Zi Yue and Zi Su were still there, needing to serve their mistress for her meal.
Xia Ruqing smiled and said, "Why don’t you take turns eating?"
Zi Su quickly replied, "Thank you for Your Highness’s grace, but there’s no need. They’ve saved some for us!"
With so few of them around, there was no need to fight over it – later, when they finished their duties, the food would still be there!
So, Xia Ruqing didn’t insist. She had someone bring over Little Bun, intending to start eating. If she finished early, she could settle down sooner and let them finish their duties earlier, right?
But before she even moved her chopsticks, a loud call came from outside. "The Emperor has arrived!"
Xia Ruqing quickly got up to lead her retinue out to welcome him. Right, this night... who knows when it will end! Outwardly, Xia Ruqing hurried forward to pay her respects. "Your Majesty!"
"Rise!" Zhao Junyao, too disinclined to say much, directly helped her up, and they both entered the house.
Inside the room, two basins of crushed ice were set out, making it very cool. The table held the freshly prepared meal: zongzi, refreshing side dishes, congee, soup—a bit of everything. The aroma was already detectable from the courtyard.
Zhao Junyao felt quite smug. My timing is perfect, reaping the benefits of others’ work!
Xia Ruqing gave him a sidelong glance and said against her better judgment, "Your Majesty, tonight is the Dragon Boat Festival. Your servant has prepared a sumptuous late-night meal. Please join me!"
"Excellent!" Zhao Junyao answered crisply, showing no sign of embarrassment whatsoever.
Xia Ruqing was rather speechless but could only put on a smile and serve the Emperor as they dined. What else could she do? He was the Emperor, after all.
...
Actually, Zhao Junyao hadn’t eaten his fill. Having grown accustomed to Qingqing’s cooking, how could he possibly enjoy anyone else’s? Especially those so-called delicacies prepared by the Empress. In this sweltering heat, she didn’t care if the food was greasy or unappetizing; as long as it looked presentable, it was served. But who was supposed to eat it? It was obvious she didn’t care for it herself!
What was before him now was much better. Eighteen dishes, they said. But in reality, a single plateful would be gone in a few bites. Take that small bowl of stir-fried free-range chicken, for example; it only contained two small pieces, barely enough to pick one’s teeth with. And that tiny cup of dried shrimp and seaweed soup was gone in one large gulp.
Zhao Junyao had barely savored the taste before it was gone. Staring at the empty little bowl, he was a bit dumbfounded. Gone already? That wasn’t nearly enough!
Xia Ruqing paid Zhao Junyao no mind; she was busy eating herself. If I don’t hurry, it’ll all be gone!
She ate several peeled shrimp, then picked up a paper-thin pancake, rolled it with shredded scallions and savory shredded pork, and devoured two fragrant rolls.
Finally, she ate a sweet zongzi with raisins and a savory one with Dongpo pork. The zongzi were tiny, even smaller than an egg, so she didn’t feel stuffed.
Once she had eaten her fill, she got some chicken soup, tore off a small piece of pancake, and went to feed Little Bun.
As for Zhao Junyao... well, he didn’t care whether anyone served him or not. Eating alone, it was easier for him to truly indulge.
"Dongpo pork zongzi? We’ve never even heard of such a thing!" Then, he ate one, followed by another with salted egg yolk. Still feeling it wasn’t quite enough, he picked up a braised beef zongzi. It contained large, tender chunks of beef, so soft they nearly melted, the thick meat fibers soaked in savory braising liquid. The fragrance of glutinous rice permeated it all, and Zhao Junyao ate two more.
Feeling slightly greasy, he had another bowl of soup; feeling a bit salty, he ate a dish of sliced fruits and melons.
By the time he finished eating, he realized most of the food on the table was gone. His stomach... it wasn’t visibly protruding, but he could feel it was a bit distended. He had eaten so much, after all!
Noticing the changes in his body, Zhao Junyao was struck by a wave of guilt. If I keep eating like this, I’ll get fat! Not just fat, I’ll go bald too!
Zhao Junyao feigned nonchalance as he glanced at Xia Ruqing, who was bustling about. He cleared his throat twice, then rose to his feet.
Just then, Little Bun had also finished eating, so Xia Ruqing had the Wetnurse Nanny take her away.
Zhao Junyao could no longer hold back. "Qingqing, it’s getting late. Let’s go to bed early!" Go to bed early, get some exercise, aid digestion... right?
Xia Ruqing was utterly oblivious to his wicked thoughts, though an ominous premonition suddenly crept into her heart. She looked at the table, strewn with dishes and leftovers. "It’s still quite early. We should wait for them to clean up, then take a bath before bed!"
Zhao Junyao, unable to restrain himself any longer, wrapped an arm around Xia Ruqing’s waist and hurried her into the inner chamber. "Why wait for them? Let’s go to the bathroom...!" We are not picky about the place!
"AH..." Xia Ruqing felt her feet leave the ground, and then... by the time her brain fully registered what was happening, Zhao Junyao had already placed her in the bathtub, fully clothed.