Chapter 50 – Mutual Benefit

Shen Qing, after crying for a while, had actually already calmed down.

After all, she was rational—once she’d vented, she regained her composure.

As she cooled off, Shen Qing gradually stopped crying.

Seeing that she finally showed some other reaction, Xuanyuan Ling inexplicably felt relieved. “Feeling better?”

Hearing that, Shen Qing looked up at him. Her tears still hung on her cheeks, and she looked pitiful and aggrieved, but she still nodded.

That little look of hers was incredibly endearing. Xuanyuan Ling couldn’t help but soften his tone. “Still feeling unwell?”

Shen Qing shook her head again, then leaned against his chest, unusually well-behaved.

This delicate little thing was now snuggling up to him and acting spoiled. A bit of coaxing wouldn’t hurt.

He thought for a moment. “Are you getting bored staying in the palace?”

“I miss my parents because of the Mid-Autumn Festival,” Shen Qing replied truthfully.

Besides, how could she openly say she was bored in the palace? That would be courting death.

Xuanyuan Ling looked at her and suddenly asked, “Were your parents good to you?”

Shen Qing guessed that the emperor probably hadn’t received much motherly or fatherly love.

Now that he asked this, what would be the best way to respond?

After considering for a moment, Shen Qing said, “Mother was stricter, Father was more doting. Although I have a younger brother at home, to be honest, Your Majesty, my parents favored me more. They said sons need more tempering.”

That wasn’t a lie. And by mentioning her younger brother and saying sons need more experience, she shifted the focus away from whether her parents were good to her.

Sure enough, Xuanyuan Ling agreed. “Sons do need more tempering.”

The two chatted idly for a while. Seeing that her complexion had improved, Xuanyuan Ling didn’t linger too long—he still had matters to attend to.

“I need to go now. If you get lonely at night, have your two maids stay with you. Don’t let that fever come back.”

As he spoke, Xuanyuan Ling glanced at her expression.

He saw that Shen Qing looked reluctant after hearing this, as if she wanted him to stay longer. She was clingy—she’d always been that way—and now that she was sick, even more so. This small, frail girl, sick like this, was certainly pitiful. He offered a comforting word: “Once you’re better, I’ll summon you again.”

Shen Qing froze. “Your Majesty…”

Was that… a promise?

It really was the first time. As if he was reassuring her that she wouldn’t fall out of favor.

She immediately felt a bit happier. Since he said that, she had to feel happy.

Seeing her pleased, Xuanyuan Ling curled his lips into a faint smile. He didn’t say much more. With that, he left for real.

Shen Qing sat there in silence for a long while. Only when Chunhua brought over porridge and called her to eat did she realize how hungry she was. After all, she’d had a fever for a whole day, and rice soup and medicine couldn’t fill her up.

After eating for a couple of days, Shen Qing refused Chunhua’s offer to stay up and watch over her at night. Now that the sky was fully dark, she lay in bed, her illness like a mountain that came swiftly and left slowly. Having slept all day, she couldn’t sleep again, and her mind wandered to thoughts of her modern life.

Not to mention anything else, venting earlier had really helped. The frustration she had bottled up about transmigrating had lessened quite a bit. Maybe it was because, although she’d been trying to survive all along, she’d been mentally avoiding her past. Now that she had let it all out in one good cry, she actually felt much lighter inside.

Her heart might have been soothed, but her body was still sick. She truly had caught a cold, and in this era where even a mild illness could be deadly, Shen Qing didn’t dare slack off. The medicine was bitter, but she still drank it.

After several days of rest, she finally recovered. But even after getting better, she didn’t wander around—she stayed in Zhaohua Palace to recuperate. Xiao Quanzi, being thoughtful, set up a swing in the courtyard. Shen Qing would play on it for a bit.

And as promised, Xuanyuan Ling did summon Shen Qing again after her recovery.

Shen Qing wasn’t surprised. But she hadn’t expected that after giving that one promise, Xuanyuan Ling had really kept thinking about it.

There was a difference between thinking about her and not thinking about her.

When he remembered her, and finally had the chance to have her again, he was rather impatient.

Xuanyuan Ling had the eunuchs carry her in and put her down. Before Shen Qing could even open her mouth, he had already bitten down on her lips.

Her eyes widened, and she forced out a word: “Ow…”

Starved, the dog of an emperor bit her.

Xuanyuan Ling reined in his teeth a little, using lips and tongue instead, but his hands weren’t idle. He pulled her out from under the blanket and began to knead and caress her.

Seeing how eager he was, Shen Qing could tell he’d really been holding himself back these days. But if he held back, she was the one who had to suffer for it. She still remembered how painful it was before when she was hurt.

“Your Majesty, go easy.”

Xuanyuan Ling heard her. Though he was eager, he wasn’t completely without reason. Seeing that she was afraid, he felt a bit of masculine pride and also a hint of helplessness. “So delicate. Alright, I understand.”

He did have integrity with Shen Qing. When he said he’d be gentle, Shen Qing believed him. And when Xuanyuan Ling made her feel good, she was also willing to return the favor.

This, as they both saw it, was mutual benefit.