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Hearing the Empress’s voice, Shen Chuwei abandoned the idea of helping Wu Tan and turned to look behind her, where she saw the Empress’s procession occupying a large area.

She immediately felt gratified by the distinguished presence.

She stepped forward and curtseyed, "Wishing the Empress peace and health.

"Rise," the Empress said, her eyes sweeping Xiaoxiang Pavilion, which looked even more desolate than Xiyun Pavilion. Be it the buildings or the surroundings, everything was markedly inferior.

Perhaps its proximity to the Cold Palace lent it a depressing and desolate air that weighed heavily on the spirits.

The Empress’s gaze returned to Shen Chuwei. Her fair, small face was slightly flushed, giving her a delicate appearance.

"Set your mind at ease while residing here; I will let you out in a few days."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern," said Shen Chuwei, glancing at a bush, fearful that the Empress might notice Wu Tan there. She took two steps forward and offered, "Your Majesty, I have some fresh fruit here. Would you care to try some?"

The Empress nodded, "That would be nice."

Shen Chuwei led the Empress into the house which had very sparse furnishings, almost all of them quite old.

However, after cleaning, it had become much cleaner and fresher, which made it feel more lively, affecting the senses.

The Empress, holding up her skirt, sat down on the couch. Before Chun Xi could serve the fruit, the Empress, pointing at what the palace maids held, said, "These are some daily necessities and some pastries."

Shen Chuwei followed the direction of the Empress’s finger and saw the palace maids placing items one by one on the table—rouge, face powder, hair oil, hair protection cream, Shu brocade bedding, jade pillows... and six plates of various pastries.

She suddenly felt overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. Why was Her Majesty suddenly being so kind to her?

The Empress said, "I see you don’t fancy gold and jewelry, and you wear light makeup. Though you are confined to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, it’s still better to maintain some elegance, so I’m sending you these cosmetics."

The Empress feared that if Shen Chuwei stayed in Xiaoxiang Pavilion too long, she might end up like those forgotten women in the Cold Palace.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty," Shen Chuwei said, secretly touching her own face, which she had left alone after washing daily. Had it become rough?

Chun Xi brought fresh cherries, peaches, and blackberries, placing them before the Empress, then withdrew.

The Empress’s eyes brightened at the sight of the cherries.

Having craved them since the last time she had some, only the Crown Prince knew where to find them, and because of the issue regarding offspring, she had not wished to humiliate herself by asking.

"The cherries were sent by the Crown Prince, weren’t they?" the Empress asked while eagerly popping one into her mouth to taste. It was just as she remembered.

Shen Chuwei, recalling that Xiao Jinyan had once sent some, hesitantly agreed.

There were a total of three Cherry Trees, laden with fruit; there were so many cherries that even eating them every day was not enough.

Before she knew it, a whole plate of cherries had been eaten by the Empress. Realizing the plate was empty, the Empress suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

"Lady Shen, if you need anything in the future, let someone inform me and I will have it sent to you," the Empress offered.

"I will do so," Shen Chuwei nodded, "I wish to have hotpot. Could Your Majesty ask the Imperial Kitchen to send over some beef, lamb, and meatballs?"

Eating hotpot in the summer would cause one to sweat profusely, but it was satisfying.

"There would be no difficulty in that," declared the Empress, instructing the eunuch, "Have the Imperial Kitchen deliver everything that Lady Shen requires."

"As you command," the eunuch acknowledged and left for the Imperial Kitchen.

Then the Empress asked curiously, "What is hotpot?"

Uh! Shen Chuwei explained: "Your Majesty, it’s similar to a soup pot; it’s very spicy, and you eat slices of beef and lamb cooked in the broth."

The Empress nodded, somewhat puzzled, "I have yet to try hotpot. It shall be good to taste something new together."

"Yes," agreed Shen Chuwei, but then she suddenly remembered Wu Tan was still in the bushes under the harsh sun, at risk of heatstroke. What would she do if he became ill?

She then suggested, "Your Majesty, are you not busy? How about we have hotpot together next time?"

"I’m not busy; I’ve had more time these past two days," the Empress said, waving her hand. Even if she were busy, she would make time to try the novel dish of hotpot.

Shen Chuwei could not persuade the Empress, and she was also worried about Wu Tan hidden in the bushes.

The Imperial Kitchen had delivered plenty of beef and mutton, and Chun Xi had eaten hotpot many times before, so she was very clear about the process of preparing it.

It didn’t take long for the ingredients for the hotpot to be ready.

The base of the hotpot was ready-made; it only needed to be boiled with water.

In the pot, the red oil bubbled vigorously.

Shen Chuwei picked some beef and mutton and put them in, followed by enoki mushrooms, kelp, and rice noodles, which she placed in the pot using a bamboo basket.

The Empress watched Shen Chuwei’s actions quietly, then looked at the pot, and with just one glance, she knew it would be spicy and delicious; she couldn’t wait and picked up her chopsticks.

Shen Chuwei was an experienced hotpot eater and knew when the meat and vegetables were cooked just right.

Once ready, she added some beef and mutton to the bowl in front of the Empress, along with some vegetables.

Before Shen Chuwei could speak, the Empress picked up some mutton from her bowl, blew on it, and put it in her mouth. It was a bit hot, but the taste was so good that she didn’t mind.

Shen Chuwei hadn’t had hotpot in a while, and she was now craving it terribly; the presence of the Empress didn’t affect her eating speed at all.

The Empress was originally someone who was prepared Qing Ying’s meal, but now she took matters into her own hands, choosing whatever she wanted with precision and speed.

Could Shen Chuwei, a seasoned hotpot eater, be slower than the Empress? Soon enough, most of the beef and mutton in the pot had been taken.

Chun Xi stood by, holding her chopsticks and adding vegetables to the pot.

Eager not to be outdone, the Empress became skillful after a few tries.

Both of them ate while wiping their noses with handkerchiefs, not forgetting to praise, "So spicy, so delicious."

After the meal, both were completely stuffed.

After overeating, the Empress had Qing Ying call for the Phoenix Carriage.

She had walked in, but when she left, she was carried out.

Before leaving, the Empress expressed, "I’ll come again next time."

Shen Chuwei: "..." Had she become addicted to it?

Once the Empress had left, Shen Chuwei immediately ran towards the back yard.

When she arrived at the grass in the backyard, what she saw was a monk with a radiant face, red from the harsh sun.

Sweat poured down his forehead, streaming down from his handsome eyes and brows.

The Haiqing robes he wore were soaked with sweat, damp and sticky.

But Wu Tan sat still like a bell, with hands joined together and eyes tightly shut.

He seemed to be meditating.

Shen Chuwei couldn’t help but give a thumbs up, admiring his concentration; to avoid the Empress’s discovery, he had been sitting for more than an hour—

"Wu Tan, get up, the Empress has left."

Wu Tan slowly opened his eyes. Sweat dripped from his long eyelashes as he saw Shen Chuwei’s pretty, little face.

"I’ll help you up," Shen Chuwei said as she stepped forward to assist him, noticing that his clothes were soaked and he was somewhat unsteady on his feet.

"Don’t take such risks next time. I’ll have him serve you some food."

Wu Tan declined gently: "No need, this monk should return now."

Shen Chuwei was somewhat worried, "But in your current state, what if you fall again while climbing over the wall?"

"This monk will be more careful." Wu Tan supported himself against the wall, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Has Lady Shen ever had amnesia?"