Tang Ning covered her face in disdain, blaming herself. Her brother was handsome, and his face certainly drew attention. It was rare for him to smile so brightly, but how could she keep staring at him?
She clearly had no feelings for him and wanted to distance herself subtly, but…
"Miss?"
Ah!
Tang Ning was startled by the sudden entrance of Hua Wu and stumbled backward, knocking over the items on the table as she looked up.
Hua Wu, who was about to enter, was also startled by the loud noise and froze in place, her small face filled with confusion.
Tang Ning hurriedly tried to stabilize the items on the table and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"
Hua Wu lowered her voice. "The princess has woken up. I thought you might be worried when you return, so I came to tell you. Sister Nianxia has gone to watch over the princess, and Master Gu is with her too..."
She paused, her eyes falling on Tang Ning's face. "Miss, why is your face so red?"
Tang Ning immediately raised her hand to cover her face. "What do you mean? It's not red at all!"
"How is it not?" Hua Wu walked over to her and said, "Look, your ears are also red, and your neck…"
She reached out and touched Tang Ning's earlobe, then exclaimed, "How come it's still so hot? Miss, are you feeling ill? Should I go find Doctor Sun…"
"Come back!!"
Tang Ning grabbed Hua Wu, who was about to leave, and pulled her back quickly. Seeing the worried expression on the little girl's face, she felt guilty. "I'm fine. Why would you go find Doctor Sun?"
"But your face is so hot..."
"This isn't hot... It's... It's warm, yes, warm."
Tang Ning quickly came up with an excuse. When she saw Hua Wu looking at her in confusion, she hurriedly adopted a serious tone and lied, "I just walked quickly outside and got a little heated. Once I cool down, it will be fine. Besides, Doctor Sun is already busy taking care of Aunt, there's no need to disturb him."
Hua Wu hesitated. "Really?"
"Really, really."
Tang Ning was already feeling guilty. If she brought Doctor Sun here, it would be a laughingstock.
She quickly changed the subject. "When did Aunt wake up? How is she feeling after waking up?"
Hua Wu's simple mind was distracted by her question. "She woke up shortly after you and Master Xiao left. Doctor Sun examined her and said that although she's weak, as long as she wakes up, she can recover with time. However, the princess looked a little dazed, and it wasn't until Master Gu went to her that she spoke a few words."
Tang Ning knew that Gu Helian would definitely be by Aunt's side. She also understood that after all that Aunt had gone through, her heart was in turmoil, and others couldn’t easily soothe her.
No matter what others said, it would be hard to empathize. Perhaps only Gu Helian, who had once been unjustly accused and bore the same kind of suffering, could make Aunt open up a little.
Tang Ning lowered her voice and asked, "Did Aunt ask about that child?"
Hua Wu shook her head. "No. After the princess woke up, she never mentioned it again. When I came here, Master Gu was talking to her, and I peeked from outside. Their eyes were a bit red, but they didn't argue..."
Tang Ning had already experienced Master Gu's sharp tongue. Every time he saw the princess, he would say nothing but unkind words, but this time he surprisingly didn’t say anything bad and instead talked about some past events.
It seemed like they even mentioned the late Tai Fu and his wife. Compared to how wooden she had been when she first woke up, the princess seemed much more lively.
Tang Ning listened to Hua Wu’s words and felt relieved.
Aunt's emotional burden wasn't easy to lift, and both Xie Yin and King Cheng had dealt heavy blows to her.
However, no matter the situation, as long as she was willing to step out and try to let go, the past would eventually fade, and she could start a new life.
"Make sure to tell the people in the courtyard not to mention King Cheng and the others in front of Aunt," Tang Ning instructed.
"Understood. Master Xiao gave strict instructions before, telling me to warn everyone. If anyone dares to gossip about outside matters in front of the princess, we will treat them like traitors," Hua Wu said proudly.
Tang Ning raised an eyebrow. "When did Master Xiao give those instructions?"
"Yesterday, when we were sending the princess back. It was Commander Cang who told me. He also taught me that if I catch anyone causing trouble, I should be ruthless and not show any mercy. That way, the people in the household will be afraid of you," Hua Wu explained.
Tang Ning fell silent for a moment. Last night, King Cheng’s estate had been a mess, and Xiao Yan had been busy all night without rest.
She had stayed by Aunt’s side the whole night, but in the afternoon, at least she managed to take a short nap. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan had to handle matters in front of the emperor, deal with courtiers stirring up trouble, and also track down people involved with the Ministry of War and the Armament Bureau.
He barely rested but still had to worry about potential disturbances in her household.
"Miss, what’s wrong?" Hua Wu asked.
"It’s nothing. Just get rid of that person. We can't have any gossipers in the household," Tang Ning ordered.
Hua Wu replied, "I’ll have someone call the boy over tomorrow morning."
"Mm," Tang Ning responded.
Hua Wu was quick to learn. Though young, she handled matters with great competence. It seemed that Commander Cang had taught her well, as her speech now had a sharper edge.
She softly told Tang Ning about the matters in the household, mentioning that Song Ru had improved a little today, and while helping Tang Ning undo her hair, she noticed something.
"Miss, there's an extra incense pouch," Hua Wu said, holding it up with curiosity. "It even has the embroidery of begonia flowers on it. It looks exactly like the ones in our backyard."
"Our backyard's begonias are blooming?" Tang Ning asked.
"Yes, some of them. The flowers that Master Xiao had moved here are blooming beautifully, and the seeds we planted separately have also all sprouted. In two years, they should bloom as well."
Tang Ning had been so busy with outside matters recently that she had almost forgotten about the begonia seedlings in the backyard. She murmured, "I’ll go see them tomorrow."
After helping Tang Ning tidy her hair, Hua Wu went out to fetch water.
Tang Ning sat in front of the dressing table, playing with the incense pouch. The faint medicinal scent reminded her again of Xiao Yan's smile.
Even though she didn’t want to think about it, she couldn't help but be affected by his presence. Even Hua Wu kept mentioning "Master Xiao."
It made her heart feel unsettled.
Frustrated, Tang Ning threw the incense pouch on the table. It landed with a thud, and she quickly picked it up, relieved that it hadn’t broken.
When she looked up again, her reflection in the copper mirror caught her eye. Holding the incense pouch, her eyes still carried the lingering unease and guilt, and there was an unmistakable flush on her face.
She paused. The reflection of her pale face, now tinged with red, seemed almost like a painted blush. Her thick eyelashes fluttered, making her look even more alluring.
Tang Ning squeezed the incense pouch tightly and muttered softly, "Why am I blushing?"
Her brother hadn’t done anything…
Ugh.
It was her who hadn’t done anything. Why did she feel guilty?
She opened the drawer and angrily tossed the incense pouch inside, slamming the drawer shut with a loud "bang" that shook the mirror.
Startled, Tang Ning quickly grabbed the shaking mirror and nervously glanced around. When she saw no one, she cautiously let go.
Just then, Hua Wu entered, holding water. "…"
Should she go in, or should she not go in?
==============
You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
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