The Sickly Emperor Is Only Immune to Me

Chapter 59: Chapter 059: Ambition

He Ying stormed off to the Cold Palace in a fit of rage.

In the Cold Palace,

Sang Yan had washed up and already nestled into Xuanrao’s bed.

The bed was covered with silk, soft and smooth to the touch, very skin-friendly.

She closed her eyes to savor the moment, her body next to a fragrant and exquisite form—it was easy to understand the privileges of men.

Sleeping beside a beautiful woman did indeed bring pleasure to both body and mind.

“I won’t lie to you, it’s been a long time since I last shared a bed with someone.”

Sang Yan herself only shared a bed with her mother during her early childhood.

By the time high school and university came around, it was a dormitory with six people, so it was more like cohabitation.

After graduating and starting to work, she rented a run-down apartment to live alone—there wasn’t much of a human touch to it.

Things had only somewhat improved when she later adopted Xuanrao’s son.

But sharing a bed with someone? That was a memory from a very long time ago.

“I feel the same way.”

“I had hoped Yun Qiao would come up and sleep with me; she always frets about the difference in rank and refuses to share a bed with me.”

“In this place, not being able to huddle together for warmth in the winter is truly torturous. I’ve woken up many times from the cold.”

Xuanrao sighed with emotion.

Sang Yan nodded in agreement: “Right. Winter nights without someone to warm the bed are indeed hard to bear. Even rabbits understand the need for closeness.”

“Rabbits?”

The topic had shifted quite suddenly.

Xuanrao was still trying to catch up.

Sang Yan nodded and repeated, “Yes, rabbits.”

Speaking of rabbits, she thought of a question: “Do you know how rabbits keep warm in the winter?”

Xuanrao replied instinctively, “Don’t they have fur? Doesn’t that keep them warm?”

Sang Yan shook her head with a smile: “Not enough. I used to think the same as you, but, you see, that bit of fur isn’t sufficient to fend off the cold in the wilderness.”

“That makes sense. The wilderness must be even colder. So how do they stay warm? Hide in burrows?”

“They press their bellies against each other.”

“Ah?”

“I was shocked too when I first heard the answer. Apparently, when winter comes, they instinctively group together, lying side by side and pressing against one another. That way, they warm up pretty quickly.”

This was something she came across when answering questions to win gold coins on Taobao.

The answer had been so surprising that it left a lasting impression.@@novelbin@@

Xuanrao was also shocked: “So that’s possible? But come to think of it, it’s quite amusing. It’s the wisdom of small creatures’ survival indeed.”

Their conversation was in full swing.

Qiuzhi rushed in, panting: “Miss, Lady Xuan, the Emperor has come.”

She and Yun Qiao had been getting ready to sleep when they heard noises. Peeking out the window, they saw the Emperor’s procession and quickly dressed to come and report.

“I said, if the Miss didn’t return, the Emperor would surely blame her.”

Qiuzhi, flustered, muttered softly and urged, “Miss, you better get dressed quickly.”

Sang Yan lazily didn’t want to move: “Blamed for what? I’m just here having a sleep. I didn’t run away.”

Why would he come to seize someone in the middle of the night?

It was embarrassing.

Xuanrao guessed with a smile, “Perhaps he’s worried about my safety here.”

Upon reflection, Sang Yan thought it was a possibility and said, “He’s overthinking it. Here it’s just you and Yun Qiao, couldn’t be safer.”

Upon hearing this, Xuanrao paused for a moment, feeling so completely trusted it was overwhelming, enough to bring her to the brink of tears.

But she didn’t cry; instead, she smiled: “Sang Yan, you really trust me that much? What if I became jealous and harmed you in secret? After all, we are both the Emperor’s women. You have his favor, while I am left languishing in the Cold Palace.”

Sang Yan: “…”

Uh… Had she overlooked this issue?

She really hadn’t considered it at all.

Xuanrao harming her?

Impossible.

She shook her head, looking earnest as she said, “I don’t think you’re that kind of person. You know, I tend to have accurate premonitions. The first time I saw you, I felt you were a good person, and I really liked you.”

Maybe it was a kind of filter that close friends bring?

She really did like her.

“I like you too.”

Xuanrao seized her hand with excitement, her gaze growing fervent.

Looking into her eyes, Sang Yan felt as if she had regained a dear friend.

Her heart warmed; she was equally moved.

Just then—

Voices of Qiuzhi and Yun Qiao came from outside:

“Emperor, please calm down.”

“Emperor, you can’t go in there!”

“Miss and Lady are changing their clothes right now.”

…

Why did that sound so shady?

Like they were catching adulterers.

Sang Yan felt weird inside but didn’t think much of it and regretfully said, “I really don’t want to leave here. I was planning to chat with you into the night.”

Night chats were something she experienced in college.

She was a loner, couldn’t catch up with the topics, so she just listened to their night chats.

Even just listening, she found it interesting.

Now she finally had the chance to fulfill her long-held wish, and it was ruined by the Emperor.

Sigh.

Annoying.

Sang Yan, huffing with irritation, got up to get dressed.

These ancient clothes were very complicated.

Although she had worn them many times, putting them on alone was still a challenge.

Xuanrao quickly got dressed and then helped her.

Oh my, wearing white against her black hair, looking down with gentle eyes, her nimble hands moving about her, what a beautiful and virtuous sight.

Sang Yan quietly watched, feeling inexplicably—ah, how she wished she were a man!

Thinking this, she asked, “Xuanrao, do you ever really wish you were a man?”

Whether in ancient times or the modern era, it was a patriarchal society, and women were greatly restricted.

She really wanted to be a man.

“I’ve thought about it.”

Xuanrao looked at her and nodded, “I’ve thought about it many times. I always felt that if I were born a man, I wouldn’t have been trapped by love and bring disaster to my later life.”

“What a pity—”

Sang Yan continued her thought, sighing, “We could have lived well, but being born female doomed us.”

Her words were seriously funny.

Xuanrao even laughed, “Hahaha. Sang Yan, how can you be so adorable?”

Sang Yan: “…”

Adorable what?

Wasn’t what she said reasonable?

Outside,

He Ying listened to Xuanrao’s laughter and their few words of small talk, feeling a pang of frustration in his liver, “What are you dawdling for? Come out to me immediately!”

Sang Yan heard his roar and frowned, muttering, “I’m coming, I’m coming, what’s the rush?”

She walked out, looking at the Emperor with an unwelcoming tone, “Why has the Emperor come here?”

He Ying snorted coldly, “If I had not come, I would never have known of your grand aspirations!”

Sang Yan: “…”

Aspirations of being a man?

He had heard her.

Inexplicably embarrassed, her face flushed, she didn’t know what to say.

“Lady has seen the Emperor.”

Xuanrao then gracefully stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

He Ying looked impatient, didn’t even glance at her, and casually waved his hand to indicate that she could dispense with the formalities before saying to Sang Yan, “You, come here.”

Sang Yan stood very close to Xuanrao.

He Ying found it irritating.

Of course, his eyes also showed caution.

As if Xuanrao might suddenly attack Sang Yan.

Sang Yan didn’t want to argue with the Emperor in front of Xuanrao, so she turned back to say goodbye and stepped out.

Seeing this, He Ying followed her, discontent in his voice, “This is the Cold Palace, even if it’s been renovated and reset, can it be as good as my Qingning Palace?”

The point was that so many people had recently died there.

It was too inauspicious.

Her health was weak, prone to attracting negative energy.

These things he didn’t want to say, for fear of frightening her.

Yet she had no qualms, still coming here!