Transmigrated Female Official

“They say… the main reason Fifth Brother harmed you was because he hated you because of his love for you…” Ji Qibo paused, then continued, “They also say that Seventh Brother and you had long harbored feelings for each other, which caused Fifth Brother to become extremely jealous and go astray… Are these rumors true?”

Ji Qibai's eyes were full of doubt. He realized that too many things had happened in the palace during the year he had been away, and there had been one change after another.

"Uh..." But the question was too difficult to answer, making Chu Qingluo feel embarrassed.

Since the beginning of time, gossip and rumors have always been talked about with great interest, and exaggerated and widely spread. Chu Qingluo was also "fortunate" enough to experience being the female lead in entertainment news.

Regarding Ji Qibai's question about Ji Qili, she could give a complete set of reasons; but when the question touched on Ji Qiran... it was really hard to answer. Speaking of her relationship with Ji Qiran, it definitely existed before she transmigrated. As for now... to say that it had absolutely nothing to do with her felt like lying, making her feel guilty.

Her original intention was to maintain a parallel relationship with Ji Qiran, without interfering with or hindering each other. However, the reality is that they are entangled and bound together, a mess that cannot be untangled. Now, no matter how much she tries to sever ties with him, it's just self-deception.

Just like the lines entwined on the palm of your hand, no matter how much you try to wipe them away, you can't erase them.

"Is this problem troubling you?" Ji Qibo asked, noticing her thoughts drifting.

Chu Qingluo snapped out of her reverie, smiled, and said, "No, not at all."

Although Ji Qibo before us still looks like a child, in ancient times, many members of the royal family of this age already held important responsibilities, and some had even ascended the throne...

She didn't want to fob him off like a child anymore, nor did she want to beat around the bush. Instead, she chose to lay the truth out in front of him: "Regarding the Fifth Prince's ambush of us, I don't know how much of it was due to so-called love turned to hate... I wouldn't say it was completely unrelated, but even if it was, it was only a very, very small part." She gestured with her thumb and forefinger to indicate that it was about the size of a soybean. "The bigger reason, actually, was still aimed at Princess Anyang."

"So you mean... Fifth Brother's real target is actually Sixth Sister?" Ji Qibai's face suddenly stiffened. Although he was well aware of the fact that his brothers and sisters had formed factions, he hadn't dared to think too much about it... that they had actually reached the point of killing each other. "Fifth Brother... he did this for Eighth Sister?"

"Hmm." Chu Qingluo knew that the bloody reality was cruel, but he would have to face it sooner or later. "In order to protect Princess Xile, the Fifth Prince took all the blame by himself, so he deliberately exaggerated his personal grudges and feuds to make it more realistic."

I always thought Ji Qili's acting was exceptional; it turns out he really is a natural-born actor, just like that scumbag.

Ji Qibo pondered for a long time before pretending to be an adult and saying, "I understand."

Chu Qingluo looked at his clenched fist, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Even if you can't understand these things now, it's perfectly normal. Don't try to be strong and keep it bottled up inside."

"..." Ji Qibo's nose was a little sore at this moment, but he was not going to shed tears in front of Chu Qingluo! He sniffed hard and said, "Seventh Brother is so good to you, isn't that because they already have feelings for each other?"

"Cough cough!" Caught off guard by his sudden change of topic, Chu Qingluo choked. She thought the topic was over, but he managed to steer it back.

"I know you're a good person, but why do you even try to take Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother away from you?!"

"This one……"

Seeing that she was somewhat speechless and embarrassed, Ji Qibai turned his head away, pouted and groaned, "You don't need to think about how to coax me. Anyway, Seventh Brother is so dazzling, everyone likes him, and Qingluo will be no exception."

"..." Chu Qingluo sighed softly as she looked at his awkward expression, put her hand on his shoulder and said, "In my eyes, Qi Bai, you are also very outstanding. Sooner or later you will become someone even more outstanding than your seventh brother, a true man."

Hearing her encouragement, Ji Qibo was still very discouraged. He puffed out his cheeks and said, "But you've only ever treated me like a child from beginning to end."

“I admit it! But that’s all in the past, it’s over! You’re a responsible person now, which is why I just told you the truth that no one else knows.”

"But between me and Seventh Brother, you would still choose Seventh Brother, wouldn't you?"

"..." Discussing such a topic with Ji Qibo still made Chu Qinglu feel awkward. She took a few deep breaths to compose herself before answering, "I don't know what the future holds, but so far, the entanglement between him and me... is already too great."

Instead of running away, she chose to face the reality of her relationship with Ji Qiran.

Upon hearing this, Ji Qibai scratched his head indignantly and said, "If it were Seventh Brother, I would accept defeat wholeheartedly!"

Seeing that Chu Qingluo was staring at him with a smile but no words, Ji Qibai said anxiously, "That's because the other party is Seventh Brother! The person I respect the most! If it were anyone else, I would never lose!"

"I believe you!" Chu Qingluo held up three fingers and said, "You've already impressed me!"

Ji Qibai's eyes darted around, and he pulled out the purple pouch he always carried with him, pursing his lips as he said, "But this thing... I'm not giving it back to you!"

"Even if you give it back to me, I can't connect it!"

"snort--!"

A smile rippled across Chu Qingluo's slightly upturned lips.

She remembered Ji Qibo's pranks, her own furious expression with a head full of burrs, and the scene of her rampaging revenge after her hair was stolen...

How wonderful it would be if life could be as carefree as it was back then.

……

At this moment, inside the Changxuan Palace, Ji Qiran was discussing countermeasures with the Sixth Princess.

“Du Yuan’s brother, Du Wu, is already in our hands. As expected, Du Yuan paid off all of Du Wu’s gambling debts overnight.” Ji Qiran said coldly, “Since Du Yuan gave a false testimony for his brother, then we will use his brother as a bargaining chip. Are we afraid that Du Yuan will not tell the truth?”

"It would be easy to get Du Yuan to confess who the mastermind is," the Sixth Princess said thoughtfully. "I'm afraid... another pawn will be pushed out to block them, and it won't be able to hurt their vitals."

"Sixth Sister's concerns are valid. Given Long Kui's style, this is bound to be the outcome. Although we can't deliver a heavy blow to them, at least we can clear Qingluo's name first." Ji Qiran was single-mindedly focused on getting Chu Qingluo out of that dark and gloomy place as soon as possible.