you sure the news is true? Did something really happen to His Majesty? And you’ve also misunderstood the imperial consort—”

“Cheng Yannan.” Li Miaoxue glanced at him again, her eyes clearly showing a tearful gaze: “I didn’t expect you to be someone who could be swayed by beauty.”

Her voice was cold, like pearls dropping on a jade plate. As soon as she finished speaking, she flicked her sleeve, turned, and left decisively.

Meanwhile, although Ming Luomeng had just been harshly reprimanded, she still stood silently, as if her soul had wandered away. Her empty eyes were filled with only confusion and fear.

Beautiful as a flower, but now just an empty shell.

“Meimei?”

Cheng Yannan looked at her worriedly, his heart gnawed by an unseen pain, dense and piercing.

“Nothing is certain yet, don’t overthink. Even if something has happened to His Majesty, he will overcome any danger. Don’t take all the blame upon yourself…”

But before he could finish, Ming Luomeng, dazed and lost, took a step forward.

The next moment, like a kite with a broken string, she stumbled and ran toward the forest.

“Meimei!”

“Your Highness, please don’t worry, His Majesty is blessed, and with the protection of the true dragon, there is no need to be overly anxious…”

Baijiu carefully wiped the imperial consort’s sweat, her heart full of concern.

Luckily, Minister Cheng was here; otherwise, if the consort had rushed into the forest in a panic, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

But even though she had been stopped, she still seemed utterly distraught.

Ming Luomeng’s eyes resembled fallen flowers drenched by autumn rain, lifeless, scattered petals strewn across the ground. Silent sorrow and emptiness filled the air.

It was merely an illusory dream…

Why did she cling to it, demanding him to prove something?

She stood frozen before the trees, her gaze obstinately fixed on the forest, afraid to miss any new updates.

The consort’s face was pale as snow, and her delicate body seemed fragile, as though a gust of wind could break her.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves approached, bright robes and steeds speeding forward.

Clear laughter grew closer, and soon, everyone returned triumphantly, with none of the tense atmosphere from the camp. Behind them, soldiers carried the shiny pelt of a tiger, their spirits high, as if they were bearing great honor.

Leading the charge, a man on horseback approached against the light, the shadows of branches casting shifting patterns across his sharp, handsome features, creating a breathtakingly cold beauty.

“Meimei?”

But the joy in Pei Shenyu’s eyes froze as soon as he saw the tear-filled eyes of the small figure.