Upon seeing her, the captured servant’s expression turned strange. He forcefully pulled back his sleeves and said with a half-smile, “Lingxiu is working in the South Courtyard.”

South Courtyard? Working? Huaiyu frowned, pondering for a moment before finding it reasonable. She asked the servant for directions and set off.

Inside the South Courtyard.

The lanterns lit around were somewhat stingy in this area. Lingxiu squinted her eyes to see the patterns clearly and carefully began to embroider them onto the gown.

Not far from her stood two elderly maids, quietly gossiping while cracking melon seeds.

“Our Madam has been exceptionally kind to the Fourth Miss. She’s not even her biological daughter, yet she’s given her such fine materials. Doesn’t she fear overshadowing the Second Miss at the Jiang residence?”

“Isn’t that how she can be the matriarch? The Madam is kind-hearted. But in my opinion, even if the Fourth Miss wears this outfit, she won’t shine as brightly as the Second Miss. One is a legitimate daughter, well-educated and refined, while the other has been a fool for three years. Now that she’s awake, she’s still lost several years of decorum; it’s a miracle if she doesn’t embarrass herself.”

“That’s true! You should have seen how the Fourth Miss behaved in front of the Emperor today; she had no manners at all. She hardly resembled a young lady from a noble family.”

“Indeed, the Jiang family is known for its etiquette. Does the Fourth Miss even deserve to be compared?”

“Not at all!” someone behind them chimed in with a laugh.

Elderly Maid Li turned around, intending to praise the person for their insight, but when she looked up and saw their face, she dropped the melon seeds in shock.

“F-Fourth Miss?”

Li Huaiyu smiled as she caught a few fallen seeds, cracking them in her mouth and blinking innocently, “Why are you so flustered? It’s all true, isn’t it?”

The two maids stared at her in disbelief, and she walked over to Lingxiu, bending down to ask, “What are you doing?”

Hearing her mistress’s voice, Lingxiu finally looked up, forcing a smile that was more painful than crying. “I’m helping you finish the gown.”

Glancing at what Lingxiu was holding, Huaiyu saw a plain silk robe without any hidden patterns. Such robes require a lot of embroidery to look good; otherwise, they can’t be worn outside. The piece in Lingxiu’s hands had a pattern no larger than a palm. To finish it, even without eating or drinking, it would take at least half a month.

Narrowing her eyes, Huaiyu asked, “Are you foolish? Do you think you can finish this?”

Lingxiu moved her stiff neck and held the robe up for her to see. “Look, the fabric is good!”

“Even if it’s good, you can’t finish it, and I can’t wear it. With this time, why not eat something and get some sleep?”

Lingxiu froze, feeling a bit at a loss. “But… but you don’t have any other clothes to wear. The birthday banquet at the Jiang residence is very important for you. If you can’t change everyone’s impression of you, then the marriage…”

What a worrywart of a maid! Silly as she was, she was quite endearing.

Huaiyu smiled and pulled her up, rubbing the back of her neck. “If you must embroider, I won’t stop you. Just go back to our room to do it. But at this hour, your mistress is starving. Are you going to take care of that?”

Lingxiu suddenly remembered the need to eat, her face turning pale. “I… I forgot!”

“It’s not too late to remember now. Let’s go.” Huaiyu picked up the sewing basket beside her.

“Fourth Miss!” The two maids finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly approached, saying, “The Madam said it’s best to embroider the gown here. If it gets stained with oil or dust elsewhere, it won’t be good.”

Huaiyu smiled at them. “This gown is for me to wear. If I’m not afraid, why should you be?”

The two maids were momentarily speechless. Huaiyu couldn’t be bothered to argue with them and pulled Lingxiu along as they left.

“Where’s the kitchen?” she asked as they walked.

Lingxiu whispered, “The rules in the residence are strict. After the hour of the dog, the kitchen door is locked, and we can’t get in.”

“Don’t worry about anything else; just show me the way,” Huaiyu said confidently.

After a short while, Lingxiu found herself holding four steamed buns and half a roasted chicken, staring in disbelief at the person walking ahead.

“Miss, you… you’re stealing!”

Not only stealing but also climbing walls and windows! If the Master found out, he would surely beat her to death!

Li Huaiyu bit into the bun, speaking indistinctly, “If you don’t say anything, I won’t either. Who will know?”

“But… but…” Lingxiu was so shocked her mouth hung open wide.

How could the Miss do such a thing? Even when she was foolish, she only rambled and broke a few things. Now that she was supposedly normal, her behavior was even more reckless and carefree.

It was as if she had become a different person.

Stopping in her tracks, Huaiyu reached over and stuffed a bun into Lingxiu’s mouth, then smiled brightly, “Listen carefully, your mistress has suddenly realized the essence of life. I feel there’s no need to bind myself with empty fame. We’re hungry now, and if there’s food, we should eat. Let’s not say anything more, understand?”

Lingxiu blinked her watery eyes, her mouth stuffed with the bun, unable to speak.

Huaiyu patted her head with satisfaction. “It’s good that you understand.”

No, she didn’t! Lingxiu shook her head; she didn’t understand at all! The Bai residence had strict rules; who didn’t live honestly? Where did the Miss’s words come from?

The person in front of her ignored her head shaking like a rattling drum. Upon returning to the West Courtyard, she opened the lotus leaf wrapping the roasted chicken and shared it with Lingxiu, eating the buns until they were full before lying down on the bed, seemingly ready to continue sleeping.

“Miss,” Lingxiu said in a tiny voice, “May I ask where you’ve been these past two days?”

That day, the side room had suddenly been empty, and she had searched for a long time. She even went to ask the Madam to report to the authorities, but the Madam ignored her, causing her to lose sleep all night.

Huaiyu yawned and replied, “I went out for a stroll.”

Seeing how skillfully she had rummaged through the kitchen earlier, Lingxiu felt there was no need to ask how she had gotten out. She couldn’t help but add, “The Second Miss has been coveting your marriage contract, waiting for you to make a mistake so she can take your place. You mustn’t act so carelessly in the future.”

“I know.” Turning to face her, Huaiyu chuckled with half-open eyes, “You chatter too much, you know?”

So different from Qingsi.

Qingsi was a cold beauty who wouldn’t say a word more than necessary. When she was beside her, Lu Jingxing had teased that she looked like a moving ice sculpture. No matter how much he joked, she never showed a hint of a smile.

The image of Qingsi’s frosty face floated in Huaiyu’s mind, and she felt a pang in her heart, letting out a long sigh.

When she saw her again, she had to ask her properly. She had sent her out of Capital; why had she returned and ended up in Jiang Xuanjin’s hands?