When Jun Yulin heard Yan Luo’s voice, his expression darkened further. He glanced coldly at An Bai behind him—whose face didn’t look much better—then gave a soft, mocking laugh and strode straight toward Yan Luo. His eyes were slightly clouded, as if suppressing some kind of emotion.
“Your Majesty.”
He didn’t care whether Yan Luo had recovered from her shock or not. Grabbing her hand and tugging lightly, he pulled her away from the desk. She stumbled two steps forward and fell straight into Jun Yulin’s arms. He held her tightly for a moment, then let go.
[*Ding*—Jun Yulin’s blackening value +1 (97/100)]
“No, Royal Uncle, listen to me…”
Jun Yulin raised his hand and pressed a finger to Yan Luo’s lips, his voice cold and restrained. This was perhaps the time he had revealed the most emotions.
“Your Majesty, don’t make me angry…”
Then he let go and turned to leave, voice deep and repressed. “Lu Xunche…”
“No need to call me, Your Highness. I’ve just finished my business too, and I’ve got something to say to you as well.” Lu Xunche patted the dust off his clothes and smiled, making a playful gesture toward Yan Luo. Under her speechless gaze, the three men left the study together.
The room fell silent. Yan Luo glanced at the shattered vase nearby, her face calm as she called someone to clean up, though inside she was howling in despair.
“Scam Pink, I think I’m doomed” o(╥﹏╥)o
[Dear Host, I think so too…]
No one knew exactly what they talked about, but from then on, Yan Luo never saw Lu Xunche again, and An Bai also disappeared.
Rumor had it they’d received secret orders from the Regent to handle some matters, and naturally, the ministers didn’t dare ask questions. As for Yan Luo, seeing Jun Yulin’s perpetually dark expression, she didn’t dare bring it up either.
Now Jun Yulin, with a blackening value nearing 100, loomed in front of her constantly with that stony face of his, practically plastered to her side. And lately, it was like he’d swallowed gunpowder. Every time someone in court brought up the matter of selecting consorts, before Yan Luo even had to speak, Jun Yulin would shut them down with a cold, stone-faced rebuttal.
Because of Lu Xunche’s interference, Yan Luo had already half given up on this dimension. But precisely because of his meddling, she noticed a pattern in the way Jun Yulin’s blackening value rose and fell.
She eventually came to a conclusion—one she’d suspected all along, though it felt almost too simple.
Could it be… he’s jealous?
But that didn’t make sense. Given the background setting, what was there for him to be jealous of? Logically, Jun Yulin wasn’t even supposed to like her—the emperor.
Meanwhile, Jun Yulin, watching the little emperor obediently attending morning court from the dragon throne, felt more and more irritated.
He even felt a little… wronged.
Wasn’t she supposed to like him? He’d been trying to clear his schedule just to stay near her, so why wasn’t she trying to make it up to him?
Previously, he had nearly gotten into a fight with Lu Xunche. However, they only exchanged a few moves when An Bai interfered and ended the fight.
After that, Lu Xunche raised an eyebrow and said the little emperor liked Jun Yulin, but because of Jun Yulin’s moody behavior and pressure to have her choose consorts, she’d become disheartened and asked him to test Jun Yulin’s reaction one last time.
—Testing if I was jealous? How ridiculous.
As he thought so, Jun Yulin still wore a cold expression, quietly enduring Lu Xunche’s entire explanation.
Saying something like: with that kind of reaction, no way he didn’t like Yan Luo.
Jun Yulin simply acted as if it were a matter of course.
When had he ever said he didn’t like that little one?