Now is not the time for explanations. Ye Jiayao brushes the question off “Let’s get to work first, there isn’t much time left.”

With Zhong Xiang and Deng Haichuan there, Ye Jiayao’s work is going more smoothly. They do not need orders, knowing what they should do, how they should complement just by looking at what she was doing.

Ever since her status changed from the Head Chef Li Yao to the Second Young Mistress, she has never prepared a feast so seriously like this. Moreover, she has just suffered from a fright and got hurt. With both her body and mind exhausted, she would really be unconfident without these two helpers.

For a moment, this place no longer seems to be the imperial kitchen but Heavenly Residence. All those imperial chefs have to listen to the instructions of Deng Haichuan and Zhong Xiang.

Of course, there would be people who are unable to accept it. Being an imperial chef not only signifies a person’s status but also represents the peak of his culinary skills. Forget about Zhong Xiang, since he was the champion of the pastry competition and has the rights to enter the imperial kitchen to work with them so it isn’t much to take instructions from him. However, the one called Deng Haichuan, what is he? His name is unheard of but seems to be better than Zhong Xiang when it comes to ordering people around.

Yet, today is the wedding feast and the Empress has ordered that everything would have to go according to Ye Jinxuan’s arrangements. Even Lu Yiming, the overall head of imperial chefs, has to listen to her and become her helper obediently. They can only endure their anger silently.

Ye Jiayao doesn’t have the time to consider what the others around her are thinking. She devotes her entire being into every dish being cooked and her fluid movements and serious concentration slowly spreads to the ones around her.

And at this moment, Helian Jing is sitting among the noblemen and princes as one of the attendees, with Xia Chunfeng sitting right beside him.

“I heard that Big Brother Xuan is going to marry Princess Naya and the Helian Prince’s residence is finally going to organise a wedding. Little Jing, it is not that I want to lecture you but look, your brother and my second brother are of the same age and we are of the same age too. Now that my second brother has gotten married and your big brother is settling down too, shouldn’t you hurry up a little?” Xia Chunfeng jokes.

Helian Jing’s lips turn up into a bitter smile, holding up his wine cup silently and finishing it.

“The wedding feast has yet to officially start, what are you drinking for!” Xia Chunfeng snatches his wine pot away.

Helian Jing seizes it back, saying indifferently “I’m thirsty.”

“I’ve never heard of drinking wine to quench thirsts.” Xia Chunfeng despises.

He hears the occasional mutters from the people around.

“I heard that this Princess Ah Ruan was supposed to be married to the Royal Highness Jing…”

“I heard that too, however, Yu Wang is a royal prince after all, if Yu Wang wants her, can Royal Highness Jing take it from him?'”

“Yu Wang is on the rise right now! Things are going great for him.” Someone laments. This lamentation consists of too many things and everyone cannot help but consider and reflect upon it in their hearts for a moment.

“His Majesty and Her Majesty arrive…” the sharp voice of the eunuch echoes within the large palace hall.

Everyone stops gossiping and stands, bowing their heads and overlapping their hands to welcome the Emperor respectfully.

After that, the music starts to play, marking the wedding ceremony begins.

Helian Jing gazes at Ah Ruan, who is covered in bright red from head to toe, as she is helped in. She is even holding on to a crimson silk ball, led by Yu Wang as they slowly walk down the red carpet in the middle of the hall.

From this moment on, she is the queen consort and no longer the Ah Ruan who would run around with him, be curious at anything, pull his sleeve as she asks him this and that and smile radiantly at him.

There is a sudden, sharp ache in his heart. He cannot tell whether the cause of this pain is for Ah Ruan or for himself.

His mind replays the last time he talked to Ah Ruan. He said that he will think of something and Ah Ruan’s large, round eyes glisten with tears as she emits the radiance of joy as bright as the stars.

At that time, he only thought that Ah Ruan is not detestable and is very close to Yaoyao too. If he has to marry her, then so be it!

However, he never managed to marry her. his grandmother has sighed regretfully several times… a pity, a pity.

At that time, he thought that it is a little pity, he finds it a pity for Ah Ruan because the person Yu Wang likes is not her and the person she likes is not Yu Wang.

He thinks that there would not be any happiness in a marriage like that.

The last time he saw her was during the dragon boat festival. At the viewing tower, although she is with Yaoyao, although their gazes only matched for a short while, he could see the grief in her eyes. Perhaps it is because he feels ashamed, he flees.

Yaoyao has been asking him repeatedly, will he regret it?

He didn’t think much about it either, ever since Yaoyao married Brother Chunyu, he has slowly learned a skill and that is to ignore and forget. To put it simply, it is deceiving others and himself, numbing himself from the pain, not think of the unhappy things and make himself so busy he has no time to think of them. After being so muddle-headed for so long, he has survived through it.

However, at this moment, this bright wedding garment stings his eyes, attacking his weak defense. The harsh reality is set out in front of him, raw and naked.

He is actually fond of her, just that he is afraid to admit to it because he thinks that admitting it would be a betrayal to the oath he had sworn to himself. How could he have a change of feelings so quickly? He is not the kind of person who falls in love easily…

He keeps glancing at the red veil as if he wants to see through that layer of red cloth to see if that pair of eyes hidden under the veil are filled with grief and sorrow at this moment.

Suddenly, a pair of sharp gaze is cast at him. Helian Jing’s heart shuddered, he regains his rationality. He has lost control of himself.

Xia Chunyu is standing right opposite Little Jing, watching him with concerned because Little Jing’s eyes are filled with so much pain. If others see it, it would cause another round of gossips.

Helian Jing lowers his head, hiding the panic and pain in his heart.

Everything is set in stone now. There is no way that the situation would turn around.

 He is always this late to realise and therefore, he has missed it once again.

The wedding feast has only begun shortly and Helian Jing is already drunk. Xia Chunyu is afraid that he would start to spout nonsense after he is drunk and let others hear him utter things that shouldn’t be said. Therefore, he sends him back to the Prince’s residence personally. Xia Chunfeng is unaware of the inside story and even mocks Helian Jing, saying that his alcohol tolerance has decreased.

After sending Little Jing back, Xia Chunyu returns back to the palace in haste. The wedding feast is about to come to an end and he is in no mood for eating. He rushes to the imperial kitchen, waiting for Ye Jiayao outside.

After Ye Jiayao finishes the last main course, mandarin duck dumplings, her entire body is drained of energy. She has overexerted herself physically and mentally and she just becomes limped, collapsing to the floor.

Luckily, Zhong Xiang was standing right by her side and held on to her quickly.

“Quick, get the imperial physician…” Lu Yiming commands upon seeing the situation.

A helper is about to run out.

Ye Jiayao quickly stops him “Don’t, don’t.”

Today is Yu Wang’s big day, how can she see the imperial physician at this time, isn’t it a taboo?

“I am just a little tired, I will get better after a rest.” Ye Jiayao says weakly.

Deng Haichuan is an uncouth person and isn’t so meticulous in thinking, saying urgently “Second Young Mistress, don’t put on a strong front, look at you, your face is as pale as a sheet.”

Zhong Xiang glares at him, whispering “Enough said.”

He turns to Ye Jiayao and says “Why don’t I get the Heir-Son Lord to come over.”

Ye Jiayao nods, Zhong Xiang is still the one who understands her more.

Zhong Xiang leaves Ye Jiayao to the care of Deng Haichuan while he goes out to look for the Heir-Son Lord. Who knows that upon stepping out of the imperial kitchen, he sees the Heir-Son Lord standing outside.

“Heir-Son Lord.”

“Zhong Xiang? Where is the Second Young Mistress?” Xia Chunyu asks.

Zhong Xiang replies “Heir-Son Lord, the wedding feast is completed but Second Young Mistress is also exhausted, are you bringing her back first?”

Xia Chunyu’s gaze froze and without saying a word, he rushes in.

Ye Jiayao is indeed exhausted, her entire body breaking out in cold sweat but she still grits her teeth, insisting on walking out of the palace by herself before she collapses into Chunyu’s embrace.

Xia Chunyu’s heart aches immensely, carrying her up the horse carriage.

“Chunyu, how is Ah Ruan?”

“Did the wedding proceed smoothly?”

“What about Little Jing?”

“Drunk. I have already sent him home.”

“What about the wedding feast? What is everyone’s reaction?”

“The wedding feast is a success, just wait to receive your reward tomorrow…”

Only then did Ye Jiayao completely relax and shut her eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

Xia Chunyu carries her, gently wiping the beads of perspiration on her forehead that seep out endlessly. The pair of dark pupils reflects the heartache he feels for her. He sighs silently. She has pushed herself to this state of exhaustion and she is still thinking of others

Ye Jiayao falls into a very deep sleep and by the time she wakes up, the entire room is lit with the faint yellow glow of the candlelight. It is not yet daybreak, she thought she would have slept till the late afternoon.

Her mouth is parched and feels like drinking some water. Her gaze shifts and sees Chunyu leaning by the bed.

Why is this fellow not sleeping on the bed?

Ye Jiayao lifts her hand up, wanting to shake him awake. Just when she puts her hand on his arm, he jolts up awake, raising his head in an abnormal surprise “Yaoyao, you are finally awake.”

He reaches his hand out to feel her forehead “Thank heavens, the fever has finally subsided.”

Ye Jiayao is in a daze “I was running a fever?”

Xia Chunyu cups her face in his hands, gazing intently at her, saying gently “The physician said that the cold air in the well and the overexertion caused you to fall sick. However, all is well now.”

Ye Jiayao, alone, doesn’t know about it but her fever subsided in the middle of the night and should not be very serious, why does Chunyu seem so haggard? He even has dark eye rings.

“I’m thirsty.”

Xia Chunyu quickly says “Wait for a while, I’ll get Qiao Xi to bring hot water over.”

Xia Chunyu opens the door and exits. In a short while, the hot water arrives. Xia Chunyu takes a cup, filling half of it with hot water and half of it with cold water. He takes a sip to ensure that the temperature is alright before bringing it to her.

“Drink it slowly, don’t choke on it.” Xia Chunyu instructs carefully.

However, Ye Jiayao is extremely thirsty, she drank three cups in a row before she puts the cup down.

“You should come and sleep on the bed, you still have to work tomorrow!” Ye Jiayao says as she shifts to the inner side of the bed to make space for him.

Xia Chunyu says while taking his clothes off “I don’t have to work tomorrow, His Majesty gave me a three-day holiday.”

“Hmm? Don’t you still have to investigate the case?” Ye Jiayao finds it odd.

“Mm, I am supposed to investigate the case but since you are sick, His Majesty is sorry to give me more work to do. Also, this matter concerns the royal family after all. His Majesty wants to settle it himself in a low-key way.”

While saying that, Xia Chunyu climbs up on the bed, hugging her while he lies down.

The more Ye Jiayao listens, the more confused she gets. She pushes herself to collapse after she leaves the palace, how did His Majesty know that she is ill?

“Chunyu, what’s the time now?”

Xia Chunyu caresses the bruise at the back of the neck, replying with a sigh “Yaoyao, you have been unconscious for two days already.”

Ugh… Ye Jiayao is dumbstruck.