Chapter 887: Side Story: Xia Hongming and Tang Huaixiao 6
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Ying Xiangru felt his head hurt. He sighed and shook his head. “1 don’t know. Our emperor has a gentle personality, but he’s even more unfathomable than the previous emperor. If he doesn’t want us to know, we won’t know.”
Ying Xiangru thought of Xia Hongming’s reaction countless times, but he still could not see through him.
Pretty much everyone who was invited had come. However, looking at Xia Hongming’s expression, Ying Xiangru could not tell if he had handled this matter well or not.
Lord Zhou also sighed. “Sigh, our emperor is much more difficult to serve than the previous emperor.”
Ying Xiangru nodded in agreement.
The sky gradually darkened.
Xia Hongming couldn’t fall asleep. He tossed and turned, thinking about the cold attitude Tang Huaixiao had towards him during the day.
He did not feel good, and there seemed to be a lump in his throat.
It was already late at night. Xia Hongming came out of the inner hall. The eunuch guarding outside was dozing off. Xia Hongming did not alarm anyone.
Walking in the cold corridor, Xia Hongming couldn’t help but think that if he was Shi Jiu, he would probably have climbed over the wall to go outside.
Xia Hongming let out a long sigh. He wanted to climb the wall, but the palace wall was too high. He didn’t know any martial arts and couldn’t find a ladder.
A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the flowerbed. He kicked it angrily. Why did he have to go to such lengths to hold this award ceremony?
Why did he have to be so careful about a woman he had never met before? He was the emperor. If he wanted to see someone, he could just give the order. How could she refuse to come?
Xia Hongming made a few snowballs and threw them out, but he was still angry and inexplicably annoyed.
Xia Hongyuan, Xia Hongjin, Xia Hongyan, and Xia Hongguang were all living happily and freely outside the palace.
However, as an emperor, he actually didn’t have any freedom. Just thinking about it made him angry. Xia Hongming looked up and saw the figure in black on the roof. He gulped nervously.
How long had she been there and watching him? Did she think his behavior was ridiculous?
Tang Huaixiao had been sitting on the roof for a long time. She knew where Xia Hongming lived. Even though she knew that he was not Shi Jiu, she still wanted to see him. In her memory, this body used to belong to Shi Jiu.
Their eyes met. Tang Huaixiao looked at Xia Hongming indifferently.
Xia Hongming did not move. After a while, Tang Huaixiao moved her lips and said, “Are you unhappy?”
When Xia Hongming heard this cold voice, his heart skipped a beat. “Isn’t it obvious? I toasted you in the day, but you didn’t even look at me.”
Tang Huaixiao looked at Xia Hongming’s face. He hadn’t changed much from more than ten years ago. If only he was Shi Jiu.
However, Shi Jiu was just a consciousness. No one knew of his existence.
Seeing that Xia Hongming was waiting for her answer, Tang Huaixiao said calmly, “You’re not him.”
Xia Hongming’s face darkened. He felt that there was burning anger in him, but he couldn’t bring himself to flare up. He said helplessly, “Yes, I’m not him. He’s the best. He saved me and even made you fall in love with him. Even after he’s long gone, I still miss you all the time. 1 can’t bring myself to treat you badly even if I want to.”
“Do you think I want to do this? In the past two years, I suffered through autumn and winter. My head hurts everyday. What can I do?”
Thinking of his headache for the past two years, he felt inexplicably aggrieved. Why did he have to suffer this pain?
Tang Huaixiao stood up and flew down from the eaves. She stood beside Xia Hongming. “Why did your head hurt? Don’t you have many excellent imperial physicians in the palace?”
Xia Hongming looked at Tang Huaixiao and was a little stunned. “You’re so tall.”
Tang Huaixiao was different from all the women he knew. She could stand in front of him and be at eye level with him. He did not know what kind of face she had under the mask.
Tang Huaixiao’s voice was cold. “What illness do you have?”
Xia Hongming was a little embarrassed. “No, nothing. The imperial physician said that it’s a mental illness.”
“And it has something to do with you. Because Shi Jiu is part of my consciousness, I can’t help but keep thinking about you.”
Xia Hongming took a deep breath. He wanted to see what she would say.
Tang Huaixiao looked at Xia Hongming. She was analyzing Xia Hongming’s expression to see if he was lying.
Tang Huaixiao stared at Xia Hongming for a while before saying calmly, “Your Majesty, if there is anything I can do to cure you of your mental illness, I’ll cooperate..”