Xu Qing’er looked at Little Girl, whose shadow seemed to have disappeared. She gestured for Bing’er to take the child away, feeling that it was better for them not to meet often.
The small child slowly descended from the warm kang and wandered outside, eventually squatting down and drawing random shapes with a branch.
Leaving the empress’s bedchamber, Xu Qiu’er noticed Little Girl from a distance. While Xu Qiu’er felt they were destined to meet, Xiao Ju recalled that this little girl had previously caused her mistress to scold her.
As Xu Qiu’er approached the child, Little Girl looked up at her, and Xu Qiu’er frowned at the marks on the child’s face and her pale lips. Anger surged within her as she picked up Little Girl, who initially struggled but then relaxed, drawn in by a fragrance different from Auntie Bing’s. She pressed her face against Xu Qiu’er’s chest.
Xiao Ju was amazed at Little Girl’s sudden intimacy with her mistress.
Xu Qiu’er stroked Little Girl’s hair and gently asked, “Would you like to come inside and have some water?”
In Xu Qiu’er’s expectant gaze, Little Ge Ge reached out her tiny palm and held it together with hers. When Xu Qiu’er grasped that small palm, tears almost spilled out. She pulled Little Ge Ge into the room and called the palace maids to prepare snacks.
Xiao Ju watched Little Ge Ge eating and remarked in surprise, “What’s going on with this Qingfei? Is she deliberately starving her own daughter?”
Xu Qiu’er glared at Xiao Ju, who felt sympathy for the child but recalled Xu Qing’er and thought, “Serves you right. Who told you to be Xu Qing’er’s child?”
After Little Ge Ge finished eating, Xu Qiu’er asked, “Do you want more?” Little Ge Ge hesitated and shook her head. Sunlight scattered overhead, filling the air with warm laughter.
Later, Bing’er returned and discovered Little Ge Ge was missing, which frightened her. She searched everywhere but couldn’t find her and reported to Xu Qing’er that Little Ge Ge was lost. Xu Qing’er, furious, sent people to search for her. The Crown Prince, hearing the news, also dispatched people, worried that such a small child might have fallen into water.
