Chapter 112 Two Places of Longing, Two Places of Sorrow
The wooden doll is smaller than the palm of your hand. At first glance, it looks small and exquisite, but upon closer inspection, it appears slightly rough in the details.
Qiu Heng stroked the edge of the wooden doll and brought it to her nose to sniff.
A fresh scent of grass and trees.
This wooden doll is newly made—Qiuheng gripped the wooden doll's hand tighter.
In other words, it wasn't that Lin Chengfeng had kept the wooden doll in the shape of Qiu Meiren close to his body for many years, but rather that he had just acquired it.
As a member of the Imperial Guards, Lin Chengfeng lived and ate with the other guards every day. There was a risk in hiding the wooden doll anywhere, so it was safer to keep it close to his body.
He never expected that Consort Yu would force him to strip off his armor in front of everyone.
It seems that Consort Yu's request for Lin Chengfeng to raise horses was a pretense; her real intention was to expose the wooden doll to the public.
What a vicious heart.
"Girl, come and eat some radish cake." Fangzhou's voice came from outside.
Qiu Heng put away the wooden doll and went outside, just as Princess Jiayi arrived.
"Princess, hasn't the young master come over?" Fangzhou placed the freshly fried radish cake on the stone table in the courtyard and said with a smile, "The young master really liked to eat radish cake when he was in the south."
"Really? Big brother likes radish cake?" Princess Jiayi glanced at the golden-brown radish cake with some curiosity.
Radishes were considered a cheap food and rarely appeared on the dining table of a prince's mansion.
"Princess, please have a taste." Fangzhou handed over the chopsticks.
Princess Jiayi took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of radish cake, took a bite, and her eyes lit up: "Delicious!"
"Am I too late?" Ling Yun's voice rang out from the courtyard gate.
The county magistrate of Jiayi hurriedly waved her hand: "Brother, come quickly, the radish cake is fresh out of the pot."
"Your Highness," Fangzhou handed the chopsticks to Lingyun.
Ling Yun smiled at Fangzhou: "Ever since I returned to the capital, I've been craving Fangzhou's radish cake. Today I'm finally able to eat it again."
“If the young master and the county princess like it, I will make it often in the future.” Fangzhou picked up two pieces of radish cake, placed them on a small plate, and handed them to Qiuheng. “Eat them while they’re hot, Miss.”
Qiuheng took the plate and ate slowly when Fangzhou suddenly asked, "Miss, you said you'd make more the other day, are you going to send some to someone else to try?"
While eating radish cake, Lingyun and Princess Jiayi both looked at Qiuheng.
"Make some more, and please let your godfather and godmother have a taste as well."
With everything that happened today, it's inconvenient to send some snacks to Xue Han.
What a shame!
Thinking about Xue Han's actions today, Qiu Heng secretly grumbled inwardly, but a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.
Ling Yun's gaze fell on the girl's faint smile, and a thought struck him: Did Aheng really ask Fangzhou to make more radish cakes for her father and mother?
Is it... for Xue Han?
The image of the boy who stood out from the crowd and knelt beside Qiu Heng flashed through his mind, and he smiled with his eyes lowered.
That night, Qiu Heng lay on her bed, reflecting on the events of the day.
She hadn't expected Xue Han to stand up for her in front of Emperor Jingping and solve her problem.
So, she was... a little more important to him than he thought?
This would make the matter of rescuing the crown prince much easier.
Qiu Heng took a soft pillow and covered her face to suppress the uncontrollable heat rising in her cheeks.
She didn't want to admit that what pleased her was not just that rescuing the crown prince would be easier.
"Girl, what are you doing?" The soft pillow covering her head and face was suddenly removed, and Fangzhou looked at Qiuheng with a worried expression.
Qiu Heng sat up: "It's nothing."
Fangzhou sat down beside her and earnestly advised, "Even if you're troubled by what happened during the day, you can't cover your face with a pillow. What if you suffocate yourself?"
"It's not a problem."
What is that?
Qiu Heng hugged the soft pillow and whispered, "It's very annoying."
Xue Han was also not asleep at this time, tossing and turning on the bed like a pancake.
He dared not close his eyes, for if he did, all he saw were countless stars, green grass, or her telling him, word by word, how she had fallen for Lin Chengfeng at first sight.
He knew she was lying, but his distress was real.
It's true that there's no hope.
Xue Han thought that this was probably the real retribution for causing that little girl to be tragically abducted and sold.
It turns out that guilt wasn't enough; he had to repay it with a lifetime of unrequited love.
The night was long. Qiu Heng woke up, washed up, took the wooden doll, and went to Qiu Meiren's place.
"Girl, I'll go with you."
"No need. There are too many rules in the palace. It's better to be comfortable in my own place."
“Such a big thing happened when the girl went out yesterday, I’m worried about her staying at home, so let me go with her,” Fangzhou insisted.
Qiu Heng thought about it and agreed.
The two slowly walked towards the palace, but were stopped halfway.
"Miss Qiu, our father-in-law would like to speak with you privately." It was a young eunuch who stopped Qiu Heng.
Qiu Heng looked in the direction he was pointing and saw Xue Quan standing under a tree not far away, looking at her expressionlessly.
"Okay. Fangzhou, wait for me here."
"girl--"
"It's alright." Qiu Heng squeezed Fang Zhou's hand and followed the eunuch toward Xue Quan.
Finally, I officially started dealing with Xue Quan.
Qiu Heng wasn't nervous about Xue Quan's sudden appearance; instead, she felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
This was an inevitable result of her frequent interactions with Xue Han.
She admitted that even if she didn't have feelings for Xue Han, she would still spend more time with him for Xue Quan's sake.
I never expected that I would fall for him.
The gentleman once said that there are always things in this world that are beyond our control, and this is just how it is.
Qiu Heng has no regrets, nor does she run away. Whether she is moved or not, she is still A Heng, and she will always remember what she needs to do.
"Eunuch Xue." Qiu Heng curtsied as she approached Xue Quan.
Xue Quan looked the young girl up and down, his tone indifferent: "Miss Qiu, you still remember our family after yesterday's occasion, you are quite composed."
"Eunuch Xue is too kind. My daughter does indeed have a good memory."
"Since you're a straightforward person, then we won't beat around the bush." Xue Quan flicked his whisk, brushing off non-existent dust.
"Please speak, sir."
Xue Quan stared at the girl's expression and said slowly, "I know that you and Xue Han have been seeing each other quite often lately."
"Yes, Lord Xue has saved my daughter from danger many times."
"Xue Han does indeed treat Miss Qiu Liu differently," Xue Quan replied casually. "For example, yesterday, he told the Emperor that he admired Miss Qiu Liu."
Qiu Heng listened silently, her face showing little emotion.
Xue Quan chuckled: "But Miss Qiu, don't take this seriously."
Qiu Heng met Xue Quan's ambiguous smile with quiet demeanor, and listened as he said, word by word, "Xue Han treats you differently because he feels guilty."
"Guilt?"
"That's right. Ten years ago, on the Lantern Festival, Qiu Liu gave red bean cakes to a little beggar on the street, but they fell into the hands of a kidnapper. That little beggar was Xue Han..."
After Xue Quan finished speaking, he gave the silent girl a deep look and said coolly, "So Miss Qiu, don't overthink it. Xue Han helped you many times because he felt guilty and wanted to make amends. It has nothing to do with anything else."
Qiu Heng remained silent for a long time, until Xue Quan grew impatient, at which point she slightly curtsied and said, "Thank you for informing me, Eunuch Xue."
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