Qingying went into the room, took out a box from the back of the shelf, opened it, and inside were neatly stacked letters, a hairpin, a jade pendant, and a jade ring broken into three pieces.
These were all gifts from Wei Huaixu to her.
She gently stroked the jade token, still feeling its familiar cool and delicate touch. Since it came into her hands, she had only truly used this jade token once, when Wei Huaixu was under the influence of the aphrodisiac. She used it as a pass to enter the palace, which allowed them to travel unimpeded to the East Palace.
She never thought of using her status to seek any advantages, so she rarely took out the jade token. She just didn't know that this thing would be with her for such a short time.
"Never mind..." she sighed.
You can't keep what isn't yours.
Qingying returned the jade token to him, saying only, "It's back to its rightful owner."
Wei Huaixu nodded modestly, "Thank you, Miss Liu."
She was stunned again.
He had never been so distant from me before...
Facing Wei Huaixu now felt like being slowly tortured to death every moment. She endured the dense, throbbing pain coursing through her limbs and turned to walk back into the house.
She lay down on her side on the chaise longue, propping her forehead with one hand and closing her eyes wearily.
Yu Yue felt sorry for her these past few days. She poured her a cup of tea and scolded, "So what if he's the Crown Prince? He's just a blind, heartless man!"
"Yu Yue, you must not be rude."
"Young lady, even now you're still going to speak up for him?"
“He is, after all, the Crown Prince… and besides, my engagement with him has not been cancelled.”
Yu Yue sighed helplessly, at a loss for words.
Suddenly, Tong Xia rushed in from outside and shouted as soon as she entered, "Miss, the Third Young Master is back, and he brought back a girl with him!"
Liu Chenglin?!
He has never returned since their last parting. Even Lichun only sent a letter saying that after the war broke out, the people of Medicine King Valley went to save lives and heal the wounded, and he naturally could not refuse.
A short while later, someone came and summoned her to the main hall in front of the room, saying that there was something important to discuss.
Qingying changed her clothes and freshened up a bit before going. By the time she arrived, it was already very late; even Madam Luo had arrived much earlier, carrying her seven-month-old son.
Yes, Luo gave birth to a son in February of this year, named Liu Chenghuan. Liu Hui has two sons. Liu Chenglin has been away from home since childhood, and the father-son relationship is not close. That's why he named his younger son Liu Chenghuan, hoping that he would always be by his side.
After that incident, Luo Shi didn't like going out much and stayed cooped up for a long time. It wasn't until she gave birth to her son that she gradually recovered and started to smile more often.
Qingying couldn't laugh at all at this moment.
Because when she entered the room, she saw not only familiar relatives, but also a woman who had left a deep impression on her heart after only meeting her once—Meng Shushu.
She was sitting in Qingying's original spot, between Wang and Pan. They were all smiling and talking about something, but they all stopped talking abruptly the moment they saw her.
It was Wang who reacted first and beckoned to her, "Ying'er, come here."
Qingying paused for a moment before taking a step forward.
Wang's eyes still held affection. She walked up to her and took her hand as usual, but her other hand was still holding Meng Shushu's.
She gently rubbed Qingying's fingers soothingly and said softly, "Come and greet your sister."
"elder sister?"
Madam Pan smiled and gently patted Meng Shushu's head beside her, saying, "Yes, Ying'er, this is your older sister, only a few hours older than you. She is my biological daughter, Liu Shushu."
Qingying felt as if the blood in her body had frozen instantly. She stared at the person in front of her in disbelief. The person had a charming appearance and a faint smile on their face. Although the smile was gentle and friendly, Qingying could detect a hint of provocation in it.
Meng Shushu... Liu Shushu... they're the same person?! She didn't die! She's alive and well! She's back!
It took Qingying a while to find her voice, "Sister Shushu..."
"Yes, Qingying, little sister." Liu Shushu smiled gracefully.
Pan said, "It's all thanks to Lin'er. If he hadn't received the news early on that Shushu had returned to Pandu, I wouldn't have been able to find Shushu so quickly."
Qingying stiffly turned her head to look at Liu Chenglin sitting on the other side. He also had a smile on his face, but his eyes clearly showed undisguised mockery.
It was as if he was saying: Look, the real eldest daughter of the Liu family has returned, you should move out of your place, you imposter!
Looking at Liu Chengfeng beside him, he was also smiling, but it was a genuine, joyful smile.
And Liu Yu, Liu Hui, and the Luo family were all smiling...
Yes, the Liu family's lost treasure has been found. How can we not be happy to have it back?
She should be happy too.
Qingying forced a smile, but it looked worse than crying.
Pan's face immediately turned cold. "What? Shushu is back, and Ying'er is unhappy?"
No wonder, no wonder Wang called her Ying'er as soon as she entered the door. In the past, only Liu Yu would call her Ying'er, but now everyone calls her Ying'er. She was afraid that Liu Shushu would be unhappy to hear her old nickname.
Qingying shook her head and said softly, "No, my sister has been wandering outside for so many years and has finally come back. How could I not be happy? It's just that the weather has turned cold and I've caught a chill and am feeling a little unwell."
Liu Chenglin scoffed and said, "I'm afraid some people have been occupying other people's positions for so long that they think they're their own."
"Alright," Wang said, trying to smooth things over. "It's a joyous occasion that Shushu is back. Now that we've met, it's time to discuss the matter of her recognizing her ancestors."
Liu Yu smiled and said, "It just so happens that the Emperor will be awarding military merits in a couple of days. I've checked and it's an auspicious day, so why don't we hold the ceremony at the banquet?"
“That’s a good idea.” Madam Wang turned to Liu Shushu and said gently, “Your father is going to hold a banquet, and the invitations haven’t been sent out yet. Just have the servants revise them. There will be one celebration banquet in the palace, and you can be the main character at the one when he returns home. That way, it’s a double celebration.”
Liu Chengfeng agreed, saying, "I will personally draft the list tomorrow, and everyone must know about it."
Liu Chenglin said, "Then I'll take my second sister to the capital for a stroll. Everything we eat, wear, and use must be the best."
Luo said, "You're rarely in the capital, how could you possibly know these things like me? Tomorrow I'll take Shushu there, you can just stay and watch over her."
The group chattered amongst themselves, while Qingying stood to the side, listening to their discussion. No one asked her to sit down.
At that moment, she felt as if she were floating on clouds, with a bottomless abyss beneath her feet. She didn't hear a single word they said afterward.
She had finally made it to dinner, and her legs were so tired from standing that she was about to sit down. As she was about to take her seat, Madam Pan pulled Liu Shushu to sit in her original seat, and she was naturally squeezed to the very end.
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