Chapter 20 of 100
Chapter 20
16 min read3,998 words
This is a night of debauchery, a night to climb the rankings. Last week, with the united efforts of our brothers and sisters, we managed to push our novel to the homepage's new book chart despite the lack of promotion. This week, we have the homepage's advertisement recommendation, so we should aim even higher. Although we don't dare to dream of toppling the gods and demons, at least reaching the top four or five is within our grasp. Brothers and sisters, throw all the recommendation tickets you can. Panda won't say anything more—just one word: Charge!!
...
At seven in the evening, Liu Menglong arrived home on time. At the door, a girl in a white dress stood on the steps, her beautiful and exquisite face adorned with a warm smile. She was like a landscape, embellishing the beauty in people's hearts.
As Liu Menglong approached, the jade-like fingers of the beauty formed several graceful shapes: "Welcome back, you must have had a hard day."
Liu Menglong's heartstrings were tugged hard. The feeling at this moment was so wonderful and incomparable, as if he had returned to the days when his mother and Uncle Guan were still around. For a moment, Liu Menglong felt an urge to cry. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm back."
...
After taking a shower, he changed into a white tank top and shorts, and walked down the stairs in black and white flip-flops. The tank top and shorts were somewhat tight, and when Nalan Ruyue saw Liu Menglong's outfit, two rosy clouds appeared on her flawless face, and she almost dropped the chopsticks in her hand.
In a fluster, she steadied the chopsticks, placed them on the dining table, took a deep breath, and looked up with moist eyes. She gestured: "Brother, you look so handsome."
"Really?" Liu Menglong smiled slightly. "You look beautiful too."
Thump thump—
Nalan Ruyue covered her chest: "My heart is beating so fast... my face is so hot... could I be losing control?"
"Sit down! Let's eat together." Seeing that Nalan Ruyue was still standing, Liu Menglong pressed his palm down. "This is your home; there's no need to be so formal."
Nalan Ruyue's pink lips parted and closed, then she sat down next to Liu Menglong. The soup in the pot on the electric hotpot was boiling, and the chili oil was bubbling. Nalan Ruyue opened two bottles of chilled beer, poured a glass for Liu Menglong, and gestured: "Eating hotpot and drinking chilled beer, this combination is more comfortable."
"You're right." Liu Menglong nodded with a smile, and took a large sip of beer. In the humid weather, a glass of chilled beer was truly refreshing from head to toe. He exhaled a breath with a hint of alcohol: "Delicious." Then he picked up a few pieces of chicken from the pot, not minding the heat, and stuffed them into his mouth in a few bites. The chicken was well-cooked, and Liu Menglong chewed even the bones before spitting them out. With a glass of beer and a few pieces of meat in his stomach, his stomach felt much better.
Seeing how hungry Liu Menglong looked, Nalan Ruyue poured him another glass of beer, picked some chicken pieces and placed them in his bowl. She put down her chopsticks, added some vegetables to the pot, and when they were cooked, placed them in Liu Menglong's bowl. She gestured: "Eat some vegetables, a balanced diet is more nutritious."
"Thank you." Liu Menglong smiled and placed a piece of meat in Nalan Ruyue's bowl. "Don't just take care of me; you should eat too."
Looking at the piece of chicken in her bowl, Nalan Ruyue felt a warm feeling in her heart. She glanced at Liu Menglong with soft eyes, and seeing him eat voraciously, her delicate lips curved into a smile, filled with joy.
The spicy and numbing hotpot chicken made both of them sweat and their mouths tingle, but it was precisely this feeling that was so exhilarating, a sensation every Tianfu resident loved.
Seeing Nalan Ruyue wipe her sweat with a napkin, Liu Menglong smiled: "You can get used to it... that's great."
After the meal, Nalan Ruyue first brewed a pot of tea for Liu Menglong before clearing the table.
Yesterday, Nalan Ruyue had already learned some of Liu Menglong's habits. Unlike many young people today, he liked to sit on the sofa after meals, brew a pot of hot tea, and watch the news. Even though there was a computer in the room, he never used it, and his lifestyle leaned more towards the elderly.
"China's new king has chosen neighboring Russia as his first state visit. The queen, due to health issues, did not accompany him..."
Watching the news on TV, Liu Menglong's expression was calm. However, when he heard about the queen's health issues, a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes: "The queen was fine yesterday, why is she sick today?"
Nalan Ruyue, who was washing the dishes, paused her movements, pursed her lips, and resumed her work.
In the Dragon City, the imperial palace, the Yangxin Hall.
Long Zongheng stood by Li Bingbing's bedside, looking at his mother's haggard face, his heart filled with anxiety: "Mother, the doctor said you are depressed, which is why you are sick. What is making you so depressed? Is there something you can't tell your son? It would make you feel better to talk about it!"
Li Bingbing lay in bed, her face haggard and her eyes slightly swollen. This appearance was a far cry from the queen who had presided over the coronation ceremony the day before. If anyone saw her now, they would hardly believe that the charming and graceful queen could look so haggard.
Li Bingbing's lips were slightly chapped, and she shook her head lightly: "Zongheng, Mother is fine. It's just that the canary I raised died a few days ago, and it made me sad. You have many things to handle now, go on! Mother will be better in a few days."
After hearing Li Bingbing's explanation, Long Zongheng sighed with relief but smiled bitterly: "Mother, everyone knows you have a kind heart, but you are too kind. Just a canary made you so sad. If I ever got lost, wouldn't you be heartbroken?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Li Bingbing suddenly showed a hint of anger, grabbing Long Zongheng's wrist and speaking urgently: "How can you get lost? How can you get lost? Why would you get lost? No! Absolutely not!"
Long Zongheng was stunned. From childhood to now, this was the first time he had seen Li Bingbing so angry: "Mother, you..."
Seeing Long Zongheng's shocked expression, Li Bingbing realized her reaction and released his wrist, her hand falling limply. Her face turned even more ashen, and her voice was hoarse: "Zongheng, go out first."
"Yes..." Seeing Li Bingbing turn her back to him, Long Zongheng slowly retreated. When Li Bingbing still didn't react, he sighed and turned to leave the Yangxin Hall.
Mother, what are you hiding? What could make you like this?
Outside the door, the two palace maids responsible for taking care of Li Bingbing bowed to the prince: "Your Highness."
"Hmm." Long Zongheng nodded, frowned in thought for a moment, and asked: "Has Mother encountered something recently?"
The two palace maids exchanged glances, their faces showing hesitation.
Long Zongheng narrowed his eyes and said sternly: "Speak freely."
"Yes." Intimidated by Long Zongheng's presence, the two palace maids hurriedly said: "Your Highness, we don't know what happened, but two days before the coronation, the queen left the palace. After she returned, she has been in low spirits. We speculate that something might have happened that day."
"Is that so?" Long Zongheng's eyebrows knitted together.
Two days before the coronation, that was three days ago. Three days ago... Could it be... No, it shouldn't be related to that bastard. No one knows about him except me and Gangzi, and Gangzi took care of him four days ago. With Gangzi's caution, there shouldn't be any loopholes. Even if Mother found out, she wouldn't be this upset over a bastard.
Seeing the prince frowning in thought, the two palace maids didn't dare to disturb him. Just as they were about to leave, Long Zongheng looked up at them, his voice dark: "Don't spread this around. If I find out you're gossiping, you know the consequences!"
Long Zongheng's dark expression and tone made the two palace maids tremble with fear, their voices quivering: "Yes... yes... we... we won't... gossip."
"Hmm." After intimidating the two palace maids, Long Zongheng regained his usual composure: "Take good care of Mother. You will be rewarded in the future."
The two palace maids smiled with relief: "Yes, Your Highness."
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