The warm sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the blue brick floor of the Prince's Mansion's reception room, resembling a natural ink painting.
The hall was filled with the aroma of tea. Qin Qianluo and Qi Meng sat facing each other, steam rising from their exquisite teacups.
The aroma of tea wafted through the air, adding a touch of leisure to the somewhat somber atmosphere.
Their conversation was casual, drifting between mundane daily matters and anecdotes from the capital.
Although they kept talking, they could not reach the depths of each other's hearts, and a subtle sense of alienation filled the air.
Qin Qianlu had a polite smile on her lips, but her eyes kept drifting away, her thoughts already wandering off somewhere else.
She wondered to herself when this meeting would end. Every response felt like completing a task, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted.
Qi Meng smiled and seemed to be listening attentively, but occasionally a faint glint of wandering would flash in her bright eyes, as if she were thinking about something more secretive.
Just then, a series of hurried yet restrained footsteps approached. The butler looked anxious, with a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.
He paused briefly outside the hall to catch his breath before quickly walking to Qin Qianluo's side.
He leaned forward slightly, bringing his head close to Qin Qianluo's ear, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Your Highness, Prime Minister Su has arrived."
The butler's voice was steady, yet carried a restrained respect; each word was uttered clearly and cautiously.
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Qin Qianluo's eyes, which had been slightly weary, as if she had found an exit in the darkness.
She immediately sat up straight, her shoulders, which had been drooping slightly, straightened unconsciously. Her tone was filled with barely concealed anticipation as she said to the steward, "Quickly, please invite Prime Minister Su in."
At this moment, she was racking her brains trying to figure out how to break the somewhat dull silence in her conversation with Qimeng.
Su Jinyun's arrival was undoubtedly a timely help, which made her secretly relieved.
She sighed inwardly, finally able to end this seemingly harmonious but actually agonizing conversation.
Upon hearing the butler's report, Qimeng's smiling lips stiffened slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, though a fleeting hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes as she raised an eyebrow.
She neither asked any questions nor made any attempt to get up to greet them, remaining languidly leaning back in her chair as if everything outside was irrelevant to her.
She gently swirled the teacup in her hand, causing ripples to spread across the tea inside.
She blinked her beautiful eyes, which seemed to hold a thousand stars, lively and mischievous.
With a gentle movement of her slender, fair fingers, she picked up a delicate pastry, a meaningful smile curving her lips.
As if deliberately creating a special atmosphere, she slowly brought the tea and snacks to Qin Qianluo's lips.
Caught off guard, Qin Qianluo instinctively opened her mouth and bit into the pastry. As she chewed, a look of bewilderment flashed across her face, as if she hadn't yet reacted to this sudden action.
Just then, Su Jinyun walked steadily into the hall with the butler.
She wore a moon-white brocade robe with delicate dark patterns embroidered on the hem, which swayed gently with her movements, exuding an innate refined and elegant air.
However, the scene before her made her stop in her tracks, her pupils instantly contracted, and a cold glint flashed like lightning in the depths of her eyes.
In that instant, her aura seemed to turn colder, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
But her years of experience in officialdom allowed her to quickly regain her composure, her expression remaining unchanged, though her pace unconsciously quickened as she walked towards the two men.
Each step was firm and powerful, as if the intense emotional fluctuation from just moments ago had never occurred.
If we trace the root of this matter, we really can't blame Qin Qianluo.
Going back to the last time she went to war with the army, rushing to the battlefield filled with the smoke of gunpowder, she was dressed in armor, heroic and valiant, and faced the enemy's hail of bullets and arrows without fear.
On the battlefield, she charged into battle, leading her soldiers to break through encirclements time and time again with her extraordinary courage and strategy.
After overcoming countless hardships and obstacles, they finally won a glorious victory and returned in triumph.
The moment she rode her tall horse into the Prime Minister's residence, the entire mansion erupted in cheers and shouts of joy, her family's eyes filled with pride and satisfaction.
Since then, her life has quietly undergone a series of warm and special changes.
Her elders and relatives have shown her increasingly meticulous care.
Her loving mother would arrive at the kitchen early every morning to personally supervise the chef in preparing Qin Qianluo's favorite pastries.
From selecting the flour to preparing the filling, she personally handled every step, all so that her daughter could taste the purest and most delicious pastries.
When the pastries came out of the oven, they were incredibly fragrant. One bite, and the delicate texture and sweet taste instantly spread across your taste buds, bringing you a sense of warmth and comfort.
The father, though stern yet full of love, rarely showed his emotions outwardly, but after Qin Qianluo returned from her campaign, he would often have people prepare some nourishing dried meat for her.
These jerky are made with the finest ingredients, carefully dried and marinated, resulting in a chewy texture and rich nutrition, all to help my daughter recover her strength and become even stronger.
My caring older brother always tries his best to find and bring back any novel snacks he hears about from different places.
He tirelessly traveled between various towns, just to make his sister smile.
Every time he saw the happy smile on Qin Qianluo's face as she tasted the food he brought back, the older brother felt a sense of satisfaction.
The gentle second sister incorporated her love for her younger sister into every little detail.
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