Tea garden amusement?

Gu Yi couldn’t understand why, if it was truly amusing, her mood would be so terrible.

She hesitantly said, “Your Majesty, if you’re not in a good mood… perhaps you should retire early…” Go to bed!

After speaking, Gu Yi saw that Xiaoyan remained silent, so she could only bend down to pick up the silver tray of apricot blossom shortbread cakes from the charcoal brazier.

All that work for nothing, how infuriating!

Then she heard Xiaoyan suddenly ask slowly, “You once sent a letter expressing your feelings. Did you also make these apricot blossom shortbread cakes for him?”

Gu Yi froze, her head full of question marks.

“Who?” she couldn’t help but look up and ask.

Only at this moment did Gu Yi realize how truly terrifying Xiaoyan’s expression was.

The room was brightly lit. His eyebrows and lashes were jet black, and his dark brown, glass-like eyes stared at her unblinkingly, cold and distant.

His thin lips were tightly pressed together, and the anger surrounding him seemed like a massive building about to collapse, pressing down heavily.

The atmosphere in the room was so stiff that it made it difficult to breathe.

Gu Yi swallowed hard, her scalp tingling slightly. It had been a long time since she’d seen Xiaoyan looking so frightening.

Her knees inexplicably weakened, and she knelt on the ground without any backbone, touching her forehead to the floor, she prostrated herself and said, “This concubine is foolish, I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me…”

Seeing her face turn pale white and tremble slightly, a momentary feeling of vengeful pleasure surged in Xiaoyan’s heart. However, it passed in an instant, and boundless jealousy scorched him.

He lowered his eyes to look at her kneeling on the ground and asked in a deep voice, “You… since you have feelings for Zhou Tinghe, why did you enter the palace?”

Gu Yi immediately understood.

Today, Xiaoyan must have encountered the Zhou family’s young master at the tea garden!

A bitter feeling spread through her heart in an instant. It was truly a case of minding her own business while trouble fell from the sky!

I don’t know Zhou Tinghe at all!

But the original owner of this body had written love poems to him!

I really can’t clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River!

Thoughts raced through Gu Yi’s mind, and for a moment she couldn’t find words to explain, so she could only remain motionless, kneeling on the ground.

Seeing that she was speechless, jealousy seized Xiaoyan’s heart like a giant beast lurking in the night.

He gave a cold laugh, “Gu Yi… manipulating me in the palm of your hand, are you very proud of yourself…”

The icy cold tone immediately startled Gu Yi.

No! I didn’t! I’m not! Don’t make false accusations!

“Your Majesty…” As soon as she opened her mouth, she saw the dark-colored robe hem move before her.

Xiaoyan was about to leave!

Without thinking further, Gu Yi lunged forward from her kneeling position and tightly embraced Xiaoyan’s leg.

He couldn’t leave. If he left tonight, everything would be over!

She hurriedly said, “This concubine… completely doesn’t care about Young Master Zhou Tinghe… This concubine was young and ignorant before… my heart was clouded by foolishness, which made me mistakenly believe I had feelings for Young Master Zhou… but that wasn’t love at all!”

Xiaoyan’s steps were halted by her grasp. He saw her hands tightly holding his right leg, with her pitch-black head just beside his waist.

“Let go…”

Gu Yi shook her head desperately, “This concubine won’t let go. This concubine hasn’t finished speaking…” She boldly raised her chin and glanced at Xiaoyan’s expression. Seeing his eyes slightly lowered, meeting her gaze, she immediately continued, “This concubine happened to encounter the Zhou family’s young master in the city yesterday and had planned to tell Your Majesty, to explain to Your Majesty, but last night… last night there really wasn’t a suitable opportunity… This concubine did not intentionally deceive Your Majesty…”

Xiaoyan’s brow twitched, “You saw Zhou Tinghe yesterday?”

Gu Yi inwardly cried out in distress, feeling like she was only making things worse. “This concubine dares not deceive Your Majesty. Yesterday at the Treasure Pavilion in the city, this concubine did indeed happen to encounter Zhou Tinghe, but this concubine did not engage with him. This concubine has truly forgotten Zhou Tinghe!”

A thought flickered in Xiaoyan’s mind, like a spring breeze lightly brushing across a lake’s surface, but the tense expression on his face had not yet relaxed.

He reached out and effortlessly removed Gu Yi’s wrists.

Seeing that he was truly about to leave, Gu Yi threw caution to the wind. She rose to her feet and pounced on Xiaoyan’s back from behind, clinging to him.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, like a koala hanging on a tree trunk.

Xiaoyan felt a weight on his back and instinctively reached down to support her legs, saying coldly, “Gu Yi, get down. You’re being too presumptuous. What kind of behavior is this?”

At this critical moment concerning her life, Gu Yi certainly couldn’t get down!

“This concubine has been waiting for Your Majesty all evening. I spent the entire afternoon making apricot blossom shortbread cakes, made over a hundred, and finally managed to make four that were presentable. Yet as soon as Your Majesty returned, you scolded this concubine. This concubine…” is so angry!

By the end, Gu Yi’s voice trembled, sounding as if she were about to cry.

The anger in Xiaoyan’s heart was neither extinguished nor entirely present.

“Get down.”

Gu Yi insisted, “This concubine won’t get down!”

Xiaoyan turned and headed toward the wooden couch, leaning forward slightly.

Gu Yi fell onto the wooden couch. The silver bracelet on her hand struck the wooden frame, making several loud banging sounds.

Xiaoyan paused with his back to her.

Gu Yi immediately had a flash of inspiration. She held her wrist and cried out, “This concubine’s wrist hurts so much!”

Xiaoyan turned back to look and saw her lying diagonally on the bed, her left hand holding her right wrist, her brows furrowed, her eyelashes lowered like a small fan, casting a small shadow beneath her eyes.

Seeing him pause, Gu Yi immediately reached out to grab his sleeve and pulled hard.

With this pull, she used great force. Gu Yi yanked Xiaoyan onto the wooden couch, then flipped over to lie on top of him, pinning him down firmly to prevent him from getting up.

Caught off guard, Xiaoyan was pressed down by her. His long eyebrows furrowed tightly, “Gu Yi… you’re being too reckless!”

Gu Yi disregarded everything and moved closer to his face.

She saw his tall, dark cap, with a few strands of loose hair falling across his forehead.

His expression had softened considerably.

They were inches apart, gazing at each other, each with the other’s silhouette reflected in their pupils.

Gu Yi declared loudly, “This concubine has absolutely no divided loyalty!” Her cheeks burned with nervousness, and her fingers involuntarily clutched the white collar of Xiaoyan’s robe. “This concubine… in this concubine’s heart… loves only Your Majesty!”

After she spoke, she saw that Xiaoyan remained expressionless.

I’ll risk it all!

So she lowered her head to kiss his lips.

Xiaoyan felt a warm sweetness on his lips, the taste of apricot blossom shortbread.

But Gu Yi merely gave him a light peck, barely scratching the surface, like an unsatisfying itch.

His large hand suddenly gripped her waist, exerting a slight force, and their positions were reversed.

Gu Yi’s hair was already disheveled, her lips slightly parted as she stared at him.

“The words you’ve spoken today, I have remembered them all. If you act contrary to your words in the future, I will not let you off lightly.”

It seemed this crisis had passed…

Gu Yi’s eyes brightened suddenly, and she immediately smiled ingratiatingly, “This concubine obeys Your Majesty’s decree.”

Xiaoyan’s gaze was profound as he leaned down to kiss Gu Yi’s lips.

It was more of a bite than a kiss.

It hurt so much that Gu Yi let out a hiss. Are you a dog?!

*

Early the next morning, Eunuch Gao specially changed into new clothes, a new satin raven-blue everyday robe.

After today, it will be the New Year.

Outside the palace, he wasn’t like when he was inside, constantly following the Emperor.

Most of the time, he was in the Gu residence managing the attendants he had brought.

After the New Year, the group would return to Qu City, following the Luo River southward, directly to Qingzhou Prefecture.

Therefore, Eunuch Gao dared not relax in the slightest. Early in the morning, he headed to the small courtyard where the attendants were staying.

He casually accepted red envelopes from several attentive stewards and pulled a few of them aside to give detailed instructions.

Qi Chuang, wearing a black cloak, turned out from the back of the courtyard.

Eunuch Gao called out, “Guard Qi, please wait.”

Qi Chuang stopped in his tracks and replied, “Manager Gao.”

Eunuch Gao smiled and said, “Is Guard Qi heading into the city? This old servant also needs to go purchase some goods. Why don’t we go together?”

Qi Chuang nodded, “Manager Gao, please lead the way.”

The two walked side by side out of the residence. Eunuch Gao smiled and said, “Tomorrow the young master will go to the Zhou family’s tea garden outside the city with Official Wang. The journey by carriage will take about two hours. Has Guard Qi made all the arrangements?”

Qi Chuang pondered for a moment, “Rest assured, Manager Gao, everything is in order. Twelve mounted guards will accompany them, all skilled fighters.”

Eunuch Gao felt relieved and couldn’t help but sigh, “The day after tomorrow, we’ll be leaving Fuzhou. Who knows if we’ll ever have the chance to return.”

Qi Chuang merely gave a faint “Mm” in response.

The two made their way to the market outside the city gate.

Naturally, Eunuch Gao looked down on ordinary items in the market, but he wanted to buy some New Year red envelopes for good luck.

Qi Chuang stood in the bustling market, several steps away from Eunuch Gao.

He looked up and caught a glimpse of a somewhat familiar figure at the end of the crowded morning market, disappearing in a flash.

He stared hard, but the figure had already vanished into the crowd.

Zhou Long bought several sheets of red envelope paper, tucked them under his arm, and turned to smile, “Merchant Gu, won’t you select some items to send to your family?”

Merchant Gu laughed, “No need. In a few days, when we return, I’ll find a way to buy some things when I pass through Qu City.”

Zhou Long nodded, “Qu City is indeed a large city with abundant trade. It’s a good place to visit.” After a pause, he continued, “Thank you for your help these past few days, Brother Gu, for watching over the tea garden for me. With the New Year approaching, having someone look after the tea house outside the city puts my mind at ease.”

Merchant Gu smiled again, “It’s a small matter. Coming to Fuzhou this time, I’m grateful to Master Zhou for taking me in, saving me from sleeping rough.”

Zhou Long cupped his hands and said, “Merchant Gu has looked after me several times, this is only right… Tonight, Merchant Gu can join us at the residence, and tomorrow you needn’t go to the tea house…”

Hearing this, Merchant Gu looked distressed, “Oh no… I forgot about this matter. I left a sachet that I brought from home at the tea house…”

Zhou Long asked, “Is it an important item? Should I send someone to fetch it today?”

Merchant Gu said with embarrassment, “It was made by my wife and children. Today, being New Year’s Eve, the city gates will close early. I’d better go fetch it myself tomorrow morning before we set out…”

Zhou Long calculated the time, “Tomorrow, I expect Official Wang’s party won’t arrive until after noon. Brother Gu can retrieve it before then.”

Merchant Gu patted Zhou Long’s left shoulder and smiled, “Of course. I won’t delay the main business.”