Shen Yan looked at Yue Ling with a serious expression.
"Prepare yourself. I'm taking you to the Queen's birthday banquet."
Yue Ling's eyes lit up.
"Really?!
Then there must be a lot of food there, right?"
Shen Yan sighed.
"Of course. It's the Queen's birthday. What else were you expecting?"
"Wah! Are we leaving now?" she asked excitedly.
He glanced at her from head to toe.
"You're going like that?"
Yue Ling frowned.
"What's wrong with my clothes?
They look fine. And besides you were the one who gave this to me.
Does that mean your taste is bad?"
She smiled teasingly.
"…You"
Shen Yan stopped himself.
From the side, Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh.
"What he means," Lu Chen said, still smiling, "is that it's a formal occasion. You need to dress properly."
"Ahhhh, is that so? You should've explained it clearly," Yue Ling replied.
Shen Yan let out a deep breath, clearly trying to stay patient.
He then signaled Lu Chen.
Lu Chen stepped forward and handed her a dress.
"Here, Miss Yue."
"Wah…!"
Yue Ling's eyes sparkled as she looked at the elegant green dress, beautifully designed and far more luxurious than anything she had worn before.
"Hurry up and change," Shen Yan said.
"Okay!"
After a while…
The door slowly opened.
Yue Ling stepped out.
For a moment
Lu Chen froze.
"Wah… Miss Yue, you look amazing in that dress. You look completely different!"
Yue Ling smiled proudly.
"Of course. No matter what I wear, I'm always beautiful."
Lu Chen laughed.
Even Shen Yan… let out a faint smirk.
Suddenly
A soldier entered.
"General Shen, Her Majesty the Queen has sent this. She said it is for you to wear tonight."
Shen Yan took the box.
Inside was a magnificent gold robe.
He stared at it for a moment
His expression unreadable.
"Leave. All of you," he said coldly. "I need to change."
As they stepped outside
Yue Ling tilted her head.
"Why does it feel like… he's not happy about it?"
Lu Chen was quiet for a moment.
Then he sighed softly.
"…It's not about the clothes."
Yue Ling blinked.
"Then what is it?"
Lu Chen looked at her, his expression slightly serious now.
"The Queen… isn't his real mother."
Yue Ling's eyes widened a little.
"So… she's his stepmother?"
"Yes."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"His real mother the former Queen… passed away years ago."
Yue Ling's expression softened.
"…I see."
Lu Chen looked toward the closed door.
"After that, the current Queen took her place."
He crossed his arms.
"To everyone else, she's kind.
Elegant.
Perfect."
Then his voice lowered slightly.
"…But to him… it's different."
Yue Ling frowned.
"Different how?"
Lu Chen gave a small, knowing smile.
"Let's just say… some things are better left unsaid."
Silence fell between them.
Yue Ling glanced at Shen Yan's door again.
"…So that's why."
She whispered softly.
"And Mo Ran is the Queen's only real child?"
"That's right."
"But they seem close."
"Among all his siblings, Mo Ran is the closest to him."
"How many siblings does he have?"
"Ten."
Yue Ling's eyes widened.
"Ten?! That's a lot!"
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You really don't seem like you're from here."
Yue Ling smiled playfully.
"If I'm not from here… then where do you think I'm from?"
They both laughed.
An hour later
The door opened again.
Shen Yan stepped out.
But
He wasn't wearing the gold robe.
Instead, he wore black.
Simple… yet powerful.
Cold… yet breathtaking.
Yue Ling looked at him.
"Why didn't you wear the one the Queen gave you?"
Shen Yan didn't answer.
Instead
He walked toward her.
Yue Ling froze.
Without a word, he gently placed a hair ornament in her hair and adjusted it carefully.
"You dressed properly… but you didn't fix your hair."
His voice was low.
Calm.
Serious.
Lu Chen watched from the side, quietly observing.
Yue Ling blinked.
Her heart skipped.
…Even if he acts cold…
I can still see Gu Jin in him…
She smiled softly without realizing it
As Shen Yan fixed her hair.