The Employed Empress 192 There's no Unconditional Love

Wei Yi Yi struck Jiang Yu squarely with her head. Including the unsuspecting Jiang Yu, not an ounce of hesitation halted her brute action. Their foreheads smacking with a loud 'tonk!'. Jiang Yu fell on his back while Wei Yi Yi rolled out straight down on the floor.

Two idiots faced one another, both of them clutching their reddened forehead.

"Why are you so violent?!" 

"You were too close! It's disrespectful!"

"What are you fussing about?" Jiang Yu was dizzy and now there's a following headache. "It's not the first time we are sleeping together."

"Who is sleeping with you?!"

Damn Wei Yi Yi's loose screw. Damn her dirty mind. She has now labeled Jiang Yu as a wolf; a tainted filter is now attached to all his actions and words, alerting her nerves to high tension.

"You have so many partners and you don't wear protections! Even if you don't think you're dirty, I still think you are---!!" 

"..."

"..." Wei Yi Yi slapped her mouth. 

"..."

"Hic---! Hic!"

Did she just tear down all chances of diplomatic talk? 

This is why your mouth shouldn't be faster than your thoughts!

"Wei!Yi!Yi!…" In the dim lighting of the room, Jiang Yu's murderous glint shined quite visible. His voice carried a low tremble; dangerous and full of warning.

 May I start running?

"Have you truly gone insane?!" 

Jiang Yu roared at her and being the smartass, Wei Yi Yi provoked the man further. Unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes and making faces, she concluded that this is going to end with violence.

However, before real violence erupted, Jiang Yu was already bleeding.

Fresh warm scarlet blood dripped from his nose into the bed, giving an ironic kind of smell in the room. 

"!!!"

This high int character has utterly garbage defense!

Wei Yi Yi might have shaken his head silly or perhaps she riled him up into shock, anyway, the dragon body has been hurt! A whole cult of imperial fanatics will be waiting to roast her! 

The initial plan was to beat him up in hidden places, knock him up, and walk away without evidence!

She was flustered into helping Jiang Yu pinch his nose and stopping the blood. 

"Boss! Are you alright?!--- No, I mean, of course you're not! We need to ice it!"

Who would have thought that her view would change? While having a face to face with the bed ceiling, Jiang Yu successfully pinned her down amidst the panic.

The two of them back to square one.

"The empress still worries for her husband, that's good." Jiang Yu clasped both of her cheeks in one hand, forcing her into a staring contest. "Then what shall be blamed for this loose mouth?" 

Surrounded by a male scent, Wei Yi Yi shuddered at the intimidating aura of an angry man. 

In a matter of seconds, the two miraculously attained a common mind. 'Soft doesn't work, hard is it then!' 

"You will be utterly abandoned by the faction supporting the empress, are you not afraid? Or do you think the current Wei family could still be relied on? Look, all of this, I'm doing it for you."

Jiang Yu landed a fleeting kiss on her cheek, breathing hot air on her skin. Wei Yi Yi started his funeral prayers.

"Don't jest, the moment I swear to work for you, they have been the one abandoned by me." Wei Yi Yi sneered. When she was shuffling the personnel, servants, and purging the system, they wanted to mix their own people, coaxing and enticing her. 

Countless letters were personally burned in her hands.

Trying to pressure her, aren't they like the so called 'higher-ups'? Since this so-called 'empress faction' could only pile her with additional work, she was even more determined to hug her Boss golden tights!

Such are the days where Jiang Yu was the mighty shield. 

Who knew what devil visited him to want to poke her!

"Yes, the empress never allows anyone to abandon her. Yi Yi is rather adept at running away first." A smile tugged on Jiang Yu's lips, almost resembling a smirk. "In the palace, bonds are created out of affection or political needs, however, no one would know which it is. Real feelings equate to intentions and intentions must be hidden. Suffocating right? I knew you would regret it but you can't leave because now you only have me." 

"You… you thought I would run?!" Wei Yi Yi caught on some truth. 

"Yi Yi, there's no such thing as unconditional love. It's called happiness only because it's fleeting." Jiang Yu lectured in a way children were sweet-talked. "It's best to bind you instead."

For Jiang Yu, her affections were unexpected and unconditional.

As well as without a handle.

With no rhyme or reason, she came to desire him. So he also doesn't know which method he should use to hold Wei Yi Yi. 

"You don't mind whether the one sleeping beside you has you in their heart. But I mind! Do you think Yi Yi would remain a silly kid in love with you?"

"I know you won't." Jiang Yu chucked, making Wei Yi Yi perplexed. "With the kind of person you are, once the passion faded, it'll only be a matter of time before you'll tost me away, and I wouldn't even know what you started disliking about me nor where to desperately hold on. Yi Yi, you were the sun for me and I hated the you that shine so brightly."

Wei Yi Yi has the noblest birth.

The prime minister has many sons but only has this daughter. The late emperor acknowledged her as his goddaughter, the late empress raised her together with the eldest princess, the second prince guarded her, and she has four brothers that won't wrong her. 

From the finest silks to the purest pearls, Wei Yi Yi was served better than a princess.

And all of these were easily set aside by her.

Such a Wei Yi Yi brought the deepest known fear to Jiang Yu. 

Even if she was nobler than he is, Wei Yi Yi wasn't supposed to be that much different. How could she live without the pressure? The expectations and the responsibilities a noble born carries?

Wei Yi Yi was as unique as the blazing sun, leaving others reaching in yearning, shining so brightly it hurts his eyes.

He then knew, no matter how high he climbs or no matter what he becomes, he would not be able to hold on to this person.

In stories, one would be more capable, and the person he loves, would be chosen not because of need nor loneliness but because he loves her as she is. 

What a happy ending. How romantic.

But reality only proves otherwise. The scales were unbalanced, it was unhealthy, and the passive one lived day by day in anxiety.

Held by the palm of their hand, you wait until they realize that you were troublesome, afraid they would see your insecurities. 

To be able to constantly receive, one must feel worthy first. Receiving more than what you could give wither away confidence and eats courage.

People wanted to be there, to be needed, and to stand side by side. 

In an unequal relationship, one would be tempted to hold on the reins. Cage the beautiful canary and hold the golden keys. 

Even though they only want an equal footing at the start.

It's better to break the wings and pluck the feathers. 

"I told you, I'm here for you, and it'll only be me from now on."

Jiang Yu leans in to kiss Wei Yi Yi.

Unable to let herself suffer the slightest, Wei Yi Yi went for his jewels, her knee greeted Jiang Yu's future, trying to disable him.

Somehow, he wasn't utterly useless. In the last second, Jiang Yu was able to catch her leg. Wei Yi Yi whistled before showing off her anti-wolf skills. In a swift move, she exchanged their position and pinned him down. Not the ambitious kind JiangYu-style, like literally twisting his arm, slamming him smack down, and sitting on his back, immobilizing him. 

"Holy cheesecake! I thought you blacken for a moment! Gave me a heart attack!"

"That's what you have to say?! Are you paying attention properly?!"

"Hmmm…" Wei Yi Yi hummed her sound effect. "I'm amazed that Boss hasn't got assassinated yet by a vexin?" 

Seeing how easy to top you...

"Wei Yi Yi! Get off!"

Aiyo they're back at shouting her name.

"Vexed? Serves you right! Since acting as the nice guy landed you in the friendzone, you concluded that a 'girl who cannot appreciate a good guy' must now be treated roughly since she 'likes the bad guys'. When in actuality, it's a cheap emotional manipulation of a creepy guy who cannot take a 'no', equating to a passive-aggressive harassment and last futile struggle of saving a gentleman's tiny ego--- is what the usual me would say but you don't understand that and I'm no better than you."

Wei Yi Yi released her hold. From the start, Jiang Yu didn't struggle, afraid he would accidentally throw her off. Feeling her backing, he also stopped fussing.  

"Like the sun, ah, what a metaphor. Thinking about all the nonsense we said to each other gives me headaches. But you know, Jiang Yu, somehow, I felt more awake." 

Jiang Yu frowned. "Why are you crying? I'm the one getting beaten here."

"Oh… Wow, this is quite the surprise." Wei Yi Yi bowed and stared hard on the tears falling on her palms.

She hurriedly wipes them off. Seeing her frustrated with herself, and her increasing rough action, Jiang Yu joins her effort in brushing the tears away. Even so, they kept falling and shock was an understatement to Wei Yi Yi's flip in emotion. 

Trying to gather herself, Wei Yi Yi laughs but it only makes her drown in further grief. 

"Jiang Yu---Jiang Yu, you know… You were Yi Yi's moonlight."  

Illuminating the night sky, beautiful and serene. There were plenty of stars shining but there was only one you.

For Wei Yi Yi, he was the one beyond that she must chase. For Jiang Yu, she was that person high above, unattainable, and hard to look at. 

They both hated the fact that they couldn't stand beside each other.

Chapter end