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With each pressing question, the man drew closer, his white knuckles gripping Li Chenjing tighter and tighter, as if he wanted to drag him out and give him a good beating. Yet, the expression on the man's face, reflected in his dark eyes, remained indifferent, a faint, unchanging smile playing on his lips, revealing neither joy nor anger, nor sorrow.

"Do you truly consider yourself an emperor?"

A deep, slightly hoarse voice struck Zhu Bafu's chest, and a single, neither too loud nor too soft, sentence made her look up at him— Young Master...

Suddenly, she understood... Why everyone said that only the Young Master could bring His Majesty the Your Majesty back, why everyone said that only the Young Master could make His Your Majesty obey...

"Speak up. Do you truly consider yourself an emperor?"

"... I am the emperor, of course I should be my own emperor!"

"Then what are you laughing at?"

"..."

"... Young Master..." Kneeling on the floor, Zhu Bafu couldn't help but reach out and tug at Li Chenjing's sleeve. Although it was the truth, the person in front of him was, after all, His Your Majesty the Emperor. So-called advice... especially advice to the Emperor, meant how to package the unpleasant words in a beautiful way and say them to him. The Young Master's words had no intention of giving advice at all; he was simply courting death. It was too much.

"I was merely translating Little Eight's poem into vernacular and reciting it to you. I don't possess such literary talent, nor do I have the time to play word games with you. Even the most beautifully worded harsh words are still harsh. If you don't even consider yourself the emperor, who else would respect you?" He raised his hand, loosening the restraints on his robes, ignoring the emperor's gradually freezing smile, and with one hand helped Little Eight, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet. "Little Eight, get up."

The Young Master lifted her up with one hand. He considerately bent down and patted the dust off her robes. Their eyes met, and she shook her head at him, signaling him not to say anything more. He gazed intently, reached out and stroked her face, then took her hand and walked out.

"Whether you return to the palace or not is up to you."

The setting sun sank below the mountains, leaving only a faint sliver of light peeking through the doorway.

The half-open wooden door was pushed open from the outside, and a soft meow from a cat caught his attention.

He sat with his knees drawn up to his chest under the memorial tablet. He looked up slightly and saw his Imperial Noble Consort concubine's plump body being held in a pair of slender hands and stretched out in front of him. Her little paws scratched at him from time to time, trying to please him and ask for a hug.

He hooked his finger and teased the little whiskers on its lips, watching it rub against his finger affectionately.

"Young Master said it's too noisy and asked me to bring it to keep you company."

Her voice was so soft and gentle, unlike a man's, that he looked up. A ray of sunset shone from behind her, blurring her face. She was bending down, holding a cat in her hand, leaning slightly towards him.

"I think the Young Master is just being stubborn. He's worried about you, Your Majesty."

"..."

"It's been a long time since I've heard him speak seriously. In the Young Master's eyes, His Your Majesty must be a very important person. So even though he has amnesia, he treats you like a friend."

"..."

"Although I don't know the details of the love triangle between you, the Young Master, and Miss Liu, I suddenly find myself agreeing with the saying, 'Women are like clothes, men are like limbs.'"

For a moment, he smiled. A hint of melancholy, a hint of helplessness, and a hint of approval.

He reached out and took his Imperial Noble Consort, cradling her on his lap and gently stroking her fur. He spoke softly, "When I was five, I had a similar one, a gift from my father. The year I came to the capital, I wanted to bring her with me, but Prime Minister Li wouldn't allow it. Even my father and mother couldn't come, so how could I be foolish enough to ask him if a cat could come? Since then, I've never seen either my father or mother. When my father passed away, I couldn't attend his funeral or observe mourning. Even now, when I'm paying respects to him, if you ask me what he looked like, I don't remember... Everyone says I'm so lucky, that I have everything, but it seems I... have nothing left."

She listened without saying a word.

"Hey... Pig Kid, let me ask you, if I'm not smiling, what expression should I wear?"

The supreme emperor before her was completely different from what she had imagined. He should be more arrogant and conceited than anyone else, because he had the power to decide other people's lives, able to decide life and death with a wave of his hand, granting official positions and confiscating or exterminating families. He should be more incompetent and unable to distinguish right from wrong than anyone else, because it was his incompetence that led to the misfortune of the Zhu Household. Once, she was a lucky young lady from an official family who had everything, but overnight, thanks to him, she lost everything.

To be honest, she had no feelings for the emperor. Whether he was wise or foolish, she, as an ordinary person, could only blame her bad luck. But... at this moment, it was so strange.

He was right in front of her, lost and forlorn, looking... no better off than her.

He didn't remain secluded in the palace, detached from worldly affairs; he wasn't unapproachable or arrogant. He asked her—what should you do if you don't smile?

So many people are waiting to see them fail, so many people are waiting to see how long they can last, so many people are waiting for their good end.

"So what if I'm tough? There's nothing wrong with it."

"..."

Yes, she had wanted to say that for a long time.

"When you feel wronged, when you can't take it anymore, when you think this world is truly a damn mess, just laugh it off. What's wrong with that?"