Chapter 75

After the palace banquet ended, Feng Bao, who was standing outside the East Palace Main Hall, approached Qin Yan as soon as he saw him and helped him put on a dark blue crane cloak.

Because it was a festive day, Feng Bao was less formal. He smiled at Qin Yan and said, “Master, you didn’t drink tonight.”

“Hmm,” Qin Yan responded lightly, his handsome face devoid of expression.

Although the palace banquet was no different from previous years, he felt an unusual sense of boredom this year.

“Master, will you be returning home or going to the Eastern Bureau?” Feng Bao asked.

Qin Yan looked up at the moon, which was already past midnight. It was time for her to sleep.

“The Eastern Bureau.”

***

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“Txx.”

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“Zlp, Ykpp.” Ubwd Ylk nzsple vbl essa yde zlqv, nsdpvydvzu vwadkdt bla blye cynj.

Su Mi blew out the candle and got into bed. In the darkness, she stared at the empty space on the right side and fell asleep in a daze.

The next morning, when Su Mi opened her eyes, she still looked to the right. The neatly folded bedding in front of her eyes indicated that the Lord had indeed not returned overnight.

During breakfast, seeing that Su Mi had little appetite, Chun Mei could easily read her mind from her expression.

Unable to hold back, she said, “Miss, even if Lord is busy, if you want to see him, you can directly go to the Eastern Bureau.”

“But the Lord is so busy.” Su Mi hesitated in her heart. Qin Yan had so many important matters to attend to, and she was unsure if he would be angry if she went and disturbed him.

“Even if he’s busy, he still needs rest and meals,” Chun Mei said casually.

Su Mi was reminded by her words and thought of something. “Chun Mei, call Feng Bao over.”

“Yes, Miss.”

After a while, Chun Mei led a perplexed Feng Bao into the inner room.

“Madam, did you summon me?”

“Yes, Feng Bao, has the Lord mentioned when he will return? Or is he not coming back for the New Year this year?”

The palace banquet was held on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month so that the ministers could spend the New Year at home. Hence, Su Mi had this question about whether Qin Yan would come back for the New Year or not.

Feng Bao understood Su Mi’s meaning, but all he could do was shake his head. “The master didn’t mention it, but I believe he will definitely come back.”

Su Mi lowered her gaze, holding a handwarmer. Feng Bao was probably comforting her. It had been several days since she last saw Qin Yan, and if the New Year passed and things piled up, their chances of meeting would be even less.

“Feng Bao, are you still going to deliver the meal box to the Lord at noon?”

Feng Bao nodded; of course, he had to deliver it.

Su Mi blushed slightly and hesitated: “Can I come along?”

“If the Madam wants to go, of course, it’s good. I can prepare two sets of meals for you to eat together with the Master.” Feng Bao thought it was a good idea. No matter how busy the master was, he still needed to eat.

And even if others didn’t know, he knew very well that the Master would never be angry with him if the Madam went along.

Su Mi felt delighted in her heart. “But Feng Bao, should I change into a different outfit? It might seem too ostentatious to go like this.” After all, she was a woman, and she was afraid that if she went, people would gossip.

Feng Bao pondered for a moment, and a bright idea struck him. “Madam, I have a solution!”

…

Around noon, the carriage from the chief’s residence stopped at the entrance of the Eastern Bureau as usual.

When the guards saw Feng Bao, they nodded and let him in. Who among the attendants by the chief’s side didn’t know him? However, why was there a thin and frail young eunuch following Feng Gonggong today? Could it be a newcomer following Feng Gonggong?

The guards at the gate didn’t have time to take a closer look before the two of them disappeared.

Feng Bao led Su Mi into the main hall of the Eastern Bureau. Qin Yan was discussing the issue of ineffective border military commanders and the increasing number of deserters with Zhou Zheng. When Feng Bao entered, Qin Yan only glanced at him before continuing the discussion.

But soon, Qin Yan noticed that there was an additional person in the room—a young eunuch hiding behind Feng Bao.

With his head lowered, he wore a blue hat with a wide brim that had to be adjusted occasionally by the young eunuch himself.

The eunuch’s pale and pristine neck was exposed, and his ears were rosy. Especially with his slender hands, it seemed like he didn’t know where to put them; he was currently fiddling with the button on his clothes.

“You two, leave.”

Qin Yan’s words carried a playful tone as Zhou Zheng looked up in confusion. It was the New Year, and Qin Yan had dragged him out of his home, and now he was being asked to leave when they were only halfway through the discussion?

However, Feng Bao knew that the Master must have recognized the Madam’s arrival and chuckled as he pulled away the bewildered Zhou Zheng, leaving only Qin Yan and Su Mi in the hall.

Qin Yan walked up to her, a smile playing on his lips, and lifted her chin playfully. His eyes were filled with amusement. “Why are you dressed like this?”

“I’m afraid of people gossiping,” Su Mi honestly replied, aware that her appearance was somewhat comical. “Lord, when did you recognize me?”

“At first sight.”

As Qin Yan spoke, he removed the blue hat from Su Mi’s head, and her silky black hair cascaded down her shoulders, accentuating her delicate and fair skin. Her cheeks blushed, making it hard to divert one’s gaze.

Su Mi lowered her head, unaware of the deepening color of Qin Yan’s eyes. She felt a sweet sensation in her heart. “Lord, I came because I wanted to have lunch with you.”

“Well, what did you bring?”

“I have caterpillar fungus stewed duck, green snail shrimp, and this, just steamed….”

Su Mi spoke with enthusiasm, and although the dishes prepared by Feng Bao were not abundant in quantity, they were diverse. The red wooden table was soon filled with various plates. She introduced each dish one by one, which took a while.

Qin Yan watched as her delicate and fair hands brought out steaming plates of food. His appetite was indeed aroused, but unfortunately, the dishes on the table were not what he wanted to eat the most…

***

Outside the gate of the Eastern Bureau, Ye Yunshuang stood not far from the entrance.

She usually wore light-colored clothes, but today she was dressed in an apricot-colored fur coat with a hint of rouge applied, reducing her purity and adding a touch of feminine charm.

Qin Yan liked this type of woman, didn’t he? She wanted him to know that when she dressed up, she was no less inferior to Su Mi.

Ye Yunshuang walked towards the guards at the gate without politeness and said, “I am the Master’s sworn sister. Inform him on my behalf.”

She thought that as soon as the guards heard her identity, they would go and report her. However…

“No, can’t.”

The guard at the gate shook his head resolutely, completely ignoring her. What Ye Yunshuang didn’t know was that there were too many people who wanted to see Qin Yan use various excuses every day. If they were all allowed in, the guards would likely end up in prison.

No matter how she tried to persuade or threaten, the guard simply ignored her. Frustrated, she could only stand to the side and continue thinking of a solution.

In fact, she came this time to bid farewell to Qin Yan, but it wasn’t because she truly wanted to leave.

She just wanted to find an opportunity to have a few more words with him. The garden had been closed for so long, and other than catching a few glimpses from the gate, she had no other chance to appear before him. Perhaps if he looked at her a few more times, he would realize her worth.

Moreover, it was the New Year—the time to say goodbye. Qin Yan knew she didn’t have many relatives, so he would surely be soft-hearted and let her stay a little longer.

But now that there’s no one to pass on her message, how can she go in and find Qin Yan? Ye Yunshuang was worried and just happened to see Feng Bao walking briskly towards the door, as if she had found a savior.

“Feng Bao!”

Feng Bao paused upon hearing the voice and looked towards the entrance, only to find Ye Yunshuang.

He walked out and said, “Miss Yunshuang? Why are you here?”

“I came to bid farewell to the Master, but they wouldn’t let me in,” Ye Yunshuang replied to Feng Bao, still maintaining her cold demeanor. However, since she had a favor to ask, she had to soften her tone slightly.

“Feng Bao, please pass on a message to the Master for me. Tell him that Yunshuang came today to bid him farewell.”

Feng Bao furrowed his brow, contemplating the situation. The guards prevented her from entering, which must have been because Qin Yan had previously given orders not to bother him with trivial matters. Whether Ye Yunshuang could be considered a trivial matter or not was the question. Moreover, at this moment…

“Miss Yunshuang, the Master is currently having a meal with the Madam… It’s not appropriate for me to disturb them,” Feng Bao explained.

“What?” Ye Yunshuang exclaimed. “Su Mi is here too? What right does she have to be in the master’s official place?”

Feng Bao looked at Ye Yunshuang with some embarrassment. How was he supposed to respond to that? After all, she had also come…

Frustrated, Ye Yunshuang unintentionally conveyed a sense of threat. “Feng Bao, you know how much respect the Master had for my father. If you don’t pass on my message, and if the Master blames you later, you’ll regret it.”

Startled by her words, Feng Bao hesitated. The year the old master passed away, he happened to be by Qin Yan’s side as an eunuch attendant, so he was well aware of the master’s feelings towards the old master.

Sighing, Feng Bao said, “I understand. I’ll go and ask.”

***

Lunch was halfway through, and Qin Yan hadn’t eaten much. Instead, he had been watching Su Mi. Compared to her, the dishes seemed tasteless.

“Lord, aren’t you eating anymore? Are you full?” Su Mi asked.

“Mm, how about you?”

“I… I’m still not full.”

Su Mi sighed inwardly and rubbed her stomach. She was almost at her limit, unable to eat anymore. But if she finished eating, she would have to leave. She wanted to stay a little longer, no matter what!

Taking a deep breath, she picked up her chopsticks.

Qin Yan chuckled as he watched her expression of resignation. He reached out and pulled her closer.

“You don’t have to eat. You can still sit for a while.”

“…”

Su Mi felt a bit embarrassed, and her neck started to blush. She realized that Qin Yan indeed had important matters to attend to. Using the pretext of having a meal, she could shamelessly linger a little longer.

Now that everything has been exposed, there’s no point in staying any longer.

After a short while, Su Mi spoke up, saying, “Lord, you should continue with your work. I’ll go back first.”

Qin Yan’s lips curled up, and he didn’t try to stop her. “Mm.”

Su Mi calmly packed up the lunchbox. When she finished putting the lid on for the third time, she realized there was no more reason to linger. She was about to leave.

Suddenly, Feng Bao knocked on the door and entered. He glanced at Su Mi and reluctantly said, “Master, Miss Yunshuang requests an audience.”

Qin Yan saw Su Mi’s hand holding the food container freeze for a moment, and he gave a barely noticeable smile. However, when facing Feng Bao, his handsome face regained its coldness. “What does she want?”

“She says she wants to bid you farewell.”

Qin Yan sneered, “Is it her who thinks she has time or you who think I have plenty of it?”

Startled by Qin Yan’s tone, Feng Bao replied, “Yes, Master, I understand.”

After saying that, he wiped his sweat and quickly retreated.

As for Su Mi, ever since that time in the garden, Qin Yan has made it abundantly clear. She didn’t have much interest to begin with, but hearing about Yunshuang’s visit did pique her curiosity. Now that the Lord hadn’t even bothered to meet her, she had even less to think about.

“Lord, then I’ll also go back.”

“Mm.”

Su Mi put on the small eunuch’s hat and reluctantly walked towards the door. She turned her head back, but Qin Yan had already moved to the desk, engrossed in reading official documents. Seeing his serious and handsome appearance, Su Mi felt that she should leave quickly, or else she might not be able to move her feet.

She turned around and stepped across the threshold, feeling a hint of disappointment. Then she heard Qin Yan’s voice leisurely drifting from behind.

“Wait for me in the carriage.”