I was so stunned to say anything, and instinctively took a step backwards, looking at him in disbelief.

What the heck! Was that still Qi Sheng? Was he possessed by the male protagonist in a romantic novel?

Qi Sheng looked at me and sneered. He asked, “What’s wrong? Are you startled? Do you really think you are the only one who knows how to put on a show?”

I was in a daze for a moment and then complimented whole-heartedly, “Your Majesty is indeed an extraordinary person. I am impressed, I am deeply impressed.”

Qi Sheng raised the corner of his mouth scornfully, and turned his eyes away.

I couldn’t help admiring how much a man’s IQ would increase once he got off bed. Of course, I had to review on myself on how immature my acting was and there was still room for improvement. I would learn about crying from Lv Li and Xie Yi, and when it was appropriate, I might learn some techniques from the award-winning actor himself.

Qi Sheng didn’t utter a word, but drew the curtain beside him, looking outside the carriage in trance.

Fuyuan Temple was on the half way up the Cui mountain, with a history of more than four centuries, incense filling the room all day long. It was inconvenient for the carriage to drive up the mountain so it stopped at the foot of the hill. Qi Sheng got off first, and kindly turned around to help me with it. Then he took me up the mountain with the crowd that were to light their own incense sticks.

I believed the buddha worshiping was not necessarily about whether you believed it or not, but you had to show all honors to the buddha. Therefore, after entering the temple, regardless of the consequence, I knelt down to pray every time I encountered a buddha, in case I left any of them out.

Qi Sheng saw me being so devoted in front of the buddha, and sometimes he prayed with me as well.

When we approached the Gwan Shr Yin Bodhisattva, he murmured something beside me. I couldn’t help but turn around and ask, “What are you praying for?”

Qi Sheng slightly lowered his eyes and looked extremely devout, “I prayed that the one stood beside me prayed for the same thing as I did.”

It was a bit tongue twisting. It took me a while to figure out what he meant and it made me a little guilty. I turned around and bowed to the Gwan Shr Yin Bodhisattva again. I secretly prayed: Buddha, please learn from your western colleagues over this matter, please remember lady first.

I bowed and kowtowed whenever I saw a buddha, and in the end, I felt dizzy. After we paid our respect to the Samantabhadra Buddha, if Qi Sheng did not drag me, I would’ve bumped straightly into the hall gate.

Qi Sheng frowned and asked, “What is going on with you?”

I thought for a moment and answered, “Maybe I was not devoted enough. I should return and pay my respect again.”

Then I knelt down on the cushion and earnestly kowtowed three times.

Qi Sheng was finally getting impatient. He dragged me up and out of the buddha hall without uttering a single word.

I reckoned there must be something wrong with him again, so I kept my mouth shut and let him lead. Not a while after, we left the temple and into the mountain behind.

Qi Sheng finally slowed down but he did not let go of my hand. He took my hand and paced slowly on the pebble-paved path in the mountain. Even though we walked at such a slow pace, Xie Yi and the inner-palace servant, who was now dressed as a normal footman, were left far behind. Those guards who were supposed to protect us in secret were nowhere to be seen.

I gradually came to realize that Qi Sheng was trying to have a date with me here.

I dated a lot in the past, and I knew clearly when to hold hands, and when to wrap arm around the waist. Even though my gender had changed, I only needed to turn my offensive mode into a defensive one, which was quite an easy task. But Qi Sheng had a thoughtful mind and he would never do anything futile. His abnormal behavior today made me unnerved.

Was he making a pit and waiting for me to fall in?

Having thought this, I grew even more anxious. How was I supposed to admire the scenery? I constantly checked Qi Sheng with the corner of my eyes and paid attention to his every move.

Qi Sheng casually told me about who planted the trees, who used the stone chess board and who left the stone inscription as we strolled along.

I carefully replied but I felt there was undisclosed meaning in everything he said.

Then Qi Sheng suddenly stopped and quietly looked at me for a while. He sighed and said to me, “We should return now.”

I was deeply relieved and hastily nodded, “Okay.”

Just when we were about to turn around and return, we heard a  girl’s bright laughter coming from ahead. We looked towards the direction and saw some luxuriously dressed girls descending the mountain, being surrounded by the crowd.

When Princess Chaoyang’s flowery little face appeared from the crowd, I suddenly realized that she would be the one to dig a pit for me.

I did not have much contact with this little beauty but I was pretty impressed with her.

The first time was in the family get-together dinner in the Lantern Festival two years ago. She asked me to see the lanterns with her but instead she led me to the forest over the lake to catch adultery in the act. I was grounded for three months by Qi Sheng as a consequence, and everyone in the palace gossiped that the Crown Princess encountered something evil because she was dressed in red.

The second time was last year on our way to the Summer Villa Palace. She said she was taking me out for spring scenery but instead she took me to Bathroom Lord. After a series of questions, he was certain that I was a fake. Over the Wan River, Qi Sheng and Bathroom Lord challenged each other, and I almost lost my life in the Wan River.

This time a trace of surprise flashed over the face of the little beauty, then she smiled brightly.

Her smile made me feel chill and even the sun above us had lost its warmness.

I asked Qi Sheng in a low voice, “Did you ask her to come?”
Qi Sheng slightly shook his head and let go of my hand.

Princess Chaoyang left the girls that came with her, joyfully jogging towards Qi Sheng and I.

The corner of my eyes caught several figures appearing from nowhere and quietly surrounding us.

Qi Sheng waved his hand. Those figures paused and then disappeared again in a blinking instant.

When I was marveling at those guards’ superb techniques, Princess Chaoyang had already run up to us. She hastily swept a courtesy at us, and smiled, “Third elder brother, third sister-in-law, are you here to travel as well?”

Qi Sheng was the third eldest among his brothers, so when he was still the Crown Prince, sometimes Bathroom Lord would call him third elder brother, but since Qi Sheng ascended to be the Emperor, he was no more among them brothers, and no one ever dared to call him third elder brother again.

Princess Chaoyang calling him like this proved two facts: first, this girl was smart. She knew Qi Sheng and I came in secret judging from how we were dressed, so of course, we would not like to be exposed; second, this girl was cheeky, as no matter what kind of relationship we retained, she would still call us in an intimate way.

Qi Sheng crossed his hands behind and slightly nodded.

Princess Chaoyang then smiled and looked towards me. She teased, “Third sister-in-law, I haven’t seen you for a long time, and you don’t invite me over. Have you seen the gift I sent to my niece in her one-month anniversary? Do you like it?” Before I could even answer, she took my arm and smiled, “I hardly have the chance to meet you outside, so I won’t let you go easily. The vegan food in Fuyuan Temple is quite famous, and I am just about to try it with my friends. Please, you should join us!”

As she spoke, she pinched my arm where nobody could see.

I was speechless. Dig a pit for me however you wanted to, but why would you do this in front of Qi Sheng? Such a coincidence and such an improper invitation. You dug me a deep pit and it was not even covered. You should better hang up a sign beside it that read “be careful of the pit”. How was I supposed to jump right in?

Even if I wanted to, I didn’t dare to.

I got rid of Princess Chaoyang’s grasp and took a step closer to Qi Sheng, in order to show my firm stand. Then I looked up to Qi Sheng and waited for his response.

Qi Sheng gently smiled and turned down the invitation for me, “We still have things to attend to at home. Your sister-in-law has to return with me.”

Princess Chaoyang seemed a little disappointed and the corners of her mouth dragged. But soon she resumed her smile, “I’ll visit grandma in a few days, so I’ll visit my sister-in-law then. Third elder bother, you won’t stop me from doing so, will you?”

Qi Sheng only curved his lips this time and he didn’t even care to answer.

Princess Chaoyang found it dumbfounding herself. She tried to talk for a while longer and acted coquettishly, then she bid farewell and left. The girls coming with her waited afar. Though they pretended to be admiring the landscape, they threw some glances over us once in a while. I didn’t know what Chaoyang told them after she returned, but they all looked towards us, and some covered their mouth with handkerchiefs and chuckled.

Qi Sheng turned a blind eye to them, calmly held my hands, and took me down the mountain on another path.

After we walked tens of meters and made two turns and Princess Chaoyang and her friends were already out of our view, I grabbed Qi Sheng’s sleeve, “What a coincidence!”

Qi Sheng turned around to look at me and he said, “Lord Ninth wants to meet you. If I’m not mistaken, he must be here now.”

This simple sentence shocked the hell out of me.

I traveled to the Cui mountain with Qi Sheng in our casual costumes so it was at most a story of an intimate relationship between the Emperor and the Empress if anyone knew about it. However, if I was caught here with Bathroom Lord, it wouldn’t be a date anymore, but a tryst.

Looking at my surprised face, Qi Sheng smiled and asked, “Do you want to meet him?”

To be honest, I wanted to meet Bathroom Lord in private, because I wanted to tell him something that could only be talked in person rather than through the mouth of the others.

But I still intended to live, so I would never admit to Qi Sheng that I wanted to meet Bathroom Lord.

I calmly shook my head and firmly declared, “No, I don’t.”

Qi Sheng smiled, and turned around to leave.

I stood there for a while and hurried to catch him up. I called, “Wait.”

Qi Sheng stopped.