The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chapter 304: Secret Meeting

Cen Jiexiao looked at the man who had once made her heart flutter, but his concern now only made her feel more lost. She thought of what she saw at the Chen Mansion last night, and her heart ached again, as if it were being pierced by countless needles.

The image of Chen Zigui hugging the woman replayed in her mind over and over again, like a sharp knife, cutting her heart again and again. She tried hard to control her emotions and hold back the tears, but she found that her voice had become hoarse.

Cen Jiexiao forced a smile, but her tone was cold and distant.

"Your Highness is fine. Thank you for your concern."

Her voice was very soft, as if squeezed out from the depths of her throat, with a hint of fatigue that was hard to conceal.

Chai Zhen reached out to touch her cheek, but she dodged him without a trace. His hand froze in mid-air, a trace of loneliness flashed in his eyes, and then a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Are you really okay? You look really bad, are you sick?" He reached out and touched her forehead, his tone full of heartache.

"Why are you so cold? Did you catch a cold?" His hands were warm, but Cen Jiexiao felt an inexplicable chill.

Cen Jiexiao took a step back without leaving a trace, putting some distance between herself and Chai Zhen.

"I'm really fine, Your Majesty, don't worry." Her tone was cold, as if she was deliberately keeping a distance from him.

Chai Zhen's hand fell empty again, his smile gradually disappeared, replaced by a look of loss that was difficult to conceal.

He turned to look at Yu Lan and Xiao Man, his tone filled with unquestionable majesty.

"You guys go down first. I want to talk to Dean Cen alone."

Yu Lan and Xiao Man exchanged a worried look. They couldn't understand why Sister Cen Xiao was so depressed, and the emperor's earnest concern left them even more baffled. Yu Lan gently tugged on Xiao Man's sleeve, signaling her to leave together.

Xiaoman bowed and whispered, "I'll take my leave."

Yu Lan also bowed, and the two slowly left the room. Before leaving, Yu Lan couldn't help but look back at Cen Jiexiao, her eyes full of worry.

Cen Jiexiao just stood there quietly, like a sculpture without a soul, and showed no reaction to their concerns.

Only Cen Jiexiao and Chai Zhen were left, and the air was filled with an indescribable sense of depression and tension.

Chai Zhen looked at Cen Jiexiao's pale face, feeling so distressed that he could hardly breathe. He walked up to her and gently raised his hand, wanting to touch her thin cheek, but stopped just before touching her skin, as if he was afraid of disturbing her fragile nerves.

"Sister Xiao, tell me what happened? You can tell me anything that makes you unhappy." His voice was low and gentle, like the whisper of lovers, with a barely perceptible tremor.

His eyes were full of concern and love, as if he could protect her from the wind and rain and remove all obstacles.

"I will take care of it for you," he added, his tone firm, yet with a hint of pleading, as if he was afraid that she would reject his kindness.

Cen Jiexiao just stood there quietly, her eyes empty, as if she had lost focus, and she turned a deaf ear to his words. Her face was pale, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she was trying hard to suppress the waves in her heart, as if she was resisting his hand that was stretched out to pull her into the abyss.

Her heart felt a sharp pain again, as if someone was pricking it with a needle, and the pain made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

This pain was not only from the body, but also from the depths of the soul, from the love that was betrayed. She tried hard to control her emotions and not let her tears flow, but she found that her voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

"I'm really fine." She spoke lightly, her tone so calm that almost no emotion could be heard, but it was more like a deliberate alienation.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Her voice was very soft, as if squeezed out from the depths of her throat, with fatigue and helplessness that were difficult to conceal.

"Your Majesty, please do not remain outside the palace for long. Return quickly, or the Empress Dowager will become suspicious." She paused, then continued, trying to avert her gaze from his affectionate gaze. Her tone remained calm, yet tinged with an indescribable sadness, like a shattered heart that could never be put back together. She feared that if she looked at him again, she would collapse before him.

Seeing her cold and distant appearance, Chai Zhen felt even more anxious and hurt. He reached out again, wanting to hold her in his arms, to feel her familiar warmth and breath, but she gently, yet firmly, pushed him away.

"Sister Xiao, are you really going to reject me?" His tone was filled with helplessness and pleading, mixed with a hint of pain of being rejected, as if he was a lost child longing for guidance.

Cen Jiexiao looked at him with a complicated look in her eyes, which contained sadness, disappointment, and... a hint of relief.

She spoke slowly, her voice low and hoarse: "Your Majesty, I am tired..."

Three days later, at dusk, the sky was gloomy, thick clouds obscuring the setting sun, and the entire palace was shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere. Chai Zhen's mood was as gloomy as the weather, and he secretly summoned Chen Zigui and Cen Jiexiao.

On the way to the study, every step seemed to be stepping on heavy drumbeats, echoing in the silent palace.

The study is located deep in the palace, hidden and quiet, and few people go in and out on weekdays.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a dull air hit me in the face, as if time had stopped.

The light in the study was dim, with only a few flickering candles emitting faint light, casting swaying shadows in the air.

The candlelight illuminated the serious faces of the three people, as well as the thoughts in their hearts. The atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if water could drip out of it.

Chai Zhen dismissed all the attendants and left only the three of them in the study to have a secret conversation.

He waved his hand, motioning them to sit down on the chairs that had been prepared.

"My two beloved ministers, I have called you here today to discuss an important matter." Chai Zhen's voice was low and solemn, with a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

He paused, glanced at the two of them, and continued, "The Queen Mother's faction's power is growing, and I can't sleep or eat peacefully."

There was a hint of fatigue in his eyes, but also a hint of determination.

"I know that the Empress Dowager has many followers and they are deeply rooted. It is not easy to eradicate them." Chai Zhen's tone was helpless, but full of expectations.

"I wonder what countermeasures you two dear ministers have?"

He stared at the two of them with his eyes full of expectation and trust.

Cen Jiexiao took out a thick stack of documents from her wide sleeves and handed them respectfully to Chai Zhen.

"Your Majesty, this is the evidence of the Queen Mother's party's crimes that I and the members of the Qiming Group have collected recently." She spoke in a steady and unhurried tone.

She paused and continued, "These pieces of evidence are irrefutable."