Transmigrated Female Official

"My lord, I wish to come to your residence to help out and become Mr. Wuyang's assistant!" Tong Ling loudly proclaimed her request.

Chu Qingluo was slightly taken aback: "This..."

“Miss Tong Ling, thank you for your kindness, but I don’t need a deputy.” Wu Yang followed Tong Ling when she came out to find Chu Qingluo, but he didn’t expect Tong Ling to make such a request. “Qingluo, I can handle it perfectly well.”

Wu Yang looked at Chu Qingluo with some anxiety, afraid that she would misunderstand that there was some special relationship between her and Tong Ling.

Chu Qingluo glanced back at the children in the classroom. There were quite a few of them, and Wu Yang was busy running around all by himself; he definitely needed someone to lend a hand. "Tong Ling, you are an executive officer in the palace. Even if you wanted to help, you simply couldn't manage it all..."

"Qingluo, I really can handle this by myself." Wuyang hurriedly declined, not wanting Tongling to come and help. "Wuyang thanks Miss Tongling for her kindness again."

But Tong Ling, having already made her decision, wouldn't give up so easily. "Lord Chu, since entering the palace, I've realized that it's not suitable for me." She paused, glanced at Wu Yang, and resolutely said, "I'm willing to resign from my position as executive officer and dedicate myself to being Mr. Wu Yang's deputy, determined to make the academy a resounding success!"

"You..." Wu Yang looked at Tong Ling with great confusion and asked, "What virtue or ability do I possess that makes Miss Tong Ling make such a humiliating sacrifice for me?"

Tong Ling pouted and said, "I've already made up my mind!"

Wu Yang frowned and said, "Miss Tong Ling, you are making things difficult for Wu Yang."

"Alright, you two stop arguing." Chu Qinglu interrupted their conversation and said, "Let me think about this matter some more."

“Qingluo…”

Wu Yang wanted to continue persuading Chu Qingluo, but Tong Ling spoke first, saying, "Thank you, Lord Chu!"

……

Inside Ningxiang Courtyard.

Seeing Chu Qinglu sitting at the table in a daze, Ji Qiran couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Is Qinglu still hesitating about Tong Ling's request today?"

“Sigh…” Chu Qingluo rested her cheeks in her hands and replied, “Actually, I really want Tong Ling to come into the manor to help Wu Yang.”

"Is that really true?" Ji Qiran sat down beside her and asked deliberately, "Seeing Tong Ling so close to you without any problems, don't you feel... a little uncomfortable or something?"

Chu Qinglu chuckled, looked at him meaningfully, and asked, "Do you want to see me unhappy?"

“I know you let him into the manor to help Wuyang. But…” Ji Qiran leaned closer to her and continued, “I also heard that you planned to throw your marriage token to him during your coming-of-age ceremony. Is that true?”

"Ahem..." Chu Qingluo cleared her throat, raised her head high, and said arrogantly, "So what if it is? That's my freedom!"

"Tsk." Ji Qiran couldn't help but flick her nose with his index finger and said, "Your freedom was already dead the moment I stepped into the Chu residence!" After saying that, he pointed to himself with his thumb and continued, "From now on, I am your 'freedom'."

Chu Qinglu glanced at him, both amused and annoyed, and said, "I've seen unreasonable people before, but I've never seen anyone as unreasonable as you."

Ji Qiran didn't care about any of that. He put his arm around her shoulder, kissed her hard on the cheek, and said, "Anyway, I'm sticking with you."

Chu Qingluo gently patted his arm and asked, "So you finally admit that you actually have a rogue nature?"

Ji Qiran scoffed, "Is there any rogue as handsome as me?"

"..." Chu Qinglu rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth, saying, "Absolutely shameless..."

Ji Qiran kissed her again and said with a smile, "I'll take it as you 'praising' me."

Chu Qingluo pushed the unserious Ji Qiran away and said, "Alright—, I'm not going to joke with you anymore, let's get back to business."

He raised an eyebrow, still holding her tightly, and said, "What else is there to say? Let Tong Ling come into the manor as Wu Yang's assistant."

"But Tong Ling only entered the palace this year, and now she's willing to resign from her position as an executive officer to help out in the mansion, all for the sake of Wu Yang... This sentiment is truly extraordinary..."

"This shows that she has extraordinary feelings for Wuyang. Didn't you already see that?"

"How did you know I figured it out a long time ago?" Chu Qingluo looked at Ji Qiran with some curiosity and asked him.

"Don't I know you well enough?" he replied. "Tong Ling and you have almost no interaction, yet you actually took the initiative to invite her to the manor to learn the flute. If you hadn't already seen that she had feelings for Wu Yang, why would you have done this?"

She stared at him with a smile, not denying it: "You really saw right through me."

“But even if you intend to bring these two together, Wu Yang might not appreciate it,” Ji Qiran sighed. “I don’t think Wu Yang is entirely without feelings for you.”

"Tsk tsk tsk, a strong sour smell..." Chu Qinglu deliberately covered her nose and teased, "Could it be that the big sour jar in the backyard was overturned?"

“That’s right!” Ji Qiran didn’t deny it and said directly, “When Tong Ling runs away with Wu Yang, the pickle jar in the backyard will probably be peaceful.”

"Although my original intention was also for Wu Yang's good, it would affect Tong Ling's future... I couldn't help but hesitate." Chu Qinglu sighed heavily and said, "I don't know when it started, but I have become so timid that I dare not make decisions for others anymore."

Ji Qiran knew what she was thinking, so he put his other hand on the back of her hand and comforted her, "That was Tong Ling's own choice, so you don't have to take the responsibility on your own shoulders."

"Hmm..." Feeling the warmth from his palm, she smiled with relief.

Tong Ling has made her choice; now, all she needs to do is wait for Wu Yang to nod in agreement.

But... will he agree?

……

After waiting for two days, Tong Ling finally couldn't sit still any longer. She left the palace and went straight to the Chu residence.

At this moment, Chu Qingluo and the others had just finished their dinner, and Wu Yang and Ji Qiran happened to be present.

Tong Ling didn't mince words. After bowing, she went straight to the point: "Lord Chu, I just resigned from my post with Lord Yu Yi, and he has already granted my request."

"What?!" Wu Yang stared at Tong Ling in shock, exclaiming incredulously, "You... how could you act so impulsively?!"

Chu Qingluo was also somewhat surprised. She and Ji Qiran exchanged a glance before she said, "It seems you're really determined."

“Tong Ling is just that kind of stubborn person, she won’t give up until she gets to the bottom of things, and she can never change that.” After saying that, Tong Ling turned to Wu Yang and said, “Ever since I came into contact with the sound of the flute, I have felt that it is the most beautiful sound in the world. Regardless of whether Mr. Tong Ling agrees or not, Tong Ling is determined to learn the flute from him and help him pass on his playing skills.”

Having said all that, Tong Ling had essentially burned her bridges. Chu Qingluo didn't interrupt, intending to let Wu Yang make the decision himself.

"..." Wu Yang glanced helplessly at Chu Qingluo, caught in a dilemma. But Tong Ling had just said that she had even resigned from her official post; should she continue to refuse her kindness?

Wu Yang frowned and pondered for a moment, but finally compromised. "Then from now on... I'll have to trouble Miss Tong Ling."

"Yes, sir! I will definitely do my best!" Tong Ling jumped up happily.

Seeing how happy she was, Wu Yang couldn't help but remind her, "But... the monthly salary here might not be as good as being an executive officer in the palace. Miss Tong Ling, have you thought it through?"

“It’s okay!” Tong Ling said firmly, “I just like being with…those kids!”