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墨書 Inktalez
Qing Wu clearly remembers that Zheng An has a particularly bad habit of kneeling at the palace gates for no reason. Moreover, he especially enjoys bringing along the Imperial Historian. This has caused quite a stir in the city, and everyone knows about it.
Fearing that the Imperial Teacher might hear rumors and blame the Young Emperor, Qing Wu deliberately brought up the issue of her living arrangements with Huo Yun'ai during dinner.
Huo Yun'ai was carefully picking out the tenderest piece of fish from the dish. Hearing her speak, the smile on his face remained unchanged. When he grew tired, he placed the fish in front of her and said with a smile, “Try this. It’s freshly brought from afar. It has been kept on ice all the way here, and the meat is fresh, smooth, and quite delicious.”
When they were children, he had always helped her with picking bones and serving rice during their meals together.
Thus, she wasn’t too surprised by his actions. Instead, she felt a bit worried that he was ignoring her words.
“Aren’t you worried?”
White-Clad Youth picked up another piece of fish and carefully selected it, asking, “Worried about what?”
“About your master!”
“What do I need to worry about? It’s just arranging a place for you to stay. This is my home. My house; I can let whoever I want stay here without him having any right to question it.”
“Uh…” This indeed left Qing Wu at a loss.
Upon reflection, it seemed to make sense.
When the girl gets stuck on something, her brows lightly furrow. Her delicate brows knit together, combined with her puzzled expression, giving off a rare charming pout.
The young man gazed at her for a long time before slightly lowering his eyelids and softly saying, “Actually, there’s a reason I don’t let you live deep within the inner palace.”
Hearing that he had other intentions behind his actions piqued Qing Wu's curiosity, and she raised her eyebrows to ask, “Why?”
“The inner palace is vast with many halls but has always been uninhabited. At night, the wind howls as if someone is crying. There was once a eunuch who was so frightened that he ran out and never dared to return. Furthermore—”
He tilted his head slightly and smiled at her, “If you were to move in there, wouldn’t that mean you’d be considered my consort?”
"Who has to live there?" Qing Wu argued, "There must be a place for officials to reside."
"Mm."
Huo Yun'ai nodded sincerely, "Among the Imperial Physician Guards on duty, which one would you prefer to live with? Just say the word, and I'll arrange it for you."
Qing Wu was taken aback, and after a long pause, she struggled to say, "What about the palace maids..."
The Young Emperor raised his finger and lightly tapped the table, "So, you'd rather be with them than sit next to me?"
Qing Wu shook her head.
However, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Before she could figure it out, Huo Yun'ai softly said, "Come here."
"What for?"
The young man pointed to a stir-fried green vegetable in front of him and said, "I know you love this, so I had someone make it specially. Want to give it a try?"
At this time of year, winter vegetables, especially leafy greens, were particularly scarce. She couldn't get any at home, but now in the palace, she could finally indulge.
Seeing this, Qing Wu smiled brightly and moved her bowl over to sit beside him.
With the girl now so close, Huo Yun'ai's expression relaxed, filled with joy.
"Are you no longer troubled by that issue?"
"Mm."
Qing Wu, while eating vegetables and fish, found it hard to speak, so she sincerely nodded her head vigorously.
She had come to a realization.
Since Huo Yun'ai was willing to take on everything, why should she worry so much?
It was enough for her to stay comfortably at Ningxin Pavilion.
As for Zheng An...
Well, if he was willing to kneel at the palace gates, then let him do so.
Once or twice would be new, but after several times, everyone would become accustomed to it, and probably no one in the capital would take it seriously anymore.
Seeing that the girl finally stopped fixating on this issue, Huo Yun'ai let out a light sigh of relief. He then picked up his chopsticks and began to eat slowly.
After the meal, he did not immediately let Qing Wu leave but instead brought up another matter, asking, "I heard you went to the Sewing Workshop today?"
Qing Wu had no intention of hiding this from him, so she naturally admitted it upon hearing his question.
Huo Yun'ai pondered for a long time before carefully saying, "I was negligent before. There are a few places you should avoid for now and not come into contact with. The Sewing Workshop is one of them."
He spoke solemnly, his tone low and devoid of any smile, which made Qing Wu realize that this matter was serious and should not be taken lightly.
Thinking it over, she began to understand.
"Is it related to Zheng An?"
Sewing Workshop is nothing special. If there’s anything amiss, it’s probably the Jade Orchid that Zheng An slipped in.
Huo Yun'ai was pondering how to explain this to her when she seemed to understand immediately, and couldn’t help but smile, “Exactly.”
After saying this, he dipped his fingertip in some water and quickly wrote down a few words on the table.
“...These places, you should avoid too much contact. If you encounter danger, I won’t be able to rush over to protect you in time.”
Qing Wu understood the importance of this matter and hurriedly memorized the fading words one by one.
When she saw the name of a place, she couldn’t help but pause, “Dining Hall... Is there going to be a problem with your food?”
Thinking that there might actually be someone from Zheng An infiltrating the Imperial Kitchen, Qing Wu felt extremely anxious, a slight chill running down her spine. When she looked at Huo Yun'ai, her eyes were filled with unmasked worry.
Huo Yun'ai raised his slender finger and gently brushed against her tightly pressed lips. Upon touching those soft lips, his fingertip suddenly halted, and he quickly withdrew his hand, clenching it into a fist at his side.
“There’s no need to worry.” He smiled lightly, “Although he has done quite a bit of scheming, he cannot harm me. Keeping those people around is merely to make him lower his guard.”
Only then did Qing Wu feel somewhat reassured.
With this matter settled, as she watched the writing on the table dry up and disappear, Huo Yun'ai personally escorted Qing Wu back.
Since their earlier discussion had been quite serious, both were lost in their thoughts and remained silent all the way.
When they reached the gate of the courtyard and were about to part ways, Qing Wu stopped and softly asked him, “Would you like to come in for a bit?” Having a cup of tea together could also help ease their minds.
Huo Yun'ai intended to agree.
The moonlight was enchanting.
Under the faint moonlight, the girl had delicate features and a smile at the corners of her lips.
In this tranquil environment, the boy couldn't help but think of how charming she looked when she was drunk as he approached her usual dwelling...
His throat inexplicably felt a bit dry.
His face also began to heat up.
The Young Emperor discreetly tugged at his collar to ease his breathing, then covered his mouth and coughed lightly, turning his face away and saying, "No need."
Although they were close, Qing Wu could not see the boy's flushed face.
She didn't think much of it, simply saying "Good night" before turning to leave.
Just as she was about to take a step, she felt a tight grip on her hand from behind.
Qing Wu was startled and her heart raced as she looked around. There wasn't a single figure in sight. Even Uncle Yu and Dou Mama seemed to have disappeared.
As she nervously glanced around, suddenly, a gentle and soft touch brushed against her forehead.
Unlike before, this time it lingered just a little longer.
No matter how close Huo Yun'ai was to her, he was still a man.
With them so close together, she could even smell the faint, refreshing fragrance on him.
Moreover, his hands had already climbed onto her shoulders, slowly tightening their embrace...
Her face gradually began to heat up.
Qing Wu felt that she could not continue like this. Just as she was about to speak up and ask a question, her whole body suddenly relaxed as Huo Yun'ai unexpectedly released her grip, freeing her from his hold.
"Good night," the Young Emperor said, a faint smile curving his lips, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness.
Qing Wu had already exchanged this phrase with him earlier. This time, she simply smiled and nodded slightly before turning to leave.
After walking a few steps, she suddenly remembered something.
She turned back and said with a smile, "It's quite chilly at night. You should hurry back." Standing still in the cold wind made it especially easy to catch a chill.
Huo Yun'ai responded softly but remained steadfast, continuing to gaze at her figure.
Qing Wu knew he was stubborn and felt frustrated that he wouldn't listen to her advice. She worried that if he stood outside for too long, he might catch a cold. With a helpless sigh, she turned around and hurried back to her room.
Seeing her walk so quickly, Huo Yun'ai felt concerned that she might trip. He took a step forward and raised his hand, intending to call out to her to slow down.
Then he recalled her worried advice from earlier and began to understand the reason behind her actions. His heart warmed, and the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat; he couldn't bring himself to call out.
The young man stood in the wind, watching as the girl hurried forward, lifting her skirt in fear that he would wait too long. His expression gradually softened, revealing a warm and knowing smile.
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