Lover Number 3.4

Li Jie heard his father's sigh, and although he wished to spend more time with him, he understood the limitations imposed upon the imperial family. Both he and his father were well aware of these constraints.

In an attempt to shift his focus to more positive thoughts, Li Jie directed his attention towards his mother, hurrying to her side as quickly as he could without appearing inelegant.

Despite wanting to greet the empress with a smile, Li Jie found himself unable to do so, weighed down by the recent events concerning the harem and his father. The turmoil within him dampened his usual enthusiasm.

However, when the empress caught wind of her son's arrival, she felt a surge of happiness, noting that although his lips lacked a smile, his eyes conveyed a sense of joy.

"Li Jie..." Yang Mei gazed at her son, who seemed to have grown during her short absence. "I was only gone for a few months, and yet you've grown taller than me."

That much was true.

People used to speculate that Li Jie would inherit the short stature of his grandfather, Li Xuan Ji's father. However, upon turning eighteen, the crown prince had experienced a sudden growth spurt, reaching his father's height to everyone's surprise.

Even so, Li Jie couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with his height, as the Huang siblings still stood taller than him, albeit by a small margin.

"If I had known you were returning earlier, mother, I would have prepared a gift for you," Li Jie said, reciprocating his mother's open arms with a warm embrace.

The empress sighed with relief as she hugged her son, aware of the boundaries and how their minds mirrored each other's — just as Li Xuan Ji's and hers did.

She was apprehensive that now, with Li Jie having fulfilled many of the council's requirements for the perfect heir, he might push those boundaries even further — venturing into a territory they were originally supposed to avoid.

Although Yang Mei hadn't always been present in Li Jie's life, the crown prince held a deep affection for her. Her absence somehow intensified his yearning for her love and attention, surpassing his feelings toward his imperial father.

The empress had noticed this, yet she refrained from addressing the matter. Instead, she ensured that no one else would attempt to correct it either, claiming that she wanted Li Jie to be happy.

"Come, my love," she patted the space beside her as she seated herself on the ground, forsaking her luxurious chair. "Tell me what has been happening with you lately."

Li Jie lowered himself slowly, feeling a lump forming in his throat as he heard the question.

"I've been..." Li Jie wanted to say something, anything, but the words that escaped his lips were not what he truly intended. "Fine."

The empress smiled at her son, oblivious to his pale complexion and the dark circles under his eyes. "I've heard about what transpired in the past few days."

"Yes," Li Jie replied with a slow nod, hoping his mother would pose the question once more, allowing him to provide a different response.

But no one had ever asked him the same question at the right moment, and thus, Li Jie never had the chance to express his true feelings.

Although he didn't blame anyone but himself for this, it would have been comforting to know that someone understood what was transpiring in his mind.

Li Jie was never a closed book; his emotions were written in invisible ink, silently pleading for someone to notice them.

"Yes," Li Jie nodded. "The harem, right? His majesty mentioned that it was complete, and I will soon meet the consorts." And that terrifies me, Li Jie wanted to say, but his deeper thoughts sealed his mouth shut.

Empress Yang Mei was not present enough to discern Li Jie's various expressions, as the Huang siblings or Han Yasheng were. Each of them would have been able to divert his attention from his troubles while providing comfort and advice in their unique ways.

Huang Yiming would have taken Li Jie's mind off his worries, offering solace and guidance simultaneously.

Huang Baozhai would have engaged him in endless conversations about a multitude of topics, lifting his spirits in a way that no one else could.

Han Yasheng would have brushed his hair gently, whispering sweet nothings into his ears, offering the solace that the empress should have provided.

However, Yang Mei... She didn't grasp Li Jie's expressions as well, and for her, words always flowed straight from the heart.

The empress nodded and said, "Good. I know you are doing this for the kingdom, but remember not to burden yourself, okay?"

"Alright, mother," Li Jie forced a smile. He didn't know what he had expected, but at that moment, he realized that none of his conversations with his mother ever unfolded as he had imagined.

The young prince stood up slowly, bowing to his mother. "I must go somewhere," he said timidly. "If it is permissible, I will take my leave."

"Oh..." The empress sounded taken aback by Li Jie's request to depart. Initially, she had assumed that he would spend more time with her. Although she desired his company, one look at him made it clear that there was no point in requesting his presence.

The empress smiled at her son, a seemingly genuine expression. "It's alright. I no longer have anything else to discuss either. You should go and attend to whatever you need."

Li Jie bowed again and left.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Li Jie looked around, realizing he had returned to his chamber, where he spent the majority of his time. It was only then that he realized he had reached his destination without conscious awareness.

"I'm fine," Li Jie repeated, his mind consumed by two thoughts.

It would have been nice if she asked one more time.

Why didn't she ask me to stay...?