Repeatedly broken branches

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, wake up, it's time for lunch."

It was You's voice. Xiao Mu rubbed her sore eyes and slowly opened them after a long while. Looking at You, who had lost a lot of weight, she was so shocked that she sat up abruptly.

"You, how come you've lost so much weight?"

You smiled faintly, "Your Majesty is mistaken. I haven't lost weight. Your Majesty, please get up and have lunch. The dishes have just been served."

Last night I was thinking of getting up early today, but I slept until noon. I didn't sleep well, my whole body aches, and I didn't sleep soundly. I want to go back and sleep for a while.

After changing her clothes and getting dressed, Xiao Mu clearly saw You Yu open her mouth to say something in the bronze mirror, but then swallowed it back.

She turned to look at You, and asked hesitantly with a tentative tone, "You, is there something you want to say?"

"No...it's nothing, Your Majesty. Why do you ask that?"

Xiao Mu thought that maybe she had misread it because she hadn't slept, so she shook her head and didn't say anything more.

……

"Your Majesty, the Empress has sent something."

Yu Yanjing put down the memorial in her hand. The person who came was Shuangru, who was beside her. She was carrying something covered with a piece of gold silk, which looked like a bow.

His gaze swept over what Shuangru was holding.

Shuangru lifted the golden silk covering, and sure enough, it was his bow. He vaguely remembered that he had lost his temper yesterday and seemed to have shaken off a few gems from the bow, but now they were perfectly stuck back in place, and upon closer inspection, they looked as if they had been polished.

Shuangru said, "Your Majesty, the Empress has repaired your bow and sent it to me."

"Oh." Yu Yanjing didn't seem too pleased. He glanced at the bow again and said indifferently, "You can go now."

Shuangru couldn't help but say, "Her Majesty the Empress barely slept last night, spending the entire night melting glue with an oil lamp. Please don't blame her, Your Majesty."

She thought the Empress had offended the Emperor, which was why the bow was repaired overnight.

Yu Yanjing raised his eyes and squinted at her. When had he ever blamed her? When had he ever made her stay up all night repairing the bow? Instead, he was angry. The Empress didn't care about her health and did what she forbade.

But it couldn't compare to Xiao Mu's meticulousness; these polished gems were even more exquisite than the ones his father had given him.

Shuangru tactfully withdrew, but couldn't help turning back every few steps, afraid that Yu Yanjing was still angry.

Yu Yanjing picked up the bow and arrow and carefully stroked the gemstone on it. It was so bright from her polishing that you could almost see her face through the gemstone. Her clumsy and helpless appearance was truly endearing. He couldn't help but smile.

His empress was probably the best empress in the world.

Yu Yanjing decided never to use that bow again. He carefully stored it away and had it returned to the storeroom. This bow shouldn't have been taken out in the first place. Now that it was damaged and needed repair, it became even more precious, and he was even more reluctant to use it.

Only then did Yu Yanjing stop being angry.

He then sent Wei Lan to deliver a message, saying that he would come to her place for lunch in the afternoon.

Knowing that he was coming, Xiao Mu had the kitchen prepare Yu Yanjing's favorite dishes early on, including steamed pork ribs with rice flour and sea cucumber in abalone sauce. These were the freshest sea cucumbers. Chaoyang is not near the sea, so the seafood they eat is all escorted from Ruoyang Kingdom. They are delivered as soon as they are caught, otherwise they will not be fresh.

Shuangru laughed at her for being hypocritical. She said she never wanted to see the Emperor again, but when she heard that the Emperor was coming, she still went to the kitchen to cook with great anticipation.

If I can cook, wouldn't I have to cook for him myself?

"Your Majesty, it's past lunchtime, why hasn't the Emperor arrived yet? The dishes have already been reheated... Should I go and check on him?" Shuangru said to Xiaomu, who was waiting foolishly.

Xiao Mu looked up and said, "No, what if he's not finished yet? Wouldn't it make him anxious if you went? Let's wait a bit longer."

Shuangru thought so too, and could only wait foolishly with Xiaomu in Zining Palace.

An hour has passed, but Yu Yanjing's entourage has not arrived, nor has Wei Lan come to report in advance.

As she waited, Xiao Mu became irritable and began to suspect that Yu Yanjing was just fooling her again.

Xiao Mu simply sat at the table by herself to eat, refusing to eat anything else, only steamed pork ribs with rice flour and sea cucumber in abalone sauce.

Seeing that she had finished the two dishes, Shuangru poured her a glass of warm water and comforted her, "Your Majesty, the Emperor may have been delayed by other matters. Please don't be angry."

Xiao Mu looked up at her and said calmly, "I'm not angry. Okay, let's go out. You, prepare an outfit for me to wear when we go out."

After saying that, she looked at You, who was standing silently at the door. You had been like this lately, working silently. As long as Shuangru was serving, she would not go up to serve.

You nodded, but then asked hesitantly, "Your Majesty, you already went out yesterday, are you going out again today?"

"Yes, I'm not happy staying in the palace. I want to go out for a walk. I'll have Xie Huai take me out to play. You'd better go and prepare, because I might not be back tonight."

You said in surprise, "Your Majesty, this is inappropriate."

"If there's anything wrong, you can go. Just don't let Yu Yanjing know, or he'll get angry again."

You went out for a short while and returned with a light pink brocade dress and a pale yellow silk cloak, which looked quite nice.

Not long after, Wei Lan arrived, acting arrogantly and saying to Xiao Mu with sharp eyes, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is too busy with official duties to come at noon, but he promised to have dinner with you. He said that General Wei's fiancée will be entering the palace later, so you'd better not go out."

Xiao Mu glanced suspiciously at You, who was looking down, but smiled and said, "Alright, I'll take care of some things first, then I'll go and entertain Qi'er. You can have her wait in the Imperial Garden."

Wei Lan was quite surprised that Xiao Mu was so obedient this time, so she didn't say anything more and left quickly.

"Shuangru, I'd like to put some crabapple blossoms on the table. Could you go to the flower room and pick some for me yourself, choosing the best-colored ones?"

Shuangru nodded. "Yes, Your Highness, I will go right away."

After Shuangru had walked quite a distance, Xiaomu leisurely leaned back on the couch, her gaze sweeping over You, and said indifferently, "You, haven't I treated you well?"

You trembled and knelt down with a thud, looking innocently at Xiao Mu and saying, "Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?"

Xiao Mu smiled and said gently, "I just told you not to let the Emperor know I was going out, and you immediately told him. That's why Wei Lan came so quickly. I guess it was yesterday too? I didn't think much of it then. How did the Emperor know I left the palace? Was it you?"

You Bai was speechless and knelt with his head bowed, not uttering a word.

Xiao Mu continued, "Lately you've been quiet and clumsy. I know you're homesick, and I've allowed you to go home for a visit. Why don't you go back?"

You knelt there, opened her mouth, but didn't know how to speak, so she could only say against her will, "This servant is worried about Your Highness, so I dare not go back."

Xiao Mu said helplessly, "You don't need to worry about me. If you want to go back, you can go back for a while. I'm not an unreasonable person. If you want to go back, I can't keep you here. If you want, you can bring your family into the palace so you can see each other every day."

Is it really possible? Is it really possible to bring Mother and the others into the palace?

However, given her status and the fact that she was under Bai Jiaoyu's control, how could she simply go back? Bai Jiaoyu was still in Chaoyang; how could she possibly return?

"Your Majesty...I..."

"Sister Xiaomu, I'm here!" Jiang Qi's voice interrupted You's words that were about to come out.

Xiao Mu didn't take it to heart. She figured You was just worried about her, which was why she told Yu Yanjing all her whereabouts.

……

"Miss Jiang will also be at the banquet tonight. Are you going too?" Zhou Tingxi frowned as he looked at Wei Hao beside him.

"Hmm," Wei Hao said nonchalantly, "What's there to be afraid of?"

Zhou Tingxi laughed, "It's just that the nanny said we can't meet before the wedding, but you don't believe in that anyway, so never mind."

"What was your intention in asking me to choose Miss Jiang back then?" Wei Hao had been holding this question in for several days, and finally asked it today.

Zhou Tingxi could hardly suppress the bitterness in his heart. He knew that he had been selfish before. Just because Jiang Qi resembled Xia Yunzhi from before, he mentioned to Wei Hao that Miss Jiang was not bad.

To everyone's surprise, Wei Hao didn't have his own ideas and actually chose Jiang Qi.

"What could it be? It's just because she has a good position in her family and three older brothers who will definitely be able to help you in the future." This excuse sounds plausible.

Xiao Mu was furious. They had originally agreed to have dinner alone, but it turned into a banquet with everyone present.

Is this what it's like to marry the emperor? Even eating alone is incredibly difficult.

She looked at Yu Yanjing sitting beside her, but couldn't get angry. He must have been very busy lately. He looked quite haggard. She wondered if she was seeing things, but he seemed to have lost a lot of weight.

She understood immediately and pushed the bowl of ginseng chicken soup in front of her towards Yu Yanjing. Upon seeing this, he immediately took Xiao Mu's hand and looked at her with a smile, "Why aren't you drinking?"

"I find it greasy."

"Then I'll drink it." Yu Yanjing picked up the bowl and drank the still hot ginseng chicken soup in one gulp. Then he turned to look at Xiao Mu and said, "Actually, it's not bad. It's not very greasy."

Xiao Mu suppressed a laugh and said, "Really? Maybe that's just my opinion."

"Your Majesty, I'm going out for some fresh air," You said to Xiao Mu as she leaned down.

Xiao Mu knew that You didn't like this atmosphere, so she called Shuang Ru over and told You to go back to Zi Ning Palace and not to come back.

You looked at her gratefully. She saw Wei Hao and Jiang Qi sitting at the same table, chatting happily. The more You looked, the more uncomfortable she felt, as if a thorn was stuck in her eye. Rather than suffer like this, she would rather escape.

It was very cold outside, so cold that You Shi was shivering in only a thin shirt. The coldness in her body was nothing compared to the coldness in her heart.

Ahead lay a lake, its waters reflecting the moonlight like a mirror, rippling gently. She and Wei Hao often met here, and this scene stirred up countless memories for her.

"quiet."

It was his voice. You dared not look back, afraid that the moment she turned around and saw him, she would burst into tears.

"Why did you come out? Don't you need to stay with Miss Jiang? Miss Jiang is so beautiful, how could you bear to leave her?" You's tone was indifferent, but Wei Hao could hear the jealousy in her words.

Wei Hao gazed sadly at her thin back; she was even thinner than before, making one's heart ache at the sight.

“You, let’s talk.” Wei Hao walked up to her, looked at her calmly, and said, “Let’s have a good talk.”

You lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him. She had too many unspeakable secrets in her heart, how could she possibly say them? "Haven't we already made up between us? What else is there to say?"

Wei Hao gripped her shoulders tightly. She was so thin that the bones in her shoulders pressed against Wei Hao's hands, causing him even more heartache for the girl in front of him.

"Can you look up at me?"

You remained unmoved, still looking down at the ground.

Wei Hao lowered his head and leaned close to You. Without hesitation, he kissed her on her unusually cold lips. You's eyes widened, and she looked up. She could only see Wei Hao's long and thick eyelashes and his exquisite facial features.

She did not resist, quietly enjoying Wei Hao's presence.

After a while, Wei Hao finally released her.

"Wei Hao." You's eyes reddened, and she felt a lump in her throat. She looked at the young man in front of her, feeling extremely reluctant to part with him.

There's no turning back now; everything is set in stone. Wei Hao has a fiancée, a girl who is so innocent and carefree.

They are so much better than me.

"You, I want to know what you're really thinking? We were doing so well, why did you break up with me? What did I do wrong? Or... did I say something wrong?" Wei Hao was eager to know You's inner thoughts.

You shook her head painfully, "No, it's because I'm not good enough for you."

Wei Hao gritted his teeth, a bitter mist clouding his eyes. His voice was low and deep, "Don't say that. What do I have that makes me worthy of you? I'm just a rough man, while you are so beautiful and so understanding. What do I have that makes me worthy of you?"

You raised her eyes, both of them brimming with tears.

Wei Hao could no longer contain his feelings and embraced her tightly. He could no longer resist the flood of longing and at this moment only wanted to stay with her, never to be separated for all eternity.

They cuddled together before parting. You knew that this time it really needed to be put to rest, otherwise what would all this mean? What would Jiang Qi do then?

Now that everyone knows, how should Wei Hao conduct himself?

He has worked so hard to get to where he is today, how can he ruin his future because of her? Someone like her is destined to be a burden if she stays.

"Wei Hao!"

Jiang Qi saw Wei Hao standing by the lake from afar, and ran towards him with a smile, but... it seemed that there was a woman beside him, who looked like the head maid of the Empress, You.

Jiang Qi could only hide behind a big tree, silently watching everything that he couldn't accept.

It took her so much effort to convince herself to leave her parents and marry Wei Hao; it took her so much effort to fall in love with Wei Hao; it took her so much effort...

But she simply couldn't accept all of this.

Wei Hao looked at You with a pained expression, and said heartbrokenly, "What use is my future if I don't have you?"

"Don't say that. For people like us, the only way to turn our lives around is through our future. I have no hope. You must seize the opportunity, marry Jiang Qi, and treat her well. As for me, I will eventually have to leave." You looked at him, her heart aching as if it were being torn apart.

Wei Hao embraced her again, a hot tear rolling down his face. He shook his head and said, "No, I want you. I only want you. I don't want anyone else. Even if Miss Jiang is perfect in every way, I don't want her."

Jiang Qi's heart sank from a great height to the bottom of a valley in an instant. All her beautiful fantasies were shattered. Having never suffered any grievances since childhood, she felt endless grievances at this moment.

She couldn't bear to watch this scene unfold, so she could only leave silently.

As she ran, she tried to comfort herself, telling herself that she and Wei Hao had only known each other for a few days, so what was there to be sad about? There were plenty of good men in the world, and Wei Hao wasn't the only one.

It's better to see things clearly now than after you've gotten married!

Back at the table, Jiang Qi pretended to chat casually with her maid Wu Yan, and no one could tell what she had just gone through.

Wei Hao returned shortly afterward and sat down next to Jiang Qi as if nothing had happened. Jiang Qi even asked tentatively, "Why did you take so long?"

Wei Hao stammered, "I...I was outside...in the wind, I'm fine."

Jiang Qi smiled and poured him a glass of wine, saying gently, "Okay, drink it and warm yourself up."

Xie Huai had drunk some wine and felt dizzy, so he wanted to go out to sober up.

While passing through the Imperial Garden, he suddenly heard a woman's voice cursing. He wanted to go and see what was going on, but before he got close, he saw You kneeling on the ground, and the woman in front of him was Bai Jiaoyu.

Previously, You and Ying'er, who was by Bai Jiaoyu's side, had indeed been in close contact.

Why did I upset her again today?

He didn't want to meddle, after all, he didn't want to have anything to do with Bai Jiaoyu. But just as he was about to leave, Bai Jiaoyu suddenly started cursing in a sharp voice.

"You've been with me for so many years, and you've done a good job, so I kept you around. Now you want to go back? What for?"

You said in a low, humble voice, "I don't want to hurt anyone anymore, please let me go back." Her expression was full of pain, and her face was covered in tears.

Xie Huai stood in the shadows, secretly listening to their conversation.

Bai Jiaoyu cursed, "You lowly thing! If you go back, I'll have your whole family killed, and see if you dare to disobey me again!"

"Princess, please don't make things difficult for me. I really can't stay here any longer."

"You've been with me since you were fifteen, and you've done a lot of bad things around me. Now you want to just walk away?"

Xie Huai was astonished; You was actually Bai Jiaoyu's man.

Given the relationship between Bai Jiaoyu and Xiao Mu, and the fact that You belongs to Bai Jiaoyu, there's only one answer: she is a spy.