Chapter 31

The moment I was led with a smile by the little green-robed girl into the garden master’s room, I sensed that something was very wrong.

If this cold-faced garden master had only found me displeasing yesterday, then now, the cold air she was giving off could practically turn into shards of ice and stab into me.

What should I do? The garden master seemed to be in a very bad mood. Was it related to me? Lüluo, don’t leave so quickly. Don’t close the door, hey!

I watched helplessly as the little girl smiled, left, and closed the door. My heart turned to ashes. I could not help taking a few steps back, trying to avoid the direct stare of the white-robed person opposite me. Honestly, how had I offended this master again? I had completed all the work she punished me with.

“I heard you were taken away by Miss Yin last night?” While I was completely baffled, she spoke. Her manner seemed casual, but her voice was cold. “You even entered the young lady’s boudoir.”

Huh. Had she called me here because of that? Could it be that this matter had spread and become known to the manor lord, and then the manor lord blamed her for poor discipline or something, so she came to warn me?

Then I heard her laugh coldly and say faintly, “You really are quite good at pleasing women.”

There were clearly traces of mockery in this sentence, making it difficult to understand or grasp. But because her voice sounded so much like the princess’s, I suddenly imagined her as the princess. Mm… if the princess said something like this, her expression would definitely be smiling yet not smiling. Beneath the mocking tone, without a doubt, she would be suppressing surging anger.

Then the words she hid would probably be: Heh, very good. Instead of coming to serve this palace, you went to drink with someone else and even recited poetry. You were very happy, were you? It seems this palace should properly teach you how to behave. Speak, how do you want this palace to discipline you…

Pah, pah, pah. What nonsense was I thinking?!

Coming back to myself, I really wanted to cover my face. But after making this association, my heart suddenly felt strange. Something felt odd.

For some reason, the scene from last night flashed through my mind: Mountain Girl gently kissing Yin Shanlan’s forehead, then smiling and stroking her head like soothing fur…

“What are you thinking about?” The white-robed person opposite me suddenly said. The displeasure in her eyes deepened. “I am speaking to you, yet you are actually distracted?”

“N-no, Garden Master. I was listening seriously. Just now… I was only feeling remorseful and reflecting on my mistakes in my heart,” I hurriedly answered.

“Oh? Is that so?” She raised her brows lightly. “Then you know where you went wrong?”

I bowed my head and lowered my eyes, answering obediently, “This lowly one is merely a flower servant. There is a difference in status between me and Miss. I should not have overstepped propriety, followed Miss to drink wine, and damaged Miss’s reputation.”

“You should not be together with her, but not because of any difference in status.” The garden master snorted coldly and walked toward me step by step, her tone sinking. “And that is not the only thing you did wrong.”

Not the only thing? What else was there? I did not dare raise my head and only stared at the pair of white satin boots before me, thinking hard until cold sweat nearly appeared on my forehead. After thinking for a long while, I hesitantly said, “Is it that… I did not do enough work?”

“Pfft!” Unexpectedly, a soft laugh suddenly came from above. And that originally cold voice also turned gentle, like a frozen lake suddenly meeting warm sunlight, ripples spreading in circles. “You foolish person.”

This tone… No way! I froze in shock and abruptly looked up. I saw the woman standing before me raise her fair hand and slowly peel a ​stolen content​layer of mask from her face, revealing familiar brows and eyes.

Prin… Princess?!

“You actually did not recognize this palace.” The princess’s slender jade finger pressed against the space between my brows and lightly pushed. Even when she looked annoyed and reproachful, she was dazzlingly beautiful. “Did you truly not feel that Garden Master Qin treated you differently?”

Of course I felt it. She punished me with work and would not let me eat. It was simply a very different kind of malice! No, that was not the point! I suppressed the surprise, resentment, and inexplicable joy and emotion bursting inside me, then urgently asked, “Princess, shouldn’t you be lying sick in bed? How did you run out here?! And how did you become Garden Master Qin? What exactly is going on?”

The person before me, however, said with complete ease, “Since I personally came here, once you obtain the medicine, I can take it in time, avoiding the long journey delaying my condition.”

Princess, don’t joke around!

I said anxiously, “Taking the risk of entering a dragon’s pool and tiger’s den while you could relapse at any time is not something fun!”

“What storms has this palace not seen?” The princess waved her hand and put on a dignified, serious expression. “In truth, this palace came here to help the imperial court investigate a case. Recently, the Lushui region has not been peaceful. The barbarian country at the border has wolfish ambitions and intends to invade, and the demonic cult is running rampant…”

“No, I still think you followed me here because you were greedy for fun.” I interrupted her expressionlessly.

“Cough, you—you actually dare talk back to this palace.” The princess weakly covered her chest and said with a pained expression. Her movements and expression were extremely exaggerated. I said irritably, “But it is very dangerous. Didn’t you bring Dafang with you?”

She raised her brows. “What is there to fear? Did you not say you would protect me?”

“When did I say that?” In a place like this, protecting myself was already difficult enough. I said, “Since you personally came here, Princess, it seems there is no use for me to remain. Why don’t I go back first…”

The princess’s face darkened, and she looked at me faintly. “You want to abandon me again?”

What did she mean, abandon her again… I wanted to refute her, but under her seemingly wounded and resentful gaze, I stammered and could not speak.

This person really loved acting. Ever since that night at Maple Leaf Temple when she had shown a miserable side in front of me, she seemed completely unrestrained. She threw tantrums, lost her temper, used tricks, acted coquettish, and now she even put on this abandoned expression… So annoying. I clearly knew she was pretending, so why did I still involuntarily feel a little guilty and unable to bear it?

“All right, I won’t leave. I’ll listen to everything you say. Is that fine?” I truly had no backbone.

“That is more like it.” A certain princess nodded approvingly. “This palace’s cultivation of you has not been wasted.”

Ah, I felt so tired. I really wanted to pull out Mingfeng right now and slit this person’s throat, ending this endless labor.

But, but I still did not know whose hands my Mingfeng was in, or what tragic task it was currently being used for! I collected the sorrow filling my heart and asked, “Princess, when did you come here? Is your illness better?”

“Every time the cold ailment relapses, it usually gets better after a day or two. Although this time was more serious, it was not enough to keep me bedridden all along. In truth, before you came here, I had already infiltrated this place and replaced the real Qin Xiang.”

Seeing my astonishment, the princess explained, “Several years ago, I arranged for a girl with a build similar to mine to sell herself into this place as a flower servant. Then I secretly helped her rise to the position of garden master. She is Qin Xiang. Qin Xiang is normally not close to others, has a cold face, and speaks little. Now that I am disguised as her and replacing her, I only need to imitate her about seventy or eighty percent, then keep an expressionless face, and no one will notice.”

She spoke lightly, but huge waves had already risen in my heart. So several years ago, the princess had already known that the Huodan Shen she needed was here and had made preparations?

I asked blankly, “Then what about her?” That real Qin Xiang, could she now be…

The princess narrowed her eyes slightly, smiling yet not smiling. “Since she no longer has any use, naturally…”

I shuddered. But she looked amused, smiled, and patted my face reproachfully. “What are you thinking? Qin Xiang’s mission ended, so naturally she received a reward and returned home.”

“Oh.” Was that really so? I secretly wiped the sweat from my palms, thought for a moment, and said, “Then Lüluo is also one of our people?”

“Mm. The ones serving closest to me are all this palace’s trusted aides. There are also eyes and ears in the other gardens.”

She actually planted so many people here?! It seemed this was not as simple as being for Huodan Shen.

I asked again, “Does the young prince know about these matters?” Hmph, it was that fellow who pushed me into this pit. Just thinking about it made me angry. After I returned, I absolutely had to snatch away all those sets of books he treasured!

“Qingshan has his own things to do.” The princess turned gracefully and walked to the couch on the other side to sit down. When she mentioned the young prince, her expression became a little colder and more solemn. “These are not things he should worry about. It is enough for this palace to handle them.”

“Before, when the prince wanted to send me here to get the medicine, you knew about it too?”

“Mm-hm~”

“Then why didn’t you stop him?” I asked gloomily. The person over there paused while lifting the teapot. Then her sandalwood lips parted slightly, and her gentle words floated over like a feather, lightly brushing the bottom of my heart. “Because—I also wanted to know how far you would go for me.”

It was not for you! My heart suddenly skipped a beat, and I hurriedly refuted her in my heart.

Afterward, I felt uncomfortable, so I also went over and sat down, habitually pouring tea for her. “Since you could enter without anyone knowing, why did you not steal Huodan Shen earlier?”

“Heh. If this palace wants something, when have I ever resorted to stealing? Besides, alarming the snake for just a little Huodan Shen is not worth it.”

Not worth it? For some reason, I felt a little angry. “I do not know what all of you are planning, but do you really care so little about your own body?”

“You are worried about me?” The princess suddenly leaned closer, her gaze toward me gaining a few traces of eagerness.

I choked, only realizing belatedly that my anger had come from nowhere. I turned my eyes away. “I just find it strange.”

“All right, I will not tease you.” She neither confirmed nor denied it and lightly laughed, lifting her teacup to take a sip. “You also know that Huodan Shen only blossoms once every five years, and my illness requires fresh flowering branches as medicine. After waiting a few more days, the timing will be ripe.”

The princess seemed to be in a much better mood now. The ​read the original at bailiantales.com​corner of her mouth carried an upward curve, like a happy fox. She opened the food box on the table and took out a plate of food from inside. “Here. There are some pastries. You must be hungry. Eat some.”

My eyes immediately lit up. Those small round cakes were made in all kinds of colors, and different flower petals had been mixed into them. Just looking at them was pleasing to the eye. Combined with the sweet fragrance they gave off, they were even more tempting. So I did not stand on ceremony. I picked one up and stuffed it into my mouth. As expected, the taste was excellent.