Transmigrated Female Official

Once outside the Changming Palace, Li Yancai finally couldn't help but ask, "You seem to be getting quite close to the princes and princesses?"

Chu Qingluo couldn't tell if Li Yan's tone was envious or jealous, or something else... "Actually, no, I just had the honor of buying clothes for them once."

Li Yan gave a wry smile: "I've been in charge of procuring plants and flowers for the palaces for many years, and they don't even know my name. You've seen it for yourself today."

Chu Qingluo was immediately embarrassed... Could someone teach her how to respond to that?! She really wasn't good at offering comforting words.

Seeing her hesitate and remain silent, Li Yan said again, "Are you pitying me?"

Chu Qinglu quickly waved her hand: "No, no, I was only recognized by everyone because Lord Li mentioned me in public. Actually, there's nothing different about it."

Li Yan gave a cold laugh and said in a way that brooked no argument, "There's no need to explain to me. In this palace, out of so many people, how many can you even name?"

"..." Li Yan was right, there were indeed very few, but Chu Qingluo had never paid attention to them.

She was still thinking about how to respond when Ji Qili chased after her, saying, "Qingluo, please wait."

This time, Li Yan left without waiting for Ji Qili to speak. Before leaving, she glanced at Chu Qingluo, and the lingering smile on her lips seemed to reveal some kind of resentment.

Chu Qingluo knew that the princesses and princes' enthusiasm towards her today had deeply offended the usually unassuming Li Yan. Although it wasn't her wish, it was undeniably too conspicuous. She frowned slightly: "What is it, Fifth Prince?"

"Do you still remember that you owe me a favor?" He stepped forward, cautiously probing.

"I remember. Fifth Prince, is there anything I can do for you?"

"I want to... ask you to open the door." Ji Qili mustered up the courage to say this from the bottom of his heart, but felt an unprecedented tension and panic, as if he knew it was a dead end but still had to try.

"Huh—?" Chu Qingluo was completely dumbfounded. She hadn't seen a single peach blossom since transmigrating, so how come she was suddenly surrounded by such good fortune? "Sorry." Her mouth was clearly faster than her brain.

Although Ji Qili was mentally prepared, he was still somewhat frustrated by her rejection, which came out without a second thought, and his heart tightened involuntarily.

"If this is a favor that the Fifth Prince wants me to repay, then I'm afraid I cannot do it."

He feigned a relaxed demeanor and laughed, "Actually, the reason I want Qingluo to repay this favor is to be honest." Seeing her confusion, he added, "Why did you refuse me? I want to hear the truth."

"..." Chu Qingluo felt a little uncomfortable under his probing gaze, so she lowered her eyes and remained silent.

"Because of my seventh brother?" he persisted.

Seeing that he had brought up Ji Qiran again, she gasped and replied, "Since that's the case, then I have no choice but to tell the truth... You look a lot like someone I hate." She then added, "Please don't take offense, Fifth Prince."

Ji Qili had imagined no fewer than ten reasons for rejection, but he never expected that such a far-fetched reason would come out of her mouth… making him doubt her blunt honesty. "Are you just making up some excuse to fob me off?"

Chu Qingluo held up three fingers, her face sincere: "I swear, this is the truth."

Although he couldn't understand her gestures, he could sense her resolute attitude. He recalled her tense expression from their first meeting… Ji Qili gave a self-deprecating laugh: “I didn't expect there to be someone in this Ji Kingdom who resembles me so much? And just so happens to be someone you dislike…”

Chu Qinglu secretly broke out in a cold sweat: "Please forgive me, Fifth Prince."

"That's enough." He smiled faintly. "He is him, and I am me. Qingluo should not be confused with him, and she should not deprive me of this opportunity."

"I... have a male servant." After she finished speaking, she realized that her words had no real impact.

Ji Qili chuckled, “I know, it’s a coming-of-age ceremony, only one person. As long as you don’t let someone with the status of a prince enter the house, I have one more day to go. Besides… Qingluo doesn’t seem to be as fond of my seventh brother as the rumors say. Thinking about it this way, my chances of winning have increased even more.”

"..." She was truly speechless.

She desperately wanted to tell him clearly: if she were to be with someone like him again in this life, she would change the meaning of her name, Chu!

But would she dare to offend him so ruthlessly?

You don't dare? Then you'd better shut up.

Ji Qili stared at her troubled face, put his hand on her shoulder, and left, saying, "I won't give up."

Chu Qingluo deeply suspected that her mother had arranged marriages for both her and Chu Yilin. Otherwise, how could they both be targeted by the royal family at the same time?

……

Remembering the Ninth Prince's letter, Chu Qingluo hurried to the clothing workshop. She pulled Shaoyao aside and truthfully recounted her amnesia and inability to read.

Peony suddenly realized, her eyes widening: "No wonder what you wrote before looked like scribbles."

Chu Qingluo was also forced into a corner. The thought of replying to the little brat gave her a headache, so she had no choice but to ask Shaoyao for help. She handed the letter to Shaoyao and said in a very low voice, "Can you help me see what's written in this letter?"

Peony rolled her eyes at her and said irritably, "So you finally told me the truth because you needed something from me?!"

"Hehe—" Chu Qingluo chuckled sheepishly. An illiterate person wouldn't want others to know they were illiterate, would they...?

Despite saying that, Peony still took Chu Qingluo's letter and quickly browsed through it... She chuckled first, then whispered, "This is a letter from the Ninth Prince. Qingluo, he likes you!"

Chu Qingluo knew this; the little devil had mentioned it last time. She was simply curious: "What's so funny?"

"There are so many typos, but it's full of sincerity. Let me read it to you." Peony cleared her throat and read it aloud with great seriousness: "Like the bright moon in the sky, it illuminates the deepest corner of my heart. A day without seeing you feels like three months. I wish I could transform into a mortal bird and fly into the Chu family temple..."

"Pfft—that's hilarious!" Peony laughed again after reading it aloud. "Although the characters '皎', '幽', and '隅' were all misspelled, the Ninth Prince seems to be serious. Qingluo, your charm is truly irresistible."

Chu Qinglu rolled her eyes helplessly. What kind of love letter was this? "Stop making fun of me. He's only a year or two older than my fourth brother. He's probably just having a momentary lapse in judgment and his mind is wandering."

Peony suppressed a laugh: "I don't think so. There's a line of small print at the end of the letter saying that you must reply, or you'll stay at Guangrentang every day and never leave."

"..." Damn it, that little rascal! Looks like I really need to teach him a lesson. A sly glint flashed across Chu Qingluo's face as she said, "Of course I'll reply to the letter!" She then let out another sly laugh. "Come on, come on, I'll tell you, and you write it for me..."

At Chu Qingluo's instruction, a reply was quickly completed.

"Wouldn't this be a bad idea?" Peony was a little worried, afraid that it would leave a shadow on the Ninth Prince's young mind.

"No, that's how it has to be done." Chu Qingluo dispelled her doubts. "A man's resilience needs to be cultivated from a young age." After saying that, she quickly sent someone to deliver a message to that little brat Ji Qibai.

……

Upon returning to the Chu family that evening, Chu Qingluo went to Zhuqing Courtyard to find Chu Yilin, intending to convey the devastating news she had heard in the palace that day. But her naturally philandering second brother was nowhere to be found… If she couldn't see him for the next few days, then she couldn't blame herself.

Haha, when the Eighth Princess comes knocking, let's see what he does then.