Chapter 24: I've thought about it all.
Li Yue'er gently pulled the book down by its bottom edge with both hands, only revealing her eyes to look at the mistress.
Her eyes were moist and bright, filled with curiosity and anticipation, but not fear.
Qu Rong, "..."
Qu Rong's hands and heart were itching; she wanted to bring tears to those beautiful eyes and make her beg her to behave.
Seeing that verbal threats couldn't intimidate Li Yue'er, and given the special circumstances, Qu Rong couldn't punish Li Yue'er in any other way, so she turned over and lay flat, too lazy to pay any more attention to her.
Li Yue'er took the book off her face without even looking at its contents. She simply closed it and placed it on the outside of the mistress's pillow. As she did this, she half-lay in the mistress's arms and asked softly and curiously, "Since the mistress thinks Sister Su is selfish and heartless, why do you still use her?"
She refused to believe that there wasn't another person in the entire Chenhe County who could manage a household.
When Li Yue'er looked over, the mistress had already placed her hands on her lower abdomen, closed her eyes, and cast shadows on her thick, long eyelashes. The red beauty mark at the corner of her eye was half-lit and half-shadowed, like a carp swimming through lotus leaves, making it even more vivid and lifelike, tempting people to reach out and grab it.
Just as she was watching most intently, the mistress suddenly opened her eyes and glanced at her from the side.
The cold, clear eyes startled Li Yue'er. Although she didn't move away from the mistress, her eyelashes fluttered nervously.
Qu Rong looked into Li Yue'er's eyes with interest and slowly said, "Naturally, it's because I have a fatal weakness in her hands."
Li Yue'er didn't dare to meet her mistress's phoenix eyes, which seemed to see right through people. She lowered her head and rested her forehead on her mistress's shoulder like a quail. "Confiscation of property and exile? Or were you ransomed?"
These are all the things that Su Rou has to offer.
Qu Rong looked down at Li Yue'er's head. "Neither."
But Qu Rong didn't want to tell Li Yue'er the specifics.
Seeing that the mistress hadn't said anything explicitly, Li Yue'er wisely refrained from pressing the matter further. However, since Su Rou's weakness had nothing to do with the Su family, it could only be related to the Shi family. Li Yue'er guessed that the weakness most likely lay with Su Rou's stepson, Shi Yi.
The gaze was still fixed on her, making Li Yue'er's scalp tingle. Not wanting to look up and meet the mistress's eyes, she shifted her attention and reached out to hug the mistress's waist, softly asking, "How much longer until it's over?"
Li Yue'er gently brushed her nose against the mistress's neck, then lifted her face up, her lips almost touching the mistress's earlobe as she whispered, "I've thought about it all."
The mistress, "..."
Li Yue'er didn't know how the mistress reacted, she only knew that the mistress was sleeping with her back to her and facing outwards. When she saw Li Yue'er put her hand over, the mistress lightly patted the back of her hand, warning her to behave.
Li Yue'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief as she withdrew her hand.
The next day at dawn.
When Li Yue'er got up, the mistress was already dressed.
The pomegranate-colored dress from yesterday was pretty, but it didn't fit her well. Today, when Li Yue'er was hesitating about whether to wear it again, she found her old clothes lying on the low stool next to the bed.
Li Yue'er poked her head out from under the bed curtains, staring at the clothes, "..."
All other clothes could be placed on the mistress's pillow at the head of the bed, but not her old clothes.
Li Yue'er pursed her lips, reached for her clothes, and only when she put them on did she realize that the clothes had been washed and that they smelled of the familiar cold plum blossom scent.
Cheap and shoddy fabrics seem to become much more expensive because of this fragrance.
Li Yue'er lightly lifted her sleeve and smelled it, her eyes beginning to wander. Wearing this fragrant dress, what difference was there between it and snuggling in the mistress's arms?
"Awake?" the mistress asked.
Li Yue'er not only woke up, she was already dressed.
Li Yue'er walked towards the mistress and gave a gentle curtsy, saying, "Greetings, Mistress."
Qu Rong looked up at her, a long elm box resting in her palm, her fingers lightly tapping the surface of the box. "Winter clothes are already being made, but they won't be ready until the day after tomorrow at the earliest."
Li Yue'er glanced at her mistress in surprise, then smiled, "It's kind of you, mistress, to go to such lengths for me."
The mistress was cold and taciturn, and even if Li Yue'er kept asking her about such trivial matters, she might not get a result. But today, the mistress took the initiative to bring it up with her, which was obviously abnormal.
Li Yue'er was suspicious, but she didn't show it on her face. She still acted as if she was flattered and very happy.
Her voice rose at the end, and her eyes shone brightly.
Qu Rong glanced over, then slowly turned her face away, looking down at the box in her hands, and said in a low voice, "I'm giving you a gift."
Li Yue'er's smile widened, but her eyes kept glancing out the window—
Something was definitely wrong.
Could it be that the sun has risen in the west?
Clearly, the sun still rises from the east, so the mistress's unusual behavior must have a reason.
Following the mistress's eye signal, Li Yue'er sat down in front of the dressing table. She sat very carefully and nervously, her bottom barely touching the edge of the embroidered stool.
The mistress washed her hands, opened the long box on the table, and took out a jade hairpin of turquoise color. "Is it pretty?"
Although Li Yue'er recognized jade, she couldn't estimate its exact price, but at a glance she knew the hairpin wasn't cheap. "It's beautiful."
The hairpin has a simple design, but its color is clear and transparent, with almost no impurities.
Most importantly, Li Yue'er felt like she had seen this hairpin somewhere before.
The mirror on the matriarch's table was made from a single piece of glass, with a round mirror surface set in a copper frame with openwork patterns. The mirror was so clear that even the fine hairs on her face could be seen.
Li Yue'er sat in front of the mirror, looking at her mistress's face through the reflection.
The mistress lowered her eyes, her slender hands lifting her long hair behind her. The black strands of hair passed through her fingers, were gathered and gathered by her long fingers, and then fixed behind her head with a jade hairpin.
The warm winter sun shone through the open window in the early morning, casting its light on half of the mistress's body. Li Yue'er couldn't help but look up at her.
The mistress at that moment felt like she was half light and half darkness.
The mistress who styled her hair and adorned it with a hairpin was the side visible in the sunlight. Unfortunately, having learned from the experience of paying six taels of silver last time, Li Yue'er knew very well that there must be other reasons behind the mistress styling her hair. This shady scheme was the mistress's hidden agenda on the other side.
Even so, Li Yue'er still enjoyed the rare moment of tenderness from her mistress, saying, "If you give me a jade hairpin, I will tie up my long hair for you."
Li Yue'er spoke softly, and after finishing, she lowered her head and looked at the mirror again, her gaze shifting from the mistress to her own hair.
Her face was beaming with joy.
Qu Rong looked up at the person sitting in the mirror, and even paused in the action of putting the hairpin in her hair.
Sometimes Qu Rong really wished that Li Yue'er had never been to school. If that were the case, when Li Yue'er saw the hairpin, she would only think about how much it was worth, instead of the romantic fantasies of scholars about snow, moon, wind, and flowers.
After tying her hair up, Qu Rong turned around to wash her hands.
Li Yue'er held the hairpin lightly with one hand, admiring herself in the mirror from left to right. "Mistress, is this hairpin really a gift for me?"
If that's the case, whatever her schemes are, at least we've got the hairpin.
Qu Rong lowered her eyes and carefully and forcefully washed her hands, which were full of calculation and the stench of money. "No."
We agreed that I would give her a gift.
Li Yue'er turned to look at her mistress, her eyes widening in surprise.
When Li Yue'er only mentioned the hairpin, Qu Rong became less than pleased. As she wiped her hands, she turned to look at Li Yue'er, deliberately raising an eyebrow and smiling lightly, "I'll lend it to you for a bit."
Li Yue'er, "..."
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Moon: When I talk to you about feelings, you talk to me about money. When I talk to you about money, you call me stingy.
Mistress: ...
Tomorrow's update! The update time should still be around 6 PM. Thank you everyone for your support, muah! ~~~~
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