Volume 1, Chapter 28: Conjectures
The car sped along the road and came to a stop at a red light. Xia Xiyin turned her head to speak with Zhou Yu’an; whatever they were discussing brought out their hearty laughter. The driver in the neighboring car glanced over at the sound, then quickly turned his head away and rolled up his window. Xia Rao watched him smile at her with a foolishly sweet expression, and she could only helplessly press her hand to her forehead, though the room was filled with laughter.
Xiao Fan’s status had always been a matter of great concern to her mother—and to herself as well. Just when everyone thought Cui’er was doomed, Yuan Ning’er’s hand was suddenly grabbed. She looked up and saw that it was Shen Qing, who had been watching coldly and silently all along.
I pressed my lips together without speaking, resting my head gently against his shoulder. The parking lot was nearly empty, and the silence felt especially profound.
“Meng Da Nai, I’m trying to decide whether I should take off my clothes before going into the water, or keep them on,” he answered quietly and earnestly.
Ming Rou knew Shen Qing was simply restless from being cooped up in the palace all day. She smiled and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Jian Tong had already fallen into a trance. In her mind, she was like a piece of meat thrown into a fire, slowly roasting; the sweet nectar entering her mouth soothed the burning heat.
Guan Lingyun smiled at Jian Tong, but there was a meaningful glint in her eyes, clearly alluding to Jian Tong’s marriage to Meng Jingchen.
Shen Qing paid no attention to her perfunctory response. He glanced at the two maids standing respectfully side by side at the door, then stepped forward with measured grace.
The Zhengde project had finally come to a complete halt. One week after signing the official contract, the Yi family held another shareholders’ meeting. On the morning of the meeting, I was a little nervous and kept rehearsing my speech over and over on the way there.
“Yes!” Gu Xiu intended to answer him properly, but the moment the words left her mouth, both she and Xu Ruoguang sensed her mood was stiff and uneasy.
This meant I was to meet Ruan Qing blindfolded—a clear sign they didn’t want me to know where he was hiding.
“Seize the assassin!” Shi Qingfeng shouted angrily, surrounding the Liancheng Shi clan members.
Old Cat’s provocations stirred them up, but their minds were sharp. They would never back down when they should stand firm, yet they wouldn’t act rashly over a few words when it wasn’t necessary.
I was startled when I heard this—am I also studying medicine? Why has Xuyun never mentioned this before?
Gu Xiu watched the Fu family members head toward the cave dwelling on the hillside, knowing this was not their final destination. So she and Peng Chang, along with Zheng Linwen and the others, simply watched from the side, not intending to follow.
Indeed, Old Lu and I clashed nearly every day at the start. He seemed to have feelings for me, as if he felt guilty if he didn’t scold me several times a day.
“Chen Chen, shall we guess what the Leng family’s maid is doing right now?” I mimicked Chen Chen, crossing my legs and teasingly said.
Everyone was tired except for Yi Zhantong, carefree and heartless. With a reassuring man by her side, she poked her arms out from under the covers, wrapped them around his neck, and lay soundly sleeping in his embrace.
Within just a few breaths, she seemed as if she had just been pulled from the water, her skin glistening with steaming sweat. To her surprise, along with the sweat that poured out, the deep-seated anxiety and fear that had plagued her soul vanished without a trace, and her body temperature returned to normal.
How could he have forgotten that the emperor had just stormed out of Yucui Palace in displeasure? Clearly, Concubine Yuzhaoyi had said something inappropriate that offended the emperor’s mood. He had flung aside his sleeves, his face darkened, and refused to sit in his sedan chair. Eventually, he wandered into the imperial garden to clear his mind.