Poisonous Goddess: I'm just lazing around in the mortal realm.

Xiang'er slowly walked out from behind the beaded curtain.

She calmly walked to An Ruyi's soft couch and carefully handed her the soup.

Ever since she did a good deed for An Ruyi last time, she has undergone a complete transformation.

Aside from Aunt Qingwu, she was the most favored first-class palace maid in Yong'an Palace.

An Ruyi smiled sadly and looked at her with clear eyes.

"You're staring at her again. I told you to avoid her. Aren't you afraid she'll find out what you did wrong?"

After saying that, An Ruyi drank the bitter medicine in one gulp.

The pungent and spicy Chinese medicine seemed to explode in her throat, and she couldn't help but frown, trying to suppress the strange taste stuck in her throat.

Seeing this, Xiang'er quickly took the medicine bowl from An Ruyi's hand and then handed her a cup of warm water.

He raised his hand to help her catch her breath and said...

"Your Majesty is wise. Aunt Qingwu seems to be preoccupied with troubles lately. She is always away from keeping watch outside the palace in the middle of the night and has us servants keep watch for her instead."

"Is she often not around?"

An Ruyi's face stiffened, and she put the empty cup back into Xiang'er's hand.

Ever since she discovered the matter of the incense ash, she had Xiang'er keep a close eye on Dian Qingwu's movements.

These days, she often overslept and neglected Qingwu beside her.

If Xiang'er hadn't secretly replaced the incense on the Qingwu Exhibition each time, she and her son would probably have already passed away.

Xiang'er's expression faltered. She glanced at the faintly visible figures outside the house and quickly lowered her voice.

"For now, this servant hasn't found any useful evidence. Your Highness, please rest assured. I have already informed the Fourth Princess about this matter, and she replied that she will find Mr. Thirteen as soon as possible."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qingwu swayed and entered the house through the small door.

An Ruyi pretended not to know and leaned against the soft couch, pretending to have just woken up.

She raised her eyes and looked at Qingwu, who was staggering slightly.

"Qingwu...Qingwu".

"Your Majesty, I am here."

When no one was watching, Qingwu casually wiped the dust off his face and, trying to appear calm, ran to An Ruyi's bedside.

She glanced thoughtfully at Xiang'er, who was standing to the side waiting, and felt a chill run down her spine.

"Where have you been? Why do you look so disheveled?"

An Ruyi spoke at the right moment, pulling her thoughts back.

Qingwu, disregarding Xiang'er who was standing nearby, quickly bent down and half-squatted in front of An Ruyi, speaking gently.

"Your Majesty, I'm fine. I just wanted to find some leftover fabric to make some clothes for our unborn little prince."

She had seen the bright candlelight inside the house even before she entered.

It seems that An Ruyi lit the candles only after she woke up. She had already prepared an excuse before entering the room.

An Ruyi raised her hand and tucked a strand of Qingwu's hair behind her ear, her eyes overflowing with tenderness, revealing no flaw whatsoever.

"You've worked so hard. You should let the Imperial Household Department handle these things. Why do you have to do it yourself? I can't sleep soundly without you by my side."

She held Qingwu's hand in her palm.

Qingwu had been by her side since she was ten years old, and after she came of age, she became her dowry maid and entered Yong'an Palace.

Now, in the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed.

She looked down at Qingwu's hands, which were already rough and calloused.

Thinking of this, her gaze darkened, and a fleeting, almost imperceptible emotion seemed to pass through her eyes, but because she was looking down, no one noticed.

She couldn't bear to leave Qingwu behind.

Qingwu noticed that her mistress was in a bad mood and quickly reminded her softly.

“Your Majesty, I used to make these little clothes for the Third Prince and the Fourth Princess. Now that my eyesight is still good, I feel most at ease having our own people do this kind of meticulous work.”

She thought that An Ruyi couldn't bear to see her doing needlework.

Unexpectedly, a fierce look flashed across Xiang'er's face behind her. She stared at Qingwu's back, seemingly deep in thought.

"You haven't changed at all over the years."

An Ruyi slowly raised her head and met Qingwu's gaze.

Now she is six months pregnant, with one child being her own unborn child, and the other being her close maid who has been by her side for more than ten years and is like a sister to her.

She was completely at a loss at this point.

Seeing that she was about to cry, Qingwu quickly forced a pale smile.

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. It's just a few pieces of clothing. If you don't like them, I won't make them." She looked at An Ruyi with some concern.

Ever since her sister left her, she had always treated An Ruyi as a substitute for her own sister. In fact, over the long years, she gradually developed a bond with her that went beyond that of master and servant.

In moments of confusion, she would mistake An Ruyi for her.

"You keep lying to me like this, but then you secretly stay up all night behind my back. Be careful you don't ruin your health," An Ruyi chuckled.

At this moment, she was in a state of utter confusion. She was still deceiving herself about the tricks Qingwu had played on her.

"Your Majesty, I am still young. I still need to accompany you and watch the Sixth Prince grow up." Qingwu knelt on the ground, and as she let her guard down, drowsiness overcame her.

And so, she slowly lowered her head, leaned against the bed, and fell asleep.

An Ruyi gazed at the peacefully sleeping Qingwu, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Your Majesty...should we wake her?"

Xiang'er gently reminded her.

"No need... Let her rest well, she must be too tired."

An Ruyi composed herself; she still couldn't bring herself to lay a hand on Qingwu.

Night is falling

It seems like I'll be spending another sleepless night.

next morning

Pei Mansion

Pei Nanyue closed the ledger in her hand; she had stayed up all night, and her eyes were dark and swollen.

She slowly stood up and glanced out the window; it was already dawn.

Her heart sank. It had been four or five days since her younger sister had run away from the manor. Although she had received a letter from Shen Mu informing her that Pei Suisui was with them, she was still worried.

But inevitably, she still couldn't put her mind at ease.

After all, Philadelphia is a long and arduous journey, and she was also afraid that others might try to harm the Pei family in secret.

Not to mention...

She looked up and saw Ah Meng walking in with food, and said softly.

"I don't have much of an appetite, Meng."

"But you should also think about our second young lady, shouldn't you?" A-Meng placed the breakfast that she had instructed the kitchen to prepare that morning on the round table in the room.

Ever since Pei Suisui ran away from the capital, Pei Nanyue has been unable to eat or sleep properly.

If this continues, I'm afraid the eldest young lady will collapse from exhaustion before the second young lady of the Pei family even returns to the capital.

Thinking of this, A-Meng mustered her courage and said...

"Young Miss, please eat a little. The Pei family still needs you, doesn't it?"

Pei Nanyue composed herself; she was well aware of the responsibilities she bore.

The thought of her younger sister's uncertain fate outside completely killed her appetite.