CHAPTER 592: CHAPTER 571 FIRST UPDATE

Ju Nanyi took a deep breath, but what use was a clear mind when he still didn’t know what to do?

With his current identity and status, he had no reason to be here.

Just as Ju Nanyi was about to draw back the bed curtains, they were flung open swiftly—not by his hand, but by Nanny Yun from the outside. Ju Nanyi quickly withdrew his hand, awkwardly unsure of where to put it, and didn’t dare meet Nanny Yun’s eyes, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the floor.

Nanny Yun rolled her eyes secretly, thinking that if he had known better, he wouldn’t have done this—no point in being coy now.

Was this a time for coyness? He should look at the situation.

With a glance, Nanny Yun urged Ju Nanyi to leave quickly...

Ju Nanyi was startled. Leave? Subconsciously, he didn’t want to go. If he left without explaining himself to Nian Ru, what if...

Nanny Yun could no longer hold back and rolled her eyes at Ju Nanyi again. Not leave? Wait until everyone found out?

Ju Nanyi opened his mouth but couldn’t find any reason to refute. Given the circumstances, he indeed...

Nanny Yun’s gaze came over again. Still not leaving? Wanting to wait until daybreak when everyone sees him leave?

Ju Nanyi’s demeanor softened, as he hastily gathered his scattered clothes and put them on. He dared not use the hot water Nian Xia had brought over; he moved so quickly that even Xue Liu, who had hurriedly brought over coarse salt for washing, passed by him in a rush, stopping in her tracks, stunned.

Nanny Yun signaled for Nian Xia and the others to leave, as the Empress had not awakened yet, and they should not disturb her.

The room fell quiet again, and Nanny Yun glanced at the re-draped bed curtains, lost in thought. She suddenly realized that she didn’t understand the Empress in front of her—the child who had hardly left her side.

She could clearly tell that Nian Ru had no interest in Ju Nanyi, even deliberately avoiding him before. Nanny Yun had thought it was simply an instinctive dislike, sensing the other’s feelings, but now it seemed it wasn’t so...

The Empress was indifferent to people she didn’t care about, like Nanmen Yu and the Ghoul Ravine’s Young Master, but she didn’t avoid them as she had Ju Nanyi. Did that mean the Empress had special feelings for Ju Nanyi?

Considering that the Empress hadn’t refused to come last night, this was indeed the only explanation. But when did it start? Nanny Yun couldn’t figure it out and hadn’t noticed any such emotions from the Empress either.

...

Ju Nanyi hurried toward the front camp, feeling shivers that could envelop his entire mind and body at the slightest distraction, that addictive feeling repeating over and over tirelessly.

The cold wind brushed the man’s cheeks, and he forcefully suppressed the nearly uncontrollable emotions. Now was not the time to dwell on them. What had happened had happened; he couldn’t delve into why he had ended up there last night, or why she... hadn’t refused.

What he needed to consider was how to proceed in the future.

Now that it had happened, he could not pretend nothing had occurred. Zheng Congyuan did not scare him, but resolving the matter at Qiandao Temple was the most pressing issue for the moment.

Ju Nanyi’s pace quickened, his expression turning colder, acutely aware that it wasn’t the best time to publicize the matter. It required careful planning, but he would definitely give her an explanation.

"My lord—" As Ju Nanyi rounded a corner, he saw one of his subordinates hurrying toward him, his temples and shoulders already frosted over, clearly having searched for a long while.

Obviously, the subordinate dared not ask Ju Nanyi where he had been. Still, as the subordinate drew closer, the scent of alcohol lingered on Ju Nanyi, prompting a flash of surprise in his eyes. Nonetheless, the subordinate did not dare to inquire further.

He had noticed early in the morning that Lord Ju was missing, had searched several places, growing more anxious by the minute. Fortunately, he had found him.

"Lord, when do we set out?" The subordinate dared not ask anything else.

"Wait a while." Ju Nanyi’s face flushed slightly, and he couldn’t help but remember she’s never liked getting up early, especially at this time she would surely be lazily asleep until...

Ju Nanyi immediately composed his expression, maintaining his usual calm and composure, although he knew the other party was perplexed he didn’t know whether the other party knew when he would be leaving.

"I’ve gone to take care of an important matter, it’s best not to let others know about it." After thinking for a while, Ju Nanyi still decided to speak.

The subordinate was taken aback; the next moment, he nodded immediately. In fact, even if Lord Ju didn’t tell him, he would not have asked, but since Lord Ju took the initiative to tell him, it was naturally because he regarded him as one of his own.

All of a sudden, the subordinate’s face showed an excited expression. Just as he was about to speak, Ju Nanyi had already passed by him and started walking ahead.

The subordinate immediately followed, keeping it low-key... low-key...

...

Only when the sky had fully brightened did Nanny Yun deliberately make a noise and Zheng Nianru finally, unwillingly, opened her eyes, casting a resentful glance at Nanny Yun who had already begun to lift the bed curtains.

She wasn’t fully awake yet, was she?

"Empress, you need to bathe and change." This would take quite a bit of time; she had quietly had Xing Yu inquire, and the guards had already risen. The one guarding had already purposely stopped at their courtyard gate twice.

"My dear Empress, it’s really getting late." Right away Fu Dong came forward to coax, with the smell of alcohol still lingering, reminding everyone about last night’s events. Fu Dong immediately stumbled and couldn’t feign that nothing had happened.

Zheng Nianru, however, was calmer than everyone present, as if nothing had happened. She got up, leaning on Fu Dong’s hand. Having come from days of chaos, if it were the same scene again, Zheng Nianru wouldn’t fuss over it; in fact, she found it quite amusing.

Nian Xia looked at Nanny Yun, seeing her increasingly gaining the trust of the Empress; at this moment, she was as serene as her lady.

As Nian Xia turned back, the Empress had already entered the bathtub. The water in the tub was only half the usual amount, for there was not enough time even for the fragrances, but oddly, the Empress was very easygoing today, not uttering a single word of complaint.

Zheng Nianru wasn’t without words, it’s just that she felt, even she was somewhat perplexed, how she had gone about last night in such a confused state...

It wasn’t that she thought too much, nor did she refuse outright. Why? Because the other person had been drinking, and refusal seemed too strenuous?

Zheng Nianru felt that it was also because it wasn’t the first time, and now the circumstances were the same as they had been before.

Ju Nanyi liked her, she knew that from their past life, at least at the beginning, he truly liked her deeply, and he was willing to indulge her in everything. It seemed this life was the same as well; even if she were to refuse, even under the current circumstances, Ju Nanyi remained the same.

Therefore, Zheng Nianru felt that many things in this life resembled those of her past life.

Consequently, the conclusion of her past life might well repeat itself this time around.

...

"Why haven’t they come out yet?" whispered the guards waiting outside, starting to complain, especially since the sun had risen and their Lord Ju had personally waited outside for half an hour. The Empress’s airs were getting too big.

The mutterings in the ranks grew, though they did not dare to voice their thoughts aloud; however, their facial expressions became increasingly evident.