Yu Jingchen couldn't help but reach out to wipe away the tears welling up in Nan Zhiyun's eyes.
But...
"Your Majesty, even in your dreams, you wouldn't like this concubine, would you?" Nan Zhiyun asked again, as if fixated on the question.
"I told you last time not to speak carelessly," Yu Jingchen avoided the question, not answering directly.
Nan Zhiyun looked dejected, but then thought, wasn't this something she had already anticipated? So why be so upset? She averted her gaze and said, "This concubine misspoke."
Although she told herself to think this way, Nan Zhiyun still couldn't convince herself to stop dwelling on the issue. It seemed to have become her obsession. She didn't care if Yu Jingchen was sincere; she simply wanted an answer, even a false one...
Yu Jingchen could see Nan Zhiyun's reaction, but he couldn't answer at the moment. Or rather, he had an answer—he simply didn't like her—but it felt as though he couldn't bring himself to say it, so he skirted around it, even though he would eventually have to answer.
"Don't cry so much. It's unsightly, and you have wounds on your face," Yu Jingchen said while gently wiping Nan Zhiyun's tears.
Little did he know, his wiping only made it worse. Nan Zhiyun's tears began to flow like a flood.
"Why are you crying more? I told you to stop crying. Are you being disobedient?" Yu Jingchen's tone was light, but it was unclear how much of it was genuine.
Yet, Nan Zhiyun's tears continued to flow.
"Alright, you really mustn't cry. The medicine was just applied. If you continue like this, I'll get angry," Yu Jingchen was at a loss.
"Yes... This concubine admits her mistake..." Nan Zhiyun's voice sounded as if she was forcing herself not to cry.
Yu Jingchen, finding himself helpless, decided to change the subject. He asked again, "I remember I ordered you to copy the palace rules. Have you finished? If you can't stop, I'll make you copy them again." Yu Jingchen was at his wit's end.
"I've finished..." Nan Zhiyun mumbled.
Yu Jingchen raised an eyebrow: "Finished? When did you finish? How many times did you copy them? Didn't I say you should bring them to me if you finished?"
"I finished in two days. Your Majesty ordered thirty copies, so I copied thirty copies," Nan Zhiyun felt a sudden, slight awkwardness.
Yu Jingchen poked her head: "I told you to submit them in a month, why are you so eager? And if you finished, why didn't you bring them?"
"This concubine dared not approach Your Majesty proactively, fearing it would displease you. May this concubine present them to Your Majesty now?" Nan Zhiyun's words weren't entirely false, but they truly left Yu Jingchen speechless. Of course, in the not-too-distant future, these words about a concubine not daring to approach, fearing the Emperor's displeasure, would truly become laughable.
"What's the point of looking now? We'll discuss it later. Besides, I told you to come find me. What are you afraid of? Be smarter next time. How many times have I told you this? Why can't you remember? You finished in two days what was supposed to take a month. Aren't you just making yourself suffer more? Why do you always find ways to inflict hardship upon yourself?" Yu Jingchen ruffled Nan Zhiyun's hair.
"You just need to get better quickly," Yu Jingchen said unintentionally.
Nan Zhiyun looked confused: "What did Your Majesty say?"
"I said you must obey and apply the medicine on time. You are not allowed to disregard your health like you did today, and you must recover from your injuries quickly," Yu Jingchen replied.
Although Yu Jingchen spoke earnestly, Nan Zhiyun inexplicably felt he hadn't meant it that way. However, she didn't have the courage to ask again, so she let it be.