Chapter 259 I Like You
Now is not the time to explain. Ye Jiayao said lightly: "Let's get to work first. Time is running out."

With Zhong Xiang and Deng Haichuan around, Ye Jiayao was able to do her work more easily. She didn't need to be told anything. Just by looking at the work she was doing, they knew what they should do and how to cooperate.

It has been a long time since she last prepared a proper banquet since her identity changed from Chef Li Yao to the Second Young Lady. Moreover, she had just been frightened, injured, and physically and mentally exhausted. If she didn't have these two good helpers, she would really be at a loss.

For a moment, it seemed as if this place was no longer the imperial kitchen, but the Heavenly Residence, and the imperial chefs had to listen to the orders of Deng Haichuan and Zhong Xiang.

Of course, some people here must be dissatisfied. The imperial chef is not only a symbol of status, but also a representative of the pinnacle of culinary skills. Forget about Zhong Xiang. He won the first place in the pastry competition and is qualified to work with the imperial kitchen. It is okay to listen to his orders, but who is that Deng Haichuan? I have never heard of his name, but he is more smooth than Zhong Xiang in giving orders.

However, for today's wedding banquet, the Queen had given orders that all matters must be arranged by Ye Jinxuan. Even Lu Yiming, the chief imperial chef, had to obey orders and do his job obediently. They could only be angry but not say anything.

Ye Jiayao had no time to figure out what the people around her were thinking. She devoted herself to the cooking of each dish. Her smooth movements and focused and serious expression gradually infected the people around her.

At this time, Helian Jing was sitting among the princes and sons who were watching the ceremony, and Xia Chunfeng was sitting next to him.

"I heard that Brother Xuan is going to marry Princess Naya, and your Helian Palace is finally going to have a wedding. Xiaojing, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you see, your brother and my second brother are the same age, and we are the same age. Now that my second brother and I are married, your brother is also settled. Isn't it time for you to hurry up?" Xia Chunfeng joked.

A faint bitter smile appeared on Helian Jing's lips. He silently picked up the wine glass and drank it all.

"The wedding banquet hasn't officially started yet, what kind of wine are you drinking now?" Xia Chunfeng took away his wine jug.

Helian Jing took it back and said nonchalantly, "I'm thirsty."

"I've never heard of drinking alcohol to quench thirst." Xia Chunfeng said contemptuously.

From time to time, I could hear discussions from the sidelines.

"I heard that Princess Aruan was originally going to be promised to Prince Jing..."

"I've heard that too, but Prince Yu is a prince after all. If Prince Yu wants it, can Prince Jing snatch it away from him?"

"Prince Yu is full of vigor and vitality right now! He is in the limelight." Someone sighed. This sigh contained too many things, and everyone couldn't help but ponder and reflect on it for a moment.

"The Emperor and the Empress have arrived..." The eunuch's sharp voice echoed in the hall.

Everyone stopped talking, stood up, lowered their heads, folded their hands, and respectfully welcomed the emperor.

Then the ceremonial music started and the wedding ceremony began.

Helian Jing looked at A'ruan, who was wearing a red veil and a bright red wedding dress, being supported by someone, holding a bright red wedding silk in her hand, and was slowly walking on the red carpet in the center of the hall led by Prince Yu.

From this moment on, she was the Princess of Yu, and was no longer the A'ruan who ran around with him everywhere, was extremely curious about everything, pulled his sleeves to ask questions, and smiled at him with a beautiful smile.

There was a sudden sharp pain in his heart, and he couldn't tell whether the pain was caused by Ah Ruan or by himself.

The scene of the last time I spoke to A'ruan emerged in my mind. He said that he would find a way, and A'ruan's watery eyes were filled with the light of joy, as bright as stars.

At that time, he just thought that A Ruan was not annoying and was so good friends with Yao Yao. If he really wanted to marry her, then he would marry her!

However, he never got married, and my grandmother sighed with regret several times... What a pity, what a pity.

At that time, he thought it was a bit of a pity, he felt sorry for A'ruan, because the person Prince Yu liked was not her, and the person she liked was not Prince Yu.

He didn't think such a marriage would be happy.

The last time he saw her was on the Dragon Boat Festival, on the upper floor of Wanghu Tower. She was with Yaoyao. Although their eyes only met briefly, he saw the sadness in her eyes. He didn't know whether it was out of shame or some other reason, so he fled in panic.

Yaoyao kept asking him if he would regret it.
He didn't think much about it. Since Yaoyao married Chunyu, he gradually learned a skill, which was to ignore and forget. To put it bluntly, he was deceiving himself, deceiving himself, and paralyzing himself. He didn't think about unhappy things, and kept himself too busy to think about them. So, he was in a daze and managed to get through it for so long.

However, at this moment, this bright wedding dress hurt his eyes and penetrated his fragile heart. The cruel truth was laid bare before his eyes.

He actually liked her, but was afraid to admit it, thinking that admitting it would be a betrayal of the oath he had made. How could he change his mind so easily? He was not the kind of person who would easily change his mind...

He stared at the red veil without blinking, almost wanting to see through the red cloth to see if the pair of eyes under the red veil were filled with resentment and sadness at this moment?

Suddenly, a sharp gaze was cast over him, and Helian Jing's heart was shocked. He came to his senses and lost his composure.

Xia Chunyu stood opposite Xiao Jing, looking at him worriedly, because Xiao Jing's eyes were so painful, if others saw it, it would cause trouble.

Helian Jing lowered his head, hiding the panic and pain in his heart.

Everything is a foregone conclusion and cannot be reversed.

He is always slow to realize things, so he misses things again and again.

Not long after the wedding banquet started, Helian Jing got drunk. Xia Chunyu was afraid that he would talk nonsense after getting drunk and say something he shouldn't and be heard by others, so he personally sent him back to the palace. Xia Chunfeng didn't know the inside story and laughed that Helian Jing's alcohol tolerance was getting worse and worse.

After sending Xiaojing back, Xia Chunyu hurried back to the palace. The wedding banquet was already coming to an end, and he had no appetite, so he ran to wait for Ye Jiayao outside the imperial kitchen.

After Ye Jiayao finished making the last main course, mandarin duck dumplings, she felt completely exhausted. She was so exhausted both physically and mentally that she collapsed.

Fortunately, Zhong Xiang was standing next to her and quickly supported her.

"Hurry up and call the imperial physician..." Lu Yiming ordered hurriedly when he saw the situation.

The men were about to run away.

Ye Jiayao hurriedly said, "Don't invite me, don't invite me." Today is Prince Yu's wedding day. How could she invite the imperial physician at this time? Isn't it taboo for prisoners?

"I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine after resting for a while." Ye Jiayao said weakly.

Deng Haichuan was a rough man, so he didn't think about it so carefully. He said anxiously, "Second Young Madam, please stop being so stubborn. Look at you, your face is as white as paper."

Zhong Xiang glared at him and whispered, "Say less."

Then he asked in a low voice: "How about I go and get the prince?"

Ye Jiayao nodded, Zhong Xiang understood her better.

Zhong Xiang asked Deng Haichuan to take good care of Ye Jiayao while he went out to look for the prince. However, as soon as he came out of the imperial kitchen, he saw the prince standing outside.

"Your Majesty."

"Zhong Xiang? Where is the second young lady?" Xia Chunyu asked.

Zhong Xiang said, "My Lord, the banquet is ready, but the Second Young Madam is also exhausted. Would you like to take her back first?"

Xia Chunyu's eyes fixed and he walked in without saying a word.

Ye Jiayao was indeed exhausted, her whole body covered in cold sweats, but she still gritted her teeth and insisted on walking out of the palace before collapsing in Chunyu's arms.

Xia Chunyu felt so distressed that he carried her into the carriage.

"Chun Yu, how is A Ruan?"

"Everything went well at the wedding?"

"Where's Xiao Jing?"

"He's drunk. I've already sent him home."

"What about the wedding banquet? How was everyone's reaction?"

"The wedding banquet was a success. You can wait to receive your reward tomorrow..."

Only then did Ye Jiayao completely relax, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

Xia Chunyu hugged her and gently wiped away the sweat that kept oozing from her forehead. His dark eyes were filled with pity and he sighed silently: I am so tired and yet I am still worried about others.

Ye Jiayao slept deeply. When she woke up, there was a dim candlelight in the room. It was still dark. She thought she would sleep until noon.
My mouth was very dry and I wanted to drink some water. I turned my eyes slightly and saw Chunyu lying on the edge of the bed.

This guy, why doesn't he go to bed?

Ye Jiayao raised her hand to shake him awake. As soon as her hand touched his arm, he woke up immediately. He raised his head and was extremely surprised: "Yaoyao, you finally woke up."

He reached out and touched her forehead: "Thank God, the fever is finally gone."

Ye Jiayao was at a loss: "I have a fever?"

Xia Chunyu held her face in his hands, stared at her deeply, and said gently: "The doctor said that you caught a cold at the bottom of the well and were overworked, which is why you got sick. But now you are fine."

Ye Jiayao herself didn't know anything about it, but the fever went away in the middle of the night, so it shouldn't be serious. But why did Chunyu look so haggard? There were dark circles under his eyes.

"I'm so thirsty."

Xia Chunyu hurriedly said, "Wait a moment, I'll ask Qiao Xi to bring some hot water."

Xia Chunyu opened the door and went out. After a while, the hot water arrived. Xia Chunyu took a cup, mixed half cold water and half hot water, took a small sip himself, and made sure the temperature was right before handing it to her.

"Slow down, don't choke." Xia Chunyu warned in a low voice.

Ye Jiayao drank a lot and had to drink three cups in a row before she came to her senses.

"You should go to bed too. You still have work to do tomorrow!" Ye Jiayao moved to the side of the bed.

Xia Chunyu said as he took off his clothes: "I won't be on duty tomorrow. The emperor has given me three days off."

"Huh? Don't you still want to investigate the case?" Ye Jiayao felt strange.

"Well, I was supposed to investigate the case, but you were sick, and the emperor was embarrassed to order me to work again. Besides, this matter concerns the dignity of the royal family after all, so the emperor should think about it and handle it in a low-key manner."

Xia Chunyu said as he got on the bed and hugged her to lie down.

The more Ye Jiayao listened, the more confused she became. She had forced herself to leave the palace before she collapsed. How did the emperor know that she was sick?
"Chun Yu, what time is it now?"

Xia Chunyu stroked the bruise on the back of her neck and sighed, "Yaoyao, you've been in a coma for two days."

Uh... Ye Jiayao was dumbfounded.

(End of this chapter)