Chapter 210

Noble Consort Xian flatly denied the accusation, causing Xiao Youlan’s gaze to turn even colder and darker. Everyone has a bottom line that must not be crossed, and for Xiao Youlan, that bottom line was his late mother, the Empress. Before he met Nan Xueyin, most of the warmth in his life had come from her. With her passing, his world had collapsed into an abyss. He had once longed for his father’s approval, believing that perhaps the Emperor could fill the void left by his mother’s love, but he soon realized it was not the same. The Emperor might have favored him, but that was only because of his legitimate status, his intelligence, and his diligence—unlike his mother. She loved him simply because he was himself. Xiao Youlan was often consumed by a painful, desperate longing for her. He recalled many details from the past. Once, when he had caught a cold, he had been pampered by his mother since childhood and felt the medicine was too bitter; he refused to drink it, anxious to go watch the birds, and thus became impatient.