Chapter 41: Then, Madam, please reward me.

When Li Yue'er returned to Songlan Hall, she found that the mistress had not only not come to "rescue" her, but had even leisurely taken a bath and was now sitting on a soft couch wearing a thick outer robe, her knuckles supporting her forehead as she read miscellaneous books.

Whenever she looked at the account books, Li Yue'er could always convince herself that the mistress was too busy to pick her up.

As a result, today I stopped studying military strategy and account books, and started reading local chronicles.

This kind of book usually sits on the bookshelf collecting dust, but today, the mistress took it out and, with her forehead propped up, held it in one hand and slowly read it.

Ha, what a leisurely and elegant pursuit!

Li Yue'er took a deep breath, put on a smile, and said in a voice so soft it could melt water, "Greetings, Mistress."

The mistress looked up at her, her gaze indifferent, and sized her up from head to toe before her eyes fell on the tray in her hands. She raised an eyebrow and drawled, "Oh?"

Li Yue'er said in a high-pitched voice, "It was a gift from the old lady, a red agate and gold headdress."

The mistress seemed to be smiling.

Li Yue'er really couldn't understand her!

Annoyed, she didn't think about it too much, just casually placed the things on the table and went to the wardrobe.

Qu Rong sat up, closed the book, and asked her, "What are you looking for?"

Li Yue'er: "Find the bedding."

She turned to look at her mistress, her smile unchanged. "I'm afraid the smell of medicine on me might disturb your reading tonight, so I'll be sleeping on the floor. If you have any instructions, just wake me up."

Qu Rong, "..."

The inner room had three wardrobes with six doors, containing not only seasonal clothes but also seasonal bedding. Out-of-season clothes and bedding were collected by the maids, placed in chests, and carried to other rooms separately, only to be taken out to air when the sun was shining.

Li Yue'er had never opened the mistress's wardrobe before. She knew there were bedding inside, but she just didn't know which door it was.

After she opened the wrong door three times in a row, the mistress asked her in confusion, "Did the old lady punish you?"

Li Yue'er took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "No, the old lady treats me very well. She said that as long as I am obedient, sensible, and serve the mistress well, she will give my whole family a way to survive."

She stood with her back to herself in front of a row of mahogany wardrobes. Whether she was angry or furious, Qu Rong could still see her shoulders rising and falling with her breath, even though she tried her best to control her voice.

Even though Qu Rong couldn't see Li Yue'er's expression, she knew that Li Yue'er was unhappy. Not only unhappy, but also quite angry.

Qu Rong's eyes lit up with a smile.

If Li Yue'er returns with a calm expression and no emotional fluctuations, then she'll have to give her bedmate a good talking-to.

Qu Rong asked her with great interest, "Why are you so angry when I didn't punish you?"

Li Yue'er stopped opening the other cabinet doors, her eyes fixed on the several thick quilts inside, her fingers gripping the door panel tightly. "This servant is not angry."

She instinctively tried to argue, "I received a reward today, and starting tomorrow I can go to the old lady's courtyard to learn about the affairs of the household from Madam Wu. I will receive two monthly allowances, so why would I be angry? I'm so happy that I don't even want to eat dinner."

Despite being angry, I didn't hold back on what needed to be said, and I didn't shut up or become a silent gourd just because I was unhappy.

Qu Rong placed the book on the soft couch, walked to the table, picked up an agate gold hairpin from the red cloth tray, and walked towards Li Yue'er, saying, "You came to find me right after Wu Mama called you away with the rattan.

Hearing the voice behind her, Li Yue'er felt a little wronged but also rational, telling herself that the mistress must have her reasons for doing this. So even if she was throwing a tantrum, she would obediently come back to see her, lest she really do what the old lady wanted and sow discord between her and the mistress.

Suddenly, there was a bit of weight on my hair bun, and something was gently inserted into my hair.

Li Yue'er was stunned. She subconsciously raised her hand to touch it, and at the same time turned around to look directly at her mistress.

Qu Rong pulled off Li Yue'er's wrist, which was touching the hairpin, and led her to the bronze mirror on the dressing table, gesturing for her to look inside.

Li Yue'er ignored the redness at the corners of her eyes and her tightly pursed lips, only looking up at her hair bun.

The gold hairpin is shaped like blooming petals, with a red agate the size of a thumbnail adorning the center of the petals, making it both gorgeous and noble.

Even the worst agate hairpin would cost no less than five taels of silver, not to mention she had a whole set of them.

Li Yue'er still wanted to be angry, but looking at the hairpin, her mind was filled with the sound of gold clashing, and the corners of her mouth slowly pursed, even faintly wanting to curl upwards.

She quickly lowered her eyes and head, turned to face the mistress, and reminded her, "It was a gift from the old lady."

The mistress replied, "Of course I know."

Li Yue'er glanced at her quickly and said, "The old lady wants to win me over and has me monitor your every move."

The mistress walked toward the table. "I know that too."

Li Yue'er followed unconsciously, frowning with worry, "She told me to recognize the true situation and know who the master is in the house."

She feared that the old lady would be detrimental to the mistress of the house.

The mistress looked up at her, her phoenix eyes reflecting her face, filled with worry.

Li Yue'er's face felt a little hot, afraid that her mistress would see something in her eyes, yet also hoping that her mistress would see something in her eyes.

The mistress reached out to her, took her wrist, and gently pulled her into her arms.

Before Li Yue'er could react, she was already sitting sideways on her mistress's lap, her hands expertly wrapping around her shoulders. "..."

Beauty can lead people astray.

Getting up again at this point would seem too deliberate, and besides, the anger from before had already passed after the mistress's few words had diverted it.

Although she was no longer angry, she was not so willing to be ardent with the Lord Mother.

She lowered her eyes, withdrew her arm, looked down at her fingertips, pursed her lips, and still said softly, "When I left Shouhe Hall and saw the lanterns ahead, I thought you were waiting for me there."

So, as if she had survived a disaster, she walked over with light steps, almost running.

Qu Rong paused, then looked up at Li Yue'er. She didn't know this, nor had she expected it.

When Li Yue'er said these words in a calm tone, she seemed even more aggrieved and disappointed than when she was angry.

Qu Rong lowered her eyes and explained, "I have my own considerations."

Qu Rong raised her hand to cover Li Yue'er's fingertips, drawing her gaze back to herself. "The old lady's tricks are nothing more than the same old ones. I know perfectly well why she's looking for you. If I go over there, her arrangements for you will remain unchanged, and she'll even stop trying to win you over and start giving orders directly."

Li Yue'er looked at the red cloth tray on the table and tentatively asked, "What about these...?"

Qu Rong replied, "Of course I won't reward you."

Li Yue'er bit her lower lip, her heart filled with hesitation and inner struggle.

Qu Rong said, "Not only that, she will use me to put pressure on you, making me send you to Shouhe Hall on time every day. At that time, you will have to be obedient and go early and leave late, without being lazy at all, because you will have to consider my authority in the house."

Li Yue'er is no longer angry.

She looked quietly at the mistress, her eyes glistening with tears.

Qu Rong glanced at her and said, "You'll be going to Shouhe Hall anyway, so tonight do you want me to come pick you up when you have nothing, or do you want a red agate gold headdress and two monthly allowances?"

Without hesitation, Li Yue'er said firmly, "This servant will naturally understand the hardships of the mistress. These matters do not require the mistress's concern; this servant can handle them."

She didn't want any red agate gold jewelry or two monthly allowances; she was clearly just feeling sorry for the mistress!

Qu Rong looked up at her and scoffed, "Solely driven by profit."

Qu Rong's expression was indifferent, but in her heart she thought, "She's full of money, and Li Yue'er is only interested in profit, which isn't so bad."

Li Yue'er ignored this advice, saying, "Actually, the reason the mistress didn't go today is probably to let me face the old lady directly. We'll inevitably have to deal with her in the future, seeing each other every day. If I'm always afraid of her and avoid her, it's not a long-term solution."

The mistress had her own considerations, but she also took her timidity and poverty into account.

After today's trip, Li Yue'er has come to see through the old lady and knows how to deal with her in the future.

Most importantly, I got a good set of equipment!

Qu Rong does indeed mean that.

She rarely showed Li Yue'er such an appreciative look, saying, "She's sensible, knows the big picture, and her education wasn't in vain."

Li Yue'er's fingertips climbed back onto the mistress's shoulder, swaying and sliding down like vines. Her lips approached the mistress's lips, her long eyelashes lowered, and her breathy voice was seductive, "Then mistress, reward me."

Her tone and posture suggest she's asking for a reward.

Qu Rong's breathing became labored. He wrapped his arms around Li Yue'er's shoulders and back, lifted his face, closed his eyes, and kissed her lips.

A sly smile appeared in Li Yue'er's eyes. Just as her mistress was about to kiss her, she slipped out of her mistress's arms like an eel. "What are you thinking, mistress? This isn't the reward I want."

Li Yue'er picked up the red cloth tray on the table, twisted her toes, and walked towards the cabinet, which was a small way of getting back at her mistress.

Qu Rong, "..."

Qu Rong stared intently at Li Yue'er's back. Her arms were empty and her legs were light. Unlike Li Yue'er, who was straightforward and shameless, Qu Rong could not get Li Yue'er to come back and finish what she hadn't done earlier. She could only purse her lips and look at her.

Seeing Li Yue'er peeking into the cabinet, Qu Rong finally couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking for now?"

Li Yue'er: "Find a secluded place to hide my jewelry."

She looked very careful. "It's too valuable. I have to keep it safe."

The mistress, "..."

The mistress remained silent.

Li Yue'er knew that she didn't understand the psychology of a poor person suddenly becoming rich and receiving good things. She took off the hairpin, put it on her chest, and then carefully put it back in the tray and covered it with a cloth.

"So you hid this in my closet?"

Those are all her cleaned and scented clothes.

Li Yue'er blinked and tentatively asked, "Then should I take it back to my room and hide it in my wardrobe?"

She had a look on her face that said, "Where the money is, there the person is."

The mistress went back to get the book, sat down on the couch, and pretended not to hear her speak.

Li Yue'er smiled and placed her headdress at the very bottom of the mistress's wardrobe, making sure it wouldn't touch her clothes.

She planned to pawn the set of items for cash through the mistress when she was really short of money, so that the old lady wouldn't accuse her of theft.

Li Yue'er closed the cabinet door, lifted her dress and sat on the soft couch, looking down at her mistress, and said softly, "I'll keep the reward I asked for for now, and ask for it back from you later."

Qu Rong lifted her eyelashes to look at her, glanced at her, and then looked away. She hummed softly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

At just the right moment, Dansha knocked softly on the door and said, "Mistress, dinner is ready."

Qu Rong looked at Li Yue'er again, slowly closed the book, and said, "You're not hungry, but I am. I'm going to eat. You go wash up and warm the bed."

Li Yue'er, "..."

Li Yue'er was just saying that out of anger; in reality, she was starving. "Doctor Fu only said today that I can't go hungry."

She followed the mistress, saying, "You need to eat more good food."

Seeing that her mistress ignored her, Li Yue'er took her arm with both hands and said in a seductive whisper, "Someone as warm-natured as you, mistress, is a great tonic for someone like me who is cold-natured. I hope you will help me to nourish myself properly in the future~"

"Replenishing Yin with Yin?" Qu Rongzhen actually thought about it for a moment, then paused, came back to her senses, and glanced at her sideways.

...shameless.

Qu Rong, her ears turning red with a serious expression, frowned and pursed her lips, but let Li Yue'er pester her as the two went to the outer room for dinner.

She has a sweet tooth, and although Li Yue'er loves sweets, she actually prefers salty food. In just one month, three out of the four dishes on the table were made according to Li Yue'er's taste.

While there is a hint of gamboge in this, it is more of a tacit approval and indulgence from Qu Rong.

After Li Yue'er finished eating and drinking, she went to wash up. When she returned, the mistress was sitting at the round table with her outer robe on, facing the light of the oil lamp, flipping through the account book with one hand and using the abacus with the other.

As for that local gazetteer, I have no idea where it is now.

It seems that the mistress had been sitting in the room waiting for her before she returned. When she heard her return, she hurriedly picked up a book and started reading. Although her eyes were on the book, she didn't read a word on the page.

Li Yue'er bit her lower lip lightly, slowly approached, and pounced like a big cat, opening her outer robe to pull herself and her mistress into her arms. She lay on her back with her arms around her front, and pressed her warm lips against her mistress's neck. "You said you weren't waiting for me."

The mistress was thrown forward, her palms resting on the edge of the table. She didn't respond at all, but just glanced at her. Seeing that she had tidied up, she put down the abacus and led her to the bed.

Li Yue'er's eyes shone brightly, a hint of anticipation in her heart.

She realized her period was almost over.

In just three days, it was clear that her body had become increasingly depleted over the past two years, and even a month of supplementation had no effect.

Normally, she might have been worried, fearing that her short-lived mother would outlive her. But today, she felt a little relieved, because that small amount wouldn't affect her relationship with her mistress.

Li Yue'er was as soft as a puddle of water; the mistress could easily push her down and melt away.

To everyone's surprise, the mistress opened a drawer in the dressing table, took out a small white porcelain jar, and opened it to reveal the familiar bright green ointment and the equally familiar pungent, spicy medicinal smell.

Li Yue'er, "..."

In an instant, all lust vanished completely.

She herself had almost forgotten about the ointment, so how could the mistress still remember it?

The mistress glanced at her, perhaps guessing what she was thinking, and smiled slightly, a rare occurrence.

Li Yue'er's face flushed. She bent her knees and rolled up her trouser legs, looked down, and changed the subject, "It doesn't seem to hurt anymore."

But it was still a very dark red and purple color, which looked rather frightening.

The mistress washed her hands, showing no remorse for the good stuff. She scooped out a large dollop of ointment, rubbed it in her palms until it was warm, and then sat on the edge of the bed, massaging her knees. "Don't kneel before her next time unless you've made a serious mistake."

Li Yue'er blinked and deliberately asked, "What if you make a big mistake?"

The mistress chuckled softly, "Then you don't need to kneel before her, just think about how to kneel before me."

What should have been a polite attempt to protect her family turned out to be something she said in an unpleasant way.

Li Yue'er leaned forward and bit her mistress's shoulder.

The mistress's tone was slightly puzzled, and she immediately loosened her grip, "...Does it still hurt today?"

It didn't hurt; I just wanted to bite her.

Upon seeing the ointment, Li Yue'er thought of Su Rou, who also had discomfort in her legs. She subtly suggested to the mistress that they "use a carriage." "Although Sister Su said she didn't need my concern, I could tell something was wrong just by looking at her walk."

After Li Yue'er finished speaking, she noticed that the mistress was looking at her and looked back in confusion.

The mistress said, "...It's alright, if you say so, then use it."

It's just a carriage; the Qu family isn't short of money, and they don't need Li Yue'er's pittance.

However, Su Rou probably doesn't appreciate the old lady's "consideration".

Not having to come to class in the morning gives someone plenty of excuses to indulge themselves.

Qu Rong reminded Li Yue'er, "Ask Su Rou less about these things in the future. After you pointed it out today, she should be more restrained and discreet in the future."

But Su Rou is proud, and if Li Yue'er finds out about this, Su Rou is afraid she will be so ashamed and angry that she won't know how to face Li Yue'er.

The mistress paused and glossed over the names, but Li Yue'er couldn't help but overthink. After all, she had tasted the flavor, and the scent of it made her thoughts wander.

She felt she had wasted her time studying the classics, actually associating Su Rou and Shi Yi's relationship with those kinds of stories!

The mistress suddenly looked over.

Li Yue'er felt so guilty that she immediately lowered her head, pretended to blow on her knee, and puffed out her cheeks to blow air.

The mistress slowly withdrew her gaze, which fell on her knees.

Li Yue'er's skin is fair and delicate; it turns very red easily from any bumps or bruises. Today, she knelt before the old lady, and her knees are still red.

Li Yue'er felt none of this mattered, but just as she was about to pull her leg back, she noticed that her mistress lowered her eyes and head and gently kissed her knee.

Li Yue'er was stunned.

Before the emotions of gratitude and complex feelings in my heart could spread and overflow, the mistress had already gotten up with a look of disgust to rinse her mouth and wipe her lips.

Li Yue'er, "..."

If kissing someone's knees causes this much reaction, imagine if it were kissed elsewhere...!

Li Yue'er ripped down her trouser leg!

Qu Rong disliked the strong smell of the ointment on Li Yue'er's legs. It was so strong that it stung her eyes when she got close. In particular, the herbs used to soak Li Yue'er's feet smelled terrible, almost like they were pickling her skin. There was no place to eat it.

Qu Rong put down the towel and returned. As soon as she lay down on the bed, Li Yue'er took the initiative to hug her.

Li Yue'er pretended to want to get some of the ointment smell off her mistress.

Qu Rong felt that Li Yue'er was lusting after her.

Qu Rong held Li Yue'er down and reached for the military strategy manual. Just as her hand was about to leave, Li Yue'er suddenly remembered something and whispered it to her beside her:

"It was the old lady who sent him to my house. Maybe she was the one who told him that I was going back yesterday."

The two of them both knew who "he" was referring to without him saying his name.

Qu Rong stopped what she was doing and looked intently into Li Yue'er's eyes. "Is this true? Did she really contact him?"

Li Yue'er's eyes lit up, and she nodded in agreement.

Although the old lady didn't say it explicitly, the implication when she used this matter to blackmail her was very clear, and Li Yue'er couldn't have misunderstood it.

Li Yue'er saw her mistress smile, the same smile she had given her the night before when she had finished applying ointment to her hands and warned her not to make a sound—a smile tinged with malice.

Li Yue'er felt a strong urge and reached out to touch the corner of her mistress's mouth.

She noticed that the mistress was smiling more often.

Qu Rong grasped Li Yue'er's mischievous fingertips and unconsciously kissed them on her lips. "If that's really the case, I do have a way to deal with him."

Li Yue'er's heart trembled slightly, not only because her mistress had been keeping this matter in mind, but also because of the kiss on her fingertips when her mistress was distracted.

Her gaze followed her fingers to her mistress's lips, her fingertips brushing against her mistress's soft, warm lower lip. She leaned forward slightly, lowered her head, and kissed the red beauty mark at the corner of her mistress's eye.

The originally serious atmosphere suddenly became romantic.

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Old lady: It's cold, Miss Su, please come again this afternoon. (She'll be so grateful to me.)

Su Rou: ...Thank you so much, your whole family! (smiles)