Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 55.1

Chapter 55.1

Li Zhi, who had agreed to join the talent show, was definitely not on Shen Qingqing’s good side.

She pulled his hand away from her waist and said coldly, “It’s getting late, and the emperor has court tomorrow, so you should get some rest.”

With that, she turned her back to him and lay down on the bed.

Li Zhi was just having a bit of fun teasing his wife, but seeing that she was truly upset, he became serious. He settled in behind her and gently massaged her shoulders while asking, “Are you upset because I agreed to the talent show?”

Shen Qingqing shook her shoulders hard, trying to shake off his touch.

Li Zhi found the young woman’s feistiness charming. The more she tried to distance herself from him, the more he leaned in. Eventually, he had her pinned against the bed, which made her unable to move. He kissed her earlobe and explained softly, “My grandmother is getting older and loves to nag. If I don’t agree to this selection, she’ll pester you all day instead of me. Plus, there are several ministers from the previous dynasty who are eager to get their daughters in. They want to curry favour because they worry I might hold past grievances against them. If I pick their daughters for the palace, they can relax.”

In other words, he was doing this for Shen Qingqing’s benefit and to meet the court’s demands.

This time, Shen Qingqing wasn’t in the mood to weigh the good and bad. All she could think about was that Li Zhi was going to be with another woman. She thought that everything he had said before was a lie; she couldn’t believe she had fallen for his charm.

She felt a mix of helplessness and discomfort, realising that her genuine feelings had been manipulated, turning everything she had given him into a cruel joke.

Her chest felt heavy like it was filled with lead, but she fought hard to hold back her tears and not let him see her pain. How could she even find the energy to try to understand him?

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I get it,” Shen Qingqing replied, keeping her voice steady.

Her face was pale, and Li Zhi sighed as he turned her to face him. He gently placed his hand on her cold forehead and said, “Silly girl, I agreed to take part in the selection, but I never said I would favour any of those women. This is just to appease my grandmother and the ministers. Don’t worry; from now on, I’ll only visit you in the Central Palace, aside from Qianyuan Palace.”

He probably shouldn’t have said that. The moment the words left his mouth, the tears Shen Qingqing had been holding back began to flow like a broken dam.

Li Zhi thought she understood him, and his heart softened. He leaned down and kissed her tears, saying, “Don’t cry. I promise I won’t let you face any unfairness…”

Before he could finish speaking, the little woman in his arms suddenly pushed him away with surprising force, sending Li Zhi tumbling halfway across the bed. Luckily, the bed was spacious enough that he didn’t end up on the floor.

Regaining his balance, Li Zhi sat up and glanced at Shen Qingqing, who was now kneeling on the bed in surprise.

Her face was full of tears, but the anger in her eyes was unmistakable. “Don’t let me be wronged? Huh! You’ve been so caught up in government matters this year. Grandmother has been making me pay her daily visits. Every time I go, she either asks why I’m not pregnant yet or why I haven’t convinced you to take better care of yourself or reminds me to get a few palace maids to help out in Qianyuan Palace… It’s been relentless, and it’s driving me crazy! I wanted to tell you, but I knew you had just taken the throne and had your own issues to deal with, so I kept quiet to avoid adding to your stress. But then, as soon as you had a moment, you decided to get involved in the selection without even discussing it with me. Did you see the way Grandma looked at me? It felt like she was mocking me for not being able to hold onto you. You’ve always been her favourite grandson!”

Once she let out all the frustration she had bottled up for a year, Shen Qingqing lost control. Her voice rose until it nearly turned into a shout.

Have a nice day!