Also at almost that exact moment, Boheng felt a certain threat of being challenged. He gazed at Hesta, who was enjoying the applause on the podium, and their eyes inadvertently met.
The instant their eyes locked, Boheng immediately broke into a smile and raised both hands again to applaud Hesta.
The car on the field ridge also started at this point, turning around and heading toward the palace.
Inside the palace, Lu Qi Zhen sat in the greenhouse where Klar and Boheng had talked last night. She gazed blankly at the greenery before her, leaning against the chair in a nearly reclining posture.
Officer Silei had already left. Before parting, she repeatedly asked Lu Qi Zhen if she needed to go back to her room to lie down for a while, but Lu Qi Zhen firmly refused. She knew very well what she needed: a space that belonged entirely to her, and nothing more.
Returning to her room would certainly be fine as well, but a dim bedroom would only make her feel even more lonely. How could it compare to the greenhouse in the slanting evening sun? As she took refuge among the lush plants, she distinctly felt a certain vitality slowly seeping into her body like an invisible trickle.
She closed her eyes with some fatigue, letting her thoughts wander. Countless notions flashed through her mind, but she did not grasp a single one of them. Thus, she thought of many things, yet thought of nothing at all. Only in such a state did Lu Qi Zhen feel relaxed.
Her breathing gradually grew even and sleepiness washed over her. Between waking and sleeping, she suddenly heard a man talking nearby, which made her give a sudden start and nearly roll off the recliner.
But immediately following that