Chapter 22.1 â Cat, Fish and a Bowl of Soup (1)
It was already dark when Lu Qipei returned to her new home.
Fortunately, when Qi Yang sent her back, the Lu familyâs coachman was still waiting outside Hanlin Academy. She returned to the mansion with the carriage, and didnât have to bother explaining anything to anyone. After all, it was normal for the old-timers in Hanlin Academy to bully the newcomers, so it was normal for the latter to return late.
Lu Qipei was very tired today, so she didnât stay long in the main hall and went back to her room. On the way, she saw several green bamboos by the path, and couldnât help thinking about her previous conversation with Qi Yang. It was clearly her princessâs mansion â why did she have to ask her when choosing one? Her Royal Highness The Princess wasnât an indecisive person, in fact, she was domineering to the bone!
Her mind couldnât help but turn to gear when she thought about it, but Lu Qipei didnât dare to think about it too much. She was acting like a coward, afraid of piercing the paper window1. She didnât dare to have any additional thoughts.
After glancing at the green bamboos again, Lu Qipei retracted her gaze and dragged his tired steps back to her room.
The person who came out to greet her was Ah Yu. She had been with Lu Qipei for many years, and even thought Lu Qipei no longer trusted her, no one else knew this. So when Lu Qipei returned, Ah Yu was assigned to her again. Other than the addition of another servant boy to accompany her when she goes outside, everything else remained the same.
Right now, Ah Yu saw Lu Qipei returning at night and asked her with great concern, âYoung Master, why did you come back so late today? Quickly come inside. Have you eaten? Donât let your stomach starve so late.â
Of course she hadnât had dinner yet, but the cakes that Qi Yang brought were very helpful. Lu Qipei ate a plate of milk cakes and drank two cups of tea. She was no longer hungry and didnât want to eat anything else, so she waved her hand as she entered the room and said, âNo need. Iâm tired, I had so many things to do today. Have someone prepare some hot water, Iâm going to take a rest after a bath.â
When Ah Yu heard this, she paused slightly and looked at Lu Qipeiâs delicate face from the side. She looked dazed for a moment, and complex emotions flashed in her eyes, hidden by the dim light.
Lu Qipei didnât notice it and continued walking inside. She heard the other party retreat after hearing her answer.
Back in her room, the layout of the new house still felt unfamiliar to her, but it always felt relaxing to be in your own private room.
She really was tired today. The elders of Hanlin Academy were old-fashioned and hard to deal with, and they were especially harsh to those that they look down on. In her previous life, Lu Qipei got first place during the Spring Exam, then made big waves during Qionglin banquet. As her fame spread far and wide, she naturally won the favor of many people in Hanlin Academy. So even though she was also given a hard time after entering Hanlin Academy, it was all measured and there was room for her to display what she had learned.
But now it was different. The Emperor sent her to Hanlin Academy without saying anything. Hanlin Academy couldnât refuse, but they didnât like this unknown person who came out of nowhere.
Making things difficult for someone was easy and didnât require any effort. Having them serve tea or pour water was not enough to humiliate someone, but helping move a document or send a message were trivial tasks that couldnât be refused. So these small things added on top of small things would end up making someone tired at the end of the day. Lu Qipei herself didnât know what kind of perseverance she relied on when Qi Yang pulled her into the carriage, that she could accompany her going around the city without a single change in expression. She even visited three mansions in a row!
Right now Lu Qipei was rubbing her sore calves, but when she thought back to it, it seemed that she hadnât felt very tired back then. From the moment she saw Qi Yang, she no longer cared about herself, and didnât even feel tired.
Lu Qipei had never experienced something like that before. What did it mean? Even as intelligent as she was, Lu Qipei had no ideaâ¦
As Lu Qipei was absent-mindedly pondering what was on her mind, her beautiful eyebrows subconsciously furrowed, but Ah Yu returned right at this moment.
She not only returned, but also carried a bowl of soup on a tray. âYoung Master, you have worked hard all day. Not eating any dinner is bad for your health, why donât you have a bowl of soup to warm your stomach?â
Lu Qipei returned to her senses when she heard her. She calmly glanced at the soup and didnât refuse it. âAlright, just put it down there. I donât want to drink it now, Iâll drink it later.â After that, she added, âGo and get the hot water prepared faster.â
Ah Yu had no choice but to leave the bowl of soup and go outside to urge someone to bring the hot water.
When she left, she turned back three times. Maybe it was just her illusion, but she always felt that after the Young Master disappeared and returned, she became distant from her. She didnât even let her stay in the room when there was nothing to do⦠This change made her feel a little scared.
However, Lu Qipei was not in the mood to guess what Ah Yu was thinking. She just waited for the latter to leave, then looked at the bowl of soup and frowned. Perhaps it was a shadow left from her previous life, but she didnât dare to eat anything that Ah Yu brought her.
It was the same this time. She didnât want to die again for no reason!
Translator notes:
Chapter 22 is a âspecialâ chapter, as it marks the point where the raw release started entering VIP mode (need to pay to access the raws), and the chapter is a triple release with three times the length of a regular chapter (9k words instead of the usual 3k). Hence, the translation will also have 6 parts instead of the usual 2 parts.
The chapter title is actually something I came up with myself since the original release doesnât have an actual title for chapter 22. Where the title should be, the author only put âentering VIP mode, 3 in 1 releaseâ.
The Yu in Ah Yuâs name means fish, hence the title.