Transmigrated Female Official

"How did you find this place?" Chu Qingluo asked curiously. This small waterfall is located in the southern suburbs of Yancheng, and people who don't often leave the city usually wouldn't know about it.

Ji Qiran smiled and said, "My sixth sister's wet nurse brought her here when she was little. I came with them."

The two had almost never had such a peaceful conversation. Although they had spent time alone together before, it had mostly ended unpleasantly…

Chu Qingluo didn't want to start a war and disrupt the peaceful atmosphere, lest she waste such a beautiful view.

"You and Princess Anyang have a very good relationship." She couldn't help but exclaim. This question had been bothering her for a long time: how did so many brothers and sisters form teams and groups?

"Yes, we're about the same age, we studied and learned to read together when we were little... My sixth sister always took good care of me." Ji Qiran described it simply, casually. He even picked a tender blade of grass and played with it in his hand.

She shrugged. Ah, I see. Those who are close form their own little group.

While infighting is an inherent part of imperial families, as a prince of a matriarchal dynasty, he could remain uninvolved... but when it comes to human emotions, things get complicated. Even if you don't want to get involved, others will still assume you're involved.

She had many questions she wanted to ask, but also felt they weren't questions she should be curious about. So for a moment, she didn't know what to say. The two listened silently to the sound of the waterfall, each lost in their own thoughts.

After sitting for a while, Ji Qiran still didn't speak. Chu Qingluo looked over and saw that he was leaning against a tree with his head slightly raised, as if he was resting with his eyes closed.

"I mean... can we get down to business?" She had been starving for ages.

He opened his eyes, his dark pupils staring straight at her: "Want to go back?"

"Yes," she answered truthfully, "I'm hungry."

He chuckled, revealing his pearly white teeth: "But I still have many questions for you."

She rolled her eyes. "You weren't going to ask anything?! You were just resting with your eyes closed?!" she muttered, pursing her lips. "Ask already."

“…You’ve been like a completely different person ever since you lost your memory. Your personality has changed drastically.” Ji Qiran shifted his gaze to the small waterfall and said, “I remember the day you didn’t remember me, you suddenly started drinking and eating meat in big gulps. It really startled me.”

"Ahem, what's wrong with that? This is what they call revealing one's true nature." She laughed awkwardly.

He gazed at her and suddenly said, "I like your true nature."

"...Huh?" She widened her eyes, pretending not to hear clearly.

Ji Qiran laughed again and continued to ask, "But your 'nature' also knows too many things, doesn't it? All sorts of strange clothes, offerings for the summer festival, cotton pillows, and so on... The most amazing thing is that your 'nature' can even swim?! Just when I thought you were omnipotent, you said you couldn't ride a horse?"

"Uh..." She had no choice but to ask so many questions. She could only continue to make up a story: "Anyway, my mind suddenly became clear after I woke up."

He stopped smiling, stared intently into her eyes, and asked, "Qingluo, are you still Chu Qingluo?"

His deep gaze seemed to see right through her… Chu Qingluo’s heart tightened, and she said somewhat awkwardly, “If I’m not myself, then who am I?”

“…I don’t know, my intuition tells me you’re not the original Chu Qingluo. It’s not just because you’re no longer bothering me.” After saying that, he himself felt it was absurd and said helplessly, “I don’t know where this inexplicable feeling comes from.”

She avoided his eyes and said, "I don't understand what you mean. If you think I'm different from before, it just means that people change." Not wanting him to dwell on the issue any longer, she added, "Don't keep thinking about how I was in the past. I am who I am now."

"I understand." Ji Qiran, unusually, didn't react, but nodded. "Qingluo..."

"Ok?"

He gently turned her shoulders, forcing her to look into his eyes. He spoke clearly, each word distinct: "I think I've fallen for you. No matter what you were like before, I like the you of now. Your straightforwardness, your delightful surprises."

After the Pan Yin incident was left unresolved, Ji Qiran's biggest desire was to immediately tell her everything on his mind. He couldn't waste any more time, nor did he want to torture himself any longer. If he clearly liked her, he had to admit it.

Hearing his confession, Chu Qingluo involuntarily trembled. If she hadn't transmigrated, if she had always been the original host, facing someone who confessed their love after she had let go would surely evoke a hundred different feelings… perhaps relief, perhaps heartache…

But she and the original host were, after all, two completely different people. Ji Qiran made it clear that he liked her, the newcomer... But she didn't feel much bitterness or sweetness at the moment; she was just stunned, her cheeks flushed.

"Can't you give me any response?" he asked.

Faced with the confession of Yancheng's most handsome man, Chu Qingluo really didn't know how to respond. Should she express her utmost honor?

In the end, she just said "oh" to indicate that she had heard. Yao Man's name actually flashed through her mind, but she didn't dare to mention it, afraid that he would suddenly have another fit of madness and leave her here alone, which would be a huge loss.

"..." This reaction left Ji Qiran feeling quite helpless, and he couldn't continue what he was about to say. He cleared his throat, stood up, brushed the weeds off his clothes, and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to eat something delicious."

Upon hearing that they could finally go find food, Chu Qingluo quickly jumped up and, with his help, mounted her horse. However, Ji Qiran did not return the way he came, but instead headed towards a small village near the waterfall.

He led her straight to a farmhouse with its gate wide open. Chu Qingluo looked at him, who seemed to know the place so well, and asked curiously, "You didn't just come here when you were little, did you? I can tell you come here often."

He smiled and didn't deny it.

An old man with a white beard came out of the farmhouse and greeted Ji Qiran warmly as soon as he saw him: "It's Qiran! Come in and sit down, we've just arrived just in time for dinner."

She glanced at him, thinking to herself that he was indeed a regular customer.

The old man had never seen Ji Qiran with a woman other than his sister, and asked happily, "Is this young lady your master?"

"Pfft." Hearing the old man's question, Ji Qiran couldn't help but laugh out loud, looking at Chu Qingluo without saying a word.

He actually tacitly agreed? She was so embarrassed she almost fainted, and quickly waved her hands, saying, "No, no."

The old man seemed not to hear her denial and instead showed an envious expression: "You're so lucky. It's all my fault for being so poor back then that I couldn't even afford the twelve gifts for a wedding ceremony, so I simply didn't bother with the formalities. Now I'm destined to live out my days alone..."

Ji Qiran smiled and said, "Master Hu, I'm not much better than you. Even if I wanted to ask this girl to be my master, she wouldn't agree. You'd better help me persuade her." After saying that, he looked at Chu Qingluo with an extremely innocent look.

"..."