Consort Shu watched as the Empress Dowager's brow furrowed slightly, and she felt utterly sick of it all. At a turn of her head, she saw An Shutong looking at her. An Shutong wore a lotus-green, cinched-waist brocade gown today. Her figure was slender, and she looked even thinner than before, with a waist so small one could wrap their hands around it.
'It seems the affair with Xu Mingying hit her hard,' Consort Shu thought, feeling not an ounce of pity for her.
'You reap what you sow.'
An Shutong met Consort Shu's scrutinizing gaze, offered a faint smile, and then lowered her eyes.
Qin Xiyue sat bolt upright, observing coldly from the side. She could have sworn she saw a hint of disdain in Consort Shu's eyes, as if she were looking at a fool. The thought alone soured her mood.
Qin Xiyue felt she ought to say something, but when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she knew they would be inappropriate. She forced them back down, feeling utterly stifled.
