Two days later, bright and early in the morning.
Ke Mo, brimming with confidence, donned his emotionless sunglasses and was ready to head toward the Imperial Capital’s headquarters of the Hengtong Trading Company, accompanied by a group of eager volunteers from the Qianlong List.
Thanks to his generous contributions and the fact that the Flower Festival was an officially sanctioned big deal, the company was moving at lightning speed.
Even Sun Gui himself had joined the fray, working tirelessly for two days and nights without a wink of sleep to gather the necessary supplies.
As the financier, Ke Mo was set to go to the headquarters today to inspect the deliveries alongside many ministers.
“Get going early!” Ying Bing said, smoothing the collar of his clothes.
“Got it, don’t worry—I’ve got so many friends with me!” he replied, squeezing her hand and striding out the door.
Once he was gone, she settled into a corner, brewed a pot of tea, and pulled out a big-headed doll along with a book.
Shang Qin Qing and Qin Yuzhi exchanged puzzled glances, both realizing how odd this was.
Didn’t they just have a spat?
Why was she now sipping tea, playing with a doll, and looking like the wife of a diligent husband who was off to work?
“Little Ice Girl, what love potion did Ke Mo feed you yesterday?” Shang Qin Qing mused, feeling that something was amiss without a fiery scene of pursuit.
“He didn’t feed me anything,” Ying Bing replied, her brows twitching slightly as she shook her head.
“Then what did he do?” Qin Yuzhi’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Nothing at all.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Qin Yuzhi wore a serious expression as she and Shang Qin Qing whispered loudly in a conspiratorial manner, despite being clearly audible.
“Hey, how about we sneak into Little Ice Girl’s dreams tonight and see for ourselves?”
“Right, don’t forget to stay awake tonight—I’ll take you with me!”
Ying Bing: “…..”
Could you guys be any louder?
Besides, her dreams weren’t exactly safe; it wasn’t like normal people would take the risk of snooping in on someone’s dreams!
These two in front of her…
One used to be a matchmaker extraordinaire who could rally her whole clan for a romantic misadventure just with a doll! What couldn’t she pull off?
And the other was more terrifying than a horror flick; the higher-ups of Da Shang had collectively decided it was best for her to sleep forever beneath the earth…
“……”
After a moment of silence, Ying Bing softly admitted, “He said that organizing the Flower Festival was so no one could see me.”
She recounted last night’s events with a straight face, oblivious to the glow in her eyes that sparkled with unspoken emotions.
Although Ying Bing’s tone didn’t waver much…
Shang Qin Qing listened intently while clutching her chest, feeling her bl**d sugar soaring.
After a moment, her expression turned somewhat complex.
That guy, usually Mr. Indifferent, could actually be this overbearing?!
If only the little monk were this bold, she wouldn’t have to wait so long!
Ah, whatever! The current sweetness was divine; she’d enjoy it for now…
Qin Yuzhi pursed her lips: “Alright, we’ve got our dream material for tonight.”
“Speaking of which, have you seen the latest episode of ‘The Overbearing Empress Falls for Me’? I want to watch that!”
“I haven’t seen it yet! It’s already updated? Look at Ouyang—he’s so intuitive! What’s next?”
Qin Yuzhi’s eyes lit up.
Only those who had seen it knew how utterly captivating that show was.
Not to mention, it was based on real-life experiences.
Perhaps it even moved along slightly faster than reality…
What’s that called? Early-time sugar rush!
Don’t even get me started.
Even Ying Bing, who was minding her own tea, had her ears perked up with keen interest.
“Babies!”
“Pffft…”
Tea splashed on Shang Qin Qing’s face. She turned her head to see Ying Bing slightly parting her lips, looking as if she had just lost her mind, the once-cold fairy now looking utterly bewildered.
After all, the Phoenix Sky Empress walked on eggshells throughout her life, weathering every storm.
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But having babies? Now that was something she’d never experienced.
She had never even thought of it.
Shang Qin Qing wiped her face, laughing: “Little Ice Girl, we’re telling a story here! Why are you reacting so much?”
“It’s getting colder, I have a cough.”
Who didn’t know that Shang Qin Qing and Qin Yuzhi, or rather, many of them, were eagerly watching ‘The Overbearing Empress Falls for Me’ as if it were prophetic?
The promotional material had already stated, “The story is purely fictional; any similarities are purely coincidental.”
If it overlaps with reality, that coincidence seems totally reasonable, right…
“Babies…babies…” Ying Bing’s ice-like gaze seemed to crack, dispersing.
Shang Qin Qing waved her hand: “No babies yet, just a big belly! The promotional material ended right there with the empress dreaming of baby names.”
“I feel like Ouyang couldn’t decide on a name and just left it hanging.” Qin Yuzhi immediately speculated.
“What name would be good…? Wait, we don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl!”
Shang Qin Qing mulled over it for a long moment, then looked at Ying Bing:
“Little Ice Girl, do you prefer sour or spicy food?”
Ying Bing: “?”
She seriously contemplated for a moment before replying, “Sometimes sour, sometimes spicy.”
Little Li loved doing barbecues and hot pots, which had made her develop a taste for spicy food; occasionally, she loved something sour, like the night before…
“Hmm…”
Hearing that ambiguous answer, Shang Qin Qing quickly came to a conclusion, showcasing her prowess in the marriage arena:
“Dragon and Phoenix twins!”
“Cough…cough…”
“Little Ice Girl, you really seem to have a cold! So, the boy should be Li Jinlong, and the girl should be Li Yufeng!”
“?”
Ying Bing realized something was off; she frowned slightly.
“Jinlong and Yufeng don’t sound nice.”
“True, let’s think harder.”
Shang Qin Qing and Qin Yuzhi both sighed in relief.
They had just been spellbound and accidentally let slip the wrong names.
The male lead of ‘The Overbearing Empress Falls for Me’ had the surname Jiang, not Li!
Thank goodness Little Ice Girl was a bit under the weather today; look at how red her neck and ears are! Maybe she was a bit feverish and missed this major blunder.
“Not right…” Ying Bing was about to speak.
“Ah, nothing’s wrong! By the way, I heard a lot of the Hundred Flowers are coming to the Imperial Capital?”
Shang Qin Qing expertly redirected the conversation, displaying her top-notch skill in conversation-dodging.
“Right! Actually, many were already in the Imperial Capital; only a few are from remote areas.”
Qin Yuzhi joined in seamlessly, sharing what she knew:
“The daughter of the Sharkman tribe’s chieftain—they say she’s not only stunning, but when she cries, she produces precious pearls.”
“Also, the daughter of the island master of Fángzhǎo Island—her cooking skills are extraordinary! I dreamed of her; she’s adorably cute.”
“Oh, and we can’t forget about the Holy Maiden of Misty Rain Tower, Yin Mianmian!”
“….”
While sipping her tea, Qin Yuzhi listed off the renowned beauties from the Hundred Flowers List, describing them vividly like a food delivery menu, bringing them to life.
“Even with Yin Mianmian in the mix, I’ve seen a few of them in my dreams…Umm…”
Just as she got to this point, Shang Qin Qing suddenly covered her mouth.
“Didn’t we agree last night to keep things under wraps?!”
Shang Qin Qing had been taken on a surreal journey in a dream last night and was still feeling the tingles.
To her shock, Qin Yuzhi had inadvertently let some secrets slip.
Please tell me Little Ice Girl didn’t catch that…
Before she could think of how to divert the conversation, she suddenly felt goosebumps creeping up her neck, a chill running down her spine.
Sure enough, she turned around.
The cold fairy’s face bore a mirthful smile that gradually softened…
Brrr… today’s weather is definitely a tad chilly…
…
PS: Seeking some charging magic, xoxo-3-
