Chapter 1401 - 761: Three Women's Maltose (Bonus 3-in-1)_2

After eating sweets, Chen Yi felt thirsty and pulled someone over to scoop a ladle to drink.

Zhu E was just turning out from the screen and hurriedly said, "Master, don't drink that; it's what I use for my foot bath."

Chen Yi quickly stopped his action, his fingers curled slightly in mid-air, somewhat embarrassed. The maid left with the silver basin, and he turned to see Zhu E walking out gracefully, a smile on her face.

She looked at his awkward demeanor with great interest.

Chen Yi cleared his throat, withdrew his hand, and shamelessly said with a smile, "I was wondering why it smelled so fragrant."

Zhu E walked over gracefully and teased, "Is the master craving it? Even the milk bath for feet? Not even as good as Yue'er."

Her words were full of teasing, her eyes wandering over Chen Yi, yet Chen Yi remained calm, saying, "Like father, like daughter."

"What a sweet talker."

Zhu E laughed, about to lean over, but Chen Yi discreetly took a step back.

Yue'er was giving sweets to Qin Qingluo; it wasn't a good time to be flirtatious with Zhu E. Chen Yi held himself back.

Even if she didn't understand Chen Yi's thoughts, seeing him avoid suspicion, Zhu E lowered her eyes, sighing softly in her heart.

Perhaps in the master's eyes, Qingluo was always more important than her, Zhu E.

Worries rose and fell. After a moment, Zhu E smiled and said:

"Why is the master not showing affection at the Prince's place and wandering over to me?"

"Thinking of you."

"Did you hit a nail..." Zhu E paused, countless words flitting through her mind, but only ended up in one word, "...Hmm."

Chen Yi looked down at the ground, as if avoiding her gaze, continuing, "Qingluo's anger hasn't subsided. I haven't been able to come see you alone these days, not because I'm afraid of making her angry again, but because I fear it would cause conflict between you two. So... I haven't seen her much alone either."

After saying this, he sighed, appearing both weary and sincere.

This is all part of the play...

Zhu E could see through it at a glance. The master's level was high, but even if it was a routine, the fact that he came on purpose showed he was mindful.

She shook her head, her voice much softer, "The master needn't worry about Zhu E. As the elder, one must always be patient with the younger generation."

With this, Chen Yi felt relieved and said, "Qingluo is not as considerate as you. I'm a bit afraid you two might argue again over me during tonight's New Year's Eve dinner. It's New Year's Eve; we can't have you two, aunt and niece, at odds over this. I can't manage things with Qingluo for now, but I thought I should see you first. That day... in the garden, I was wrong."

Hearing this, Zhu E's heart softened. She suddenly felt she was also wrong at that time. As an elder, competing with the younger generation was unseemly and improper, unnecessarily causing him such worry.

The subtle changes in the Princess's expression were clear to Chen Yi, whose gaze became increasingly gentle. He didn't say much more, avoiding her eyes out of guilt.

He only thought to himself:

New Year's Eve,

It's settled.

With this thought, Chen Yi reached into his bosom, then held out his hand in front of Zhu E,

"Aunt Zhu, I've brought you three sweets. It's New Year, just for some auspicious meaning — meeting Aunt Zhu... three lifetimes of fortune."

"Ah... Sweet talker!"

.........…

Qin Yue was holding five candies wrapped in pretty wax paper as her nurse led her along, pattering under the corridor leading to the west side gallery of the Prince Mansion. The red lanterns under the eaves swayed gently in the afternoon breeze.

"Yue'er, Yue'er is looking for, looking for Father," Qin Yue muttered to herself, "to give sweets, sweets!"

"Yes, yes, I'm taking the young lady to find the Prince."

"Sweets Daddy gave, to give to Father..."

Saying this, Qin Yue looked down at the five candies in her hand.

Daddy said to give three to Father, two were hers, so could she eat some now?

Smacking her little mouth, usually the nurses, instructed by Zhu E and Qin Qingluo, wouldn't let Qin Yue have sweets, but it was New Year now, so they could let loose a bit.

Yet many of the sweets were given to the big nanny sister ghost.

Children act as soon as they think, and Qin Yue raised her little face, picking up a sweet and said, "Nanny, unwrap it."

The nurse didn't understand the situation and couldn't resist her look, so she immediately unwrapped the candy paper for her. Qin Yue couldn't wait to stuff one in her left cheek, then one in her right, like a little squirrel, the sweet taste melting in her mouth, she blissfully narrowed her eyes.

With sweets in her mouth, even her steps seemed lighter.

As she walked, the familiar Moon Cave Gate of the gallery loomed ahead. Qin Yue walked and walked, as the sweetness in her mouth began to fade, that craving feeling crept back.

She looked down at her palm, trying hard to remember Daddy's words... seemed like three were for Father? But... She tilted her little head, a bit unclear in her calculations.

"..." She licked her lips, rolled her eyes, then swiftly picked up another piece and unwrapped it into her mouth.

The gallery door was ajar, a faint scent of ink wafting from within. The nurse called out and received a reply of "Come in," so she led Qin Yue inside.

Qin Qingluo was facing away from the door, drawing in the sunlight, her figure tall and stately, her long black hair tied back with a golden hairpin as she held a brush sketching on the paper.

Qin Yue crossed the tall threshold, as she approached, the Princess covered the drawing on the desk with a silk cloth, the sunlight through the window lattice casting a hazy silhouette of the figures in the painting.

"Father!" Qin Yue ran over on her little legs, pattering.

Qin Qingluo slowly turned her head, her snake-like pupils resting on her daughter's rosy face. She put down her brush and said, "What does the little thing want?"

Qin Yue tilted her head, knowing that "little thing" referred to her, but she was a bit puzzled why Father sometimes called her "bastard," other times "Yue'er," and now "little thing."