Not wanting to waste too much ti on Nan Xi, Zhan Lingfeng turned and walked away.
Nan Xi wanted to chase after him but was stopped by Zhan Yi.
"Brother Zhan Yi, is sothing the matter?" Nan Xi was practically hopping with impatience but didn’t dare show any displeasure toward Zhan Yi.
Zhan Yi, along with Zhan Liang and others, had been raised and trained by the Zhan Family since childhood. They were Zhan Lingfeng’s most trusted aides. Though they appeared to serve as assistants or similar roles by his side, in reality, they were all capable figures who could hold their own in any situation. Outsiders respectfully addressed them with titles like "Chief Yi."
To appear more familiar, Nan Xi didn’t call him "Chief Yi" but instead addressed him as "Brother Zhan Yi."
"Miss Nan," Zhan Yi smiled politely, though his actions to block her path didn’t falter in the slightest. "Thank you for your concern for the Madam. You still have a show to record later, don’t you? We wouldn’t want to delay you for too long."
Watching Zhan Lingfeng grow further away, Nan Xi was so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead. She quickly shook her head, about to say she wasn’t recording anything today.
But before she could speak, Zhan Yi cut her off. "Ah, look at Miss Nan, so flustered she’s sweating! You must be in a hurry to get to work. Soone, escort Miss Nan back imdiately!"
With that, two burly n in black gloves appeared, swiftly lifting Nan Xi and whisking her away.
Zhan Yi cheerfully waved goodbye.
See ya later!
Hmph, trying to cling to their Young Master Zhan? Not a chance! The only one worthy of their Young Master Zhan now was the Empress of Smoke, and all he had left to offer was his sincerity.
He would never allow any other woman to co close and taint that.
He would guard Young Master Zhan’s chastity with his life!
---
Gu Nanyan arrived at the classroom half an hour late, sending the live stream into chaos.
[Where’s the Empress of Smoke? Why isn’t she here?]
[Ahhh! Where’s my Empress of Smoke? I didn’t realize it before, but now that she’s not here, I see how watching her stream has beco a daily habit for .]
[Missing the Empress of Smoke: Minute 1.]
[Missing the Empress of Smoke: Minute 20.]
...
By the 30-minute mark, Gu Nanyan finally appeared.
The live chat erupted in cheers.
[The Empress is here! The Empress is here! Awoooo!]
Gu Nanyan sat down and began teaching calligraphy to her viewers, continuing for a full hour without pause.
She showed no signs of fatigue, her energy unwavering, but the audience quickly began to complain.
[I’m exhausted! I can’t keep up—my hand is cramping!]
[How is the Empress not tired? I’m so curious. She usually teaches for two hours straight without resting and never seems worn out.]
[I envy this about her the most—she’s always so vibrant. anwhile, I get tired doing anything. I just want to lie down all the ti. I’ve seen TCM doctors, and they all say I have qi deficiency. It’s so frustrating—I have the will to learn, but my body won’t cooperate.]
[Sa here. I’m always drained, no matter what I do. My mom says I’m just lazy. I swear on the lamp, I’m not lazy—I just can’t muster any energy.]
[ too. I may not have qi deficiency, but I’m definitely in a state of sub-health. Late nights, takeout, dry eyes, neck pain—I feel like I could drop dead any second.]
...
The flood of similar confessions poured in.
Susu read each comnt aloud to Gu Nanyan.
After listening, Gu Nanyan frowned slightly, deep in thought for a mont before speaking. "I know a set of health-preserving exercises. Practicing them can strengthen the body and revitalize the spirit."
When she was young, Gu Nanyan had been sickly. Her father, the emperor, had been heartbroken and summoned the most skilled experts from across the land. After years of research, they developed this set of exercises.
The results were remarkable. It was through consistent practice that Gu Nanyan built a strong foundation, eventually mastering advanced martial arts.
Now, she decided to teach this exercise to everyone.
Gu Nanyan stood up, and Susu, ever perceptive, quickly cleared the surrounding tables and chairs, creating a large open space in the center.
Gu Nanyan stood in the middle, first demonstrating a set of warm-up movents before beginning to teach the health-preserving routine.
She explained each movent in detail, including the proper breathing techniques.
The audience was stunned at first, unsure how to react.
[Is the Empress teaching us this?]
[Obviously, what else would she be doing?]
[The Empress knows martial arts—this routine must be amazing. Everyone, follow along!]
But not everyone was convinced.
[Gu Nanyan is taking this too far. What, is she trying to be so kind of all-rounder now? Health exercises shouldn’t be practiced blindly. Without scientific validation, who knows if this is safe?]
[I agree with the above, though it’s a bit harsh. Still, we shouldn’t just jump into random exercises.]
So of Gu Nanyan’s fans, seeing these comnts, grew worried and urged her to stop.
[Empress, don’t bother teaching this. People won’t appreciate it, and if anything goes wrong, they’ll bla you.]
[Empress, just rest if you’re tired. Don’t worry about these people.]
Most dismissed Gu Nanyan’s efforts as nonsense, but a few loyal followers began practicing along with her.
Mo Shuang was one such devoted fan.
She and her twin sister, Mo Dan, had been born prematurely and had weak constitutions ever since. A common cold that lasted a week for others would drag on for a month for them.
Both sisters loved learning, but their poor health made it difficult to focus for long.
Seeing Gu Nanyan teach the exercises, Mo Shuang imdiately joined in—even calling her sister over.
"Sis, co quick! Follow the Empress and learn these health exercises. They’re good for you!"
Mo Dan was annoyed. "I’m not doing it, and you shouldn’t either. What kind of nonsense is this? Who does she think she is—so TCM master or qigong guru? Teaching random exercises is just laughable."
Mo Shuang scowled. "Fine, don’t learn it. But don’t badmouth the Empress. She’s just trying to help."
Mo Dan scoffed. "Help? More like putting on an act to boost her image. Did you see her calligraphy before? It was nothing special, yet people praised it like crazy. I could write better than that."
Ignoring her sister, Mo Shuang quietly continued practicing with Gu Nanyan.
By the end of the routine, her entire body felt warm, her cheeks flushed.
She couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination, but she felt lighter, more energetic.
That evening, she and Mo Dan went out to dinner with their parents. They returned late, and Mo Dan, having caught a chill, imdiately fell ill with a fever.
Their parents hurriedly checked Mo Shuang, expecting her to fall sick as well—the twins were always in sync when it ca to illness.
But to their surprise, Mo Shuang’s temperature was normal.
Even Mo Shuang was shocked.
She was fine?
Thinking back to the exercises she’d practiced that afternoon, her heart raced with excitent.
While her parents tended to Mo Dan, Mo Shuang returned to her room, pulled up the recorded livestream, and followed Gu Nanyan’s routine once more.
This ti, she worked up a sweat. After a quick shower, she climbed into bed.
Normally, it took her half an hour of tossing and turning to fall asleep. But tonight, the mont her head hit the pillow, she was out.
She slept soundly until morning.
Gazing at the bright sky outside, Mo Shuang rolled around in bed, giddy with joy.
Ahhh! The exercises really worked! They really worked!
The Empress of Smoke must be a goddess descended to save the world.
Long live the Empress!
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