Chapter 84: Li Yue'er, you are my wife.

The study was quiet; I wondered what everyone was busy with.

Gambo pressed himself against the door, his ears perked up, as if he wanted to squeeze himself inside to listen.

Dansha sighed softly, "Be careful not to let the patriarch find out."

Tung-huang waved his hand dismissively and said in a low voice, "It's alright, it's alright. At worst, I'll be punished by copying scriptures, or at worst, I'll be punished by doing accounting."

Dansha warned, "It's also possible that you'll be sent to Anping Prefecture to work as a steward."

Fujiki was stunned. "?!"

Teng Huang sprang away from the door, no longer daring to listen. "Then am I supposed to leave you and Miss Yue'er? How cruel the patriarch is!"

She puffed out her cheeks and pursed her lips, her fingers twirling around her belt as she leaned idly against the pillar under the eaves, her eyes constantly glancing back.

Dansha walked over to her, took out a palm-sized oil paper packet from her sleeve, handed it to her, and coaxed her to be happy, "Your favorite white peach and mung bean cake."

Rambo's face lit up instantly. He quickly untied it, pinched off a piece, and tasted it. "Delicious!"

Sweet but not cloying, it melts in your mouth.

She likes to eat, but she doesn't eat much each time because she needs to save room for other things.

After three times, Dansha figured out her appetite and bought just the right amount of four pieces each time, enough to satisfy her craving and make her want to eat it again, but not so much that she would get too full or tired of it.

Only Dansha could be so patient and attentive to such small details.

Teng Huang stared at Dan Sha with her eyes crinkled into crescents. Just then, a little maid ran over and greeted the two of them, "Sister Teng Huang, Sister Dan Sha."

Teng Huang immediately stood up straight. Even in front of the young maid, she still maintained the demeanor of a senior maid.

Garcinia wiped the crumbs from his mouth. Although he didn't put away the oil paper packet, he didn't eat it either. He asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

The little maid looked at her, then at Dansha, and whispered, "I've come to thank Sister Dansha."

Teng Huang was taken aback, his body reacting faster than his mind. Before his smile could fade, he instantly glared at Dan Sha, his lips pursed, and said, "Oh~?"

Dan Sha asked in confusion, "?"

She looked at the little maid.

The maidservant smiled and said, "My mother is old and ill, so I wanted to stay in the Qu family to continue working and earning money. I didn't plan to get married. When I was desperate, I asked Sister Dansha to mention it to the head of the family. The head of the family actually allowed me to bring my mother into the family to do some simple work and earn a wage."

The maid was very grateful and took out an oil paper package from her sleeve. "They said that you like white peach and mung bean cakes, and you often buy them. When I went to pick up my mother, I brought you a portion as a thank you gift."

He then offered the cinnabar with both hands.

Cinnabar turned to look at Gamboge.

Teng Huang pouted so much his lips could hang an oil bottle. When he met Dan Sha's gaze, he snorted, turned around, and faced the study door instead of looking at the two of them.

She pinched a piece of mung bean cake, stuffed it whole into her mouth, and choked, unable to breathe. "..."

Not only was my mouth feeling choked up, but my chest also felt stuffy and tight.

There seemed to be a soft, low sound coming from the study, but Teng Huang had no intention of eavesdropping at all; his attention was entirely focused on Dan Sha behind him.

She didn't know what she was waiting for, but she was just feeling uneasy.

Dansha refused the maid's gift of thanks, "The head of the family asked me to help Miss Yue'er count your fates. That day, I asked not only you, but also the maids of your age. It was the head of the family's decision to bring your mother into the mansion, and it has nothing to do with me."

This task was originally meant for Fujiwara, but she was being lazy, so I went to ask for her instead.

Dansha replied in a distant and indifferent tone, "It's my duty, no need for your thanks."

"besides……"

Dansha glanced at Tenghuang and, seeing that she was still eavesdropping, smiled. "I don't like white peach and mung bean cakes."

The young maidservant gave a bewildered "Ah," and seeing Dansha nod apologetically at her, she quickly smiled and shook her head and waved her hands, "Then I still want to thank you, and thank you, Master. My mother and I will do our jobs well! We will definitely not let you down!"

Since Sister Dansha didn't want the mung bean cake, the little maid put it away, which was perfect for taking back to share with her mother.

She nodded and curtsied to the two head maids, then ran off briskly.

After the maid had walked away, Teng Huang turned to look at the cinnabar.

Dan Sha stood at a distance like a wooden stake, maintaining the same posture as before, showing no intention of coming over. His expression remained completely unchanged in the face of the maid's gratitude.

Teng Huang slowly turned back, shifted his feet to stand next to Dan Sha, swayed his arm slightly, and brushed his elbow against Dan Sha's elbow, deliberately calling out, "Sister Dan Sha~"

cinnabar,"……"

Dansha turned to look at her helplessly.

Teng Huang chuckled, delighted, and turned to drape his arm over Dan Sha's shoulder, resting his chin on his forearm, practically clinging to her. "Don't you like white peach and mung bean cakes? Then why do you keep buying them?"

She was extremely close, so close that the tip of her nose almost brushed against her cheek, so close that Dansha could smell the sweet fragrance on her body, and the aroma of white peach and mung bean cake on her lips and tongue when she spoke.

Dansha glanced at her sideways, her gaze falling on Teng Huang's lips. She subconsciously raised her hand, her thumb brushing across the corner of Teng Huang's mouth to wipe away the crumbs of mung bean cake, and said in a low voice, "You know perfectly well what I mean."

She knew best who she bought the things for, and she knew best who ate the pastries.

When Dansha raised her hand to wipe her lips, Teng Huang unconsciously tightened the fingers holding the mung bean cake. His gaze followed Dansha's movements, slowly moving to Dansha's face. He blinked twice, pursed his lips, and even unconsciously ran his tongue over the slightly itchy corner of Dansha's mouth after her fingertips touched it.

She felt a strange, indescribable feeling, yet it was as elusive as the wind.

But the only thing that Gungyo was certain of was that she liked the intimacy between Tanzaku and her.

Dansha magnified and slowed down every move of Gamboge. Dansha lowered her eyes and head slightly, her fingers that had touched Gamboge's mouth tightening.

She breathed softly, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of her throat.

When Dansha saw Teng Huang look up at her, she unconsciously lowered her head slightly, her lips almost unable to resist kissing Teng Huang's lips, but she stopped herself just in time.

Dansha felt that even if she kissed him, Fujiwara wouldn't push her away...

Dansha lowered her eyes, her breath trembling, her long eyelashes concealing the desire in her eyes, and turned her face away to look at the stone steps in front of her.

She turned her face away, and the intertwined breaths between them instantly broke.

Fujiwara laughed heartlessly, pressing her face against Tansha's shoulder, "Tansha-neechan is the best to me~"

After speaking, Teng Huang's ears felt slightly warm. As he took a small bite of the mung bean cake, he kept glancing to the side to see Dan Sha's thick eyelashes and slightly pursed lips. Before Dan Sha could look at him, he quickly looked away, his ears red, and he lowered his head to eat the last piece of mung bean cake.

The matter of the little maid was just a side story. After the rattan-yellow mung bean cakes were finished, the master's voice came from the study, "Light the lamps."

It was already dark.

Spring days are shorter than winter nights, and the nights are not as cold. The underfloor heating is no longer running, so Li Yue'er only needs a foot warmer to hold and keep warm before going to bed.

The underfloor heating in the master's room was turned off, and naturally the charcoal braziers in the maids' rooms were also extinguished.

Normally, Teng Huang would howl and rush into Dan Sha's arms, tucking her feet between Dan Sha's legs to warm her up. But today, unusually, Teng Huang curled up on her own, sleeping with her back to Dan Sha.

Dansha frowned at her and called out softly, "Gamboge?"

Garcinia immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

After waiting for a while, Teng Huang thought Dan Sha had fallen asleep and was about to turn over when Dan Sha quietly sat up behind her and touched her calf with her palm.

Fujiwara's eyes widened instantly. His first reaction wasn't to kick her away, but rather to feel a tingling sensation on his scalp and his face flush.

Her eyelashes fluttered incessantly in the darkness, her back to the cinnabar, and she bit her lip, remaining silent and still.

Dansha's hot palm slowly touched her ankle, and Tenghuang's face grew even hotter. Just as she was about to have impure thoughts, Dansha simply touched her foot to feel its temperature, then withdrew her hand and tucked the quilt back into her arms.

Gamboge, "..."

My only concern is that she might feel cold.

Dansha rolled over and went to sleep. Gamboge didn't know whether he felt relieved or slightly disappointed, but he felt an emptiness and itch in his heart, wanting something to fill it.

Fearing that Dansha would discover his leg-crossing, Teng Huang dared not continue to share a bed and blanket with Dansha.

Fortunately, these torturous days did not last long. As it was already very hot in April, Fujiwara did not hesitate to pack his things and move back to his own house.

Today, someone from the government office came to deliver the household registration certificate. Li Yue'er and the mistress waited together in the main hall.

She looked curiously at the cinnabar opposite her, then at the gamboge beside her, and then at the mistress sitting next to her.

The mistress calmly sipped her tea, seemingly oblivious to the strange and awkward atmosphere between her two head maids, without uttering a single question.

Li Yue'er was puzzled. In the past, Teng Huang felt that Dan Sha was becoming distant from her and tried to mend their relationship, behaving intimately with Dan Sha. But now, for some reason, Teng Huang had started to distance himself from Dan Sha.

The two head maids were standing face to face, but neither of them looked up at the other.

Cinnabar has always been like this, so it's understandable, but what's with gamboge?

Li Yue'er tilted her head to look at Teng Huang's expression.

Fujiwara, who was deep in thought, looked up and met her eyes. Startled, he took two steps back and gently touched his chest.

Li Yue'er, "?"

The mistress chuckled softly.

Li Yue'er, "..."

Li Yue'er's fingers were restless; she leaned over and poked at the soft flesh on her waist, but the mistress grabbed her fingertips, pinned them down, and pressed them against her thigh.

Li Yue'er, "?"

The maid in the courtyard was already leading the way. The yamen runners from the government office would be here soon. Li Yue'er struggled a couple of times, but couldn't pull her hand away. So she simply kept the position, smiling and looking up at her mistress, to see how long she could hold her hand.

Before the bailiffs entered, the mistress loosened her fingers.

Li Yue'er hummed, "Keep holding on, why did you let go?"

The mistress glanced at her sideways, but said nothing.

Li Yue'er sat side by side with the mistress in the main seat. The yamen runners were almost there, but the mistress did not get up. She hesitated for a moment, wavering between getting up and not getting up.

A new maid is about to enter the Qu residence. The new maids do not know her relationship with the mistress, nor do they know about the complex situation of wives and concubines in the Qu residence. They are only curious about her identity and what qualifications she has to manage the inner quarters.

Li Yue'er bit her lip, lowered her eyes, her fingers curled up on her lap, and finally stood up and walked behind the mistress.

Qu Rong looked up at her and frowned slightly.

Li Yue'er looked at her with a smile, her eyes moist and her eyebrows curved.

Actually, I'd be happy to stay by her side, even without a title or status.

When the yamen runners arrived, the mistress naturally withdrew her gaze from Li Yue'er's face, and the smile on Li Yue'er's face slowly faded as she lowered her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

For a moment, three of the four girls in the room looked preoccupied.

The mistress received the household registration certificate from the yamen runner, gave him a tip in rattan, and personally escorted him to the courtyard, showing the yamen the utmost respect.

Li Yue'er followed behind the mistress, looking curiously at the household registration sticker in her hand. "Huh?"

Why does it look like there's an extra one?

She looked over suspiciously, but the mistress put the hand holding the household registration certificate behind her back, refusing to let her see it.

Li Yue'er felt uncomfortable, but she didn't pursue the matter any further.

In mid-April, before the newly selected maids officially entered the Qu residence, Qu Rong announced something: that Meng Xiaoxiao would be freed.

She was still a slave, but no longer a concubine of the Qu family.

The mistress returned the indenture to Meng Xiaoxiao, but did not mention her matter.

Li Yue'er stood there, stunned, not reacting for a moment. "?"

And what about her?

So what is her status now? Is she Qu Ming's concubine, or the mistress's concubine, or just an unnamed, servant like Li Mama in the Qu household?

Meng Xiaoxiao said, "Sister Yue'er, Aunt Qiu said I don't have a mother, so she will be my mother and I will live with her from now on."

Meng Xiaoxiao, clinging to Li Yue'er's arm, exclaimed happily, "I have a mother now, I have Sister Yue'er, and now I even have a contract of indenture! I have everything!"

April was undoubtedly Meng Xiaoxiao's happiest month.

Seeing Meng Xiaoxiao so happy, Li Yue'er smiled too, reached out and patted her head, and said softly, "Congratulations, Xiaoxiao! I'll give you a gift later."

She bought Xiaoxiao a hairpin, which she would give to Meng Xiaoxiao tomorrow when Meng Xiaoxiao formally offered tea to Aunt Qiu to acknowledge her mother.

That evening, after washing up, Li Yue'er put the hairpin, along with the monthly allowance she had collected for Meng Xiaoxiao, into a brocade box and placed it on the round table, so that she wouldn't forget it when she was busy with many things the next day.

She untied her hair, took off her shoes, stepped over the mistress who was sitting on the bed reading, climbed into the bed, and lay down under the covers.

Li Yue'er didn't say or ask anything, and simply turned her back to the mistress, intending to go to sleep.

Qu Rong glanced at her, then glanced at her again, then put down her book, reached out and touched Li Yue'er's forehead with her palm, frowning with concern, "Are you sick?"

Not to mention today, even on ordinary days, the first thing Li Yue'er does after getting into bed is to snuggle up in her arms and cuddle with her, her toes playfully sliding around on her calves until she can no longer concentrate on her book and starts looking at her instead.

Especially since she gave Meng Xiaoxiao her freedom today but didn't mention her, she should have pestered her and asked more questions, instead of being so quiet.

This is really too abnormal.

Li Yue'er pulled down the mistress's hand, kissed the back of her hand, hugged her wrist, and held her hand in her arms, letting her touch her high, protruding area. She said softly, "No."

She closed her eyes and said, "I'm just sleepy."

Something's not right, something's very wrong.

Without hesitation, Qu Rong pulled her hand out of Li Yue'er's arms, turned to face inward, and turned Li Yue'er, who was facing away from her, to face her. By the light of the oil lamp by the bedside, she pressed down on Li Yue'er's shoulder and looked closely into her eyes. "Is there anything you want to ask me?"

Li Yue'er avoided looking into her eyes.

Qu Rong's face immediately turned ugly. She pinched Li Yue'er's chin with her fingers and forcibly lifted her face. "I'll give you one more chance."

Li Yue'er then pursed her lips, turned her gaze back to the mistress, and after a long while, called out, "Qu Rong."

This was the first time she had called her name.

The mistress wasn't angry; she just watched her quietly, signaling her to continue.

Li Yue'er felt a little wronged, her eyes were even a little red, but she sniffed and tried to keep her voice steady, asking softly, "Who am I to you?"

Was she a concubine?

Is it a tool for warming the bed and bringing pleasure?

Or was she her mother who helped manage the inner quarters of the house?

She needs a proper title, otherwise how will she introduce herself to the new maids who have moved into the house in a few days?

Who is Miss Moon in the Qu family? What is her relationship with the head of the Qu family?

The patriarch of the Qu family is gone, and Meng Xiaoxiao is now free, but she is not.

Even if they have no official status in public, Qu Rong could still say some sweet nothings to coax her in bed, in private, or when it's just the two of them.

She's not hard to coax.

Li Yue'er couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks and into the strands of hair at her temples.

She tried to turn her head away from her mistress's gaze, but her mistress pinched her cheek, preventing her from escaping.

How interesting! The person who has always avoided emotions and was unwilling to express his true feelings to her is now forbidding her from dodging them.

Li Yue'er was furious. She pulled the hand that was holding her chin off the mistress's hand, put it in her mouth, and bit her tiger's mouth. Her hot breath sprayed onto the back of her hand.

The more familiar the strong, cold plum fragrance was to her, the more uncomfortable she felt.

Qu Rong propped her elbow on the pillow and wiped away Li Yue'er's tears. "Why are you crying?"

Li Yue'er released her mistress's hand, raised her arm to cover her eyes, and choked out, "I'm crying because I'm not satisfied."

Since following the mistress, she has had almost everything, yet she is still not satisfied. She wants the mistress's true love, and after getting it, she wants the mistress to say that she likes her. Now she is even concerned about her status as the mistress's servant.

Just thinking about it made Li Yue'er realize how greedy she was.

But the mistress smiled, kissed her forehead, and said gently, "Only by being insatiable can you gain more."

She kissed her lips, her voice still soft, yet clearly conveying the words:

"Li Yue'er, you are my wife."

"She is the wife I will formally marry on the day of the Beginning of Winter this year."

"She is the rightful mistress of the Qu family."

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That concludes the bonus chapter!