Yu Jingchen's words were something Nan Ziyun couldn't believe. All her wounds and pain stemmed from him, so how could she truly trust him?
Moreover, the current Yu Jingchen made her feel lost. Why would a person change so drastically? This was something she couldn't accept. Nan Ziyun didn't know his purpose for acting this way. Was he devising a new scheme, or was it because her father, as he mentioned earlier, was returning?
Yu Jingchen didn't know what Nan Ziyun was thinking, but seeing her current state, he knew she didn't believe him. It was understandable that she would find his sudden change difficult to comprehend. However, how could he explain it to her now?
"Don't overthink it, just focus on recuperating," Yu Jingchen coaxed gently. He naturally didn't know how to explain things to Nan Ziyun yet, but if there was a chance in the future, he would explain it clearly to her.
Nan Ziyun remained silent, simply lying there obediently, as quiet as if she were asleep. Silence fell upon the room, and a hint of awkwardness seemed to linger in the air.
"Will you be bored just lying here?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
"How about I have someone find some interesting storybooks for you? Are you interested in reading such things now?" Yu Jingchen proactively inquired. Nan Ziyun was somewhat surprised that Yu Jingchen would mention these things. Did he even notice them? But she dared not be presumptuous and gently shook her head.
"You'll need to rest properly for several days in your current condition. If it's like this every day, can you endure it?" Yu Jingchen prompted Nan Ziyun to speak to him.
If she continued to be so timid and cautious, when would she ever recover? Therefore, he hoped to slowly encourage her to be more open and less fearful.
Nan Ziyun still didn't speak. Yu Jingchen sighed helplessly, "You can directly say anything you want. If you don't speak and I have to guess everything, I won't be able to guess correctly all the time. Also, if I sometimes guess wrong, or do things you dislike, or issue commands you don't like, will you continue to bear it like this?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
A wave of desolation washed over Nan Ziyun. Wasn't it supposed to be this way? It had always been that as long as he wished it, she had to comply. No matter what she did, it would be wrong, and once she made a mistake, Yu Jingchen would deliver the most cruel punishment.
With just a few words now, how could she dare to believe? How could she believe? Her silence caused waves of dull pain to rise in Yu Jingchen's heart. It was all his fault for being too excessive before.
"I'll have someone prepare some books for you later. But do you truly think you can read those books to pass the time when I bring them? If you're not interested, just put them aside; no one will force you to read. Or, if you find reading troublesome and a waste of energy, you can simply have the storytellers outside come and narrate to you," Yu Jingchen said softly.
Nan Ziyun parted her lips, but no words came out. Yu Jingchen chuckled and then took it upon himself to arrange for some books to be brought. Having spent so much time with Nan Ziyun in their past life, he knew her preferences like the back of his hand.
Yu Jingchen kept Nan Ziyun in Zichen Palace to recuperate, and his personal care of her quickly spread throughout the harem. The Emperor's sudden change left everyone bewildered and filled with speculation.
The sun began to set, and the sky gradually darkened.
Candles were lit, illuminating the room. Yu Jingchen breathed a sigh of relief when Nan Ziyun woke up. After she had calmed down a little, he sat beside her and handled some court affairs. It wasn't that he was truly busy, but rather because... there was nothing for the two of them to talk about, and the atmosphere felt somewhat stiff. Nan Ziyun still harbored a deep sense of fear. No matter what he did, she would be afraid and defensive. Thus, this was also to alleviate Nan Ziyun's psychological burden.
Perhaps Nan Ziyun had slept for too long, as she had no trace of drowsiness. Around the hour of Hai (around ten o'clock), Yu Jingchen, watching her from the side, finally grew restless as she showed no signs of wanting to sleep.
"Still not sleepy?" Yu Jingchen finally stood up and walked towards her.
As Nan Ziyun watched Yu Jingchen approach, she instinctively tried to shrink back. Yu Jingchen clearly noticed this but didn't show it.
"It's very late now. Don't you want to rest?" Yu Jingchen sat down and asked her softly. Nan Ziyun hadn't paid attention to the time at first, but now, looking around, it seemed quite late indeed.
"Not sleepy?" he asked.
Nan Ziyun shook her head, but then felt that doing so might be inappropriate, so her movement immediately stopped. Yu Jingchen understood her feelings. He affectionately stroked her head. "It's alright. Say whatever you want to say, express whatever you want to express. Don't be afraid of these things, okay?" he told Nan Ziyun.
But Nan Ziyun just remained stunned, showing no reaction. Yu Jingchen pulled her into his embrace. "Let's rest, shall we? It's very late now. If you don't rest well, how can your body endure it?"
Nan Ziyun was held in Yu Jingchen's arms, feeling numb. Yu Jingchen looked at her and then gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
Nan Ziyun was startled by Yu Jingchen's sudden action. His Majesty was... She instinctively wanted to retreat, but she couldn't.
"Don't hide. Can you truly hide?" Yu Jingchen smiled gently.
"Let's rest, okay?" Yu Jingchen's hand gently brushed Nan Ziyun's lips. Nan Ziyun was flustered by his series of actions, yet didn't know how to resist.
She could only agree to Yu Jingchen's words and nodded slightly. Feeling her compliance, Yu Jingchen released her, helped her lie down, and then got up himself.
At first, she didn't react much to Yu Jingchen's actions. She merely thought he was about to leave, as he wouldn't possibly stay with her for the entire night. However, she was startled by his subsequent actions, and her heart instantly tensed.
Because she saw Yu Jingchen going to extinguish the candles, she immediately wanted to stop him, and a wave of fear surged within her. Yet, she didn't have the courage to stop him.