After Ya Fu left, Qing Qing realized the seriousness of the situation. If Ya Fu had told Li Qin impulsively, he might not believe it, but with time, clues could surface. But this was strange; how did Ya Fu find out? If Ya Fu and the Lin family had the ability and interest in her identity, they would have discovered it long ago, not wait until today. Could it be that Tian Gongzi was in trouble? This thought sent shivers down Qing Qing’s spine. Tian Gongzi was her only secret and strong support, and he had been kind to her. Qing Qing was no longer as nonchalant as when dealing with Ya Fu; her smile had already turned solemn. Now, the only one who could help her seemed to be the Fourth Prince. Given Ya Fu’s temperament, if she knew about the alliance between the Fourth Prince and Qing Qing, she would not have been so hasty to only reveal Qing Qing’s identity. If Qing Qing tried to contact Tian Gongzi now, even if he was safe, he might be exposed. But how could she cleverly notify the Fourth Prince for help without drawing attention? Yu Zhen was the first person she thought of, but the more people knew, the easier it was to be discovered, and Qing Qing didn’t want to implicate her. If even Yu Zhen got into trouble, Qing Qing would be truly doomed. By then, if something happened to her, there would be no one to plead on her behalf. Before Qing Qing could think of a solution, she received a pot of strange soup. The servant who delivered it was someone she had never seen before, and he vanished as soon as he put down the soup. Qing Qing, fearing it might be a trap, dared not drink it.
Chapter 137: Keep Your Heart in Your Stomach
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?”
