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墨書 Inktalez
After Deng Bu Wen left, Qing Wu sat there in a daze, somewhat unable to come to her senses.
When something has been ingrained in your mind for many years, forming a fixed pattern of understanding, a sudden change can be hard to bear.
For example, the cause of her parents' death all those years ago.
At that time, after the incident, there was continuous heavy snowfall. Even if there were some clues, they had become impossible to trace after the snow.
She had always believed it was the work of Bandits, and now, after so many years, suddenly hearing that there might be something more to it…
When Huo Yun'ai hurried over after court, what she saw was Qing Wu sitting quietly. There was a look of confusion on her face, mixed with anger. More than anything, there was sadness.
"What happened?" Huo Yun'ai immediately waved away everyone else and rushed to her side, pulling her into an embrace. "What’s going on?"
Surrounded by the familiar strength and nestled in the young man's arms, Qing Wu slowly began to regain her strength.
She glanced around slowly and, seeing that there was no one else in the room, told Huo Yun'ai about the news she had just heard.
Deng Bu Wen didn’t know much.
However, he had overheard some conversations between Zheng An and others back then, so he vaguely knew that Zheng An had been plotting to get a hairpin.
A few days ago, Qing Wu had acknowledged her ancestry and no longer concealed the fact that her parents had died many years ago.
Deng Bu Wen naturally heard about this as well. It was precisely because he had heard this news that he suddenly recalled those conversations he had eavesdropped on years ago when Zheng An secretly instructed someone. After reflecting on the timeline and connecting it with Qing Wu's mother's hairpin, he became increasingly alarmed and quietly informed Qing Wu.
The girl's voice was pressed extremely low, each word articulated, and by the end, her voice was choked with emotion.
Even though those people had never spent a single day with her, she still remembered how the woman with her neck cut had held her tightly in her embrace, fiercely protecting her.
That was clearly the last thing a mother did for her daughter with all her remaining strength before facing death!
Yet such a good mother ultimately could not even leave behind a complete corpse...
Qing Wu trembled all over.
That horrifying and tragic scene was something she would never forget for the rest of her life. Every time she thought of it, or woke up startled in the middle of the night, her heart ached to the extreme.
But who would have thought that it was all part of someone else's scheme?
Huo Yun'ai also did not expect such a truth.
Back when the Former Emperor had just passed away and he had just taken over court affairs, Zheng An's ambitions were beginning to show, and the Young Emperor could not grasp the overall situation. Moreover, due to the heavy snowfall, that matter could not be thoroughly investigated.
Who would have thought it was also orchestrated by that malicious person?
Huo Yun'ai's heart shook violently as he held the girl in his arms, gently stroking her back. He then called for Uncle Yu and ordered Qin Shuying to enter the palace immediately.
Just as he was about to stand up, Qing Wu grabbed his sleeve tightly, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Huo Yun'ai held her hand and said softly, "Don't worry. I will take care of it. For now, I will only tell Qin Shuying about this."
He knew that she was also worried for him.
The Yi Family was a great support for the Former Emperor's ambitions. No one expected that Zheng An had begun plotting years ago to obtain that hairpin, intending to seek the Yi Family's assistance.
At that time... the Former Emperor had just passed away. He had already started scheming! He even went so far as to kill the Heir Apparent of the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion and the Heir Apparent's Wife to obtain that item!
This person's plans were far earlier than they had imagined. His heart was also more ruthless than they originally recognized.
Given this, they should be even more vigilant and not allow any mistakes.
For several consecutive days, Huo Yun'ai summoned Qin Shuying to the palace for discussions. Even Qing Wu did not know the specific details. The only ones involved, besides General Qin, were Mu Hai and Meng Liang. Even Uncle Yu was not allowed inside.
Dou Mama was very worried.
The Emperor and the young lady had not seen each other for months, and they could only meet during lunch and dinner. After a hurried meal, both became busy again, far from the intimacy they had before the young lady left the capital.
She did not know what had happened, but seeing Qing Wu seemingly unfazed, writing and drawing every day, and starting to arrange matters for the Six Bureaus again gave her some reassurance. Moreover, the Emperor granted the young lady significant authority, promising that she could handle everything independently. This eased Dou Mama's worries a little.
As for Deng Bu Wen, he behaved in a manner that surprised Dou Mama; he was quite proper.
She had originally thought that Deng Bu Wen sought out the young lady privately that day with intentions of getting closer to become someone trusted by her. However, after that day, he remained unchanged.
The girl instructed him on what to do, and he did his best to comply. When not called upon, he mostly remained silent in his place. It was unclear how he managed it, but whenever there was movement at Jade Orchid, he would know and often come to inform Qing Wu.
Regarding the matters of Jade Orchid, Qing Wu did not keep anything from Dou Mama and told her everything. Since there were no significant actions happening there for the time being, they allowed Jade Orchid to play around.
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed, and Huo Yun'ai came to Ningxin Pavilion early one morning.
As soon as he appeared, all the maids in Ningxin Pavilion secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Not long ago, when Qing Wu was not in the palace, everyone had seen how diligently Huo Yun'ai had people renovate Ningxin Pavilion. They all understood that His Majesty intended to favor Lord Liu. Therefore, when Qing Wu returned to the palace, everyone rushed over to curry favor with her, hoping to gain her favor.
Unexpectedly, after His Majesty visited Lord Liu, he left with a cold expression and resolutely turned to leave. Moreover, he had not set foot in this place for quite some time. He seemed like a completely different person from the emperor who had been so enthusiastic about renovating the courtyard just days before.
The people of Ningxin Pavilion speculated in secret whether Lord Liu had said or done something wrong that angered His Majesty and led to his neglect.
In an instant, everyone felt uneasy, fearing that the emperor's wrath might fall upon them. Each person acted with great caution, not daring to make a sound.
Now seeing that His Majesty had taken the initiative to come again and that his expression was not as frightening as before, everyone finally relaxed a little.
Qing Wu was just about to head to Falling Sunset Pavilion. These days she had been focused on reorganizing matters related to the Six Bureaus; it was time to make arrangements. However, before she could leave, Huo Yun'ai arrived.
Once Uncle Yu sent everyone else away, Qing Wu finally pulled Huo Yun'ai down to sit and smiled as she asked, "What brings you here today?"
"Hmm." Huo Yun'ai casually responded while reaching out his hand to slowly twine around her hair ends, letting the soft texture wrap tightly around his fingertips.
The girl was gentle by nature, and her hair was as soft and smooth as she was. It felt delightful to the touch, tickling the heart and making it hard to bear.
Due to her anger, Huo Yun'ai had been tirelessly sending people to investigate past events. She did not let go of even the slightest clue, personally reviewing every piece of information before discussing its usefulness with Qin Shuying.
Deng Bu Wen had been summoned by Huo Yun'ai several times for questioning. He shared all the few details he knew.
Just this morning, right now, Qin Shuying quietly met with him after court; the culprit had already been found.
At least there was some progress, and he could finally give the girl an explanation. That was why he came to see her.
But his heart was not at ease.
Zheng An's case involved too many connections and was intricately linked to Bian Wang. He could not act rashly; he needed to find the right moment to take them down completely.
But how could he explain this to her?
The revenge for his father’s murder and his mother’s murder could not be avenged immediately. Should he allow the culprit to roam free for a while longer?
If it were someone else, it would be one thing. But with Qing Wu...
Even someone as resolute as he was felt anxious inside, unsure of how to start this conversation.
It had been a long time since they had been close, and many days had passed without a proper talk. He missed her terribly. He thought about how to broach the subject all the way there, but even after entering the room, he still couldn't find a way.
Now...
He sighed softly.
Now that he saw her in person, he was even more unsure of what to do.
Huo Yun'ai had always been inscrutable. But Qing Wu knew him well; just by observing the subtle changes in his expression, she could tell he was grappling with a difficult decision. The way he hesitated to speak clearly indicated a deep connection with her.
Upon reflection, it was related to her and was a recent matter, undoubtedly about that incident.
Qing Wu did not make it explicit. She personally brewed him a cup of tea and said, "Some things are best done at the right time. If the timing is off and it's not done thoroughly, then it would be inappropriate."
Huo Yun'ai paused for a moment, suddenly turning to look at her.
"When the time comes, I will personally take care of your enemies, torturing them mercilessly." As soon as Huo Yun'ai spoke, he realized that his throat was dry from earlier anxiety. He pressed his lips together and said, "You trust me."
"I naturally trust you." Qing Wu took a deep breath and placed the tea into his hands. "Give it a try. This is something I brought back from the Marquisate. I don't know if it suits your taste. If you like it, I can get more from my brother."
Wen Qingyue had sent her back to the capital and had yet to leave. During the last two days off when she returned home, Qing Wu learned that Wen Qingyue intended to buy a house in the capital for convenience so he could frequently come to stay and look after her.
Huo Yun'ai remained expressionless, gazing steadily at her. After receiving the tea, he did not drink it. Instead, he set the teacup aside and reached out to pull the girl into his embrace.
In summer clothing, there was only a thin layer. Being close allowed him to feel her body warmth.
The last time the two embraced like this, Qing Wu was unaware of the sorrow in her heart as she thought about the circumstances of her family's murder. Now that she knew the matter had reached a conclusion and had received Solemnly's guarantee and promise, she felt relaxed and naturally began to notice.
The warmth of the young man enveloped her instantly. A faint fragrance emanated from him, surrounding her.
Qing Wu couldn't help but feel her face burning hot and hurriedly pushed him away. Unable to break free, she racked her brain for a topic to divert the romantic atmosphere at that moment, saying, "Ningxin Pavilion... you’ve done well."
Huo Yun'ai tightened his arms around her, lightly inhaling the sweet scent from the girl, and said, "As long as you like it."
"Everything else is fine. It's just that Bathhouse is a bit extravagant. I don't need something that big. It uses too much water every day; it's not as cost-effective as the previous bathtub."
She was merely speaking casually, but he took it to heart.
Knowing that he shouldn't have other thoughts at this moment due to the purpose of his visit today, he couldn't help but feel stirred when he heard the girl mention the Bathhouse.
Unconsciously, he gently traced the curve of her waist and then slid down lightly. His heart stirred, and words slipped out before he could stop himself.
"If you're using it alone, it's naturally a bit large," he said in a slightly hoarse voice. "But if we use it together, then it wouldn't be."
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