Transmigrated Female Official

"Miss! Why are you all soaking wet?!" Nine-Tails' voice was loud, and his startling words attracted Tongmu and Gongsun Yu over.

"Oh, let's not talk about that now. Kirito, go get a bathtub, and Kurama, prepare some hot water and two clean sets of clothes." Although the weather was hot, the damp clothes sticking to the body always made people feel uncomfortable.

"Okay, okay, we'll go right away." Nine-Tails and Kirito quickly followed the instructions and got to work.

Only Gongsun Yu, who hadn't been ordered around, remained outside Chu Qingluo's room, his eyes filled with heartache. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, looked her over from left to right, and then asked, "You fell into the water? Are you alright?"

Chu Qinglu smiled, revealing her teeth: "I'm fine, I'm not hurt at all."

Gongsun Yu sighed softly, glanced at the equally wet peony in the room, and said, "You two go ahead with your work." Then she turned and went out, instructing the small kitchen to prepare ginger soup for the two of them.

Once the bathtubs, clothes, and hot water were all in place, Chu Qingluo and Shaoyao were finally able to get rid of their sticky clothes. The two soaked in separate bathtubs, chatting as they bathed, just like when they first entered the palace.

"It's been so long since we bathed together." Peony gently stirred the hot water with her arm, sighing, "Although it's only been less than half a year since I entered the palace, it feels like so much time has passed."

"Yes, I feel the same way." Chu Qingluo said, leaning her head back against the edge of the wooden tub, the comfortable water temperature making her close her eyes to enjoy it.

"Back then, who could have imagined that Ziyan, who served you during your bath, would become the Emperor's favorite, and that you would transform into a sixth-rank female official?" Peony paused, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "I'm really lucky to have become friends with you two noble ladies."

Hearing this, Chu Qingluo suddenly sat up straight, and because the movement was so abrupt, some hot water overflowed from the bucket. "Don't say that. I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."

It's a blessing that such a casual greeting could lead to a true friend.

"Alright, alright, we are all blessed people." Peony smiled, put her arms around the edge of the wooden tub, and said seriously, "Qingluo... I have a question for you."

"Tsk, what's the matter that you're taking so seriously?" Chu Qingluo imitated her, leaning against the edge of the bucket, winking at her, waiting for her question.

"Actually, I've wanted to ask this for a long time. Luo Lifei said before that you like the Seventh Prince. Is that true?"

"Um... well, it used to be like that, but it hasn't been since I lost my memory." Chu Qingluo didn't want to hide it from her and told her the truth.

"Really?"

Peony's eyes were clear as she stared straight at her, making her feel inexplicably guilty: "...Really."

"Oh..." Peony seemed relieved to receive an affirmative answer. She changed the subject: "I remember struggling in the water, and I passed out from fright... What happened after that?"

"..." It wasn't just being shocked, it was being knocked unconscious! Speaking of this, Chu Qingluo immediately recalled the horrific scene of being strangled, and was utterly speechless. "That wasn't 'struggling in the water,' it was clearly underwater murder! You almost strangled me to death, and then our story could be written as 'The Female Water Ghosts Hugging Each Other in Suyin Lake'!"

"Pfft—hahahahaha!" Peony couldn't help but burst into laughter, laughing so hard she was a little out of breath: "I...I was so scared at the time!"

Chu Qingluo glanced at her: "I don't see any fear in you right now."

Peony smiled sheepishly: "But it can also be considered... a blessing in disguise."

"Fortune? Where is it?" Chu Qinglu pouted, expressing her confusion.

Peony smiled even more shyly: "It's just..."

After trying to get a result for a while without success, Chu Qingluo couldn't help but ask again, "What is it?"

"It's the Seventh Prince!"

"..." Chu Qinglu stared at Shaoyao's slightly flushed, shy face, utterly shocked! A thousand horses galloped through her mind! She never expected Shaoyao to be so shy. After opening her mouth for a long time, she finally asked, "You...you like Ji Qiran?!"

"I didn't even notice... but he's just so handsome! I just woke up in his arms and I felt like I was going to stop breathing, my heart was beating so fast! It was just... involuntarily..." Peony stared at the water and said what was on her mind.

Chu Qingluo felt her heart skip a beat! No, it was the original host's heart acting up again... But her clasped hands involuntarily tightened, gripping the edge of the bucket so tightly that her fingernails turned white.

"Being rescued by the Seventh Prince at Suyin Lake, wouldn't that be considered a kind of fate?" Peony spoke with increasing sweetness... Since Chu Qingluo had no interest in the Seventh Prince, she couldn't be considered to have stolen his love, right?

"Hehe...right?" Chu Qingluo didn't know what to say, so she could only go along with it.

……

Today, Chu's mother is hosting a banquet at the Chu family home, so it is only natural that Shaoyao and Ji Qiran are invited to stay for dinner.

The main purpose of this banquet was to celebrate Chu Qingluo's promotion to a sixth-rank female official, so her mother asked her to greet the guests in the main hall. This so-called greeting simply meant sitting in the main seat so that guests could immediately recognize the main character and offer a greeting, which Chu Qingluo found quite uncomfortable.

Peony had nothing to do, so she wandered around beside her, stealing glances at Ji Qiran sitting to the side.

At this moment, Chu Yilin also returned, his face showing obvious signs of exhaustion.

"It seems my eighth sister isn't going to let you off the hook," Ji Qiran teased him. Although he had heard about his eighth sister's invitation before, he hadn't expected her to be so difficult to deal with, making Chu Yilin waste several hours.

"Ugh! Stop talking, my ears are so tired, no, I'm exhausted!" Chu Yilin made no attempt to hide his impatience with the Eighth Princess and plopped down next to Ji Qiran.

"There's something fishy about Qingluo falling into the water." Ji Qiran had actually been thinking about this all along, so he brought it up as soon as Chu Yilin returned.

"...I understand, I will look into it."