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墨書 Inktalez
If one were to disregard everything else and simply look at Jade Orchid's appearance, she could indeed be considered outstanding—tall stature, beautiful features, and delicate skin. At a glance, she was a beauty. Coupled with her warm and gentle smile, she appeared even more attractive.
However, Qing Wu, having a slight understanding of her, dared not let her guard down despite the other's beautiful smile, remaining secretly vigilant.
Jade Orchid, seeing that she had called out to Qing Wu, asked, "Is Liu Mei Mei getting along well in the palace?"
She believed that after years of experience in the palace, her smile was perfect and her voice pleasant to hear. Dealing with a novice girl would surely be easy.
To her surprise, after asking this question, the girl before her not only did not respond graciously but instead took a cautious step back, frowning as she looked at her, the expression on her face…
Was it displeasure?
Jade Orchid felt somewhat annoyed but maintained her smile due to Zheng An's instructions and gently asked, "What’s wrong? Did someone bully you in the palace? Don’t be afraid; tell me, and I will stand up for you."
As soon as these words left her mouth, she suddenly clapped her hands lightly and sighed, "I almost forgot. When we first met, you naturally didn’t know who I am."
After pausing for a moment, she continued, "I am from the Sewing Workshop. My name is Jade Orchid. Since I need to call Imperial Teacher Zheng Daren 'Uncle', you might have heard of me."
Fearing that the girl before her might look down on her, she deliberately pointed out her identity.
"Not really."
The girl before her gently shook her head and slowly uttered two words. Her voice was soft and delicate, more pleasant than any voice Qing Wu had heard before.
Thinking about how this voice was constantly in the Emperor's ear made Jade Orchid's heart churn. Just as she was contemplating how to overshadow her, the girl spoke again.
"I hold an official position. You should greet me and call me 'Daren'. Referring to each other as sisters is inappropriate."
Hearing her words, Jade Orchid paused, her face turning red and white in an instant, then white and red again. The smile on her face gradually faded, and her hands were clasped in front of her.
However, she stood upright and did not bow.
Qing Wu glanced at her.
Though it was just a glance, the coldness in it made Jade Orchid break out in a cold sweat down her back.
She couldn't understand why a girl of such a young age could exude such authority when her expression turned serious.
Moreover, looking at her like this, she bore some resemblance to... that person...
As this thought crossed her mind, Jade Orchid recalled the chilling gaze of the Young Emperor and couldn't help but shiver.
But after a moment of calm, she turned her thoughts around and secretly mocked herself for her earlier ideas.
What Lady-in-Waiting? She was hardly something to fear.
In this palace, who wasn't hiding their strengths and weaknesses?
Those who were competitive and eager to stand out would only end up with one fate unless they had someone as esteemed as the Imperial Teacher to protect them. Otherwise, the outcome would be death!
This girl was so young yet relied on her high rank to suppress someone like Jade Orchid, who had been in the palace for many years. It was truly short-sighted...
Not knowing how to restrain herself and revealing her sharpness too early, it seemed she wasn't someone who could handle matters well.
With this thought, Jade Orchid no longer felt any reservations in her heart.
She wanted to lower the guard of the dull Girl in front of her, so she decided to go along with the other person's wishes, gracefully performed a greeting, and called out, "Greetings to Lord Liu."
Previously, Jade Orchid's expression had slightly changed, and Qing Wu had noticed it. She did not react too much, merely nodded lightly and turned to continue on her way.
However, before she could take a step, she was called back by Jade Orchid.
"Lord Liu is truly anxious. I haven't finished speaking yet, and you are already in a hurry to leave."
Jade Orchid looked down on the person in front of her a bit, and her tone became much more casual. Only regarding the title the girl had used earlier did she deliberately change it.
"Actually, I came to find you because I have something to discuss."
Qing Wu did not like this person. She merely nodded slightly and replied briefly, "Speak."
Yet Jade Orchid, not taking Qing Wu too seriously, wore a genuine smile and said softly, "In fact, having one more person to look after each other in this palace is a good thing. Since we are both women, if there are matters in the future, we might as well help each other out. Speaking of 'matters,' I do have something I need your help with right now."
After throwing out this statement, most people would naturally ask, "What is it?" However, the girl in front remained unmoved like a mountain, not saying a word more, only gazing back with clear eyes and an expression that was calm and unruffled.
Jade Orchid's face showed signs of losing composure; she quickly said, "Do you recognize anyone from the 'Zhenyuan Marquisate Wen Family?'” Not wanting to wait for Qing Wu's response any longer, she continued speaking: "If you don't recognize them, it doesn't matter. I just want to ask you to convey a message to them when they come to the capital."
Qing Wu felt puzzled.
If Jade Orchid truly had business, why didn't she seek help from Zheng An when contacting him? Instead, she came looking for someone she didn't even know?
Moreover, just now Jade Orchid had spoken one after another without waiting for her response, clearly assuming that she did not recognize the Wen Family.
If that were the case, why bother seeking her help for this matter?
It is likely that seeking her help was a pretense. The real intention was to specifically bring her to meet someone from the Zhenyuan Marquisate Wen Family.
Regardless of the other party's purpose, Qing Wu would certainly not agree. She revealed a slight smile and said, "My parents are strict at home, so I cannot go out freely, and naturally, I cannot help you." With that, she turned away, ignoring Jade Orchid's displeased expression and repeated calls.
Jade Orchid never expected that a girl would have no curiosity at all, not even asking a single word about the message she was supposed to convey, and outright rejecting her.
She hurriedly quickened her pace to catch up with Qing Wu, wanting to exchange a few more words.
However, the girl walked steadily and quickly.
Just as Jade Orchid thought she was about to catch up with Qing Wu, she noticed someone from the Brewery peeking over, looking at her and then at Qing Wu, their eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry.
In such a situation, it was impossible to finish the conversation.
Watching the girl's figure gradually fade away, Jade Orchid stomped her foot in frustration but could do nothing but sulk back to the Sewing Workshop.
Qing Wu hurried along, fearing that Jade Orchid would catch up. After confirming that the other party could not keep up, she stopped for a moment by the roadside to catch her breath. Once she regained her composure, she headed towards Zhaoning Palace.
Before she even entered the courtyard, she heard two eunuchs responsible for cleaning gossiping by the wall.
"The Emperor must be really angry this time."
"Indeed. Listen, he smashed quite a few things."
"Oh dear, if this reaches the Imperial Teacher's ears, there will probably be another argument with the Emperor."
"If it gets passed on, so be it. Haven't there been enough quarrels between the Imperial Teacher and the Emperor? They've been arguing about the heir for three or four years already. This time won't make a difference. I think the Imperial Teacher quite enjoys seeing the Emperor get angry over this matter. Every time around New Year’s, there’s always such an incident. It seems he won’t stop until he makes the Emperor smash something. If you ask me, Zheng Daren probably enjoys hearing the sound of things breaking when the Emperor gets angry..."
The person was not done yet. His arm was poked by someone.
He still had something to say, pushing the other person's hand away and about to continue, but he saw the other person constantly giving him signals.
Turning around, he was instantly frightened to the point that his legs felt weak.
The lady official had appeared out of nowhere and was circling around them. He had no idea how much of their conversation she had overheard.
Qing Wu hurriedly moved forward. She only nodded slightly to Uncle Yu and Li Zi, and as soon as the palace door opened, she quickly entered.
Once inside, she saw the Young Emperor standing with his hands behind his back by the window.
Hearing the noise, he did not turn around. It was only when Qing Wu called out to him that he looked over, his expression filled with an unshakeable gloom.
Qing Wu pondered for a moment but ultimately walked up to him and said with a smile, "From the looks of it, you seem to be quite upset. It must be because of the Imperial Teacher?"
Her tone was cheerful, lacking any hint of mockery, yet it was full of teasing.
Huo Yun'ai's brows slowly relaxed.
Seeing that the palace door was tightly closed, he opened his arms towards her without waiting for a response.
This familiar gesture caused Qing Wu to freeze for a moment, then her face turned red with embarrassment.
Once upon a time, he would wait for her to leap into his embrace like this and then lift her up.
It was fine when they were children. But now…
After a brief confrontation, she could no longer run as she used to. Therefore, her steps slowed even more as she walked forward slowly.
Huo Yun'ai watched her deliberately slow down and couldn't help but chuckle. Without waiting for her to pass, he quickly walked over, took her hand, and led her to the window.
"Actually, I'm not that angry," he said after pulling the girl into his embrace. "I’ve gotten used to this happening from time to time. It's just that if I don't act 'very angry,' how would the Imperial Teacher be satisfied? It’s better to let go of these useless things; if they break, they break. As long as he feels comfortable watching."
What he wanted was Zheng An's reassurance. Only then could Zheng An let down his guard.
At this, Qing Wu let out a soft laugh.
Seeing her somewhat gleeful expression, Huo Yun'ai helplessly tapped her on the nose. "Where have you been? I didn't see you when you came back."
At this, Qing Wu's smile faded a bit. After briefly mentioning her visit to Yen Mama, she detailed her encounter with Jade Orchid.
Upon hearing this, Huo Yun'ai raised his finger and lightly tapped the windowsill, pondering, "That old man from the Zhenyuan Marquis Wen's Family was a former classmate of Zheng An's father. Even though the Marquisate has been away from politics for many years, it’s only natural that the two families still have connections. However—"
Even if the Wen Family is coming to the capital soon, what does it have to do with Qing Wu?
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