Chapter Thirty-Nine

  In the late afternoon, a light rain began to fall, and a cool breeze filled the room. Li was sitting on the couch, wrapped in an outer garment, sewing children's clothes. She had done several stitches when she became annoyed and put it down. How could something like this have happened to Wu Ruoxi? Judging from the way Song looked at her that morning, it seemed as if he suspected her of being responsible for it. It was really laughable - such a shallow and unprofitable thing, how could it be something she would do?

  The maid lifted the curtain and the fragrance of mud outside wafted in: "Madam told me to tell you that Master will be returning to Beijing tomorrow!"

  Li smiled and responded with a "yes", waiting for the maid to leave. She then sat back down, unaware of what Fu Jin was thinking or if she had figured something out. If Fu Jin called someone in to talk, did that mean she had discovered the truth? Perhaps Fu Jin also thought it was her who had made a move and missed this opportunity. If she still wanted to take action against Wu Ruoxi, she would have to wait...

  Yu Lan applied medicine to Wu Ruoxue's wounds and said with some sympathy, "I don't know who did this, but it's a great injustice for the princess to suffer like this."

  Wu Ruoxi looked down at her swollen ankle, but it was just a sprain, what kind of grievance was this...

  Pink roses densely covered the flower stand, as if a thriving season had opened. Under the flower stand stood a woman wearing a blue and gold cheongsam with butterfly patterns, set off by her smooth white face, bright clear eyes that shone with an unspeakable elegance and radiance, a faint smile seemed to be able to captivate the city, dispelling the fatigue of the long journey. Yongzheng's eyes smiled as he walked up to Quanpei's side and took her hand: "Let's go home."

  Quan Pei felt the coarseness and warmth from Yongzheng's palm, and her eyes also became softer. The sisters surrounded the two of them as they entered the main house together, attending to Yongzheng's washing and changing clothes. Everyone had carefully dressed up, with hopeful anticipation in their eyebrows and eyes, hoping that Yongzheng would take a glance at themselves, say a few more words to themselves. But with Quan Pei around, Yongzheng's eyes seemed to rarely look at anyone else.

  Several children were also brought up to see Yongzheng, except for Er Gege, the other two children actually had some stranger anxiety. Yongzheng smiled and patted the robust and spirited Bao Ge'er: "This little guy has grown stronger again."

  The treasure boy didn't seem to be afraid, and after making a few "ya ya" gestures, he didn't know what he was saying. Quan Pei smiled and picked up her son, patted him, and called out "Nai Nai" before hugging him again.

  At night, there was still a banquet. Yongzheng felt a bit sleepy and waved his hand to signal several gege to leave. The room only quieted down then. He couldn't help but hold onto Quanpei and lie on the couch, mumbling: "Accompany me for a while."

  He rubbed against Junjie's body like a child, although he was tired, but his body reacted. Junjie smiled lightly and spoke to him in a low voice: "Are you uncomfortable in the army?"

  "What's there to look at? I'm not even bothering to glance..."

  Wei Qing lightly touched his cheek: "That was really hard on you, Grandfather."

  "Not really, tonight you'd better treat me well..."

  The maid standing outside the door couldn't hear the whispers inside, she could only see the vibrant life force emanating from the bright sunlight outside.

  It was only when Madame Fu was around that one could occasionally catch a glimpse of the master's smile, but most of the time, except for Madame Fu, others could only see the master's indifference and coldness. The angular face showed no extra emotions, silence and coldness seemed to be more prominent. I wonder what it's like when the master is with Madame Fu? Li Shi propped up her chin and came out of her reverie, was it that there were no unnecessary words between them, or some other unimaginable situation...

  Nalan Mingyue turned her clothes inside out and picked through them repeatedly, then asked Zi'er beside her: "Which one do you think he will like?"

  The master must have stayed in Fugui's house first, and then it would be Li Gege, Wu Gege, and so on. It was unknown how long it would take to get to them. Zi'er's eyes flashed, and she lowered her voice: "You look good in pink all the time."

  Wu Ruoxi took a look at her own good-looking feet, and then measured herself in the mirror, clear and charming, it's hard for anyone to have both. Her feet were basically healed, I don't know if Grandfather would choose her first this time...

  In the evening, there was a banquet in Qianqing Palace. Quan Pei sat on the kang and watched as the maidservants attended to Yongzheng's toilette. As he wiped his hands, Yongzheng smiled and asked Quan Pei: "How is it going with Prince Kang? Father has already taken care of a big matter for you."

  "Everything is still going smoothly, it's just a coincidence."

  "Why did you have to be the one I ran into?" Yongzheng said as he sat down beside Quan Pei, gently pinching her hand, his narrow and deep eyes shining brightly as he whispered in her ear: "Wait for me..."

  Yu Pei gazed at Yongzheng with a faint smile, her bright eyes seeming to bloom like a lush peony flower, making one addicted to looking at them. Unable to bear leaving, Yongzheng couldn't help but take a deep breath and stood up: "You really..." He spoke and hastily exited the room, probably fearing that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to leave for a while. From behind, a few faint sounds of laughter could still be heard, making Yongzheng's heart itch, causing his footsteps to quicken.

  At night, the master of the house had asked for water twice, and the lights in the house had been on for a long time. Several maids got up early to attend to the main house, but the mistress was still asleep. The master's expression and complexion were very good, it seemed that he was very satisfied last night. The jade-colored mosquito net vaguely covered the enticing figure inside, and the envious glances occasionally passed by, but only stayed for a moment.

  The maid's bangle accidentally touched the copper basin, making a crisp sound. The figure in the bed curtains seemed to move, and Yongzheng's gaze immediately turned to the maid, who was so frightened that she knelt down with a thud. Yongzheng frowned and waved his hand for the maid to leave, seemingly afraid of making any noise that might disturb Quan Pei. As a result, the room became even quieter, not daring to make any extra sound.

  Until Yongzheng left, several gege returned to serve under the corridor, waiting for Quanpei to get up. After half a while, Xiaoyue came out from inside: "Fu Jin is not feeling well this morning, so there's no need to serve."

  What's wrong? Anyone can think of it, and their heart is like a dye house with all kinds of colors and tastes. They retreated with different expressions, even the warmth of the morning sun seemed to be annoying and dazzling.

  It seems that even eating vinegar is not satisfying, probably because Quan Pei is uncomfortable, and the courtyard is quieter than usual.

  Originally thought that Yun Yan would be replaced by someone else after staying in the palace for a few days, but this time it has been more than half a month and there is no sign. Wu Ruoxi's foot has fully recovered, and what happened at the time now seems to have had no substantial impact on her, and she has joined the big camp of the back house again.

  Quan Pei was reading a book, the room was quiet and warm, just like the rhododendron on the windowsill, emitting a fresh breath. Yin Zhen leaned against Quan Pei for a while, then got up and walked outside. The weather was fine, and the roses on the flower rack were almost all in bloom. Below, a woman in a light green dress stood with no decorations on her head, simple and clear like a pool of clear water. She was tiptoeing to pick flowers, as if she was a gentle breeze on a summer day, making one's eyes brighten up. Su Mian saw the joy and panic flash across Yin Zhen's face: "Master..."

  His eyes deepened, and he nodded slightly, but didn't say much. Wu Ruoxi slightly raised her head, only to see a sharp jawline and pursed thin lips. She quickly lowered her head again, waiting for him to enter the house. After a moment, she heard the sound of children's laughter, probably from Bao Ge'er. She felt a little disappointed, pursed her lips, turned around, and picked a few more flowers.

  Quan Pei leaned against Bao Ge'er and spoke, Yun Chen sat aside looking somewhat hesitant. Under the dim yellow lamp light, Quan Pei's gentle voice made him infatuated, his facial expression relaxed a lot.

  "Get a good rest tonight."

  Quan Pei turned her gaze towards Yongzheng: "Are you going to stay in the study?"

  Yin Zan seemed a bit embarrassed, glanced away and didn't look at Quan Pei: "Mm, I'll stay in the study." He heard a soft laugh by his ear, like pearls falling onto a jade plate. He turned to see that Quan Pei's eyes were full of teasing: "Wherever you want to go, just go, can I make things difficult for Master?"

  He knew that Quan Pei understood his thoughts, but the nonchalant Quan Pei made him feel uncomfortable in a way he couldn't quite put his finger on. Her bright smile seemed to pierce his heart like a needle, and this strange feeling made him increasingly restless. He stood up: "In short, don't think too much, no one can compare to you in my heart, it's just that..." He said these words to Quan Pei, but also seemed to be saying them to himself. He knew Quan Pei was clever and could understand everything, but at this moment, he couldn't even understand himself.

  Yin Zan stopped again, seeing Bao Ge's eyes wide open, looking at him with the same curious gaze as Quan Pei. He suddenly felt embarrassed and dryly said to Quan Pei: "You rest, I'll leave now..."

  Yongzheng returned after a long time away, and he had become much thinner, but his emotions were more restrained than ever. All that could be seen was a pair of deep eyes and thin lips pressed together like a sharp sword. His tall figure cast a long shadow on the clean bluestone floor as he walked further and further away, and Weiyuan furrowed her brow in confusion...

  Wu Ruoxi's house was filled with a faint scent of medicine, and Yin Zhen sat in the chair with his eyes downcast, sipping a few mouthfuls of light tea: "How come your foot is still not better?"

  "It's all right now, but I'm just a timid servant girl, and after applying medicine for several days in a row, the room can't help but have some medicinal smell."

  Next to the vase was a camellia flower that had just been picked in the morning, and Yun Chen had an intermittent conversation with Wu Ruoxi: "How did you sprain your ankle?"

  "The slave did not walk well."

  Yu Lan subconsciously said: "Obviously it's shoes..."

  Yu Lan suddenly spoke up, startling Wu Ruoxi, and hastily interrupted: "This servant doesn't understand the situation, Master please forgive me."

  Her pale face had a clear and charming appearance, with a hint of coquetry. The matters between the bed sheets were even more open, and she had an extra charm that others did not have. Yongzheng stretched out his hand to lift up Wu Ruoxue's chin and took a look. His deep and cold eyes made Wu Ruoxue involuntarily lower her head, and she heard him ask faintly: "Is someone playing tricks?"

  Wu Ruoxi's breathing tightened, and she spoke cautiously: "The sole of the shoe was broken, and Fu Jin knew it at the time." She didn't say yes or no, but what she said was enough.

  Yin Zan used his thumb to gently stroke Wu Ruoxi's cheek, as if thinking about something. In the silence, the candle flame made a faint crackling sound. The woman's beautiful face was fully exposed in front of Yin Zan. He raised an eyebrow and said, "You have troubles, I'll take care of them for you."

  Li's face was rosy and smooth after her bath, like a tempting peach that made one want to take a bite. The maid whispered: "Master spent the night at Wu Gege's house..."

  The woman in the mirror originally still had a calm expression, but it was gradually replaced by coldness. Li sneered: "I underestimated this Wu Ruoxi!"

  Fourth Master, you're going to make things difficult for yourself!!!!!