"After all, you grew up alongside me. I don't want to see anything happen to you, either."
"Empress!"
Ren Dong looked up at Su Qiao in disbelief.
Under Su Qiao's calm, unruffled gaze, however, her back went cold. She suddenly wondered if she had done something wrong.
She no longer dared meet Su Qiao's eyes. Her legs went weak, and she fell to her knees on the Bluestone Slab with a thud. "This servant was wrong! Please, Empress, don't send me out of the palace! This servant truly wants to stay in the palace and serve you!"
"Since you're so unwilling to leave the palace... very well!"
Su Qiao had long since guessed that Ren Dong wouldn't want to leave the palace.
After all, Consort Wan had already promised to help her get into the Emperor's bed and transform from a sparrow into a phoenix.
What a pity. That silly girl still hadn't figured out that the person who hated women approaching Jin Moli the most was Gu Wanting.
"Master, this servant will go back and fetch several plates of fresh pastries."
After hesitating for a moment, Jin Canghan decided to avoid Jin Moli for the time being.
Su Qiao understood that he was afraid Jin Moli would discover him, leaving him unable to stay by her side, so she waved for him to go.
As the Emperor approached, Nian Xia forcibly pulled Ren Dong, who wanted to move forward, all the way to the back.
Ren Dong was furious, but she could only endure it.
"Qiao'er, why have you come out? You haven't recovered yet, so you mustn't expose yourself to the wind."
Jin Moli strode into the pavilion and sat down across from Su Qiao with a concerned look on his face.
Su Qiao rose and gave him