Xiahou Qing walked closer and closer until he stood right next to Lou Qingwu.
Her lowered hands gripped into fists, her fingers digging into her palms until they started to bleed.
The pain from her palms slowly helped her steady her emotions.
Only then did she slowly stiffen her neck to turn around and look ahead of her.
She lowered her eyes, the fine black hair from her falling to hide her expression.
But her revealed neck was snowy white, and cold.
She could almost hear the slight cries of an infant, drilling into her ears, chewing up her heart.
She hated, hated that she couldnāt tear Xiahou Qingās body into a thousand pieces.
But she wouldnāt let him die so easily.
Her child, the child from her past life that wasnāt able to live, died so tragically, so how could she let her nemesis live well?
No way!
Her mouth slowly curled into a demonic type of smile as she tightened her fists again, sucking in a deep breath to loosen her body.
She forced herself to treat the person next to her like a normal person, like a person &h.e.l.lip; who was insignificant to her.
When Xiahou Qing stood beside Lou Qingwu, he seemed to feel cold air emanating from somewhere.
He tilted his head to the side strangely, his eyes carelessly falling on Lou Qingwu.
His dark eyes shrunk imperceptibly, not knowing if he saw wrongly.
When she returned his look, in that second, he felt a chill, like when heād been watched by a poisonous snake.
But when he looked at her again, all he saw was the other party, standing there gently and obediently, lowering her eyes submissively.
She only revealed half of her small face, pale and white.
Thinking of the recent rumours that had been spreading around, his lips curled before looking at the empress who was taken aback by his sudden appearance, āEmpress-mother, your subject-son has arrived late.ā
He repeated himself.
The empress then reacted, but in a place where no one saw, her brows furrowed.
Wasnāt he with the army?
How could he secretly come back like that?
This third prince Xiahou Qing was the child of a deceased consort.
When he was only a few years old, the emperor saw that he was pitiful and arranged for him to be raised by the empress.
Originally, sheād thought he was a little lamb.
But when he grew up, sheād only then found out that sheād been raising a wolf.
Worst of all, he was an ungrateful white eyed wolf.
Back then, for the sake of gaining the emperorās trust, heād volunteered to go to train with the army.
However, today, he held a lot of military power in his arms and had become a formidable opponent to her son.
Thinking of that hunting scene at the palace last year, and how this una.s.suming Xiahou Qing suddenly displayed his extraordinary talent, the empressā eyes froze over.
She hid the emotions in her eyes.
Even if he was a talented third prince, so what?
He was just a small little prince, how could he dare to compete with her son?
Her face regained a dignified and warm smile, āItās my son. Why didnāt you tell your mother that youād be coming back early? So that your second brother could welcome you back? Have you gotten used to how the army life in these few yearS?ā
Xiahou Qing: āThank you mother, for your concern. Your sonās been well. This time, i came back for fatherās birthday banquet, but something came up unexpectedly so I couldnāt make up. Iād already spoken to father beforehand, and for the sake of giving mother and the other royal siblings a surprise, I didnāt say so earlier. I hope that mother wonāt blame me.ā
āHow could that be?ā The empress forced a smile.
āAs youāve come back, then stay. What a coincidence that today is the rose hibiscus festival. Your elder and younger brothers are all here so everyone can have a reunion.ā
Xiahou Qing continued to behave appropriately, in a way that was both respectful and generous.
It wasnāt at all like his previously weak and easily frightened behaviour, it was like heād become a completely different person.
The empress laughed coldly inside.
*
TL note:
Xiahou Qing is two faced as h.e.l.l - like a lot of other characters actually.
One more sponsored chapter in two hours thanks to Dillycat