NFBE Chapter 977 [Fragrant Honey: Zhou Shengru Gu 3]
Chapter 977 [Fragrant Honey: Zhou Shengru Gu 3]
Seeing Youyou remained silent, Zhou Shengchen stared at her and asked softly, "How have you been these years?" His eyes revealed concern.
Youyou raised her head slightly, a smile bloomed on her face, and responded: "How can it be bad? When the late emperor was alive, my aunt was the queen and had great power in the harem. No one dared to provoke me easily. Now that the late emperor has passed away, my aunt still sits firmly on the throne of the queen mother, and I am even more favored by the emperor and was personally named a princess. My status is extremely noble, so naturally everything goes smoothly for me. How can it be bad?"
However, Zhou Shengchen shook his head gently and said slowly: "You are not living well." His tone was firm and steady.
When Youyou heard this, she was stunned and retorted: "What do you mean, young King Nanchen? Everyone knows that Princess Changle is favored and has everyone's love. How can I say that I am not living a good life?" There was a hint of dissatisfaction and doubt in her words.
At this time, Zhou Shengchen stared at Youyou's eyes and said seriously: "Because, your eyes no longer have the light they once had." His voice seemed to penetrate deep into Youyou's heart.
Youyou's heart trembled. She didn't expect that the emotions she tried so hard to hide could be so easily seen by the man in front of her. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond, so she had to hastily change the subject and asked, "What about you? How have you been these years? Are you used to life in Xizhou?"
Zhou Shengchen smiled slightly and replied, "Everything is fine." These three simple words revealed a sense of indifference and calmness.
After hearing Zhou Shengchen's answer, Youyou suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. She coughed lightly and stammered, "Um...um, my aunt just sent someone to find me and said she has something to discuss, so I can't stay here for long. If you like the cakes on the table, you can enjoy them." After she finished speaking, she turned around and left in a hurry, as if she was eager to escape, leaving only a slightly hasty back.
Zhou Shengchen looked at Youyou's distant back and couldn't help laughing out loud, just like he used to be easily offended.
Zhou Shengchen carefully carried the box of exquisite pastries and slowly walked into the house. He gently placed the pastries on the antique wooden table, his movements so gentle as if he was afraid of waking up some sleeping spirit.
After everything was arranged properly, Zhou Shengchen slowly opened the lid of the cake box. Instantly, an alluring sweet fragrance hit his nose. He looked closely and saw several small, exquisite, lifelike bunny-shaped cakes neatly arranged in the box. These cakes were not only cute in appearance, but also attractive in color, making people salivate.
However, the moment he saw these little rabbit pastries, Zhou Shengchen's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that distant yet unforgettable time when he was six or seven years old.
At that time, he had lost his mother's love and care since he was young, and could only rely on his brother to raise him. Although his brother loved him very much, as a man, he was inevitably negligent in taking care of children. In addition, the people in the palace were complicated, and the maids took the opportunity to deduct his monthly salary and daily food.
I remember one day, when the young Zhou Shengchen was so hungry that he could not bear the torture of hunger. So he staggered to the quiet pavilion next to the imperial garden. Before that, he had accidentally seen someone put some exquisite cakes and fragrant tea here. With a glimmer of hope, he was looking forward to finding some food here to fill his rumbling stomach.
When he arrived at the pavilion with great hope, he did not find the delicious cakes as expected. Just as he was about to turn around and leave with a disappointed heart, a little girl in bright red suddenly appeared in front of him like a fairy. The girl's smile was bright and bright, just like the warm spring sun, which warmed people's hearts. What Zhou Shengchen could not forget in particular was the way she smiled and handed him a plate of cakes. At that moment, time seemed to freeze.
The little girl was not angry because she ate all the cakes, but she thought to herself that maybe it was because she was not favored that the servants deducted her food. At that time, the little girl said softly: "I will bring food to you at this time every day in the future, just come and enjoy it."
Since then, with these delicious dishes, Xiao Zhou Shengchen and the little girl have become closer and closer. They talked about everything, shared every bit of each other's lives, and unknowingly became close friends. As they spent more time together, Xiao Zhou Shengchen finally learned the little girl's true identity - it turned out that she was the legitimate niece of the current emperor, and according to the generation, she was also his niece.
However, the good times didn't last long. Somehow, the emperor's brother found out that someone dared to deduct money from him. In a rage, the emperor's brother immediately replaced all the people around him with new faces. In this way, Xiao Zhou's birthday no longer had to live a hard life of hunger and fullness.
But then, the emperor ordered Xiao Zhou Shengchen to go to the imperial study room to study hard. The heavy workload was like a mountain that made him breathless, so that he could hardly find the leisure time to see the little girl. After finally waiting for a little free time, Xiao Zhou Shengchen, who was full of joy, hurried to the agreed place, but was told that the little girl had already returned to the Gao family, and as a person in the palace, it was difficult for him to leave the palace to meet her without the emperor's order.
However, at the grand palace banquet, although Zhou Shengchen could still catch a glimpse of the girl's petite and lovely figure, he could not be as close to her as before. This feeling of distance, which seemed so close yet so far away, made him feel depressed, and his worries surged into his heart like a tide.
Perhaps because he had been looking for Youyou too often, he finally caught the attention of his brother. That day, his brother called him over and asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Are you in love with the little girl from the Gao family? If so, I can grant you two a marriage contract, and now you are about to reach the age of marriage."
In response to his brother's question, Zhou Shengchen hesitated for a moment, then answered solemnly: "Brother, I think one should build a career first and then consider starting a family." As soon as he finished speaking, his brother looked at him deeply for a moment, with a meaningful look in his eyes, but he said nothing more. He just patted him on the shoulder gently and motioned him to leave.
That night, Youyou, who was supposed to stay overnight in the palace, unexpectedly left the palace. From then on, until Zhou Shengchen bid farewell to Zhongzhou and set out on the road to Xizhou, he never had the chance to see her again.
When he was 13 years old, Zhou Shengchen had to set off for the Western Zhou Dynasty according to the order of the emperor. When he was about to board the car with a heart full of sadness, a familiar figure hurried over.
Looking closely, it turned out to be the little girl. She ran to Zhou Shengchen breathlessly, handed him an exquisite sachet, and whispered: "This sachet is for you. I wish you a safe journey."
Zhou Shengchen took the sachet and opened it. Inside was a warm, white jade buckle, and on the buckle was his name carefully carved.