Shen Lang paused, then nodded with a smile. "I was being shortsighted."
'The old hag's tone and expression made it obvious she wanted to humiliate me, treating me like some flower that could be plucked at a whim, soon to wither away.'
"There have been many rumors in the palace lately." Before long, the Empress Dowager, unable to restrain herself, finally spoke.
A barely perceptible smile touched Shen Lang's lips, but her face was a picture of grievance. Crystal-clear tears welled up at a moment's notice as she choked out, "I don't know why they're spouting such nonsense... I am innocent."
The Empress Dowager's face turned black as soot. She let out a cold snort. "I hardly think you've been wronged."
Shen Lang abruptly looked up, tears glistening in her eyes. She covered her lips with her cloud-like sleeve, a truly pitiful sight. "If Mother insists on suspecting me like this, I fear it will hurt the Emperor's heart..."
