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Her hair fluttered elegantly, as did the sleeves of her robe.

The long robe was a refined aquamarine color, with a dark fabric that had hints of purple-green iridescence, luxurious yet not ostentatious.

As a connoisseur of beauty, Shen Chuwei thought the man before her not only had an innate immortal aura, but also an excellent sense of style.

It certainly looked better than the Dragon Robe~

Ye Chu approached the Empress, noticing her unmistakable astonishment, he chuckled softly, "Are you that surprised?"

Recovering from her shock, the Empress said somewhat sheepishly, "Indeed, I am surprised; it’s been so long since we last met. What surprises me more is that you seem to have not changed at all after all these years."

Even though he was a few years older than her, he looked quite young.

When Ye Chu’s gaze met the Empress’s, his eyes were filled with tenderness: "You haven’t changed either, still as glorious as in your youth."

The Empress had known Ye Chu since they were young and knew him too well; his mouth was only ever good for paying compliments.

But speaking of which, being praised still made her quite happy inside.

"You only ever pick nice things to say. I’m already a grandmother."

Ye Chu’s voice was warm as he replied, "In my eyes, you have always remained the same."

Ye Chu was not lying—although Wen Ling was in her forties, her face did not look inferior to that of a thirty-year-old woman, even more youthful and alluring instead.

In his eyes, age hadn’t brought traces of years but rather added charm to her.

Shen Chuwei, holding the newly awakened Taotao, watched the scene before her unfold, her mind automatically conjuring up a Chapter of missed romance.

She thought Xiao Jinyan as the Empress was gentle enough, but Ye Chu, the gentleman before people, was even more tender.

A gaze as gentle as water, an aura as serene as a hermit, eyes only for you... the perfect "second male lead" setup.

At that moment, the baby’s crying broke the spell between them.

Susu had woken up and played with her blanket for a while. When no one came to hold her or feed her something delicious, her cries were the most heart-wrenching at times of grievance.

The Empress’s attention was caught by the crying; having heard it many times, she could tell it was Susu who was crying.

She turned instinctively and walked toward the crib.

How could she disturb the Empress and Mr. Ye in their reunion after such a long separation?

Shen Chuwei quickly handed Taotao to Chun Xi to hold and hurried to the crib, "Empress, let your concubine hold her."

The Empress paused upon hearing this, and then nodded.

Shen Chuwei took Susu from the Empress’s arms and, along with Chun Xi, left the room.

Qing Ying, the personal attendant, also followed them out.

The room was left with only the Empress and Ye Chu, quiet enough to hear the sound of the water wheel outside.

The Empress invited Ye Chu to sit and have tea; they hadn’t seen each other for four years.

"Where have you been all these years? Why hasn’t there been any news of you?"

Ye Chu picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip, "A monk said I had a predestined affinity with Buddhism, that I had high comprehension and wanted to take me as a disciple..."

He was interrupted by the Empress before he could finish.

"You haven’t gone and become a monk, have you? You were perfectly fine; how could you just renounce the world like that?"

Ye Chu saw that Chang Wenling was still the same as before. He chuckled, "He followed me for four years."

The Empress was so angry she wanted to curse, "That old monk is clearly a swindler. You should’ve ignored him; where’s it heard of to make someone become a monk?

I’ve stayed in the White Horse Temple for a few days and lost a lot of weight.

I couldn’t swallow a bite of their vegetarian meals, so don’t let him deceive you. "

Ye Chu put down the teacup he was holding and stared at Chang Wenling for several seconds, "Wen Ling, how have you been all these years?"

The Empress hesitated at the question but then smiled and responded, "I’ve been quite well, how about you? Did that old monk become too bothersome?"

Ye Chu asked again, "Then why did you suddenly come to Fuyao Residence?"

The Empress explained, "I’ve been in the palace for too long and needed to clear my mind. You’ve given Fuyao Residence to me so many years ago, and I’ve never lived here. Wouldn’t that have been a waste?"

"Between us, there’s no need for secrets—you left the palace and escaped, right?

" Ye Chu’s tone was assertive. When he learned that Chang Wenling had come to Fuyao Residence, he guessed that something must have happened.

After checking, he found out that Chang Wenling had indeed left the palace clandestinely.

With her lie exposed, the Empress felt embarrassed and pouted, "You knew and still asked. Don’t I have any face left?"

Ye Chu chuckled, "You’re still the same as before."

Speaking of the past, the Empress became somewhat lost in thought as she recalled her younger self and how different she was now.

She cared more about keeping up appearances.

Seeing her silent, Ye Chu asked again, "Doesn’t he treat you well?"

The Empress laughed, "He treats me very well. I am the Empress, after all. With a powerful maternal family backing me, he wouldn’t dare mistreat me."