The gilded beast heads of the Taihe Hall cast a cold gleam in the moonlight as Shen Qingyu's fingers trembled slightly, holding a celadon medicine bowl. At the bottom of the bowl lay tiny cinnabar particles, bearing a striking resemblance to the red dot on the jade pendant at Su Moyan's waist when she first met him.
"Is the Empress personally brewing medicine today?" The man on the dragon couch propped himself up, his dark inner robe slipping to his shoulders to reveal the pale blue veins beneath his collarbone—the traces of spreading venom. Su Wuli's fingertips brushed against the jade bracelet on her wrist, bestowed upon her the day he ascended the throne. "I knew it was handcrafted by you the moment I caught the scent of the medicine."
She lowered her gaze to avoid his eyes, the entangled lotus pattern along the rim of the bowl pressing painfully into her palm. Seven years ago, she was still the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's Residence, rescued by Su Moyan at the Lantern Festival. When he lifted her veil, his eyes reflected the sky full of lanterns, brighter than the candlelight before her. Now, she had become his imperial sister-in-law, forced to hide her obsession with another man in his daily calming soup.
Chapter 48