Chapter 76: How about the mistress gives me a penny?

The mistress slept with her hair down, but Li Yue'er had just returned from outside and naturally had her hair tied up.

The mistress's fingers were nimble; she removed her hairpin and quickly untied the bun that the mistress had been wearing for a while that morning.

Her long hair cascaded down, sliding over Li Yue'er's shoulders and back before falling onto the mistress's pillow, blending seamlessly with the mistress's black hair.

Just like their breaths at this moment, intertwined and inseparable.

The mistress's long fingers ran through her hair, her palm gently cupped the back of her head, and she kissed her lips with her eyes closed.

Li Yue'er nestled in her mistress's arms, cupping her face in her hands, letting her pry open her lips and hook her tongue in a passionate, lingering kiss.

When the two of them first slept in the same bed, Li Yue'er never dreamed that her mistress, who was so clean and distant and resistant to kissing, would one day take the initiative to eat her mouth and kiss her lips as if she couldn't get enough of it.

When the kiss ended, both of them were panting and their faces were flushed.

Li Yue'er propped herself up on her elbows, the blanket covering her from the waist down, her lips slightly pursed, her eyes glistening as she looked at her mistress.

The mistress slowly opened her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye looked as if it had been kissed, a captivating red.

Li Yue'er gently touched the corner of her mistress's eye with her fingertip, but her mistress grabbed her finger and stuffed it back into the quilt, clutching it tightly.

Even with her long hair flowing freely, Li Yue'er was still extremely beautiful, especially with her lips slightly red from being kissed and her eyes glistening with moisture, like a delicate pink peony blooming only for her.

Qu Rong put her arm around Li Yue'er's waist, pulled the blanket over Li Yue'er's shoulders, and asked in a hoarse voice, "You're back."

Li Yue'er kissed the corner of her mouth, "Mmm."

She couldn't stop talking and said to her, "I didn't even miss the appointed time. You don't know, I only woke up this morning and my mother asked me when I was back. She said if I was late, you wouldn't let me come back next time."

Li Yue'er's intentions were too obvious. Qu Rong glanced at her twice but didn't say anything.

Li Yue'er stared at her intently.

Qu Rong simply pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

Li Yue'er cupped her face in her hands, "Alright, alright, it's me who wants to go back next time."

Qu Rong opened her eyes and glared at her with a light chuckle, "...Your heart has become wild."

All he thinks about is going home; his heart isn't with her anymore.

As he spoke, he pulled his arm away from Li Yue'er's waist, turned over, and lay down facing outwards.

Seeing through her mistress's intentions, Li Yue'er quickly pressed her chest against her upper body, then grabbed her mistress's arm and placed it behind her own waist, explaining:

“I’m not going back to stay. It’s my mom and your aunt who told me to take you back for meals more often next time. She noticed you didn’t eat much last night and guessed you might like other flavors, so she said she’d learn some new dishes from the aunties and make them for you to try next time.”

Li Yue'er said, "Let's go back together then, have dinner, and then come back."

That's more like it.

Qu Rong wrapped one arm around Li Yue'er's waist, raised the other hand, tucked a stray hair behind her ear, placed her palm on Li Yue'er's face, and said softly, "I don't dislike it."

Li Yue'er didn't believe it.

The matriarch preferred sweet flavors, while she preferred spicy ones. This preference of hers certainly didn't come from nowhere; it was naturally the same as her mother's and sister's, which is why their family's dishes tended to be rich and flavorful with dark sauces.

Although I brought some food back from the mansion yesterday, it was cooked according to the tastes of the mother and her two daughters, so the mistress didn't eat much during the meal.

Qu Rong was surprised that Madam Ming had even noticed this. She pursed her lips and replied, "Okay, then let's go back together next time."

Unexpectedly, the mistress was so easy to talk to today. She was planning to use her words and plead with her.

Li Yue'er happily kissed her mistress's cheek, her warm, soft lips gently pursing her ear as she lowered her eyes and whispered, "Was my mouth sweet just now? Did you like it, mistress?"

Qu Rong kept silent.

Li Yue'er must have eaten some sweet pastries before coming, as her mouth was still full of the taste of almond tofu. Even after rinsing her mouth, the taste of almonds and the fragrance of tofu lingered on her lips and tongue.

Yesterday, Li Yue'er wanted Li Xing'er to try the peach shortbread she brought yesterday; today, she wants her to try the almond tofu she brought yesterday.

In short, we can't let her mouth go hungry.

Qu Rong then pinched Li Yue'er's earlobe and whispered to her, "Greedy."

A permissive tone.

Li Yue'er really got a craving, cupped her mistress's face, and started eating her mouth again.

The kisses were light and delicate, moving from the mistress's cheeks to the corners of her mouth, before the tongue slipped inside her slightly pursed lips.

Her hand slid down the mistress's face, into her bosom, and then to her waist and abdomen.

The mistress's breath was hot, and her skin was burning, but she held her tightly and refused to continue. She even turned her head slightly to avoid her passionate kiss, panting as she said, "Your period is only on its second day."

Li Yue'er naturally knew.

But the mistress hadn't had her period.

But the mistress refused, holding her to calm her fever and heartbeat, gently pressing her chin against her hair, and said softly, "Your health is poor, you can't think about those things at a time like this."

It's normal to have thoughts during menstruation, but you shouldn't actually do it.

Even if Li Yue'er helps her, Li Yue'er is still suffering from menstruation.

Why harm her health while she's recovering, just for a moment of pleasure?

Qu Rong gently stroked Li Yue'er's thin back with her palm, and said in a low voice, "Good girl."

As soon as she did that, Li Yue'er went limp and obediently nestled in her arms.

Sometimes even Li Yue'er couldn't tell who was older.

She kissed her mistress's shoulder without any lust and asked softly, "Why didn't you sleep last night?"

Qu Rong lowered her eyes. "It's important."

Li Yue'er looked up at her and said, "You should catch up on your sleep today, but you clearly weren't asleep when I came."

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so lucid as to hold her in his arms and kiss her.

The mistress looked at her and said the same thing again, "It's important."

Li Yue'er, "?"

So many important matters have come up, I'm neglecting my health.

Li Yue'er raised her hand, her cool palm covering the mistress's eyes. "Then I'll stay with you for a while. You should go to sleep soon."

Qu Rong then turned to face Li Yue'er and closed her eyes to sleep.

The two lay on one pillow, so close that Li Yue'er could feel her mistress's breathing.

She looked down.

The mistress must have been very tired. The light inside the bed curtains was dim, but even so, she could vaguely see dark circles under the mistress's eyes, and her long eyelashes cast a tired shadow.

Li Yue'er used her fingers as a brush, sketching the mistress's eyebrows and eyes in the air. She found that even with her superb drawing skills, it was difficult to truly capture the mistress's appearance.

When she sleeps with her eyes closed and brows furrowed, a hint of youthful innocence shines through her quietness. But once she wakes up and speaks, her indifferent face and cold eyes make it hard to believe that she is only seventeen years old, a year younger than her.

Li Yue'er only kissed her mistress's hair, afraid that kissing her cheek would wake her up.

Li Yue'er sat next to the mistress and suddenly had a presumptuous thought: could it be that the mistress waited until now to sleep because she was waiting for her?

Li Yue'er felt fortunate that she had asked Su Rou for half an hour's leave, thinking that even just coming in to hug the mistress would be good; otherwise, if she had gone directly to the main hall for class, the mistress would have had to wait for her for who knows how long.

After about half an hour, the mistress had fallen asleep and turned over to lie flat on her back with her hands on her lower abdomen. Only then did Li Yue'er slowly get out of bed.

She acted like a thief, pursing her hairpin, clutching her clothes in her arms, and lifting her shoes with her fingers. She tiptoed out and only put them on one by one when she reached the outer room.

She opened and closed the door carefully.

Garcinia was waiting for her outside.

Li Yue'er: "What did Sister Su say?"

Garcinia: "Sister Su didn't say anything, but she ate the pastries you bought."

Li Yue'er cheered, "That means they won't blame me."

Dansha also took a nap during the day, so Li Yue'er left Gamboge at the door to guard the mistress while she went to class.

When she returned from school in the afternoon, Fujiwara said, "The mistress woke up half an hour ago and hasn't gotten up yet."

I slept almost all day and didn't even eat lunch.

Li Yue'er pushed open the door and went in. The curtain separating the room had already been lifted, but the candles in the inner room had not been lit yet, and the light was the same as in the courtyard, the light of dusk.

Unlike in the morning, when Li Yue'er was afraid of making any noise and her attention was entirely focused on the mistress inside the bed curtains, now that the mistress was awake, she didn't need to be so careful.

The mistress's hair was still loose, but she sat up, holding a letter in her hand, and was reading it carefully.

Li Yue'er didn't immediately approach, but instead went to the table to pour herself some water. Her eyes casually swept across the room, passing by the wardrobe.

There looked like a lantern was placed on a mahogany box next to the wardrobe. The paper covering it was almost completely gone, leaving only the skeleton to barely maintain its shape, making it look quite pathetic and wretched.

"What are you looking at?" the mistress asked.

Li Yue'er turned her gaze back to the mistress, who had already stuffed the letter back into the envelope and was quietly looking at her.

Li Yue'er poured her another glass of water, handed it to her, and fed it to her, asking, "Look at that lantern, did you make it?"

After all, the mistress's skills were average, and her paintings were ordinary, so it's not surprising that the lanterns were made like this.

Qu Rong took the cup herself, her eyes not on the lantern, but on Li Yue'er, and said, "I found it."

No wonder.

Li Yue'er laughed, "The mistress is kind-hearted; she even picked up the lantern when it was so broken."

Is it broken?

Qu Rong looked at it and it seemed to be dilapidated.

The rabbit lantern was reduced to a bamboo frame, and the lonely, orange-red light of dusk shone through the window paper, casting a pitiful and strange shadow on it. No one would like it.

Qu Rong said, "Throw it away."

Li Yue'er: "Why throw it away? It can still look decent after some repairs."

She looked at the mistress and said, "Leave it to me."

Qu Rong raised her eyebrows.

Li Yue'er made a bet with her, "If I repair it, how about the mistress gives me a coin?"

Qu Rong was very generous, saying, "The Qu family can give you whatever they want."

Li Yue'er blinked, deliberately testing the waters, "I don't want the Qu family, just give me the indenture, Madam~"

The mistress replied without hesitation, "Don't even think about it."

Li Yue'er, "..."

Li Yue'er knew it!

She rushed into her mistress's arms, wrapped her arms around her shoulders, and bit her lower lip.

The mistress just smiled, took the water glass away with one hand, put the other hand behind her waist, lowered her head and asked, "Have you washed up? Why are you wearing your coat to bed again?"

At least this time she didn't say "get into my bed".

Li Yue'er's eyes crinkled into crescents as she mischievously shook her head. "No, I just came back from outside, covered in dust and chill."

The mistress, "..."

Li Yue'er continued, "Actually, it was the same in the morning."

She even spent half an hour in bed kissing and cuddling with her mistress that morning.

The mistress, "..."

Qu Rong lifted the covers and got out of bed. "Have the maid come and change me into a new set. I'll sleep in the new one tonight."

.

When Li Yue'er said she would help the mistress repair the lanterns, she was certainly not just saying it casually.

The next day she began preparing the tools, and Su Rou saw her busy and gave her a few pointers.

Even so, Li Yue'er spent four days repairing it.

That evening, Qu Rong came out of the bathroom after washing up and saw Li Yue'er with her hands behind her back, her eyes bright and clear, and the dog sneaking over.

Qu Rong raised an eyebrow, understanding dawning on her.

Her period ended, and she came over to ask for a "reward".

Qu Rong pretended not to remember the date, her expression remained normal, but her footsteps moved closer to the bedside.

Li Yue'er, "?"

Li Yue'er called out to her, "Mistress, we haven't eaten yet."

Qu Rong has been leaving early and returning late lately. When she comes back, she always takes a shower and changes clothes before eating, and Li Yue'er naturally goes with her.

Qu Rong paused, looked at Li Yue'er, then at the bed, then back at Li Yue'er, "..."

Li Yue'er suddenly exclaimed "Oh!" and drew out the sound, asking teasingly, "What does Mistress think I'm going to do?"

Qu Rong, "..."

Qu Rong never answered these kinds of questions; she simply returned to the table and sat down silently.

Li Yue'er laughed uncontrollably, "So, Mistress planned to eat me first, then eat the rest of the meal. Hmm, my period ended last night, and Mistress waited an extra day, so it's normal that you're anxious for me now."

I've been craving it for days, especially since we can only kiss and hug each other and can't go all the way. Of course, I'm thinking about it.

Qu Rong's ears turned red, and she frowned seriously, "You're overthinking it. I didn't remember any of that."

Li Yue'er didn't argue with her. She simply walked to face her, took her hands out from behind her back, and mimicked Xiaoxiao's tone, "Ta-da~"

Qu Rong first looked at Li Yue'er, then at what she was carrying, and then froze.

It's that rabbit lantern.

Li Yue'er applied paste to the original bamboo frame, cut out and pasted colored paper, and drew eyes, a nose, and a mouth. She even put a candle inside the lantern, so the rabbit lantern was glowing when she carried it.

Lifelike and endearing, it bears no resemblance to its original appearance.

Qu Rong tried reaching out, placing her palm on it, and gently touching it twice.

It is very sturdy and will not fall apart at the slightest touch.

Even each sticker on the rabbit lantern is unique. It is carefully compared and cut out before being pasted on, going through several layers to achieve its solid, vibrant appearance and soft, hazy glow.

Qu Rong smiled, looked up at Li Yue'er, and sincerely praised, "You are indeed amazing."

With skillful hands, she transformed the rabbit lantern, which was reduced to a skeleton, into a lifelike creature.

Li Yue'er bent down proudly, raised the lantern with her arm, and smiled as she looked at her eye level. "Impressive, isn't it? Here you go."

She's so amazing, and I gave her both the rabbit lantern and the other gift.

Qu Rong didn't take the lantern. Instead, she reached out and grabbed Li Yue'er's wrist, pulled her into her arms and sat her on her lap. She tilted her head and kissed Li Yue'er's lips.

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Moon: My cooking skills have always been excellent [heart emoji]

Mistress: ...

Aww, let's ring in the New Year together today, and this chapter just happens to be sweet too.

Like a lantern, the matriarch bids farewell to the past and welcomes a new life. May all the sisters who were not happy in 2025 also be like this!

Updated an hour early today. Wishing everyone a peaceful and joyful 2026! [Hands clasped in prayer]

To borrow the words of the matriarch, "Boundless joy, reverence throughout the years."

(Leave a comment in this chapter and I'll send you a red envelope! Wishing you a prosperous and lucky New Year!)