The soup wasn’t anything strange; it was a pig’s heart wrapped in pig’s stomach, supposedly steamed, and was said to be a “unique delicacy of the dynasty.” Qing Qing pondered who could have sent such a pot of soup out of the blue. She hadn’t ordered it; if Yu Zhen had sent it, it wouldn’t have been delivered by an unfamiliar servant, and if it were Ya Fu, she wouldn’t have let the servant run away so hastily, as it would only arouse suspicion. Pig’s heart, pig’s stomach, a unique delicacy… Qing Qing suddenly slapped her forehead in realization: “Keep your heart in your stomach,” Tian Gongzi was safe! But how did Tian Gongzi easily get this pot of soup to Qing Qing? Fortunately, the situation wasn’t as dire as she had feared. Perhaps one of Tian Gongzi’s trusted aides had betrayed him. Without evidence, even if Li Qin favored Ya Fu, he wouldn’t believe her, as the idea of “face-swapping” was too bizarre, and if Ya Fu told him, he might suspect her of being jealous.
That evening, the sky was unusually hot. Dark clouds loomed, and soon it began to rain. The rain grew heavier, with the wind and rain seeming to bite at people. Although it was already autumn, Qing Qing felt uncomfortably hot and itchy all over, as if she couldn’t quite reach the itchy spot. The sound of the thunder and rain outside made her even more irritable: “Li Hua, did you bring the well water I asked for? How can it be so hot?”
