The weather in mid-October was pleasantly warm, and the air was crisp in late autumn.
The imperial garden was bathed in brightness, and the exotic flowers and grasses competed with each other, which wasn’t inferior to the hundreds of flowers blooming in spring.
There were flower clusters everywhere you looked, and bursts of floral fragrance graced the nose.
The girl and the boy were walking along the white marble road of the palace, and peals of cheerful laughter would burst from time to time.
Feng Qingbai slowly walked behind and did not rush to catch up with them.
In the eyes of the girl, this garden was the view.
In his eyes, she was the scenery.
He preferred to listen to her laughter than to watch a sea of flowers.
That was what made him the most cheerful.
Walking down the path, the imperial garden wasn’t deserted or silent.
From time to time, they would encounter some palace maids and eunuchs passing by, but after seeing the boy and the man, they would kneel and bow.
Only after the three had walked past did the kneeling people dared to raise their heads and stare at the back of the young girl walking beside the Emperor and the King of Nanling.
They saw the young emperor surprisingly tugging on the sleeves of the girl in a rare moment of behaving like a normal ten-year-old boy accompanied with a big smile on his face.
The coldness that usually shrouded the King of Nanling also faded away, and he looked gentler.
Especially when his gaze as gentle as flowing water was on the girl!
Moreover, knowing that there were people prying around, he didn’t shy away at all!
The kneeling people got up and quietly left in a hurry in various directions, rushing back to tell their respective masters about the picture they had seen.
Awed by the power of King Nanling and despite their curiosity, the harem concubines did not dare to appear in person in front of King Nanling to find out what they were dying to know.
They were indeed too curious, so the maids and eunuchs serving beside them became pawns and were appointed to spy.
In this manner, even if the King of Nanling blamed them, they could prevaricate with any reason. If worse came to worst, it would only be the loss of a servant.
In a place like the imperial palace, a lackey’s life was worthless.
“Is this Cymbidium sinense?” The girl asked as she squatted at the foot of a rocky hill, looking at the purple-brown flowers that were blooming out of the strange rocks.
“It’s Cymbidium sinense. Do you like it, Aunt Liu? I’ll give it to you!” The boy was nearly lying on a fake rock. When he heard the words, he reached for the orchid.
“Pop!” With a muffled sound, a stone stopped his hand.
He got stoned again! His Imperial Uncle did the same when he was picking loquats in Xinghua Village!
Feng Mohan pouted and looked at the man with woefully.
Why couldn’t he take the things that Aunt Liu likes and give them to her?
The man only gave him a faint glance without explaining a word.
On the side, Liu Yusheng breathed a sigh of relief and raised her hand to pinch the boy’s nose. “Don’t do this next time. It is such a beautiful flower, so can you pick it on a whim? I like the way it blooms on the branch, fresh and vigorous. Picking it off is equivalent to letting it wither prematurely.”
After pinching the boy’s nose and rubbing his head, she said “There are some things you like that you don’t have to get your hands on. Let them follow their own life track and grow well. We just need to enjoy them on the side. This kind of liking can broaden one’s mind.”
The boy frowned and loosened his brow.
In his opinion, since he liked the same thing, he should grab it in his own hands.
But since Aunt Liu disliked that, he would temporarily listen to him.
His Imperial Uncle just smashed his hand, so he must have understood Aunt Liu’s thoughts that was why he stopped him.
Hmph, pretending to be alike as if he were Aunt Liu’s bosom friend.
In fact, his Imperial Uncle was exactly like him!
Grab something he liked with his own hands and never let others covet it nor grab it!
He gave the man another glance and met his cool gaze right on.
Both with tacit understanding.
The boy secretly gritted his teeth. He must continue learning from his Imperial Uncle, learn how he posed as a man of high morals!
“Shengsheng, let’s go for a stroll around the lake.” Seemingly reaching the limit of his patience, the man stepped forward and drew the girl’s attention back to himself.
“Stroll around the lake?”
He held the girl’s soft hand and gently drew her to his side. “There is a mirror lake ahead which was planted with lotus. The flowering period has passed at this time of the year, but it’s just the right time to pick lotus seeds.”
“Let’s go!” The girl immediately felt excited.
“How about I give you directions and you lead the way?”
What kind of inexplicable game was this? Liu Yusheng raised her eyebrows, “Direct me!”
“Turn left at the front.”
“Go straight and turn right.”
The man opened his mouth to point directions while the girl led the way. Hence, she was holding his hand and walking forward.
With him behind, he could fit her whole figure in the pupils of his eyes.
Feng Mohan stared at the back of the two slowly walking away and puffed out his cheeks.
His Imperial Uncle deliberately left him behind!
He must have considered him too much of an eyesore once more! He was just impervious to the obvious!
“Aunt Liu, wait for me!”
Stomp-stomp-stomp.
Before he could rub behind the girl, he saw the man flicking the wide sleeves of his robe.
Stomp-stomp-stomp!
He was sent a few steps backwards!
“…” Did he have to be so poisonous!”
What did he do to him?!
He was still a child, and he wasn’t going to steal Aunt Liu!
Once Aunt Liu returned to the royal residence, it would be uncertain when he could see her again, so why be so petty?!
“Follow behind.” The man’s faint tone floated into his ears.
Feng Mohan’s shoulders slumped, and he walked at the end of the line, his entire energy gone.
His Imperial Uncle just knew how to bully him!
After turning a few corners, a lake appeared before them.
The lake was filled with lotus leaves, turquoise and green.
The lake breeze was blowing, and the green leaves were swaying like blue waves.
It was incredibly beautiful.
At the edge of the lake, there was also a fenced pavilion for viewing the lake.
At this time, someone was at the pavilion.
“Greetings to Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness.”
An old maid in the pavilion spotted the three people approaching and immediately bowed to pay her respects.
Behind the old maid, the noble woman in brocade sitting on the stone bench had already turned her head and smiled. “Did Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness also come here to view the lake? What a coincidence.”
After saying that, her eyes turned to Liu Yusheng. “Who is this?”
The moment the woman turned her head, Liu Yusheng suddenly stiffened, unable to take a step.
Her mind went blank.
She stared straight at that face, unable to hear anything.
“Liu Yusheng, we have elevated you to the position of the family head, so that you can bring the family to the top. If you have such good resources, why don’t you take them out and give them to the clan’s children?!”
“Hand over the space! That should have been the entire Liu family’s stuff. Don’t ever think of taking it all by yourself!”
The woman in an expensive suit, with her hair in big curls, held a cold, shiny scalpel in her hand and mercilessly slashed her wrist!
Past life, present life.
Identical face.
Two people completely overlapped in her mind!
Feng Qingbai noticed the girl’s abnormality right off the bat, and his eyes sharpened. He stepped forward and almost enfolded her in his arms. Then his gaze flew toward Consort Liu, cold and sharp, with blades in between.
Consort Liu trembled with fear deep inside, but she still raised her lips. “What is Your Royal Highness doing? This is the first time I met this girl, so I’m just asking in accordance with common practice. Why did it cause such a big reaction from Your Royal Highness?”
“Imperial Consort has misunderstood. This is the first time that Lady Ruyi has met such a distinguished person as Your Highness and got frightened for a moment there. Imperial Uncle is eager to protect the beauty and doesn’t mean anything else. Please don’t take it to heart.” Feng Mohan emerged from behind and explained with a smile.
Peek-Aboo 
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