Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 87 The Strange Book

Jiang Lanye's voice rang softly in her ear: "Then hold on tight."

Song Yi remained silent, only gripping the rope tightly.

Jiang Lanye gave her a gentle push, and she began to swing slowly again.

At first, the swing wasn't too high, but Song Yi's expression relaxed again, and she couldn't help but urge, "Push harder."

So Jiang Lanye used a little force, and the sound of the wind in his ears was exceptionally loud.

She asked excitedly, "Jiang Lanye! What do you want for your birthday?"

Jiang Lanye hadn't expected her to say that, so he just kept pushing her without saying anything.

Song Yi couldn't help but turn around and look at him.

"Say it."

The swing has stopped again.

Song Yi stood up, bent one leg and rested it on the wooden board, and asked with a smile, "What? Have you gone mad?"

Jiang Lanye looked somewhat bewildered.

"Why do you ask me what I want on my birthday?"

"You definitely need gifts for birthdays, don't you know that?"

Jiang Lanye said calmly, "My previous birthdays were all celebrated with palace banquets."

"And then what? Don't the people who attend the palace banquet have anyone who wants to curry favor with you and give you some precious gifts?"

Jiang Lanye finally understood what Song Yi meant.

"But people do give me things from time to time. They are indeed trying to curry favor, not giving me gifts."

Song Yi couldn't quite understand his logic.

How could anyone, having celebrated so many birthdays over the years, not know that they could receive gifts on their birthday?

But then he thought about it again. Jiang Lanye's mother had left him long ago, and the current Empress Dowager seemed to have no feelings for him either.
Song Yi suddenly took his hand and said seriously, "It's okay, it's good that you know now. Your birthday is a very important day, you should celebrate it well and be happy."

Jiang Lanye nodded, looking at her expression, and chuckled, "So when you asked me that just now, were you trying to give me something?"

Song Yi turned around and sat on the swing, swinging casually for a couple of moments.

“But you keep me locked up like this every day. All I have are my clothes and jewelry. I have nothing to give you.”

Song Yi's hair was covered in weeds, and Jiang Lanye carefully removed them while whispering:

"There's no need to send anything, just have you by my side and keep me company."

"What's the point? I'm by your side every day. So what's the difference between your birthday and any other day?"

Song Yi thought about it carefully and said, "I have to cook you a bowl of longevity noodles that day, so you have to release me from the Golden Palace."

"it is good."

He readily agreed.

Song Yi was somewhat pleased.

Jiang Lanye pushed her again.

As the swing rises higher, a feeling of weightlessness arises.

She was so frightened that she couldn't speak, her whole body stiffened, afraid that she would fall at any moment.

The moment the swing swung out, she finally couldn't help but shout:
"Jiang Lanye!"

His voice trembled and sounded particularly pitiful.

Immediately afterwards, Song Yi bumped into Jiang Lanye's arms.

Strands of her hair fell in the wind, and she stared blankly ahead, still shaken.

Jiang Lanye walked around her, stood in front of her, and said, "Go back."

Song Yi reached out, gesturing for Jiang Lanye to help her up.

Jiang Lanye had just helped her up when Song Yi's knees buckled and she collapsed into Jiang Lanye's arms.

After a long pause, she said through gritted teeth, "Jiang Lanye, I don't want to cook noodles for you anymore!"

"Be good, and you'll be allowed to come out and play again in a few days."

Song Yi's anger quickly dissipated.

"Okay then."

The two went out hand in hand, and returned hand in hand. Once inside the Golden Palace, Song Yi seemed like a flower that had withered overnight. Instead of sitting on a chair, she insisted on leaning against the table and sitting cross-legged on the carpet.

Jiang Lanye changed his clothes and came back to find her still in the same position, so he bent down and scooped her up.

"I need to review the memorials. I've spent the whole day playing with you, but now I have to look at them, so I don't have time to keep you company."

Song Yi nestled in his arms, letting his arms encircle her waist, her voice muffled:

"understood--"

Jiang Lanye, worried that she would be bored, ordered someone to find some storybooks and bring them in.

He sat on the dragon throne reading the memorials, while Song Yi leaned against the table leg, looking down at the storybook with great concentration.

It was unusual for her to be so quiet, and Jiang Lanye felt a little uncomfortable, so he would occasionally look down to observe her.

The palace maids simply picked out a few books at random, unaware of their contents.

Seeing how engrossed Song Yi was in reading it, it must not be a boring book.

Suddenly, she struggled to get up from the blanket, placed the book next to Jiang Lanye, pointed to a character, and asked earnestly, "How do you pronounce this character?"

Even if there are uncommon characters, she can guess the meaning by combining the context.

I just really don't understand this character.

Jiang Lanye chuckled, and after speaking softly to her, she immediately took the book away and sat cross-legged on the floor again.

"Song Yi, have you been wanting to sit on the ground for a long time?"

Song Yi didn't want to pay attention to him and gave a faint "hmm".

Jiang Lanye read through the memorials for a long time, his expression growing more and more solemn. After a while, he closed the last memorial and casually pinched the bridge of his nose.

He looked down at Song Yi and found that Song Yi's head was lowering lower and lower, as if he wanted to glue his eyes to the book.

He quietly got up, walked behind Song Yi, and snatched her book away.

"Hey--"

Song Yi looked at him with displeasure.

"What are you doing? I haven't finished reading yet."

“You’ve been looking for a long time. Look closely at your eyes.”

Jiang Lanye said in a low voice.

Song Yi pointed to the pile of memorials on the table, "You've been reading those memorials for a long time, and I haven't bothered you."

After saying that, she reached out to snatch the book back.

Jiang Lanye nimbly dodged, then said helplessly, "I'll watch for one more incense stick's time, then I'll go to sleep."

"understood."

He returned the book.

In front of him, Song Yi turned to the page she had just been looking at.

Then, Jiang Lanye noticed that Song Yi's face had turned suspiciously red.

Not only did she become famous, but she also seemed exceptionally excited, staring at the screen without blinking.

What kind of storybook is this?
Jiang Lanye went to wash up first, and when she came back, she used the same trick again, snatching the book from Song Yi's hand.

Song Yi was startled. Seeing that Jiang Lanye was about to open the book in front of her, she quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"what are you doing?"

Jiang Lanye, seeing that the blush on her face hadn't faded, asked, "Why are you blushing?"

Song Yi coughed.

"Yes, I find the stories in the book very exciting."

"I also want to see just how exciting it is."

Song Yi quickly pressed his hand down, racked her brains for a long time, and suddenly said, "Jiang Lanye, you read it to me, starting from the first page."

Song Yi had read it to him before.

Jiang Lanye remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Song Yi quickly pulled Jiang Lanye to the dragon throne, pressed him down to sit, then moved the memorials on the table aside, braced himself on the table with both hands, and sat down directly.

(End of this chapter)