Chapter 57. How about Meatthorn Broken Green become my maid?
To be honest, Jin Suiqing was also puzzled.
Although they were both transmigrators, adhering to the saying "when fellow countrymen meet, tears well up in their eyes," perhaps she and Huangfu Feng should have hugged each other and cried their hearts out, angrily denouncing the system as garbage.
But then I thought, even if they're from the same hometown, the story isn't over yet, so they should still be considered rivals. It's like being from the same hometown and working at the same company but on different project teams; the two teams are still competitors. It just doesn't seem right to secretly help each other.
Moreover, given the current situation, it seems that Huangfu Feng is helping her more.
Who exactly is she?
Could it be someone she knows?
Filled with doubts, Jin Suiqing arrived at the Evening Maple Pavilion in the garden to meet Huangfu Feng, as agreed.
Inside the pavilion, those who wanted to see her were already waiting for her.
It was Yin Rushi.
Although Huangfu Feng had told her in advance who the person coming was, she still had a strange feeling when they were face to face.
Yin Rushi, in particular, looked worried. Upon seeing Jin Suiqing from afar, she immediately got up and hurried over to greet him.
Yin Ru took her hand and looked her up and down, saying with concern, "You've lost weight. Suiqing, you've suffered these past two days."
Yin Ru kept calling her "Suiqing Sister," which made Jin Suiqing tremble and get goosebumps all over. Jin Suiqing thought to herself, no, she hadn't lost any weight. She ate and drank well every day, had nothing to worry about, and had even gained a couple of ounces.
“I didn’t suffer,” Jin Suiqing waved her hand, looked at Huangfu Feng, and nodded gratefully, “The princess has never mistreated me and has always been very kind to me.”
Yin Rushi rolled her eyes at Huangfu Feng, "Hmph, now you think Suiqing is better? Who was it that told me Suiqing was willful and arrogant in the first place?"
Huangfu Feng joked, "It was my fault. I apologize to Miss Suiqing."
Jin Suiqing: ?
What was going on with this bizarre harmony? She mentally grumbled a thousand times, then lowered her head in slight embarrassment.
That day, she fell off a cliff while trying to save Yin Rushi. In the darkness, she encountered Huangfu Feng and slashed him. She didn't know how much Huangfu Feng suffered because of that slash. Right now, she couldn't show that she had guessed the person's identity in advance, so she could only keep drinking tea to ease the awkwardness.
"Why are you only drinking tea and not eating any snacks?" Yin Rushi pushed all sorts of strange and unusual snacks in front of Jin Suiqing and said with a smile, "Eat as much as you want today, Suiqing. Go back when you're full. If you're still hungry, I'll bring you more."
She turned her head and pretended to warn Huangfu Feng, saying, "Did you hear that? If I deliver something to Suiqing in the future, and there's a problem at any point in the process of getting it into the Jin family, I'll hang you up and whip you."
Goodness! Jin Suiqing stuffed some pastries into her mouth and thought to herself, "To be able to say such strong words to a princess who has just returned to the court, the two must have an exceptionally good relationship."
Huangfu Feng said, "Of course, I guarantee that what you give to Qingqing will be delivered to her in perfect condition, and I will personally deliver it to her."
Jin Suiqing was stunned for a moment, forgetting to chew the pastry between her lips, and looked at Huangfu Feng in shock, "What did you call me?"
Huangfu Feng laughed and said, "Suiqing, what's wrong?"
“It’s nothing,” Jin Suiqing shook her head. “I probably misheard.”
During their subsequent conversation, Jin Suiqing became noticeably quieter, mostly answering the questions asked by the two. She also seemed a bit downcast. Seeing that she seemed to lack energy, Yin Rushi suggested ending their conversation for the day.
Before leading her away, Yin Rushi hugged Jin Suiqing and patted her head, "Do you remember what you said at the National Academy?"
Jin Suiqing was momentarily stunned when she saw Yin Rushi lower her head, take a lustrous and crisp bright green jadeite auspicious cloud safety buckle from her waist, and put it into Jin Suiqing's hand.
Jin Suiqing pressed his palm on it; the surface of the jade buckle was smooth and round, without any carving marks; the inside was hollowed out and filled with a ring of black and gold pivots, shaped like a strange key.
Its design is exquisite, its craftsmanship is ingenious, and its jadeite has an extremely vibrant color. Whether used as jewelry or as a craft, its quality is top-notch.
Yin Rushi held her hand and said formally, "Back then you said you had no ulterior motives, only that I could lend a hand when you were in trouble. Now, it's time for me to repay that debt of gratitude. This jade pendant may not be priceless, but it represents me and the Marquis of Huai'an. If you ever decide to leave the Jin family, I will help you. After you leave the capital, find a Kuilong post station. Wherever you want to go, they can immediately send you to your destination. All year round, through the changing seasons, you will have unimpeded access."
Jin Suiqing stared at the safety buckle in her hand, her eyes wide with disbelief.
This is the SuperplusPower Anywhere Flight Special Pass!
With this, she could go wherever she wanted, without even needing to deal with the cumbersome paperwork. Not only could she quickly disappear without a trace soon afterward, but the future factory's completion would also provide a stepping stone for opening air transport routes for the machinery—for her, this was worth more than a fortune!
Jin Suiqing was overjoyed. Forgetting all etiquette and rules, she hugged Yin Rushi and jumped up and down on the spot. "Thank you so much, Sister Yin! This item has helped me a lot. I am extremely grateful! If Suiqing can become successful in the future, I will never forget Sister Yin's kindness. I will repay it many times over and will not let you do a bad deal!"
Yin Rushi didn't care at all and laughed loudly: "If you become rich and powerful, don't forget me."
"certainly!"
Seeing Jin Suiqing's joy, Huangfu Feng nodded to Yin Rushi to express his gratitude. Yin Rushi waved her hand and mouthed, "I'm willing."
*
Outside the garden, a maidservant, ordered to tidy up the Maple Pavilion, carried a tray and walked with her head down, so focused on what was ahead that she bumped into someone. Looking down, she could only see a pair of shoes, with dark embroidered patterns, which were definitely not something a servant could afford.
She was puzzled. This path leading to the garden was narrow, windy, and steep, and usually only servants and maids would take it. What master would take this uncomfortable path?
With her own thoughts in mind, the maid slowly raised her head, and when she saw the person's face clearly, the tray clattered to the ground.
The maid hurriedly knelt down: "I didn't know the young master was here. I have offended the young master. Please forgive me."
She was trembling with fear, and even more puzzled. The young master had been claiming to be sick and hadn't left the house for the past two days, so why was he out today?
It was dressed all in black, with a deathly pale face. Looking up at it from below, one might mistake it for a ghost that had drifted in, scaring people half to death.
Jin Shiyu remained silent, glanced at her, and walked past the others.
Before the maid could even breathe a sigh of relief, Jin Shiyu said coldly, "If anyone dares to spread what happened today, they'd better not stay in the manor."
She dared not answer, nor dared she look, and was so frightened that she knelt on the ground and sobbed incessantly. Jin Shiyu had already walked away, stepping on the weeds that had sprouted from the stone platform, her face cold.
Jin Shiyu walked extremely fast, his steps hurried, his feet barely touching the ground, and a suppressed yet sharp anger emanated from him. At the height of his anger, he stopped, veins bulging on his forehead, and after a moment of restraint, slammed his fist into the white wall.
Upon hearing that Huangfu Feng had arranged to meet Jin Suiqing, Jin Shiyu was extremely flustered. Unable to suppress his wicked thoughts, he took a shortcut and followed her closely, hiding behind a lush tree not far away, and overheard every word of their conversation.
What terrified him most was not what Yin Rushi gave Jin Suiqing, but the extremely intimate attitude Huangfu Feng and Yin Rushi showed him.
Unbeknownst to him, others still recognized Jin Suiqing's good qualities.
One of them was even Huangfu Feng, who was a mix of the bloodlines of the two people he hated the most and who had stolen Jin Suiqing's sister's identity.
Why is Huangfu Feng so close to Jin Suiqing? He doesn't even dare to call her Qingqing, but Huangfu Feng, this willful intruder, calls her that!
Huangfu Feng stole Suiqing's identity, and now he wants to steal her away too.
Jin Shiyu was not fully recovered from his illness, and his chest and heart were pounding wildly with anxiety, his heart pounding and his voice deafening. Unconsciously, he rubbed his fingernails together, and soon the nail of his thumb was torn apart from the space between his fingers.
As if he felt no pain, Jin Shiyu continued to tear, his hand stained with blood, which fell to the ground. He smacked his lips sinisterly, shook his hand forcefully, and the bloodstains landed on the white wall, as bright as red plum blossoms.
Jin Shiyu took a deep breath, lowered his eyes to stare at the blood seeping from between his fingers, and after a moment, he couldn't help but sneer, his eyes filled with malice.
Now, when facing Jin Suiqing, pain is no longer of much use.
Jin Shiyu mocked himself even more, wondering what kind of life he had lived instead of what his mother had told him to live well.
It's laughable that what you want is always taken by others.
*
Jin Suiqing still harbors doubts about Huangfu Feng's identity.
But lately, she's the only one in the entire Jin family who's truly free.
Huangfu Feng would occasionally visit the palace to reminisce with Huangfu Ying, and he also heard that a banquet was being prepared in Ziwei City to announce the return of the princess to the world.
From building a fiefdom and a residence to making clothes, Huangfu Feng had to be present for every single matter.
In addition, Sister Feng has a cousin named Huangfu Li, who has been causing trouble for Huangfu Feng these past few days. He's been so busy that he can't even come back to the mansion most of the time. Jin Suiqing tries to find Huangfu Feng, but always comes up empty-handed, so she has to give up.
So Jin Suiqing chose to continue harassing Jin Shiyu, going to his place to freeload.
Around dusk, she went to someone else's house to freeload dinner.
While eating, Jin Suiqing observed Jin Shiyu across the table, wondering how this person could change so quickly.
Jin Shiyu reverted to his usual aloofness, the vulnerability he displayed during his two days of illness resembling Jin Suiqing's illusion. The easily manipulated Jin Shiyu vanished, replaced by the brother Jin Suiqing couldn't fathom or understand.
The changes were so rapid that people suspected he might be suffering from dissociative identity disorder.
Despite her doubts, nothing could stop Jin Suiqing's determination to freeload. She ate and took some food with her, and even packed some to take back to Huihong after she finished eating.
Whatever the side courtyard lacked, Jin Suiqing would just take it from Jin Shiyu's room. Getting it from him was much faster than asking the steward. After several trips back and forth, he gradually made the drafty, dilapidated house a little more cozy.
Jin Suiqing shifted her gaze from him and looked at the screen behind Jin Shiyu. She thought to herself, "It seems like I'm missing a screen for the bath. Maybe I should ask him for one after dinner."
As if guessing her thoughts, Jin Shiyu put down his chopsticks and asked, "Do you want the screen behind me?"
“Mmm,” Jin Suiqing was about to speak when Jin Shiyu glanced at her. She closed her mouth, obediently finished chewing what was in her mouth, and swallowed before speaking, “It’s windy when you take a bath in the side courtyard at night. It would be better to have a screen to block the wind.”
Once Jin Shiyu agreed, she immediately went back and asked Huihong to move the screen.
Seeing Jin Shiyu nod, Jin Suiqing got up to call for help, but Jin Shiyu stopped her, saying, "No need to move."
Jin Suiqing thought Jin Shiyu was going to call servants to move it, thinking it would save her the effort, so she sat back down to continue eating. Just as she picked up a meat bun and took a bite, Jin Shiyu spoke up.
His words almost choked her to death.
Jin Shiyu spat out the warm tea he had used to rinse his mouth, chuckled softly, and lowered his eyes, saying, "After I fell ill last time, I suddenly realized that it was really inconvenient to have no one to take care of me, so I thought about hiring a maid. I know I have a bad temper, and I'm afraid that an ordinary maid wouldn't be comfortable. After thinking it over, I realized that Suiqing understands me best. Would you be a good candidate?"
As he spoke, Kim Shi-ok gently stroked his thumb, which was more than halfway fused together. The torn flesh was barbed and stiff. The tender new flesh was exposed, and pressing it hard hurt more than the bleeding wound.
Despite the pain, he never considered removing the thorn.
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