Qi Yue, naturally, had no knowledge of the events unfolding in Beiyuan.
Of course, with her sharp intuition, she did sense something amiss.
Firstly, there was Song Qiyun.
After last time, he still visited every single day.
He was always refreshing, reserved, and economical with words, never mentioning Zhao Xiyan again.
Sometimes he brought some specialties from Donggao or some trinket, his persistent demeanor seeming to say,
ââRegardless of whether you believe it or not, heâs just quietly doing good things for you.
Qi Yue did not accept his gifts, yet he wasnât angry; he just had this look of âwhatever you say is right.â
Then there were the two maidservants, Liao Ye and Zhu Ye by her side.
Zhu Ye was still as boisterous as ever, showing no respect towards Qi Yue.
But she was quite the loudmouth, always bragging about things inside Yewang Prefecture, allowing Qi Yue to pry into some secrets that couldnât be inquired about from the outside.
For instance, the Princely Heir Qiyun was not as indifferent as the outside world portrayed him; he was actually nicer than the usual noble sons and quite popular with the ladies.
Inside Yewang Prefecture, Princely Heir Song Qiyun was the smartest and held the highest status; he was also deeply favored by the Emperor of Donggao.
Qi Yue was thankful she hadnât dealt with Zhu Yeâs arrogance from the start, or else she wouldâve missed hearing these pieces of information.
The other maidservant Liao Ye was even more extreme.
At first, Qi Yue thought this person was not bad, but within a few days, her hidden tail emerged.
The revelation occurred when she discovered Liao Ye entering her room at midnight.
Since she was in her space, she could clearly hear any noise in the room.
She had clearly instructed both of them not to come in or knock on the door before going to bed.
Yet Liao Ye came in with a lit lamp.
The first time, Qi Yue deliberately kept silent, waiting for Liao Ye to finish searching the entire room before turning over in bed, startling the maid who immediately extinguished the lamp.
The speed and responsiveness she demonstrated was far from what one would expect from a common maidservant.
What was more frightening was that she remained lurking in the darkness for the duration of an entire cup of tea.
Even Qi Yue couldnât help but be amazed by her endurance.
Later, when the maidservant heard no more movements and probably thought she had fallen asleep, she dared to light the lamp again.
Qi Yue immediately got up from the bed and threw back the curtains.
âWhat are you doing?â
The slender maidservant immediately knelt on the floor, feigning pity.
âThis servant heard the noise of a mouse in the middle of the night and worried it would disturb Miss, so I came to check. If this has awakened Miss from her sleep, this servant begs Miss to punish her!â
Her words were such that Qi Yue didnât know what to say, so she followed the maidâs lead and said,
âThatâs great, Iâm so relieved you came in; Iâm terribly afraid of mice.â
It wasnât that she didnât want to punish her, but these two maidservants were her bridge to understanding Song Chengye, so she needed to keep them.
Not only did she need to keep them, but she must also not alarm them into revealing their true selves.
After seeing the true colors of these two maidservants, Qi Yueâs vigilance towards Song Chengye increased by another layer.
This crippled Song Chengye was indeed formidable.
He not only had methods but also knew how to manipulate peopleâs hearts.
Ordinarily, when planting spies beside others, normal people would pick those who are clever yet unobtrusive, so they can uncover secrets unnoticed.
But him? He did just the opposite.
He brought in the ostentatious and clueless Zhu Ye, who harassed her in different ways every day.
Then there was Liao Ye, acting the pitiful maid, affectionately calling her âMissâ as if she had been born into her own household, caring for her with good food and attention every day.
Compared to Zhu Ye, Liao Ye indeed made her, a foreigner in this land, feel a sense of gratitude.
If it were some other naive and sweet young miss, she might have already been taken in by Liao Ye!
Too bad Qi Yue wasnât foolish.
She didnât belong to this world, therefore, she didnât have a strong sense of belonging anywhere.
Wanting to return to the Longnan County Government was only because Qi Yunzhang had left a residence there, she had a medical clinic that she had poured her heart into, and there were a few good friendsâthat was all.
The only thing unsettling her was not knowing exactly what kind of schemes and machinations the Donggao side was plotting.
She had originally thought that Song Chengye would not so easily believe that the incident of moving everything out of the Imperial Palace had nothing to do with her, and had even specifically considered her subsequent responses.
But unexpectedly, ever since she had people send the map, Song Chengye had not asked about the matter again.
When Song Qiyun came over, she had intended to ask, but, fearing he might perceive something, she did not speak up.
She had a vague feeling that this Song Qiyun might be even more fearsome than his father, Song Chengye.
Those eyes, usually as still as an ancient well, always appeared clean and refreshing, yet at the same time seemed unfathomable and indescribable.
On this day, it had already been her ninth at Plum Blossom Villa.
In the afternoon, Song Qiyun suddenly arrived. Qi Yue did not want to see him, so she told Liao Ye, âGo and tell your Princely Heir that if thereâs nothing important, I would like to rest for a while. He need not come every day.â
She did not know what Liao Ye had said, but to her surprise, Song Qiyun barged into her courtyard, startling her.
At that moment, she had just leaned against the bed by the window, mentally planning her next move.
In the morning, the Soldier who had escorted Qu Wei and the civilians had returned, bringing a letter.
She had verified it; it was the one she had asked Qu Wei to write before leaving, with all the secret codes intact.
This meant that the Donggao Army hadnât done anything untoward on the journey, and had indeed delivered the people safely to the border.
This gave her peace of mind, yet at the same time, she found it slightly strange.
But with their arrival, it was also time for her to return.
âMiss Qi.â
Suddenly, Song Qiyunâs voice sounded at the window, and Qi Yueâs eyes snapped open.
It was truly Song Qiyun.
He was standing at the window, looking at her through the green gauze.
The previously expressionless, clear eyes now seemed to be covered with a layer of strange green, exuding a fearsome air.
Qi Yue sat up, feeling extremely uneasy.
At that moment, Song Qiyun had already stepped into the room.
He was still in a long white robe, but today he wore a blue cloak over it.
Qi Yue got up from the bed and approached him, âWhat are you doing? Who let you in?â
At her words, Song Qiyun seemed momentarily taken aback, a hurt look flashing in his eyes.
âArenât you feeling unwell? I came to check on you. The physician will be here soon.â
Damn feeling unwell!
When had she ever said she felt unwell?
Her gaze shifted to Liao Ye, who, before she could speak, gave a ingratiating smile.
âMiss, I told the Princely Heir that you felt a bit unwell, and he sent for a physician immediately. Our Princely Heir really cares about you!â
Before she could respond, she heard Song Qiyun say nonchalantly, âOf course this Princely Heir cares. Itâs just that Miss Qi doesnât seem to appreciate it and takes me for someone up to all sorts of mischief.â
As he spoke, his gaze dropped, his face seemingly overcome with a sad, tea-like flavor. It did appear rather pitiful.
Instantly, Qi Yue felt an overpowering sense of this tea-like aroma.
She couldnât help but laugh instead of getting angry.
This master and servant were really putting on quite the act!
From his past behavior, Song Qiyun had always come across as a noble and refined gentleman, proud and self-appreciating, a lofty and carefree scholar.
Yet now, he was displaying behavior completely at odds with his usual persona!
There must be something amiss!
She raised an eyebrow, then took a seat at the table, casting another glance at Zhu Ye, who was posing flirtatiously nearby.
âWonât you serve your Princely Heir some tea?â@@novelbin@@
Zhu Ye crisply acknowledged with an âAh,â quickly seating Song Qiyun across from Qi Yue, then sashayed out.
Soon, the tea was ready; Qi Yue picked up her bowl and took a sip.
âPrincely Heir Qiyun, Iâm in good health, so isnât it unnecessary to call for the physician?â
âSince the physician has been summoned, why not have a check? After all, this is Donggao, and in case of any acclimatization issues, itâs better to manage them in time.â
Acclimatization issues?
If there were any acclimatization issues, that would have occurred when she first arrived, wouldnât it? She had been in Donggao for a month now; how could there still be acclimatization problems?
If youâre going to make an excuse, couldnât you put a little more thought into it?