Chapter 160

Chapter 160

Breathing rapidly, Shengsheng Zhou lifted him and spread his legs for a look.

“The size is right. You are Pecky.”

What had happened to her aloof bird?

“Did some bad bird bully you outside, baby?” Shengsheng stroked him lovingly.

Fusheng Duan thought, *No bad bird, but there is one bad dog.*

“Stay with me from now on, all right? My life is different now. Follow me and you’ll eat and drink like royalty.” Shengsheng brought her smiling face close, looking so carefree that Fusheng’s chest tightened again.

Idiot.

While Shengsheng reeled with joy, a slender, blue-veined hand gripped the vermilion pillar behind her.

A pallid face, terrifyingly calm, slowly emerged.

“Found you.”

Shengsheng spun around and met bloodshot eyes. Goosebumps covered her.

Seeing the familiar bird in her palm, Siran Ming stopped breathing for an instant and advanced upon the terrified, retreating Shengsheng.

“Who exactly are you?”

He lowered his eyes and searched Shengsheng’s face inch by inch, as though seeking the soul within.

Shengsheng’s shoulders trembled as she lifted her tiny, pitiful face.

“I’m your father, ever-changing and infinite.”

Weiqing Song, passing by and coming to help: “…”

You’re beyond saving, Sister. Perhaps I needn’t go over after all.

The urgent matter was summoning every minister to devise overnight plans for responding when Yong Kingdom attacked.

“Why did Sheng’er run here? Imperial Mother is looking for you.”

Despite his thoughts, Weiqing was dependable when trouble came.

Shielding Shengsheng, who looked at him like a savior, Weiqing smiled at Siran with distant politeness.

Siran’s eyes iced over at the interruption. “Move.”

Weiqing feigned surprise. “If I do not, does the Yong emperor intend to attack me inside Zhen Kingdom’s palace?”

Come on, Dog Ming. I’ll extort you into ruin.

More people suddenly gathered, whispering.

Weiqing seized the chance to signal Shengsheng.

She gave him a profoundly grateful look and fled.

Siran’s gaze followed her until Weiqing’s scoff interrupted him.

Weiqing smiled gently. “Siran Ming, stop coveting my sister. Unless I die, I will never marry her to you.”

Siran understood at last. His pale lips curled mockingly. “You knew long ago, didn’t you?”

Weiqing did not answer the ambiguous question. He gave Siran an indifferent glance and left.

Before Shengsheng could estimate the chance that Siran had discovered her, an attendant reported that the empress wanted her to hurry.

Good heavens. Imperial Brother truly had not lied.

The bird in her palm rubbed her finger. Shengsheng stroked his head. “Be good, baby. Stay in my sleeve. Once I’m done, we’ll catch up properly.”

The empress was displeased that both her children had vanished faster than the other.

What was happening tonight? Sheng’er running off was one thing, but even Weiqing was gone.

She looked at the group of beautiful young ladies seated nearby, worry creasing her brow. Tonight was not only about choosing a husband for her daughter. Her son ought to choose someone too.
“Imperial Mother.” Shengsheng Zhou suddenly walked over.

The empress smiled as she chided, “Where did you run off to play? How did you work up such a sweat?”

Shengsheng thought that after all the emotional upheaval tonight, returning alive to see her venerable mother proved she had accumulated plenty of fortune in her last life–specifically the *fu* in Zhou Daifu.

“Sheng’er, what do you think of the Yong emperor? Your families are well matched, and he happens to lack an empress. From his reaction just now, he seems very pleased with you. But what exactly did you paint to provoke a perfectly good young man into behaving like that?” The empress held Shengsheng’s hand and asked in puzzlement.

The emperor, drinking with someone nearby, quietly pricked up his ears.

He was curious too.

Shengsheng’s mouth twitched. Please don’t. You probably don’t want tomorrow morning’s continental gazette headlined *Youngest Daughter Would Rather Die Than Marry, Flees Palace*.

“Nothing much. Just an ordinary aquatic creature.”

The empress gave her a suspicious look.

The Yong emperor had broken the rules to monopolize the painting, leaving the empress no way to verify her claim.

“Also, Imperial Mother, I don’t like the Yong emperor’s type. His aura is too murderous. It feels like he’ll bring death to his wife.” Shengsheng began inventing rumors about Siran Ming without the slightest guilt.

The empress considered it and found some truth there.

Apart from Siran, nobody present had caught her eye.

Her daughter was beautiful and deserved the finest match. Besides the Yong emperor, the only man of comparable status was Xunlan Liu.

The empress glanced at the man engrossed in watching the dancers, then calmly looked away.

Forget it. Was it her imagination?

He always seemed to carry the air of a small animal.

It was extremely late. Once the empress finished questioning her, Shengsheng feared Siran’s return and pleaded exhaustion, asking to go back to her palace.

Remembering her youth and that this was her first banquet of such scale, the empress waved magnanimously and told her to go. She would handle the rest.

Shengsheng instantly relaxed and hurried back as though borne by the wind.

The empress smiled and shook her head. That girl was so impetuous. Why could she not be steadier?

After finally returning to her beloved bed, Shengsheng glanced at the bird perch and wondered where Xiaosui had gone. Had he snuck out to play?

Something flew from her hand, and Shengsheng immediately forgot Xiaosui.

She held Pecky, kissing and rubbing him.

“Baby, I missed you to death. How did you get so thin? Haven’t you eaten? Want fruit? I’ll find some. A few days ago, I found a tree with beautiful fruit. I gave the one I picked to Imperial Brother, but he said it tasted good. I’ll pick one for you next time.”

Pecky fluttered onto her shoulder and pressed close to her neck, feeling her pulse.

Shengsheng grinned.

Goodness, how clingy.

After fooling around for a long time, Shengsheng could no longer endure her exhaustion and fell deeply asleep.

A figure suddenly appeared in the dim room. The person emerged from nowhere, sat beside Shengsheng, and stroked her lips with his fingers.

His fingers pried open her pearly teeth and stirred inside. Then he withdrew them, lowered his head, and caught the unaware woman’s lips, kissing every inch as though she were a treasure lost and regained.

This time, I will never let you leave.