“You’re the dog!”

Liu Zhu said, and then immediately chased after Huan Bi to hit her. As she ran, she called out to Zhen Huan:

“Little master, look at Huan Bi, she said I’m a dog…”

Liu Zhu’s words made everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Zhen Huan smiled, then turned to the two who were playfully bickering and said:

“Be careful, you two. Don’t fall.”

Jin Xi was watching Zhen Huan, sitting quietly, and the more she looked, the more she felt that Zhen Huan looked like someone. Soon, she realized—Empress Chun Yuan.

Jin Xi had served Empress Chun Yuan for a period of time, so she was somewhat familiar with her preferences.

Empress Chun Yuan was very fond of plum blossoms, and by coincidence, Zhen Huan had asked An Ling Rong to make a plum blossom-scented perfume.

Now, the clothes Zhen Huan was wearing were also quite similar to the old clothes Empress Chun Yuan had worn.

Not to mention, Zhen Huan’s appearance and the makeup she had on today were strikingly similar to Empress Chun Yuan herself.

But how could the little master know about Empress Chun Yuan’s preferences? She had just entered the palace, and after the meeting with the Empress, she had been ill and staying in the Broken Jade Pavilion, rarely interacting with others. How could she possibly know what Empress Chun Yuan liked?

Even if she had heard about it by chance, it would have been impossible for her to make her clothes so similar!

Unless she had seen it with her own eyes!

But considering the little master’s age, how could she have seen that?

Perhaps it was just a coincidence!

Jin Xi thought to herself.

At that moment, Liu Zhu ran over. She took the snack Zhen Huan handed her, munching on it while waving her arm and saying:

“Little master, on such a festive day, what do you think we should do?”

“How about we cut some paper flowers? It would look festive.”

Jin Xi suggested, just like in her previous life.

Zhen Huan thought for a moment and decided that, since she wasn’t going to the Yi Mei Garden to hang up a small portrait this time, and everyone was so happy, she might as well let them have fun.

So, like in her previous life, Zhen Huan agreed:

“Okay, okay, go get some colored paper and gold and silver flower foil. Let’s cut the flowers and play outside, okay?”

Liu Zhu and Huan Bi, upon hearing Zhen Huan’s approval, happily rushed off—one to fetch the colored paper and the other to grab the scissors.

Jin Xi and Pei Er went off to find patterns.

At the evening banquet in the palace, the Emperor drank cup after cup, asking the Empress about Zhen Huan’s condition.

The Empress replied that Wan Chang Zai had been ill, so she was specially allowed to rest in the palace.

The Emperor didn’t say anything more and continued drinking alone.

In the end, he couldn’t resist his longing and left the banquet alone, instructing no one to follow him, as he wanted to be by himself.

At the Broken Jade Pavilion, Zhen Huan was happily cutting paper flowers with Liu Zhu, Huan Bi, and the others.

Although she had experienced this in her previous life, it was still fun to play with everyone.

The group admired each other’s paper flowers.

At this moment, Pei Er suddenly pointed at Xiao Yun Zi and said that she saw him hiding Zhen Huan’s cut-out paper portrait in his sleeve.

The others immediately began to tease, urging Xiao Yun Zi to stop being stingy and show the portrait.

Zhen Huan looked at the paper flower in her hand and praised Xiao Yun Zi’s cutting skills.

But in her mind, memories from her previous life resurfaced—

In her previous life, the Fruit Prince, who had accompanied the Emperor to the Yi Mei Garden, took the small portrait Zhen Huan had hung on the tree.

He had then treasured it in his pouch…

Perhaps their fates had been decided back then.

Later, when they met again in the Imperial Garden, the Emperor used the Fruit Prince’s identity to get to know her…

At that time, Zhen Huan didn’t know the Emperor was the Emperor and only thought he was the Fruit Prince.

But even so, she still went out in the rain to meet the “Fruit Prince.”

When the “Fruit Prince” didn’t show up, she returned to the Broken Jade Pavilion feeling disappointed, saying that she shouldn’t have foolishly hoped for something.

It was clear that from then on, she had developed a fondness for the “dashing prince” that she had heard about.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked Jin Xi about what kind of person the Fruit Prince was.

Zhen Huan thought to herself, in this life, she definitely couldn’t have any more involvement with the Fruit Prince.

“In fact, it really looks like the little master, but if you just look at the eyebrows and eyes, it kind of looks like Huan Bi,” Liu Zhu looked at the portrait and pointed at Huan Bi.

Zhen Huan, returning to her thoughts, pulled Huan Bi over to take a look and said:

“Huan Bi has been with me for so long, it really does look like her.”

Liu Zhu wasn’t pleased by this: “Then why do I look nothing like the little master?”

Zhen Huan smiled at Liu Zhu’s “jealous” expression and said:

“If everyone looked exactly the same, it would be quite frightening.”

The group then burst into laughter.

Just then, the Emperor, who had been walking toward the Broken Jade Pavilion, overheard their laughter.

Listening to the joyful sounds from inside, he muttered to himself:

“I haven’t heard such a delightful laugh in a long time.”

With curiosity, he walked inside.

“No wonder Wan Chang Zai didn’t attend tonight’s palace banquet. It turns out she’s been hiding here, avoiding work.”

When the Emperor entered, everyone in the room quickly put down what they were doing and respectfully greeted him.

After the greeting, Zhen Huan again curtsied and said:

“Your servant is ill and didn’t know the Emperor would come. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

“It’s not your fault,” the Emperor waved the green pearl pouch in his hand, then walked in and sat down:

“I smelled a fragrance of plum blossoms, and following that scent, I ended up here at the Broken Jade Pavilion.”

“And then the sound of laughter here drew me in, so I came in to see.”

From the moment he entered and saw Zhen Huan, the Emperor’s gaze never left her.

Zhen Huan felt the intense warmth in the Emperor’s eyes, and of course, she knew what it meant.

But as long as the outcome was good, why should she care why the Emperor came?

If the Empress could use such things, why couldn’t she make good use of them?

Zhen Huan glanced at the messy cut paper on the table and smiled at the Emperor:

“I’m just here cutting paper flowers with Xiao Yun Zi and the others! We were just discussing who did the best job, when Your Majesty walked in…”