Flowers Along the Chang'an Road

[The author's upcoming novel on a similar theme, Delicate and Dewy, is in the author's collection.] [This story has been thoroughly edited, with no missing chapters or plot. The author's notes include lots of bonus scenes.] Qin Yao married the Son of Heaven at sixteen and was practically his childhood sweetheart. Yet although the emperor and empress appeared to treat each other with mutual respect, they had little affection for one another. Their feelings were exceedingly faint. Then one day, the emperor fell into the water and lost his memory when he awoke. Qin Yao went to care for him and watched as the once cold and distant emperor became a different person "The pink dress you wore today was lovely. That soft shade suits you." "What perfume did you wear today, Empress? It smells wonderful." "I've loved you since I was young. Every item of your betrothal gifts was something I wrote down by hand beneath the lamplight." Looking at the emperor's handsome features, Qin Yao had no idea he'd liked her from the very beginning. She thought that perhaps accepting his feelings wouldn't be so bad after all. The two were as sweet as honey, and every brief separation felt like a honeymoon reunion. Until one day, she caught the emperor in a lie. It seemed he hadn't lost his memory at all. ** The emperor, Xie Yusheng, had always thought his empress was someone who didn't lose herself in love. But the day before he fell into the water, he found a little book from her youth. It was filled with the thoughts of a lovestruck girl "I've been in the capital for so long, and Brother Yusheng is the first young lord to speak to me. His smile is so gentle. I like him so much." "Brother Yusheng rode through the streets today. What a dashing young gentleman! He's so impressive!" "Brother Yusheng..." Xie Yusheng thought that since the empress had loved him so much when she was young, perhaps he should pretend to have lost his memory and act as he had in his youth, expressing his affection to see if she truly loved him. Xie Yusheng played his part perfectly, showering her with sweet words. Sometimes he would put his arms around the empress from behind and whisper "sweetheart" against her ear. Watching a blush rise across her bright, graceful face, he would feel his own heart flutter for a moment. Gradually, he realized the empress was growing sweeter and more adorable. He wondered how he could have been so wasteful in the past, passing by such a treasure night after night without appreciating it. That night, he bathed and burned incense, then prepared to read the final page of the little book before getting into bed. But there, written plainly, were the words "Oh, what a silly girl I am. I got it wrong. The older brother who used to sneak off to play with me every day wasn't called Xie Yusheng. His name was someone else." Please Note: 1. The female lead initially mistakes one person for another. The words in her little book are just childish nonsense. 2. Fictional setting, 1v1, both leads are virgins, sweet romance. 3. Hope you enjoy the story. Thanks to @Qianhe Shengfei for the cover. Blurb written: 2020/12/05 Theme: Men shouldn't indulge in fantasies.