Pei Lie and Pei Ji stepped forward, their excitement difficult to conceal.
"Mother Queen!"
"Mother Queen, you're awake."
The Queen looked them over, nodding slightly. "Good children, I am awake. I've made you worry during this time."
Pei Lie shook his head and knelt on one knee by the bed. "Mother Queen, it's good that you're awake."
The King glanced at Pei Lie with disdain, then turned to the Queen and said softly, "You've just woken up, your body is still weak and you need to rest well..."
Amidst the tender reunion, Shen Qingqing and Pei Xi, standing at the doorway, exchanged a look, a silent current flowing between them.
"Fourth Prince, quite disappointed, aren't you?" she murmured, with a hint of challenge. "It seems your plans will face more obstacles."
Pei Xi said softly, "It's you."
Shen Qingqing blinked. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
But Pei Xi wasn't foolish. In this entire realm, only two people could have cured his poison: the old man, and her.
"You are very good, Miss Shen. I'm finding myself liking you more and more," he said, his expression unperturbed, even as Fu Jingshu's gaze felt like it could kill. He turned and walked into the room.
He stood behind the King and said, "Father King."
The King finally noticed him and quickly said, "Pei Xi, come over quickly. This is your Mother Queen. Let me introduce you. Pei Xi, this is my... fourth son."
The Queen's smile faltered slightly, but she remained elegant. "So you are Pei Xi."
Pei Xi smiled gently and said respectfully, "Greetings."
The Queen then swept her gaze over everyone in the room, and finally landed on Shen Qingqing by the door. Her eyes suddenly softened.
"Come here."
Shen Qingqing pointed to herself.
The Queen nodded.
She pulled Fu Jingshu along, enduring the King's hostile stare and Pei Xi's meaningful gaze. Pei Ji and Pei Lie automatically made way, allowing her to approach the bed.
The Queen made a strange request: "Say something."
Shen Qingqing pursed her lips. "What should I say?"
The Queen's eyes brightened, a look of "as expected" on her face. She slowly raised her hand, her strength still weak after just waking, and her hand moved exceptionally slowly.
Shen Qingqing took her hand. It was cold, colder than her own.
"Good child," the Queen smiled at her, then turned to the King. As soon as she looked at him, the King immediately had something to say.
"Queen, she is not a good person. Don't let her near you."
"You have a misunderstanding about her," the Queen said with a helpless smile, not giving the King a chance to speak. She then turned her gaze to Pei Xing.
"You're back."
Pei Xing nodded, still his usual quiet self.
The Queen was accustomed to it. This child had been like this since waking up five years ago. "I'm fine now. Don't all crowd around me. Go do what you need to do. King, you should also attend to your affairs."
The King refused to leave. "I want to stay with you."
The Queen showed disapproval.
"Mother Queen, we can't leave," Pei Lie suddenly said.
The King glared at him. "Why aren't you leaving? Don't forget, you still have things to do."
He emphasized the word "things."
Pei Lie ignored him completely. "Mother Queen, the reason you fell into a coma was not a physical problem, but that you were poisoned."
This statement sent ripples of shock through everyone.
The Queen also froze. "What did you say?"
Pei Lie said sternly, "Mother Queen, your health has always been excellent. Why did you suddenly fall into a coma this time and remain unconscious for so long? The doctors couldn't find anything. It's because you weren't sick at all, you were poisoned. Someone wanted you to fall unconscious."
He glanced at Pei Xi, his eyes chillingly cold.
Pei Xi's expression also turned cold. "Don't imply things, don't beat around the bush."
Pei Lie smiled without warmth. "I haven't said it was you, so why are you so quick to respond? Are you guilty?"
Pei Xi chuckled and shook his head. "I didn't do it, why would I be guilty?"
Seeing that the two were about to argue, the King, having snapped out of his shock, reprimanded them, "You two are enough! Be quiet!"
They exchanged a glance, then expressionlessly looked away.
The King looked at Pei Lie, exasperated. "What kind of trouble are you stirring up now? Your Mother Queen has just woken up and is still weak. Can't you let her rest properly? Do you have to create some kind of disturbance?"
Pei Lie looked at him with great disappointment. "You weren't like this before."
He had never made such an indiscriminate judgment that he was causing trouble.
The King stiffened, knowing he had been somewhat biased towards Pei Xi. Normally, it wouldn't matter, but now... he almost didn't dare to look at the Queen.
If there was one woman he felt most guilty towards in his life, it was Pei Xi's mother.
But the one he loved the most was undoubtedly the Queen.
"Alright," the Queen's gentle voice cut through, quickly quelling the silent battle. "Why are you two father and son arguing? We are all family. Pei Lie, I know you're doing this for my own good, but my body has recovered now. Whether someone was poisoned can be discussed later."
Seeing that she seemed inclined to believe Pei Lie, the King tried to explain, "A Li..."
The Queen smiled at him. "King, do you have any other opinions?"
Such a beautiful smile hadn't been seen in a long time. The King was completely mesmerized, his mind blank.
Let alone opinions, he didn't even want to speak now, he just wanted to look at her.
The Queen then turned to Shen Qingqing. "I really like this girl. King, from now on, she is my guest."
"A Li, she's a prisoner. She even tried to steal Pei Xi's things before, although she didn't succeed. She's not a good person. After coming to the palace, she stirred up chaos. Such a person is not fit to be your guest. Send her away!"
The King's eyes widened. At his age, such an expression looked rather comical.
But the Queen refused. "No."
"Why?"
After meeting her only once, she already liked her?
The King couldn't help but scrutinize Shen Qingqing. What was so special about this woman?
The Queen looked at the girl sitting by the bed. Since she had been holding her hand, the other had simply sat down by the bed.
She liked this personality very much.
"Because she is my benefactor."
"What do you mean?" The King was a bit confused. How did he not know the Queen had such a benefactor?
The Queen asked softly, "When I was unconscious, you were talking by my side, weren't you?"
Shen Qingqing showed no surprise. "You heard?"
"Yes, I heard."
Although the Queen had been in a coma for some time, she wasn't as unaware as her body seemed. She could hear the sounds from the outside world.
Albeit intermittently.
Coincidentally, that day, she heard this girl's voice, and then was fed a pill. She felt the constraint that had been binding her body begin to loosen considerably.
She started to become curious about this girl.
She was truly remarkable.
Beside them, Pei Xi's eyes darkened. Recalling something, he turned to look at the doorway. The steward was looking in with a hint of apprehension. Seeing the thick, unyielding darkness in Pei Xi's eyes, he was instantly startled.