Chapter 84 Yu Qing's Initiative
As the mist gradually dissipated, the verdant mountains and forests slowly came into view. The lush green leaves swayed and reflected a graceful and alluring figure as she swayed and walked into the manure drying yard.
"Your Highness Qingyue!" A soft, charming voice drifted into the kitchen.
Qingyue turned around in confusion and saw a beautiful young woman carrying a lunchbox curtsying gracefully to her. "This humble woman, Yuqing, greets Your Highness Qingyue!"
"Yu Qing?" Qing Yue looked at the gentle woman in front of her and gradually felt uneasy.
Yu Qing swayed her hips as she stepped into the kitchen. "Your Majesty, please come inside and rest. Let your younger sister do the dirty and tiring work!"
"Sister?" Qingyue's anger gradually rose.
Yu Qing covered her mouth and chuckled twice, "Your Majesty, I misspoke..."
She leaned to the side, glanced at the vegetable porridge on the stove, then at the cold dish Qingyue had prepared, smiled, and said, "Your Highness, it's been so many years since we last met. You may have forgotten Brother Langzhi's tastes. He eats fish and meat at my place every meal. Occasionally, I'll cook some vegetable soup or plain porridge, but Brother Langzhi says, 'How can you eat such bland food when you work every day? It doesn't give you any strength!'"
"Brother Langzhi?" Qingyue's anger was already rising to her eyes. "You...and Langzhi..."
“Your Highness,” Yu Qing walked up to Qing Yue, looking into Qing Yue’s angry eyes, “Brother Lang Zhi has been here for thousands of years! He’s a grown man…” As she spoke, Yu Qing blushed, her eyes flickering as she whispered, “It wasn’t easy for him…”
“You…” Qingyue’s chest heaved violently. She didn’t want to believe the message Yu Qing wanted to convey, but she couldn’t remain calm.
Looking at Qingyue's expression, Yuqing felt a little smug and said with a slight smile, "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. Brother Langzhi and I are just... warming each other's hearts..."
Qingyue gradually calmed down. She looked at Yuqing coldly and smiled contemptuously, "Thank you."
"Hmm?" Yu Qing was somewhat surprised, awkwardly tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Your Majesty... why are you thanking me?"
"Langzhi has been trapped here for thousands of years. If no one warms his bed or anything, I'm really worried!" Qingyue narrowed her eyes and looked Yuqing up and down. "Thank you for your hard work!"
"Huh?" Yu Qing didn't expect Qing Yue to say that. She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, "I didn't work hard at all. The one who worked hard... is Brother Lang Zhi!"
After saying that, Yu Qing raised her eyelids and glanced at Qing Yue, "Your Majesty, I brought food, which has already been set out in the room. Please rest! Also, I washed and dried the clothes that Brother Langzhi left with me a long time ago, and brought them with me. They're on the bed..."
Qingyue appeared indifferent on the surface, but her heart was churning with anger.
Yu Qing curtsied again and said, "Your Majesty, I'm leaving now, so as not to disturb your reunion with Brother Langzhi! Oh, by the way! I made a few sets of underwear for Brother Langzhi, please let him try them on..."
Looking at Yu Qing's ample breasts and her expressive eyes, Qing Yue finally couldn't hold back her anger. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Get out."
Upon hearing this, Yu Qing smiled, pulled a handkerchief from her chest to cover her nose, and swayed gracefully as she walked towards the forest path...
"Your Majesty! We're back!" Su Yuyao had just jumped off the flatbed cart when she smelled the bitter, burnt smell.
She rushed into the kitchen and saw a blackened clay pot smoking on the stove. "Your Majesty! Come quick! The pot is burnt black!"
Su Yuyao waited for a while, but did not hear Qingyue's response, so she reached out to pick up the casserole.
Langzhi glanced at Qingyue, who was sitting motionless at the table, and walked into the kitchen, puzzled.
"Yao'er! Don't move!" He used his Qi to extinguish the fire in the stove, and then used a rag to open the charred pot lid.
Su Yuyao peered into the charred clay pot, "Your Majesty! The porridge is burnt!"
Langzhi rubbed her chin, pondering. Tuan Yue never makes this kind of mistake! What's wrong with her today?
"Yao'er, did you make Her Majesty angry?" Langzhi asked.
"I didn't!" Su Yuyao shook her head and said, "The Empress wasn't angry when we set off!"
"Something's not right... Let's be careful!" Lang Zhi led Su Yuyao into the room cautiously.
Qingyue sat quietly at the table, on which were various meat dishes that had gone cold.
"Your Majesty, I'm back..." Su Yuyao sat down next to Qingyue, took Qingyue's arm, and glanced at the food on the table. "Your Majesty, is it really that greasy to eat so early in the morning?"
Qingyue didn't speak, but instead gently stroked Su Yuyao's face, which was gradually regaining its fair and tender appearance.
Lang Zhi glanced at the dining table, then saw the clothes on the bed. Her head buzzed. No wonder she didn't leave the door open today; she actually came here!
"Ahem... Tuan Yue..." Lang Zhi cleared his throat awkwardly, scooted over to Qing Yue's side, and carefully sat down, asking with a forced smile, "Um... is... someone... here?"
Looking at Lang Zhi's guilty and obsequious appearance, and then at the familiar-looking food on the table, Su Yuyao suddenly understood! That shameless vixen Yu Qing actually dared to come here?!
Before Qingyue could answer, she jumped up, picked up the food, and went to the yard, throwing the plates and bowls into the manure bucket. "To encounter such a foul-smelling thing so early in the morning! What bad luck! Grandpa Langzhi! You'd better think carefully before going out in the future, so you don't get tainted by anything dirty!"
Lang Zhi watched Su Yuyao's actions with a sense of regret, but dared not stop her on the surface. He glanced guiltily at Qing Yue, "Tuan Yue...you...have you misunderstood?"
"Langzhi, tell me the truth, all these years, have you... had anyone...?" Qingyue asked softly.
"Absolutely not! Tuan Yue! All these years, I've been watching over you!" Lang Zhi said confidently.
Qingyue stared at the empty table and said, "Langzhi... even if you had it, I wouldn't blame you, but you shouldn't have lied to me..."
Langzhi quickly grabbed Qingyue's hand, "Tuanyue! I've never lied to you!"
"Is that so?" Qingyue withdrew her hand, staring coldly into Langzhi's eyes. "Then let me ask you, what's the deal with Yuqing?"
"Ah... Yu Qing?" Lang Zhi scratched his nose and said, "He's just a wandering immortal... no... I don't know him very well..."
"Not familiar with her?" Qingyue asked expressionlessly. "If we weren't familiar, how would she know your tastes? If we weren't familiar, how would she wash your clothes? If we weren't familiar, how would she make you underwear? Even Yao'er knows about your unusual relationship?"
"Huh? Me?" Su Yuyao finally realized what was going on. Oh no! I've been exposed! How stupid of me! Why did I get so excited!
"Ah...I...I don't know!" Su Yuyao waved her hands and said, "I don't know Yu Qing!"
Qingyue coldly watched the panicked father and son. She couldn't say whether she was sad or angry. She felt an indescribable heaviness in her heart. Her heart kept sinking, and she had no desire to save it. She let her pounding heart fall into the abyss again and be frozen again.
She returned to her aloofness.
"Tuan Yue! Don't overthink it! Yu Qing lives alone, and I only help her out occasionally..."
"Yao'er, if you throw away all the food, there will be nothing left to eat." Qingyue didn't want to dwell on the so-called brother-sister relationship between Langzhi and Yuqing, and calmly interrupted Langzhi.
"No, no! I don't want to eat such greasy food either!" Su Yuyao sat obediently next to Qingyue, glancing at Qingyue's expression. "Your Majesty, I still prefer your cooking..."
"Yao'er, since you're not eating, go and get the spider silk ball you didn't finish dismantling yesterday. Take it back, and I'll teach you myself." Qingyue's tone was calm, but it made Su Yuyao's heart tremble.
"Mother, Your Majesty...why don't you...talk to Grandpa Langzhi..."
"Go and get it quickly." Qingyue smiled at Su Yuyao. "We should go back now."
“Oh…” Su Yuyao secretly nudged Lang Zhi and slowly stood up.
Langzhi chuckled and put her hand on Qingyue's shoulder. "Tuanyue... don't be angry. I promise, I never lied to you! It was all a misunderstanding..."
"Langzhi," Qingyue said calmly, "you've worked so hard all these years."
"Tuan Yue..."
"Yao'er!"
"Huh?" Su Yuyao had just moved to the doorway with the spider silk ball in her hands when Qingyue called out to her.
"Let's go." Qingyue stood up, dodged Langzhi's outstretched hand again, and stepped out of the room with a heavy, cold heart.
"Huh?" Su Yuyao looked at Lang Zhi, winking repeatedly, urging him to hurry up and coax him! This silly grandpa!
"Tuan Yue! Tuan Yue!" Lang Zhi hurriedly chased after her, grabbing Qing Yue's wrist. "Listen to me, Yu Qing and I really have nothing going on!"
Qingyue looked coldly at Langzhi, "Let go."
"You have to give me a chance to explain!" Langzhi gripped Qingyue's wrist tightly. "You can't sentence me just because she brought me this food!"
"Where are your clothes? Where are your underwear?!"
"Ah... those clothes... don't prove that there's anything between us!" Langzhi put his arm around Qingyue's shoulder. "Tuanyue, believe me, there's really nothing between us!"
Qingyue broke free from Langzhi's hand, "Let go."
"Even if she did something to me, I would never do anything to her!" Langzhi said righteously. "Tuanyue, you're the only one in my heart!"
"Langzhi," Qingyue smiled bitterly and gently patted Langzhi's hand, "Let go of me."
Langzhi pulled Qingyue into his arms, fighting back tears as he said, "I won't let go! I've let you go for thousands of years, and this time I'll never let go no matter what!"
Qingyue's heart ached terribly. "Langzhi, I'm so sorry..."
"Tuan Yue! Marry me! I'll go and beg the Goddess Yi Mu!" Lang Zhi finally couldn't hold back any longer and expressed her inner desire at this rather inappropriate time.
Qingyue's heart was struck a sharp blow. "Langzhi, don't talk nonsense..."
She gently pushed Kai Zhi aside, turned to Su Yuyao who was standing there stunned, and said, "Let's go."
"Tuanyue! Please don't do this! You ruined things for us because of this..."
"Is it because of me?!" Qingyue was finally enraged. She glared at Langzhi. "It's because you and Qingjin were having an affair! I caught you in bed with them! And you still say it's my fault?!"
"So she was stuck on the bed?!" Langzhi raised her voice. "She wasn't feeling well and lay down at my place for a while..."
"You're not feeling well, so you need to lie down naked?!"
"Hey! Didn't we already explain this?! Why are you bringing it up again?! She had a fever and her clothes were soaked with sweat, it has nothing to do with me!"
Qingyue didn't want to say anything more, nor was she in the mood to care about Su Yuyao anymore. She turned around and stepped into the woods.
"Tuan Yue!" Lang Zhi wanted to chase after her, but was afraid of angering Qing Yue again, so he could only pull Su Yuyao, who was holding the spider silk ball, "Yao'er, please put in a good word for your grandfather and explain!"
Su Yuyao glanced at Lang Zhi with displeasure, "No wonder Her Majesty is so angry! So you're a repeat offender!"
"You child! Don't talk nonsense!"
"Liar!" Su Yuyao shook off Kailang Zhi and chased after Qingyue, "Your Highness! Wait for me!"
The rain stopped, the fog dissipated, but the sky remained overcast. Although the clouds were not thick, not a ray of sunshine could be seen.
Su Yuyao followed Qingyue, wanting to say something but unsure how to begin. Qingyue, on the other hand, couldn't bear to part with Langzhi, yet she couldn't tolerate him repeatedly making the same mistake, even if it might truly just be a misunderstanding…
For once, Su Yuyao followed Qingyue quietly the whole way.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, Feihua rushed over in a fit of rage, pointing at Su Yuyao and yelling, "Su Yuyao! You stole Xuanfeng away!"
"Flying flowers...I didn't..."
"Oh dear! Fairy!" Fangchun saw Qingyue's gloomy face and quickly stopped Feihua.
Feihua broke free from Fangchun and slapped Su Yuyao across the face, "It's you!"
Seeing Su Yuyao get slapped, Qingyue quickly shielded Su Yuyao behind her and said sternly, "Fangchun! How can you take care of a fairy like this?!"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me!" Fangchun hurriedly pulled the out-of-control Feihua back and bowed to admit her mistake.
"Miss!" She hurriedly stepped forward and took the spider silk ball from Su Yuyao's hand, checking Su Yuyao's face. "Miss, is your face... clean?"
"Hmm?" Su Yuyao rubbed her cheek and said, "No..."
Qingyue turned to look at Su Yuyao, whose fair and rosy face was back!
"Su Yuyao! If it weren't for your interference, how could Xuanfeng have broken off our engagement?! You seduced him! That's why he's with you!" Feihua persisted.
“Feihua…I didn’t…” Su Yuyao was not in the mood to argue with Feihua, but looked at Qingyue with concern.
Qingyue touched Su Yuyao's face; the black mark had completely disappeared, leaving only a red handprint.
"Fangchun, keep a close eye on Fairy Feihua and do your best!" Qingyue scolded in a low voice.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Fangchun bowed her head and curtsied in response.
"Yao'er, take the spider silk and come in with me!"
"Yes... Your Majesty..."
Su'e noticed that Qingyue's expression was off, but she didn't ask any questions. Instead, she warmed a pot of tea, which was fragrant with glutinous rice and rich with jujube aroma.
Su'e gently lifted the teapot and slowly poured a cup for Qingyue, saying softly, "Your Majesty, this is tea that Xianmingjun sent a few days ago. Please try it."
Qingyue rubbed her forehead and sat down at the table. "Su'e, go make something to eat. Yao'er hasn't had breakfast yet..."
Su'e put down the teapot and said, "Yes, this old servant will go right away!" After saying that, she left the room and gently closed the door.
Su Yuyao looked at Qingyue with a face full of self-reproach, "Your Majesty... I..."
“Yao’er,” Qingyue said, rubbing her temples and half-closing her eyes, “unraveling the spider silk isn’t the goal. It’s about using this process to teach you to think holistically and hone your control over Qi. There are no shortcuts; either you have exceptional talent, or you need to practice a lot…”
She sighed softly, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. The warm tea slid down Qingyue's cool mouth, soothing her agitated internal organs and giving her a little more energy.
"Yao'er, you have talent, but I'm not sure to know the extent of it, so you should..."
Listening to Qingyue's weak voice and her polite yet distant words, Su Yuyao felt a pang of longing for the Empress who used to scold and punish her all the time...
"Your Majesty..." Su Yuyao pouted, tears welling up in her eyes instantly, "Please...don't be angry...or...you can hit me..."
"Why would I hit you?" Qingyue smiled slightly. "You did nothing wrong. You reminded me yesterday, didn't you?"
“Your Majesty…” Su Yuyao’s tears streamed down her face. “I only found out about Yuqing yesterday. She lives alone. Grandpa Langzhi sometimes helps her empty her chamber pot… um… very occasionally. He’ll have a meal at her house… but he doesn’t do anything else. I saw that!”
“Silly child, you have no cultivation at all. He is an ancient demon who has lived for thousands of years. How could you possibly see through him?” Qingyue lowered her head and took another sip of tea. “Even I can’t see through him…”
“Your Majesty! If you can’t see through it, then don’t look at it! Can’t you just trust Grandpa Langzhi?” Su Yuyao asked.
"Yao'er, do you believe in Xuanfeng?" Qingyue asked with a smile.
“Of course I believe him!” Su Yuyao said firmly.
"You never doubted him?"
"Hmm..." Su Yuyao thought for a moment, "I've had my suspicions... but I couldn't find a solution..."
She looked earnestly at Qingyue, "Your Majesty, you once made me promise not to interfere with Xuanfeng finding other women, so why can't you... accept Yuqing..."
Qingyue suddenly felt incredibly stupid. She rubbed her forehead and laughed, "Yeah, I was so silly. I even let you accept Feihua back then, and then..."
She took another sip of tea. The tea was still clear and bright, and the taste was still mellow, but the cold temperature could no longer warm her heart.
"Yao'er, don't forget, Xuanfeng is the Heavenly Lord! Don't try to bind him with your feelings!" Qingyue put down her teacup, slightly raised her eyelids, and her cold aura instantly awakened Su Yuyao's initial restraint and trepidation when she first met Qingyue.
"Your Majesty..." Su Yuyao called softly, trying to warm Qingyue up, but was so frightened by Qingyue's cold gaze that she dared not speak again.
“Now, you need to practice splitting a single strand of spider silk into three, trying to make them all the same thickness.” Qingyue extended her finger and gently flicked it, causing the knotted spider silk in Su Yuyao's arms to slowly untangle. “Don’t rush, take your time…”
"Your Majesty," Su'e pushed open the door and announced softly, "the meal is ready. Please have a bite with Yao'er first."
Upon hearing that it was time to eat, Su Yuyao quickly put down the spider silk ball, ran to Qingyue's side, took Qingyue's arm, and said in a coquettish tone, "Your Majesty! Let's eat! I'm starving!"
Qingyue followed the chubby little hand resting on her arm to Su Yuyao's round face and blinking eyes, and said coldly, "Yao'er, don't be rude."
Su Yuyao looked at Qing Yue, whose aura was sharp and piercing, and awkwardly withdrew her hand, standing obediently to the side.
"Let's set the table."
Su'e glanced at Su Yuyao, whose face was full of sorrow, and bowed her head to reply, "Yes, Your Majesty."
The dishes were light and simple. Qingyue only ate a few bites of green leaves before putting down her chopsticks, her eyes lowered as if she were deep in thought.
Su Yuyao was not full yet, but seeing that Qingyue had stopped eating, she dared not eat anymore and could only endure her hunger as Su'e took the food away again.
Qingyue was still holding her forehead, her eyes half-closed.
Su Yuyao could see the immense disappointment in Qingyue's heart. This aloof and proud empress seemed to have been played, processing her disappointment and sadness, while also being filled with self-blame and regret...
Why...why do I still crave pure and devoted love? And how could he possibly be pure and devoted? Ultimately, it's my own fault; I shouldn't have fallen for him, shouldn't have been filled with hope...
Su Yuyao felt very sorry for Qingyue and wondered how she could stand up for the Empress!
"Yao'er, don't think nonsense..." Qingyue lowered her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Hurry up and practice."
“Yes…” Su Yuyao picked up the spider silk ball again, but she couldn’t calm down. “Your Majesty, I…”
"Yao'er, you must always learn to stay calm and not let anything disturb your peace of mind."
"Your Majesty!" Su Yuyao couldn't hold back any longer. "Why are you so sad?! It's clearly Grandpa Langzhi's fault! He was dishonest and provoked that Yuqing! Now that you're back, aren't you just giving them the opportunity to have an affair?!"
"Su Yuyao!" Qingyue glared and said sternly, "Say another word or I'll punish you! Go practice your Qi! You can only rest when you've mastered it!"
"Your Majesty..." Su Yuyao wanted to say something, but when she saw the shadow of a ruler gradually appearing in Qingyue's hand, she quickly shut her mouth, hugged the spider silk ball, and obediently hid to the side.
Qingyue slammed the ruler on the table, glanced at the seemingly obedient Su Yuyao, and let out a soft sigh of relief...
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