Chapter 86 - Rong Heng: Weak_pitiful_helpless.jpg
After Song Yuan came out of the ward, she took a deep breath.
Fortunately, she didn't have a particularly impulsive temper. Otherwise, she would have "talked reason" with Rong Heng as soon as she entered the ward, but then be told that what he gave to Rong Ting was only water. Wouldn't that have been mortifying?
In the past twenty years, Song Yuan had never lost face, but she didn't want to be too embarrassed in front of Rong Heng because it would make her look stupid.
Thankfully, thankfully she knew she had to confirm first. Otherwise, how would it have ended?
Song Yuan was holding the bottle of sparkling water Rong Ting had mistaken for alcohol, but her mind was occupied with what had happened just now.
She'd known Rong Heng for several years. What was that look on his face just now? Dumbfounded, cautious and nervous. In particular, when he was wearing that hospital gown, for some reason, she suddenly thought of that weak_pitiful_helpless reaction meme. She burst out laughing, unable to hold it back.
This was the first time since she'd gotten to know him that she'd seen such an expression on his face.
There was a mirror on the wall. She turned her head and accidentally caught a glimpse of the bright smile on her face. Stunned, the smile on her face receded. She looked down at the bottle of sparkling water in her hand, a smile flashing in her eyes.
Rong Ting was sitting obediently in the bench placed in the hallway. He hurriedly stood up when he saw his Empress Mother coming out of the ward, his line of sight falling on the wine in her hand. Immediately growing nervous, he hurriedly came up to her and asked tentatively, "Empress Mother, did you and Emperor Father quarrel?"
"We didn't quarrel." It was completely just a misunderstanding and her being too careless. If she had just calmed down and really thought about it, she should have known–with Rong Heng's high expectations and standards for Rong Ting, there was no way he would give him alcohol!
Song Yuan twisted off the cap, and under Rong Ting's stupefied expression, she drank several mouthfuls in one go.
She really liked this brand of sparkling water. It was sweet, like soda. But the one Rong Heng drank... wasn't so sweet. Instead, it tasted a little strange. Rong Ting had never drunk sparkling water or alcohol before, and this sparkling water bottle did look a bit like a sake bottle. It wasn't surprising that Rong Ting misunderstood.
"Empress Mother..." Rong Ting's eyes opened wide.
Song Yuan shook the bottle of sparkling water and smiled. "This isn't wine."
"It isn't wine??"
"It really isn't wine. This is sparkling water. It basically means it's aerated mineral water. It's water, not wine. I think this is the water you drank in the spa and the thing you saw in the fridge in your Emperor Father's fridge. He seems to really like drinking this water." Song Yuan thought for a while, then continued, "Your Emperor Father doesn't like drinking alcohol. I've rarely seen him drink wine."
Saying it this way, she felt that Rong Heng was a bit of a desireless person, other than wanting to be a good emperor.
There was nothing he liked to eat, nothing he liked to drink, and he didn't like being lazy. On most days, outside of reading books, he had no other hobbies.
Back when she was in the harem, in her depression, she would think–meeting him was a mistake. Maybe he had thought the same.
Song Yuan fell deep in thought, but Rong Ting seemed to have his world views reshaped one again.
He had thought that he had the potential to drink a thousand cups without toppling, that he was a strong drinker, but it turns out... what Emperor Father drank was not wine, but water???
What the heck, what a disappointment.
Though he thought this in his heart, Rong Ting didn't dare to show it. He "exaggeratedly" patted his chest with a look of rejoicing. "That's great, Empress Mother, you don't have to be angry. I have not drunk wine. Wine is not a good thing; I will not touch it." He paused, feeling that he shouldn't be too absolute. Who knew how things would change in the future? He added, "I will listen to Grandfather–I will not touch it until I am at least eighteen."
How quick-witted he was!
Song Yuan gave him a glance, instantly seeing through his thoughts. "You'd better do as you said."
"I will certainly do as promised."
The mother and son walked into the elevator.
Over in the ward, Rong Heng got out of bed and walked over to the desk where the mini fridge was placed. With a befuddled look, he opened the fridge, but he was still unable to figure out what had just happened. How strange–he was certain he hadn't seen wrong. She definitely came in in an aggressive manner, and for a second he suspected she was going to give him a sound lashing. But in just a few seconds, her face changed faster than flipping a book... how should he put it? At the very end, the words she said to him and her smiling expression made him feel extremely out of sorts.
Was she really just thirsty?
It really wasn't originally to quarrel with him?
Rong Heng's goal had been achieved, so there was no need to stay in the hospital any longer. After the fever died down, he had Sun Qiming assist him with the discharge procedures.
He still hadn't determined whether this trick of wronging himself to gain her compassion was useful or not, but regardless, he had reached the stopping point and couldn't take it too far.
It was just a common cold and fever. If he stayed in the hospital for longer, she would inevitably start to suspect him.
Song Yuan received a call from her bestie Xie Ya, who invited her to a hot spring in the neighboring city. Two other friends were also going. Xie Ya had a stroke of fortune this year; her hometown was going to be demolished. After doing some calculations, Xie Ya should be able to get about one million. Transforming from a poor family into a millionaire rich woman left Xie Ya so happy she couldn't sleep for several nights. The end-of-year bonus was also pretty substantial, so she grandly booked a night in a villa in the neighboring city's hot spring. She wanted to bring a few girlfriends to enjoy it together~
Ever since they graduated, Song Yuan had much fewer opportunities to meet up with her friends. Everyone was busy with their own work and lives, and there was no way for them to get together as often as they did in their days as students. She wanted to agree, but when she recalled that they were staying for one night, she couldn't make up her mind. Her parents were busy networking during this period and didn't have the time to help her look after the child...
After thinking about it, she thought of Rong Heng.
If he was just Rong Heng, she would definitely ask him to take Rong Ting for two days–after all, he was Rong Ting's dad. But he was also Xie Heng. She didn't know whether or not to ask.
Finally, Song Yuan gritted her teeth and dialed Rong Heng's number.
It was a rare chance for her and her friends to get together. She really didn't want to miss it.
Rong Heng was reading books and newspapers when the cell phone on the desk vibrated. He picked it up and impatiently glanced at the screen. When he saw that it was Song Yuan calling, he thought he was seeing it wrongly. After staring blankly, he snapped out of his daze and hurriedly answered. His speed was extremely fast, but his tone was still unhurried. "Hello."
Song Yuan was only thinking of giving it a try. She hedged, "Um, are you free tomorrow and the day after? Are you busy?"
If he didn't have time and was busy, then forget it.
Her parents used to be like this. When her mother was very busy and didn't have time to take care of her, she would call her dad. If her dad was free, he would take care of her; if he wasn't, he would send her to her grandma and grandpa's house.
Rong Heng was unable to react.
Was she asking him out to do something? His heartbeat sped up, and he unconsciously straightened his back. The thing he had always been hoping for had happened, but he was blank.
In modern communication, silence was pretty much a refusal. Song Yuan wasn't surprised. She smiled again and said, "If you're not free then forget it. I was just..."
Before she finished speaking, she heard the other person's quick response. "No, no, I was just finishing something up. You just asked me if I was free tomorrow and the day after, right? I'm free, not busy at all."
"You really are free?" Song Yuan confirmed.
"I really am."
Hearing him say this, Song Yuan relaxed and wasn't polite. "That's great. I have a date with my friends tomorrow and the day after, and I don't think I'll have time to take care of Rong Ting. Since you have time, you can take care of him. I've already talked to him, and he agreed."
Rong TIng was very sensible. For him, being with Empress Mother was naturally the best, but Empress Mother had her own affairs. He wouldn't make an unreasonable fuss. Being with Emperor Father was also fine~
...
.....
What was the feeling of riding a roller coaster? It was precisely this.
Rong Heng's expression settled down, and he restored his previous composure. He gave a very calm 'en.' "Okay."
Song Yuan was ecstatic. After hanging up, she immediately announced in her friends group chat that she was going too.
She hadn't played with her friends in so long!
Although it was only a two day, one night trip, Song Yuan was still excited. She packed two sets of swimsuits alone and put on the new dress she bought this year. She ran up in front of Rong Ting, who was still practicing his calligraphy, and spun in a circle, asking him, "How does it look?"
It was an apricot knitted dress, matched with a coat. She was particularly fond of it.
Rong Ting lifted his head to take a look, somewhat helpless. "Empress Mother, if I remember correctly, I was next to you when you bought this dress. You asked me, and I answered."
"Why are you so impatient?" Song Yuan waved her hand. She pinched her arm with a look of distress. "It was fall when I bought this dress, and it's been a year now. I may have gained some weight, and how I looked wearing it back then might not be the same when I wear it now."
Rong Ting felt a pressure that he shouldn't have to bear at his age.
He had no choice but to say, "Looks good."
The clothes here looked strange, but after seeing them over time, he was used to them.
Song Yuan also knew that asking Rong Ting was a waste of time. Don't just look at his age–he already possessed the characteristics of a straight steel man. Whatever she wore, he would say it looked good, extremely perfunctorily.
If it weren't for the fact that they were the only living things in the house, she wouldn't have caught the child and asked him.
"Forget it." Song Yuan turned around. "I won't ask you. You focus on your calligraphy–I'm going to do my nails. New year new me!"
She headed to the bedroom. Rong Ting was still holding the brush, staring at her back. He couldn't hold back his smile.
Perhaps it was a good thing for Empress Mother to go out and play with her friends. At the very least, she seemed to be happy again.
Rong Ting stared at the xuan paper spread out on the desk and solemnly wrote four words on the paper–
Wear a smile often.
May Empress Mother smile often.
Chapter 87 - Empress Mother kissed me!
Song Yuan was so excited about the girlfriends meeting up for the next two days that she couldn't sleep. It felt so much like the night before the spring outing when she was little!
She got up early the next morning. How early? Rong Ting wasn't even awake when she came out of the bedroom.
She already set up a time with Rong Heng. He should be coming over at around eight.
Although she wasn't sure whether or not he would have had breakfast when he came over, considering that he would be taking care of the child for the next two days, Song Yuan prepared breakfast for three.
Her and Rong Ting's breakfast had always been simple. She'd soaked the soybeans before going to bed last night, and in the morning she used the soaked soybeans, walnuts, and red dates to make soymilk. It was rich and mellow, and Rong Ting liked it very much. She also steamed the big pork buns she got from her aunt1 and fried a few eggs and some bacon. In a good mood, Song Yuan used the beautiful plates and washed some fruit, then took a photo to upload to her Moments. It was practically a textbook Moments post on her perfect life2.
By the time Rong Heng came over, Rong Ting had already finished washing up.
"Have you had breakfast?" Song Yuan casually asked as she poured soymilk.
Even if Rong Heng had eaten, he would say he hadn't. After all, there were very few chances for the three of them to sit down and have breakfast together; he couldn't miss out on it.
Song Yuan had put on a different style of makeup and sprayed on perfume. The fragrance wasn't strong; it was rather light and smelled nice.
A child as big as Rong Ting was actually very easy to take care of. As long as he ate three meals a day and slept well, that was enough. He could read books and practice calligraphy by himself, making it very stress-free for adults. Based on this, plus the fact that the father and son had spent the last five years depending on each other in the palace, Song Yuan no longer nagged Rong Ting about what he needed to pay attention to. Maybe he was even better than her when it came to taking care of a baby.
After breakfast, Song Yuan had put on her coat and picked up her suitcase, getting ready to go out, when she remembered that she hadn't packed her curling iron, so she tossed her coat onto the sofa and rushed to her bedroom.
In this short period of time, Rong Heng found the opportunity to stick a card into her coat pocket.
Rong Ting, who had witnessed the entire thing, turned his gaze away, acting as though he hadn't seen it, not wanting to expose Emperor Father.
"Then I'm leaving." Song Yuan came out of the bedroom, put on the coat, and stood in the hallway with her arms stretched out to Rong Ting. "Come here, baby, let Mom hug you. We won't see each other again until tomorrow night."
Rong Ting smiled with some embarrassment, but he still came up, stretching his hands out to hug her.
Song Yuan felt that she'd become much more courageous. Kissing, hugging, and lifting up high–she wanted to do all three things, but she had to take it slow. Taking advantage of when Rong Ting couldn't react, she kissed him on the cheek, then quickly released him.
Rong Ting was momentarily dazed, unconsciously reaching up to over the cheek she had kissed.
"I'm leaving, bye." This sentence was directed at Rong Heng.
Rong Heng looked down at his son, feeling a bit envious.
"Empress Mother seems to have kissed me just now." Once Song Yuan left, Rong Ting turned and looked up at Rong Heng.
Rong Heng gave an 'en.'
"Empress Mother kissed me!"
En.
Rong Heng didn't want to get jealous of his own son, so he quickly tried to divert his attention and asked, "What do you want to eat in the afternoon?"
This question pulled Rong Ting back to reality. He was a bit afraid of Emperor Father going into the kitchen to cook. Emperor Father's cooking wasn't bad, but just buying ingredients and cooking took a long time. Last time, it was past one o'clock by the time the meal was served, which completely disrupted his schedule. In the past, he and Empress Mother would eat at twelve, then take a nap at one. If he had dinner at one and took a nap, he wouldn't have enough time to read and practice calligraphy.
Rong Ting thought about it. Suddenly recalling what he had said to Empress Mother when they reunited, he put it to use in this moment and said, "Emperor Father, as the nation's ruler, you need not personally do things like cooking."
Rong Heng thought so too.
It had nothing to do with whether he was the ruler of a nation or not, since this wasn't the Great Ye dynasty. He simply had no interest in things like grocery shopping and cooking. However, some words should be said in advance. "Then if your Empress Mother asks..."
Rong Ting hurriedly answered, "I will tell Empress Mother that you wanted to cook. I was the one who wanted to eat out."
Rong Heng nodded, smiling faintly. "Alright then, we won't go grocery shopping."
The father and son reached a consensus, but the two days and one night weren't so easily glossed over. Nighttime was still fine–just wash up and go straight to sleep. Here in the modern times, Rong Heng didn't need to handle government affairs or go to court, and Rong Ting didn't need to attend class with the Grand Tutor, so the daytime was free.
"I saw a book café outside the community. I checked–there are many books, just like a bookstore, but you can sit down and order food and drinks." Rong Heng had already arranged their itinerary. "We'll read books there in the morning. The books here are rather decent. I heard your Empress Mother say you have a habit of napping in the afternoon, so we'll go to a nearby restaurant at noon, then I'll bring you back here for an afternoon nap. What do you think?"
Rong Ting was rather flattered3 that Emperor Father would actually ask for his opinion.
Naturally, he had no objections.
The father and son pair briefly cleaned up and were ready to go out.
They ran into an acquaintance at the elevator, the auntie from upstairs. The auntie was extremely enthusiastic. She'd just bought meat buns and gifted two of them to Rong Ting. The kindness was difficult to decline, and Rong Ting had no choice but to accept them.
The auntie saw Rong Heng, and her heart thumped. She very much liked Song Yuan and had always wanted to introduce her son to Song Yuan. Unfortunately, her son had been sent to work abroad by his company and wouldn't be back for another year. Under these circumstances, she was embarrassed to matchmake, but she knew that Song Yuan was still single. At this moment, seeing a tall and handsome man with Song Yuan's younger brother, she suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Little Rong Ting, who's this?" The auntie smiled politely at Rong Heng and asked Rong Ting.
Rong Ting gave his Emperor Father a glance, and without any psychological pressure, he answered, "My uncle."
The auntie let out a breath and said jokingly, "And I thought this was your big sister's boyfriend."
When Rong Ting called Song Yuan 'Mom' out in public, everyone was very surprised. They thought that Song Yuan was a single mom. Some months ago, Chen Linjing and Song Haiping had quarreled outside. After Chen Linjing slapped Song Haiping, a neighbor with good ears heard it and plucked out meaningful information–that Song Yuan was Rong Ting's half-sister from a different mother, but Song Yuan's father was busy with work, so Song Yuan lived with her younger brother. At first, everyone had been puzzled. After all, they'd heard that Song Yuan was only in her early twenties; how could she have a five year old son? Now it made sense.
Rong Heng was a bit surprised by the auntie's words. He looked down at Rong Ting and saw that his expression was extremely calm.
Rong Ting was already used to it. At first, when everyone misunderstood him as Empress Mother's younger brother, he had been a bit angry. It wasn't until he went to the learning academy and became acquainted with many more people that he vaguely understood that it was very difficult for unmarried mothers in this society.
Empress Mother's age on her ID card was only 23. To have a 5-year-old child at 23 meant she would be misunderstood by people as having a child when she was 16. In this day and age, one was still studying and a minor at 16.
He didn't want Empress Mother to be looked down on, and he didn't want Empress Mother to be subjected to pointing fingers. So when people misunderstood him to be Empress Mother's younger breather, he silently acquiesced. Now, he wouldn't even call her "Mom" out in public.
While Rong Ting pondered over how to answer the auntie's question, he heard his Emperor Father answer in a very calm tone, "Yes, I'm her boyfriend."
Rong Ting turned to him with a look of shock.
The auntie gave a crestfallen 'ah,' but she quickly smiled and said, "So you're Yuanyuan's boyfriend. That's great."
After coming out of the elevator, they parted ways with the auntie.
Rong Ting could understand why his Emperor Father would answer that way. He sighed in his heart. Although he didn't understand the matters between men and women, Emperor Father was a bit too...
"What is it?" Rong Heng asked him.
Rong Ting shook his head. Forget it.
But he was still interested in another matter, and he asked, "Emperor Father, what did you put in Empress Mother's coat pocket earlier?"
Rong Heng replied, "A card. It's like a silver banknote."
Rong Ting had thought he'd seen wrong; he didn't expect that the thing Emperor Father gave really was a card. "Emperor Father, Empress Mother is rich. She's very rich."
Before, he wasn't too clear on Empress Mother's financial situation and thought that Empress Mother was living a pitiful life here. Once he roughly understood the circumstances here, he realized that his Empress Mother was very rich.
Those two houses in B City were Empress Mother's, and the house they were living in now was also under Empress Mother's name. Some time ago, he'd heard Grandfather say that there were several shops under Empress Mother's name... in short, Empress Mother was very rich; she didn't need Emperor Father to give her money.
Rong Heng hummed, his hands placed in his coat pockets, calm and composed. "I know. But that's different."
Rong Ting saw that his Emperor Father didn't say exactly why it was different, so he didn't ask.
The father and son arrived at the book café. It was a weekday today, and it was early in the morning, so there were no people other than two staff members. Rong Heng brought Rong Ting over to a quiet place to sit down.
The cashier was a young woman, and her eyes lit up when she saw Rong Heng. It was the first time she'd seen a handsome man exuding a noble air in real life, so she took over another colleague's job and came to their table with menus. She asked in a sweet and gentle voice, "We have red velvet cake today. Also, sir, if you follow us by scanning the QR code on WeChat, you can get a 20% discount."
When Rong Ting heard about the discount, he was eager to give it a try.
Rong Heng just gave her a glance. "No need for the discount, I won't scan. You can ask my son what he wants."
Huh???
S-son??
The girl was a bit embarrassed, especially with Rong Ting watching. She felt as though her thoughts had been seen through by the little kid...
Rong Ting flipped through the menu. "Unc–Dad! Can I order a cup of milk tea? I also want to eat this chocolate cake, can I?"
Rong Heng smiled softly. "Of course you can."
A while later, Rong Ting was drinking milk tea and eating cake with a look of contentment. Being with Emperor Father wasn't too bad!
This book café didn't have as many books as the book city4, but it wasn't bad for passing the time.
Tired from reading, Rong Ting was raising his head to look at the green plants in the store and rest his eyes when he saw Emperor Father reading earnestly. Unable to help but be curious about what Emperor Father was reading, he leaned across the table and quietly looked over, only to see that the book Emperor Father was holding was pink.
...A Simple Guide to Romance, The Playbook for Love–what kind of books were these???
Chapter 88 - Emperor Father, do you miss Empress Mother?
Song Yuan had many friends, but only three could be called her besties.
This friendship had been going on since kindergarten. Aside from Xie Ya, there was also Zhang Man and Tang Shi. After graduating, Zhang Man settled down in Hong Kong. Her return this time was also to worship her ancestors. As for Tang Shi, she went to study abroad in Australia and came back once a year.
The four of them discussed it and finally designated Song Yuan as the driver. Tang Shi's home was the closest to her, so she first left to pick up Tang Shi.
Tang Shi has had short hair since middle school, and she had a very straightforward personality. Other people would say that if they didn't know her gender, they would have thought she was a good-looking guy.
Song Yuan stopped at the entrance of Tang Shi's apartment complex, and Tang Shi came out not long after. Song Yuan's eyes landed precisely on her.
Tang Shi crossed the distance in two strides. She hugged Song Yuan and spun in a circle, the two girls laughing joyfully on this winter day.
"Oh my god, why does it feel like you've become even cooler than last year!" Song Yuan was still exclaiming after getting in the car. "I almost couldn't recognize you."
Tang Shi originally had a more gender neutral look, but now, with a black down jacket and short hair, she looked very handsome.
Of course, Tang Shi liked to wear men's clothing, just as some men liked to wear women's clothing. Tang Shi had a boyfriend she'd been seeing for several years and was ready to get engaged.
Tang Shi sat in the passenger seat, grinning. "Just your imagination, you just haven't seen me in too long. Anyways, I'm not just being nice when I say this: are you or are you not dating someone? I feel like you're giving off a womanly air."
Song Yuan had a deadpan look. "Just say I'm old, I'll take it better."
She was indeed old. The age on her ID card was 23, but in fact...
But it wasn't a big problem! After going through this period of beauty treatments, she felt that her skin didn't look too bad. There was no psychological burden in pretending to be young.
"I'm really not saying you're old. I just feel like you're different from before. Anyways, you've matured."
After all, they'd been friends for many years; she could still tell something about Song Yuan had changed.
Song Yuan could only silently lament how sharp Tang Shi's vision was, able to see through the essence with just one look. That's right, how could she not look mature? She'd stayed in the ancient era for several years and also had a kid...
The two talked and talked, then prepared to leave. Just before Song Yuan started the car, she slid her phone in her coat pocket and touched something. She took it out to see, somewhat surprised. It turned out to be a black card.
After some thought, she knew that it was Rong Heng's card. When did he sneak it in?
This clearly wasn't the time to think about the issue. Song Yuan saw that Tang Shi had her head down while replying to messages on her phone, not paying attention to her, and she quickly placed the card back.
If Tang Shi saw it, the next bestie meetup would definitely become an interrogation, and they'd find a way to pry the answers out of her mouth.
After the four of them came together, they prepared to set off for the neighboring city. They were all in the same province, and they weren't far apart. If they took the expressway, and the location was within 100 kilometers, they could get there quickly by car.
What Xie Ya booked was a hot spring villa. The rooms were adequate, and the environment was also excellent.
The four of them hadn't gotten together in a long time. As they played team games and sang songs, drank, and chatted in the villa, the time passed quickly. Song Yuan put aside nearly all her worries, not thinking of anything. It was as though she'd returned to her days as a student, feeling unexpectedly relaxed.
Unlike Song Yuan's day of indulgence, both father and son had a very dull day in the book café. When it was finally afternoon, Rong Heng breathed a sigh of relief. In the palace, there were people to take care of and arrange Rong Ting's daily life. He almost never stayed with his son all day like today, taking care of the child while also having to worry about many things, such as eating, sleeping, and reading.
Dinner was resolved in the restaurant of the hotel where Rong Heng was staying. Neither father nor son was accustomed to Western food, but fortunately, the hotel restaurant was buffet-style, and the dishes were very rich. Rong Ting very much liked this style, as he could eat much of the foods that he liked. And after eating, while Emperor Father wasn't paying attention, he could eat a slice of ice cream cake–just perfect.
Without Song Yuan, the pair continued the ancient era's rule of 'eat without speaking, sleep in silence.'
When they exited the restaurant and prepared to head upstairs to their room, Rong Heng lifted his arm to glance at his watch and pretended to casually mention, "Your Empress Mother should have arrived at her destination."
"En," Rong Ting responded without much thought. "Empress Mother said that driving there is very quick. They likely arrived at noon."
It was evening now.
"Really? I wonder if your Empress Mother has had dinner."
"It is almost six o'clock. If she had not, she must be getting ready to eat."
After returning to the room, Rong Heng shut the door and hinted, "Do you want to video call her?"
Rong Ting shrugged off his backpack and took out the tablet inside. Hearing these words, he gave his Emperor Father a glance and shook his head. "No need, Empress Mother will return tomorrow night."
He wasn't such a clingy child, wanting to call her after not even a day of separation; he also had his own things to do. Not to mention, Empress Mother was out playing with her friends. He didn't want to call and disturb her. He hoped that Empress Mother could have fun and be happy.
Rong Heng didn't expect him to give this answer. He fell silent for a moment, but didn't say anything else. He silently returned to his desk to read.
Rong Ting could see his Emperor Father's abnormality.
He hesitated for a while, then poked his head out from behind the tablet, looking in the direction of the desk. He drummed up his courage and asked, "Emperor Father, do you miss Empress Mother?"
Rong Heng raised his eyes towards him, his expression calm and the corners of his lips pulled up. "If I said I did, would you give her a video call?"
Rong Ting thought for a moment but still honestly shook his head. "No, I think one should complete one's own affairs. I do not miss Empress Mother yet, so I can bear it. If Emperor Father misses Empress Mother, you can call her yourself. You also have a phone."
"En, I know."
Rong Ting no longer paid any mind. He wasn't too clear on the matters between Emperor Father and Empress Mother, so it was very difficult to intervene. After saying this, he returned to the sofa, turned on the tablet, and focused on watching his favorite documentary, Animal Planet.
Rong Heng stared at the phone on the desk. The screen was bright, then black; black, then bright. After sitting in this way for nearly half an hour, he grabbed the phone and stood up. Before going out, he said to Rong Ting, "I'm going out for a bit. Stay in the room and don't go out. If there's anything you need, you can call Sun Qiming."
"Oh." Rong Ting looked up, then impatiently returned to watching the documentary.
So absentminded. Was Emperor Father going to call Empress Mother?
After transmigrating here, he found that Emperor Father was not like he imagined. It turned out that Emperor Father would also lie and be indecisive.
After Rong Heng left the room, he unlocked his phone as he headed in the direction of the elevator. He habitually opened WeChat Moments, wanting to see if she had posted any updates. His long, distinctly jointed hands swiped across the screen. Just before he reached the elevators, he stopped in his footsteps.
Song Yuan had just posted on her Moments ten minutes ago, attaching nine photos–
【Another super happy day!】
Among the nine photos, one of them was particularly jarring. She was leaning her head against the back of a young man while the man was washing fruit. The both of them turned their head to smile at the camera in an intimate posture.
Rong Heng's expression was frosty, his jaws tightly clenched and his eyes dark. His entire body gave off an extremely oppressive air.
He was unable to figure it out. Now he had come to her world. Here, there was no imperial power, no Meng Qingrong, and no harem or concubines that had so bothered her. So why was she still so cold to him? It was as though he could no longer move her. He didn't dare to believe that had already fallen for someone else, but she was so cautious in the affairs between men and women. If she didn't like this young man, how could she lean against that young man's back so intimately?
If she really liked someone else, what should he do? What could he do?
Back in the palace, although he was extremely jealous of her concern for Meng Qingrong, he also knew better than anyone else that she only had sibling affection for Meng Qingrong, and lacked any romantic sentiments. He had always been completely confident in her feelings and knew that she liked him. But after coming here, he started to grow uncertain.
Rong Heng closed his eyes. When he turned around and opened his eyes again, they were covered in a layer of frost.
He arrived at the door of a certain room, raised his fist, and knocked. Soon, the door opened.
When Sun Qiming saw that the person standing in front of the door was the boss, he was a bit surprised. Before he could ask if there was anything he needed, he heard Rong Ting say in a low voice, "Go investigate where she is right now."
Who? 'She'?
Sun Qiming noticed that his boss's expression wasn't very amiable and was even a bit murderous. He gave a start and immediately realized that the person the boss was talking about must be Miss Song.
"Yes, right away."
Rong Heng swept him a glance and walked straight into the room.
Sun Qiming worked extremely quickly. In 20-30 minutes, he finally located Song Yuan in a resort area in the neighboring city.
Rong Heng sat in a chair, eyes closed as he contemplated. Hearing Sun Qiming's report, he ordered in a low voice, "Take me there."
Sun Qiming thought he'd heard wrong. After all, it was past seven in the evening. "Now?"
"Yes, right now." Rong Heng lifted his gaze to look at him. He had already restored his previous steady calm.
Chapter 89 - Song Yuan finally figured out why Rong Heng had gone crazy tonight...
While hanging with her friends, the time passed extremely quickly.
If it were in the past, she would have long indulged herself and forgotten everything on her mind, but when she was in the hot spring, she suddenly thought of her son manning the fort at home, so she got out of the pool and said to her friends who were taking selfies, "I'm getting a bit hot, so I'll go wash up first."
The hot spring pool was built on the second floor balcony in the villa, and her room was also on the second floor. She even had her own bathroom. After taking a shower and sitting on the big bed, she made sure her friends weren't coming in before giving Rong Ting a video call. She quickly connected, and Rong Ting's bun face appeared on the screen. He was lying on the bed in his little yellow chick pajamas. The children's face cream hadn't been evenly applied; there was still a spot left on his nose.
"Empress Mother, I have just washed up and gotten in bed and was getting ready to watch some TV before going to sleep."
"Sorry, I just wanted to video call you." Song Yuan paused, then asked, "Where's your Emperor Father?"
"Emperor Father said he had something to do and went out. I checked the time, and he has already been out for over two hours."
"Then you should stay in the room without going anywhere. He must have something very important to do, I guess. He'll be back when he's finished with his work. The security measures of the hotel he's staying in are good, but if someone knocks on the door and you can't reach the peephole, just ask who it is. And if the person outside doesn't answer, don't open the door."
But Song Yuan was still very reassured about Rong Ting. He was very clever and had high vigilance. Moreover, the hotel Rong Heng was lodging in was the best hotel in the city and had surveillance everywhere, so even if Rong Ting was alone in the hotel room right now, she wasn't too nervous.
Rong Ting asked hesitantly, "Empress Mother, has Emperor Father called you?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"Emperor Father reminded me to call you today. I was afraid I would interrupt you while you were playing with your friends, so I did not call, but Emperor Father seemed a bit unhappy. I think he misses you."
Song Yuan gave two dry laughs at those words. "How would you know that? Maybe he's looking for me for something."
"I asked Emperor Father if he misses you, and he did not deny it." Rong Ting sighed. "Emperor Father misses you but doesn't call you. It's too..."
Too what? For a moment, he couldn't think of the right words.
But the current Emperor Father gave him a very unfamiliar feeling. If not for that face and that expression, he almost wouldn't recognize him.
For a monarch, isn't it the most unacceptable to be indecisive and timid?
As for Song Yuan, it was extremely embarrassing to be discussing with her son whether his father missed her or not. Rong Ting was mature for his age, but he may not necessarily understand the rights and wrongs between her and Rong Heng. Fortunately, he wouldn't beg her to make up with Rong Heng. Otherwise, she'd feel a lot of pressure.
At around nine, Rong Heng arrived at the villa community where Song Yuan was staying. He sat blankly in the car for an hour.
The driver in the driver's seat couldn't make out what the boss was thinking. The driver was found by Sun Qiming, who stuffed him with five thousand yuan and asked him to listen to Rong Heng's instructions.
The one with money was the boss, and the driver didn't dare to urge him to hurry up. Even if he was bored sitting here like this, he didn't dare to take out his phone to play games.
He really didn't understand the world of the rich. He came all this way on the highway, from one city to another, but when he reached his destination, this boss didn't get out of the car and just sat in the back... what was he thinking?
Rong Heng was not as calm and collected as he looked on the surface. On the contrary, from past to present, he had doubted many people, and doubted many things, but he had never once doubted Song Yuan's feelings for him.
He was indeed afraid that her heart would change, that she would fall for someone else. But if he avoided a possibility just because he was afraid, wouldn't he be a fool? He had to live in reality. Even if she likes someone else, he had to be the first to know.
The driver was already feeling sleepy; the time displayed on the dashboard read 10:20. Just when he thought that he would be sitting here like this all night, the boss in the back seat finally opened the door and climbed out of the car.
Rong Heng took out his phone from his coat pocket and dialed Song Yuan's number.
Song Yuan was currently binge-watching dramas with her friends in the villa. When she was immersed in the plot, her phone rang. She took it out and was a bit surprised to find that it was Rong Heng calling.
"Hello?" She got up and headed to the dining room as she answered the phone.
Rong Heng was standing not far from the villa. The temperature at night was low, and the villa community was different from the apartment complex in the city; it was empty, and the winds were bitingly cold. But he seemed to not feel the chill, his tone extremely calm. "I'm right outside the villa where you're staying."
Song Yuan was stunned. "Huh? You're outside??"
Rong Heng gave an affirmative hum. "I came to find you for something."
When he finished speaking, he hung up the phone.
Since their reunion, it was the first time he had expressed his emotions in front of her.
Song Yuan was even more confused hearing the dial tone on the other end. If she heard right, he should be saying that he was outside the villa waiting for her? And by his tone of voice, it sounded like something big had happened! She was still puzzled after pondering over it many times, but she still returned to the room and put on her down jacket. While her friends weren't paying attention, she quietly snuck out of the villa. If the inside of the villa was as warm as spring, then the outside was bone chillingly cold. Shivering, she walked out of the villa's small flower garden. She looked around and spotted Rong Heng ten meters away. He really came here?
Song Yuan was now afraid of life's "surprises." Based on her understanding of Rong Heng, if it weren't for something incredibly important, he wouldn't have rushed all the way here at this time.
In an instant, her heart leapt to her throat, and she trotted over to him, hands in pockets. Seeing his dark expression, she asked cautiously, "Did something happen?"
Rong Heng stared at her, not missing the slightest change in expression.
He had always known her well and could guess eighty to ninety percent of her thoughts.
Her blush on her face and her bright eyes revealed her good mood for today.
"Just say it."
Seeing that he didn't speak, Song Yuan was a bit anxious.
Just what on earth happened?
Rong Heng wished he could pretend that everything was fine, pretend that he didn't know or see anything. It was clearly not the best policy to rush over and interrogate her like this. If she admitted that she liked someone, what did he plan to do? If she said she didn't like anyone, then how could the photo be explained?
He took a deep breath, feeling the cold air rush into his body.
"I just want to ask you a question. I hope you can answer me truthfully."
Song Yuan had a look of puzzlement. "Ask what?"
"Do you love someone else?" Rong Heng asked through gritted teeth.
It was impossible for him to choose to be a fool! Even if he loved her, he should not be blinded by his feelings and become a fool!
Song Yuan was stunned when she heard his question. He rushed all night just to ask her this???
"Are you crazy?" Song Yuan was speechless. Other than saying this, she didn't know how to respond to him.
Rong Heng's eyes were deep. "Do you?"
Song Yuan: "..."
Just as Song Yuan was extremely helpless, Tang Shi happened to run outside to pick up the takeout. They all wanted to eat something while watching dramas–it'd be best if it was fried chicken. But because this place was too out of the way, and the villa community was too big, plus the fact that it was night now, the takeout delivery boy couldn't find their house. Tang Shi had no choice but to come out to find the delivery boy. Who would have thought that as soon as she came out and turned right, she would see a man and woman standing nearby?
She knew that girl!
It was obviously her bestie Yuanyuan, but who was that man? And when did Yuanyuan come out? How did she not realize??
It was not in line with human nature to have gossip with no onlookers. Tang Shi didn't speak as she jogged up, wanting to see what was going on.
Rong Heng spotted Tang Shi step ahead of Song Yuan. He narrowed his eyes. He recognized that this was the young man she was affectionately close with in that photo. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, especially when this young man came up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Rong Heng had already taken a step forward–
"Yuanyuan, is this your friend?" Tang Shi's eyes were blazing with the flames of gossip. "Is he your friend?"
As soon as Tang Shi spoke, Rong Heng's expression froze, closely followed by confusion.
This, this was clearly a woman's voice... what was going on?
Song Yuan didn't expect to get caught, but now she could only nod honestly. "En, he's my friend."
Tang Shi's gaze swept over Rong Heng's body like an X-ray, carefully scanning from head to toe. She immediately smiled and greeted, "Hiya. Hello, bro, I'm Yuanyuan's friend."
Rong Heng: "..."
What was going on???
Tang Shi grinned. "Really, Yuanyuan, it's so cold outside tonight. I just so happened to order takeout. Call your friend in, go and get warm."
Song Yuan was aware of the ferocity of her friends, so she declined, "No need, he still needs to head back for something."
"No matter how busy, there's always time for a cup of water, right?" Tang Shi had suspected this morning that Song Yuan had found a boyfriend. Now that she'd caught the person in question, it was impossible for her to let Rong Heng go. It was at this time that the takeout delivery boy arrived. Tang Shi carried the takeout and urged Song Yuan and Rong Heng inside.
Song Yuan and Rong Heng could only follow behind Tang Shi.
Rong Heng returned to his senses and asked in a dazed and confused manner, "She's female?"
Song Yuan finally figured out why Rong Heng had gone crazy tonight...
She lowered her voice. "Otherwise?"
Chapter 90 - What do you want?!
Inside the villa, Rong Heng was seated on the sofa. In front of him were three young women. His brows furrowed. He was truly unaccustomed to other people's gazes of scrutiny, as though they wanted to strip him bare.
But he also knew that these three people must be Song Yuan's close friends, so he restrained himself and didn't lash out.
Song Yuan tried to play dead, but Xie Ya and the others clearly weren't planning to let her go. "Yuanyuan, won't you introduce us?"
The reason why people could be friends had to be that they had something in common. All four of them were members of the Good Looks Association, and they also knew each other well. With one look, they knew that this person was exactly Song Yuan's type.
What was Song Yuan's type? She liked the type of handsome guy who looked intelligent. This white-haired handsome man was clearly an elite man in society, his every gesture giving off a noble air.
Song Yuan knew that Rong Heng wasn't used to these kinds of occasions. Afraid he'd be uncomfortable and afraid that his cold disregard would ruin the atmosphere, she introduced, "This is my friend, Xie Heng. The xie for giving thanks, the heng spelled with the xing and wang characters1. I'm not lying to you, he's really busy with work and has to go back now. His driver's still waiting for him."
Driver?
Zhang Man was more perceptive. She worked at a luxury goods purchasing business in H City, and her occupation gave her sharp eyes. She swept a glance over Rong Heng's clothes and watch and made calculations in her heart. It seemed this friend of Yuanyuan's was a rich second generation. She took out her phone from her pocket and quickly searched up the name Xie Heng. Technology in modern society was very developed; so long as this person went online, he'd definitely leave behind some information. When the search result came out, Zhang Man looked at the displayed results, then incredulously looked back up at the person sitting before her...
She tentatively asked, "Er, Mr. Xie, if I may ask, do you and the Xie Heng of the Xie family have the same first and last name?"
Rong Heng disliked talking to strangers, but he looked at Song Yuan's nervous look and guessed that she was afraid of ruining the atmosphere or causing her friends to feel awkward. In fact, once he confirmed that the "young man" who took a photo with Song Yuan was a woman, he felt much more relaxed. In a good mood, he answered in a genial tone, "It's not that we have the same name. I am Xie Heng."
Zhang Man sucked in a cold breath.
Everyone had been friends for many years–just a look at Zhang Man's expression, and Xie Ya and Tang Shi knew that something was up. The three of them exchanged glances. Finally, Song Yuan stood up. "It's pretty late now. He's still busy, so I'll send him out. There'll be a chance to eat together next time."
Xie Ya and Tang Shi were unwilling to let go of this opportunity. After all, it was obvious that this Mr. Xie had something going on with Yuanyuan.
Zhang Man grabbed the two of them before they could urge him to stay and politely bade farewell. "En, okay, then we won't waste your time, Mr. Xie."
As soon as Song Yuan and Rong Heng left the house and the door closed, Xie Ya piped up. "What's wrong? Does this Mr. Xie have some kind of background? I didn't even get to ask him what kind of relationship he has with Yuanyuan."
Zhang Man handed her phone to them. "See for yourself. If you have any questions, you can wait for Yuanyuan to come back."
Song Yuan followed Rong Heng out of the house and heard him whisper, "Let's go."
Although it was a mistake on his part, he had come all the way here. He didn't want to just see her face and leave right away. He wanted to spend time alone with her. Even if it was in winter at night, with a cold wind blowing, he was willing.
Song Yuan also had something she wanted to tell him, so she nodded in agreement.
Thinking about it now, he must have seen her Moments and had a misunderstanding when he saw her photo with Tang Shi. Blame herself for not saying it clearly in her Moments... as soon as this thought crossed her mind, she froze. Why did she have to say it clearly? Why was she afraid of his misunderstanding?
"You saw my post in my Moments?" Song Yuan pursed her lips, her nose flushed red from the wind. "But the question you asked me earlier, I still want to answer it. I don't have anyone I like right now, but I'm still young, and I may meet someone I like in the future. I think that... you should accept this. Just as I accept that you'll have a girlfriend and a wife in the future."
Rong Heng greatly cherished this opportunity to be alone with her.
It was just that he didn't want to hear the words she was saying. After a moment of silence, he said, "I also thought about it on my way here, what I should do if you said you had someone you liked. Actually, I don't know what I would do."
And he didn't want to think about it.
Today was an unexpected mishap, but it was also a false alarm.
Maybe there were people in this world who, when their loved one fell for another person, could calmly accept it and even give their blessings, but he could never be such a saint.
"If it were in ancient times, with your personality, you would kill that person, and I would lose my freedom, only able to see you every day," Song Yuan said quietly. "But it's not the same now. You must also know that this place is not the Great Ye dynasty. You're not the emperor with the power to kill anyone anymore. Do you think that I can only be with you in my lifetime?"
This was Rong Heng.
He merely pretended to be good, only hoping that she could turn back and stay by his side as before. But the arrogance and indifference in his bones had never changed.
"Yes," he answered solemnly.
"You're not going to hide it?" Song Yuan puffed out a laugh. "I knew you wouldn't change your temper."
"Then what about you. Can you really accept me being with someone else?" Rong Heng asked. "Don't say you can accept such things. Ask yourself carefully–the reason why you're able to say all this so calmly now, it's because you're confident I won't fall in love with someone else, isn't it?"
Song Yuan knew Rong Heng, and Rong Heng knew Song Yuan just as well.
Song Yuan lowered her head, saying with a smile, "You're saying I'm confident I have the upper hand2?"
Rong Heng didn't speak.
Maybe he thought so, maybe not.
"I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I'm not interested in thinking about that kind of thing right now. Not with you or with other people. Right now I just want to go back to B City, work hard, and let Rong Ting study well. Can you understand?" Song Yuan sighed. "I don't know if I can give my blessing for you to be with others, but I definitely find it acceptable, and I can only accept it. One advantage of modern society is that most marriages aren't arranged marriages3. It's not a sacred imperial decree where I must marry you. When we marry, we go to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Do you know what the Civil Affairs Bureau is? I need to willingly4 bring my household registration and ID card; as long as I'm not willing, no one can force me."
Rong Heng stopped and looked in her direction. "You don't need to accept it or give your blessings. I can answer you now: I won't be together with other people. You can rest assured on this point."
What 'rest assured'?
Song Yuan felt that she and Rong Heng were clearly on different wavelengths. "What you mean is, only if you like someone else can I like someone else, right?"
Rong Heng frowned. "I said I won't like someone else."
"But you can't be dead-set on me in this life, right?" Song Yuan was puzzled. "Like last time, when your dad in name introduced you to a blind date. You can't avoid this kind of thing. Since you've accepted Xie Heng's identity and status, you have to live in his place. You have to return to Xie Heng's life, not be Rong Heng under Xie Heng's identity."
She indeed couldn't outtalk him.
Every time, he'd spin her around in circles, just like now. She'd clearly said they should live their respective lives and wish each other well. As long as it didn't disrupt the other person's life, they must accept the possibility that the other party would fall for someone else and find new happiness. And as a result, while talking, the meaning changed again.
She could even guess what he was going to say next. He'll definitely say he promises to never have blind dates with another person ever again...
Too hard. It was too hard to persuade an emperor who had grown up in an environment of deception5 and intrigue since young.
If you talked to him without strong logic, you'd be easily swayed by him.
So she cut in ahead of him and said, "What I mean is, everyone has their own responsibilities. You've become Xie Heng..."
He definitely had to take on the responsibilities of a wealthy family's heir. He couldn't just eat and not work all the time, right?
When men and women pondered over problems, they indeed would not be thinking in the same direction. Rong Heng thought back on Mrs. Xie's words. For the middle-aged woman who lost her son, the husband was no longer a husband, but an enemy. What happened with Xie Yanjun was hard to say. As for Elder Xie, he was just a person for whom a day lived was another day less.
Rong Heng thought for a while and said, "The person who can be the head of the Xie family may be gone in two years. For now, no one will arrange that kind of thing for me again."
When she heard what he said, Song Yuan looked at him with a look of horror and said sharply, "What do you want to do? It's illegal to kill people here! Hiring a hitman is also illegal!!"