The night saw Yu Jingchen not leaving the He'an Palace. Nan Zhiyun lay there, afraid to move, terrified of touching the thing that filled her with dread. Yet, she was tired, so sleepy, and staying here indefinitely, she would eventually break.
In the latter half of the night, Nan Zhiyun finally succumbed to sleep. She couldn't control her movements, and with a slight shift, the candlestick toppled over. Nan Zhiyun jolted awake.
She looked at the scene before her, her body chillingly cold. Nan Zhiyun was wide awake, let alone Yu Jingchen beside her. As Nan Zhiyun met Yu Jingchen's eyes, brimming with cruelty, she trembled uncontrollably.
She moved quickly, immediately kneeling on the bed. "I didn't mean to, I just couldn't hold on, I... I..." Nan Zhiyun could no longer speak, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Face down," Yu Jingchen seemed to hear none of it, only uttering two icy words. Nan Zhiyun refused, shaking her head vehemently.
"Still haven't learned your lesson?" Yu Jingchen had no time to waste on her.
Hearing Yu Jingchen's words, Nan Zhiyun froze. Did she dare? She didn't... Nan Zhiyun, with no will to live, slowly prostrated herself on the bed. Yu Jingchen picked up the fallen candlestick.
Nan Zhiyun's body shook like a sieve, indicating the depth of her fear. Yu Jingchen knew this, of course. He looked at Nan Zhiyun as if appreciating an interesting ornament. The candlestick was brought to Nan Zhiyun's back. She clutched the bedsheets tightly, awaiting the impending torture.
Yet, Nan Zhiyun waited for a long while, and Yu Jingchen seemed to make no move. Mustering her courage, she looked back, just in time to see Yu Jingchen's eyes on her, so profound they seemed capable of drawing one in.
Nan Zhiyun dared not look at him, nor dared she ask why Yu Jingchen hadn't acted. Yu Jingchen set down the candlestick, placing it right before Nan Zhiyun's eyes. Looking at it, Nan Zhiyun felt a surge of dread. She couldn't fathom Yu Jingchen's intentions or what he wanted.
"Don't anger me. You cannot bear the consequences," Yu Jingchen simply stated. Nan Zhiyun dared not reply.
"This time, it will be overlooked. I am too lazy to deal with you." Yu Jingchen casually pushed the candlestick aside. The sound of the candlestick hitting the ground made Nan Zhiyun flinch, but even without it, she felt a slight relief. At least she wouldn't have to endure that.
Yu Jingchen said no more. Nan Zhiyun, waiting in vain for him to continue, looked at him. But Yu Jingchen had already closed his eyes. Was this... it?
Nan Zhiyun dared not speculate. As Yu Jingchen made no further moves, she gradually relaxed. The sleep she had been fighting off finally claimed her. Once Nan Zhiyun was asleep, Yu Jingchen opened his eyes, his expression clear, showing no sign of having just woken.
He looked at Nan Zhiyun, asleep, but the worry lines on her brow remained. Yu Jingchen rose and stood up. Nan Zhiyun lay on the bed, in the same posture. And without his command, she still had no covering on her body.
Yu Jingchen felt a flicker of annoyance. He casually flung the quilt aside. Nan Zhiyun seemed to stir but did not wake.
Yu Jingchen chuckled, looking at her. "Heh, you can't even pretend to sleep well. What else can you do?" he spoke. Perhaps it was the coldness in Yu Jingchen's tone that made Nan Zhiyun's eyelashes flutter.
Yu Jingchen glanced at her dismissively. "Bold and reckless thing, overstepping your bounds." Yu Jingchen left these words behind and then turned to leave.
The moment Yu Jingchen departed, Nan Zhiyun opened her eyes, gasping for breath. Yu Jingchen's movements had been forceful, and when he flung the quilt, she had been startled awake. But she hadn't dared to open her eyes.
She supposed Yu Jingchen had seen through her pretense of sleep. She had thought she would meet an ugly end, but she lacked the courage to open her eyes. Fortunately, Yu Jingchen had left in the end.
However, Nan Zhiyun could no longer sleep. The events of today felt like a dream, a nightmare she could never wake from.
She had truly, profoundly experienced Yu Jingchen's heartlessness. Must she endure the suffering of her past life again in this one? Heaven was cruel. She didn't understand the meaning of her return. It would have been better to die cleanly.
If she could not escape in this life, what then? Should she repeat the original course of events? How would she endure the days that followed? And what about her father, and the Empress Dowager? Tears streamed from Nan Zhiyun's eyes. Perhaps she was too useless, unable to even resist. She felt powerless to change her current state.
The next morning.
Nan Zhiyun rose very early. She sat listlessly before the vanity mirror. Today, she had to pay her respects to the Noble Consort. This audience would likely be another source of mockery. By now, the entire harem probably knew what happened yesterday. Nan Zhiyun felt too ashamed to face everyone, yet these events were not within her control.
Yun Peng Palace.
Most of the court had already arrived. As Nan Zhiyun, the Shu Consort, entered, few people truly paid her any mind. The Emperor's disregard for her was so profound; he didn't treat Nan Zhiyun as a person. Why should these people show her respect?
The harem was inherently a place of opportunism. If the Emperor himself loathed her, what was Nan Zhiyun worth? Even with the Empress Dowager, what good was it? The Empress Dowager's power had waned considerably. Facing the Emperor, she could hardly protect the Shu Consort.
"Oh, Consort Shu has finally arrived. This concubine thought Consort Shu wouldn't dare to show her face today after being punished by His Majesty yesterday," said Concubine Min.
"Heh, what are you saying, Sister Min? How could Consort Shu be so undisciplined?" Concubine Chen immediately replied.
"Yes, Consort Shu is naturally very disciplined. Otherwise, why would she keep us waiting here for so long?" This time, it was Noble Consort De.
Nan Zhiyun remained silent, taking her seat. She had seen this situation many times before, experiencing enough of it even in her previous life. Looking at it now, she felt numb.
Throughout the entire morning's audience, Nan Zhiyun was the target of insults. Perhaps it was due to the wound in her mouth, or perhaps it was the despair in her heart. Nan Zhiyun did not utter a single word.
After the audience, she returned to He'an Palace with her attendants. On the way, she inevitably encountered some impudent individuals, but she couldn't be bothered to engage with them.
Upon returning to He'an Palace, the Imperial Kitchen staff had already brought breakfast. Perhaps because the Empress Dowager was involved, no one dared to mistreat Nan Zhiyun in terms of food and clothing. While the consorts might disregard her, the servants certainly wouldn't dare.
However, Nan Zhiyun, with her injured mouth, didn't eat much, nor could she. Qian Xia, beside her, was immensely worried. But no matter how much she pleaded, Nan Zhiyun refused to eat another bite.