After washing and grooming herself, and changing into a brand-new, bright red brocade robe with intricate gold threads, Luo Cuiwei was once again the radiant and beautiful woman she once was.
She smiled languidly and went to the kitchen, concealing a yawn.
Seeing her like this, the cook jokingly asked, "Did you wake up hungry, young lady?"
“Isn’t that right?” Luo Cui smiled and looked at the stove. “I think I can smell the milk porridge.”
"Young lady, you have such a keen sense of smell. Today, I even brought some fruit from the cellar to add to the dish and cut through the greasiness," the chef said, gesturing to his apprentice to serve her. "Madam specifically instructed that a bowl of warm water be prepared for you, knowing that you would be hungry when you woke up."
“Mother is so thoughtful,” Luo Cuiwei said, taking the small bowl of porridge and silver spoon from the young apprentice. “No need for side dishes or snacks. I drank some wine last night and I’m still not feeling well, so I won’t be delirious for long.”
The young apprentice hurriedly said, "Then let's take it to the dining hall for the young lady to eat?"
“No need for all that trouble, I’ll just eat as I walk,” Luo Cui smiled. “Anyway, it’s the first day of the month, so even if I’m unruly, no one will scold me.”
“That’s true,” the young apprentice laughed, “Even on ordinary days, no one dares to scold the young lady so easily.” Whenever you get angry, you’re the fiercest person in the entire Luo family. Apart from the head of the family, who have you ever been afraid of?
Of course, the apprentice only dared to say the latter half of what he had said in his heart.
Luo Cuiwei could guess what her little apprentice was thinking, and smiled without taking offense. She then turned and left the kitchen with the bowl of milk porridge.
She leisurely ate her porridge as she walked towards the courtyard where Luo Cuizhen lived.
She had just reached the garden when she ran into Luo Fengming, who was searching for her everywhere.
“Sister, I’m looking at you right now,” Luo Fengming said, his refined and handsome face showing a hint of annoyance, but he was mindful of the first day of the new year and dared not lose his temper and bring bad luck. “The Prince Zhao’s mansion has returned the New Year’s gifts we sent the other day.”
"Oh, you're not short of money anymore?" Luo Cuiwei was neither surprised nor taken aback by his words. There was a smile in her eyes, and her slightly raised eyebrows were full of interest.
Luo Fengming kicked the paving stones on the garden path lightly with his toe, looking rather unhappy: "I'm afraid they've formed an alliance with the Huang family."
Luo Cuiwei scooped up another spoonful of milk porridge and put it in her mouth. After a moment, she asked with a slow and unhurried smile, "Did you only return the box of gold ingots?"
Although she no longer intended to have any further dealings with the Prince Zhao's mansion, she still felt that she couldn't have misjudged him.
In her opinion, given Yun Lie's character and manner, he probably only returned the box of gold ingots because he felt it was too extravagant to give as a New Year's gift.
Upon reflection, she realized that her decision to send a box of gold ingots that day was too impulsive. Sending such a valuable gift suddenly would make anyone suspect something was amiss, and it would be strange if it wasn't returned.
"Yes, I did accept the box of pastries that was sent at the same time," Luo Fengming said truthfully, though he was not entirely comfortable with it. "Oh, and I added a pot of purple-backed palm as a return gift."
Luo Cuiwei looked up at the sky, and after a long while, she laughed self-deprecatingly, "Okay, I got it."
Every day, she would go to Prince Zhao's residence to pay for a few fresh purple-backed sunflower leaves. This was the initial deal she made with Yun Lie, and it was also the key to her success in gaining access to Prince Zhao's residence.
Perhaps this is the only successful "deal" between her and the Prince Zhao's mansion—the Zhang Wenping matter doesn't count, since she didn't receive any money—now Yun Lie sent a pot of purple-backed sunflowers as a return gift, probably intending to subtly cut off any excuse for her to visit the Prince Zhao's mansion again.
However, the fact that he accepted the box of pastries was a small act of kindness, leaving her with a last bit of face.
She accepted his kindness in her heart and, as he wished, would never bother him again.
At this moment, Luo Cuiwei was no longer as dejected as she had been two days ago. Instead, she smiled and comforted her sullen younger brother, "It's okay. Next year, no, this year, the most important thing is to find a way to bypass the Huang family. Everything else is secondary."
Having decided to turn her horse around and seek another way out, and no longer get entangled in the struggle with the Huang family, she wouldn't care even if the Zhaowang Mansion and the Huang family really formed an alliance.
Even if you feel a little down, it's okay, just bear with it and it will pass.
“Let’s go play pitch-pot with Luo Cuizhen,” Luo Fengming said with a smile, gently pushing his elder sister’s shoulder. He made a ruthless suggestion. “Let’s make her lose all the New Year’s money she got yesterday. I’ll feel much happier when I see her crying her eyes out.”
"What kind of lousy brother are you?" Luo Cuiwei laughed loudly.
****
At 9 PM, the night was deep, and Yun Lie, wide awake, was still staring blankly at Di in his study.
After a knock on the door, Xiong Xiaoyi pushed it open and entered.
"Luo Cuiwei still did not go out today, and no suspicious persons have been found near the Luo family."
Starting from the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, as instructed by Yun Lie, Xiong Xiaoyi sent people to keep watch at the Luo family's gate every day, and they were required to report back to Yun Lie on the situation daily.
Yun Lie casually flipped through the official gazette on the table, and upon hearing this, he simply nodded without looking up.
"Oh, by the way, there's something I've been thinking about that might not be so good." Xiong Xiaoyi didn't leave immediately; instead, he sat down at the table opposite him with a worried expression.
"Linchuan?" Yun Lie's brows furrowed, and he looked up at him.
Xiong Xiaoyi shook his head heavily: "Nothing happened in Linchuan, and the Northern Di people didn't take the opportunity to cross the border to seek their deaths... But, I heard that you had Uncle Chen return the gold ingots that the Luo family sent the other day?"
"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point."
"The people who delivered the New Year's gifts the other day were Luo Cuiwei's younger brother and Xiahou Ling. Did you know about this?" Xiong Xiaoyi carefully observed his expression.
“Oh,” Yun Lie nodded calmly, “I didn’t know before, but I do now.”
Previously, Steward Chen only told Yun Lie that "the Luo family has come to deliver New Year's gifts," without specifying who it was.
Seeing that he seemed completely unaware of the seriousness of the problem, Xiong Xiaoyi became anxious: "Did you also send over a pot of purple-backed palm?"
"What's it to you?" Yun Lie seemed uninterested in the matter, lowering his eyes and continuing to casually flip through the official gazette. "If you're bored, why don't you take a bucket of water to the underpass and wipe the railings?"
"You returned the Luo family's New Year's gifts and even gave them a pot of purple-backed sunflowers. Could it be that you wanted to imply that Luo Cuiwei should be sensible and never come again?" Seeing that he remained calm to the point of being indifferent, Xiong Xiaoyi couldn't help but make this guess.
"Nonsense. What kind of fodder has been stuffed into your bear brain?" Yun Lie finally looked up and faced Xiong Xiaoyi directly, his gaze sharp as a flaming knife. "How could you come up with such a far-fetched idea?"
He only returned the gold ingots because he didn't want to owe her anything more. As for the flowers... he just saw they were blooming and, incidentally, gave them as a return gift.
Yes, it was just a side thing; I absolutely did not intend to please her.