"Madam, do you think it’s possible that this isn’t a chicken, but a bird?"
Ming Siran sat on a wicker lounge chair in the courtyard, with Zhou Shengsheng standing beside him. Both looked up with complicated expressions.
The bird, which had initially been mistaken for a chick, now perched on a birch tree not far away, carefully grooming its feathers with its beak.
"A chicken couldn’t fly that high, could it? Your Majesty is absolutely right, it’s indeed a bird," Zhou Shengsheng said, stuffing a jujube into his mouth and nodding repeatedly.
They had been staying at Liu Ai and Da Niu’s house for nearly a week. Ming Siran’s injuries were healing quickly, but every time Zhou Shengsheng mentioned leaving, he would suddenly complain about aches and pains. Over time, Zhou Shengsheng couldn’t help but suspect that Ming Siran hadn’t lost his memory—he might have been possessed.
There was no trace of the diligent yet aloof ruler from the original book.
Ming Siran basked comfortably in the sun, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
If he returned to the Yong Kingdom, countless trivial matters would undoubtedly await him. Now that he had become emperor, he would likely be even busier than before.
But how could the heavens allow the male lead to spend so much time with a mere supporting character?
In the afternoon, Da Niu returned with a woman whose disheveled clothes couldn’t hide her stunning beauty.
"Xiao Yu!!??" Zhou Shengsheng exclaimed in delight, rushing over like an excited puppy.
Ming Siran glanced at the half-peeled banana that had been tossed to the ground, pursed his lips, and shot a hostile look toward the beautiful woman. However, after getting a clear look at her face, he was momentarily stunned before quickly averting his gaze.
Zhou Shengsheng grabbed her hand, but Jiang Zhiyu reacted strangely, pulling away and looking at her with confusion and fear. "Who are you? Why are you calling me Xiao Yu? Do you know me?"
Zhou Shengsheng: "..."
She opened her mouth but didn’t know how to express her frustration at this absurd turn of events.
Da Niu explained that he had encountered the woman while hunting, as she was being chased by a wild dog.
The bird fluttered down from the tree and landed on Zhou Shengsheng’s head, its beady eyes scrutinizing the bewildered Jiang Zhiyu.
Zhou Shengsheng brought over a stool and seated Jiang Zhiyu next to Ming Siran, her fellow amnesiac.
Seeing this, Liu Ai asked, "Miss Shengsheng, do you know her?"
Zhou Shengsheng nodded. "She’s my friend."
With that, Liu Ai pulled Da Niu away, thinking that Miss Shengsheng must be deeply saddened by the fact that both her acquaintances had lost their memories.
After staring at Jiang Zhiyu for a while, Zhou Shengsheng asked, "How much do you remember?"
Jiang Zhiyu hesitated, then pointed at Ming Siran beside her. Under his raised eyebrow, she said, "I remember him."
[Damn, she’s definitely the female lead. Even with amnesia, her memories of the male lead remain intact.]
"What do you remember about me?" Ming Siran asked coldly. Although this woman bore a slight resemblance to Sister Yanyan, he inexplicably disliked her. He hoped it wasn’t some kind of romantic debt—getting involved with a woman who looked like Sister Yanyan would make his future self a complete scoundrel!
Jiang Zhiyu paused, her eyes darting toward Zhou Shengsheng as if she didn’t dare to speak.
Zhou Shengsheng gave her an encouraging look, urging her to continue.
Even though she had lost her memory, there was still hope for the plot!
After several moments of hesitation, Jiang Zhiyu finally spoke. "I remember him having diarrhea... really bad diarrhea..."
She phrased "really bad" quite delicately.
After saying this, she glanced sheepishly at Ming Siran’s stomach before quickly looking away, as if afraid.
Zhou Shengsheng didn’t dare to look at Ming Siran’s expression. She turned around, her shoulders trembling with suppressed laughter.
Even the bird on her head seemed to understand human speech, giving Ming Siran a disdainful look before covering its eyes with its soft wings, as if it couldn’t bear to watch.
Ming Siran felt his blood boil. He opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Taking the blame for his future self was something he couldn’t argue against.
At sixteen, the young prince Ming Siran couldn’t comprehend what kind of image his older self had projected to leave such an impression on this woman.
That evening, during dinner, Ming Siran, who usually ate little, barely touched his food. He sat there with a troubled expression, as if lost in thought and unwilling to speak.
At night, Jiang Zhiyu and Zhou Shengsheng slept on the floor together. Just as the three of them and the bird were about to drift off, a thunderous, rhythmic sound of hooves echoed outside.
Zhou Shengsheng quickly got up and pushed Jiang Zhiyu back down. "Stay here and don’t make a sound. I’ll go check."
In the darkness, Ming Siran frowned and stood up, trying to step in front of Zhou Shengsheng. However, she grabbed his sleeve and whispered, "Your injuries haven’t healed yet. Stay back and let me handle this."
Ming Siran, who was always the first to charge into danger, was momentarily at a loss. He could still catch the faint scent of Zhou Shengsheng’s fragrance lingering in the air.
The bird, which had been resting in the makeshift nest Zhou Shengsheng had prepared for it, flew out and landed on her shoulder, promptly falling back asleep.
Nothing could disturb its slumber.
Liu Ai and Da Niu hurriedly threw on their clothes and came out with tools in hand, their faces filled with fear.
The sky was cloudless, and the full moon hung high, casting a soft, cold light over the land.
In the distance, numerous torches lit up the darkness. Zhou Shengsheng realized that the people from the Yong Kingdom had come to find them.
In the original story, the female lead had wandered through the vast forest with the unconscious Ming Siran for many days before stumbling upon a small town.
To save Ming Siran, Jiang Zhiyu had pawned her mother’s heirloom, the only valuable item she had. Upon learning this, Ming Siran, who had lived a life of schemes and conspiracies, began to develop genuine feelings for her beyond just seeing her as a substitute.
Later, they managed to contact Li Rong and finally escaped.
But now, the plot had changed. Li Rong had found them first.
All because Ming Siran, the amnesiac, had stubbornly refused to leave the mountain.
"Your Majesty!" A figure dismounted from a horse and approached with a worried expression.
Upon seeing Ming Siran unharmed, she knelt down. "I have failed in my duties. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Li Rong? Ming Siran, who had been lost in his own thoughts, glanced down at the tall woman kneeling before him.
In his memory, Li Rong was still a malnourished, skinny, and stubborn little girl who insisted on becoming a high-ranking official. Now, she had grown into such a capable woman.
"I’m fine. Get up. Returning quickly is our priority," Ming Siran said emotionlessly.
If it weren’t for the subtle wink he gave Zhou Shengsheng while Li Rong’s head was bowed, she might have thought his memory had returned. His expressionless yet commanding demeanor was exactly like the Ming Siran she knew.
Liu Ai and Da Niu were dumbfounded.
They couldn’t believe that the man who had been lounging around and relying on his wife to support him was actually an emperor.
"So... Miss Shengsheng, you’re actually the empress?" Liu Ai’s incredulous voice broke the silence.
Li Rong looked up in confusion at Zhou Shengsheng, whom she hadn’t noticed before, and a question mark slowly formed in her mind.
?
