Before leaving, Meng Qing looked back at the empty pavilion, feeling an inexplicable sense of nostalgia.
—
Back in her room, Yu Yi sat at the table and played with the jade dragonfly for a while. Suddenly, a voice came from inside the jade dragonfly. Startled, Yu Yi dropped it on the table and stepped back.
After a moment, she hesitated and approached it slowly. Hearing no further sounds, she bravely reached out and touched it a few times. It remained motionless and silent.
Yu Yi tried to recall where she had touched it earlier when it made a sound. When her finger touched the first wing on its left side, it made a slight noise. She quickly withdrew her hand, and it fell silent again.
Trying again with her fingertip, it spoke: “It’s me, Meng Qing.”
Yue Tao, hearing the noise from inside the room, asked, “Does the young mistress have any orders?”
Yu Yi thought for a moment and said, “It’s nothing. Yue Tao, you and Chun Tao don’t need to serve me here. Go play in the courtyard.”
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” After the maids left, she closed the door between the inner and outer rooms, returning to the table with excitement and nervousness, and gently touched the left wing of the jade dragonfly.
But it only repeated: “It’s me, Meng Qing.”
Yu Yi was disappointed that the jade dragonfly could only say this one phrase, but it still seemed fascinating. She had never seen an object that could produce human speech.
Yu Yi picked up the jade dragonfly and examined it, then suddenly remembered something and reached to touch its second left wing.
Again, it was the voice of the man who called himself Meng Qing, but with different content: “My lady is indeed clever and deserves praise. I’ll teach you how to use it now. Press and hold the first right wing to record, press and hold the second right wing to play back the previously recorded message. Also, this jade dragonfly, like me, only recognizes you as its master. Others won’t be able to use it.”
