The girl’s expression was like a martyr sacrificing herself, presumably having received special “attention” from the Eastern Palace Lord. I never expected the Eastern Palace to act so unscrupulously. Seeing the girl’s heroic spirit of sacrificing her happiness for her family, I felt somewhat sympathetic. However, my elder brother was unaware of the underlying reasons and seemed to have a not-bad impression of the girl. After weighing my options, I decided to turn a blind eye and let them interact for a while, hoping the girl might discover my brother’s good qualities.
So my elder brother happily went on a date with the girl. My younger sister and I repeatedly urged him to restrain himself and not cause any more incidents.
Although the Eastern Palace’s handling of this matter was not entirely to my satisfaction, they did keep their promise. Next, it was my turn to fulfill my promise and paint a portrait of his dancing girl.
When I told Que’er about this, she immediately objected, saying the Eastern Palace had wolf-like ambitions that were evident to all, and that I was foolishly walking into a tiger’s den.
I noticed she had been speaking to me increasingly rudely, likely due to my mistress’s dignity being overshadowed by An Jin. To maintain my dignity, I made a classic pose of a high-ranking character from a theatrical script: slightly looking down, squinting my eyes to project an air of depth and wisdom.
She stared blankly.
I realized she wasn’t being rude; she simply didn’t take me seriously at all. Since that was the case, I might as well go all out.
I beckoned her closer and whispered something. Que’er hesitated, looking at me uncertainly.
“Definitely.”
She thought for a moment. “Maybe we should just confess to the lord that you’re Yuan Xiang’s thirteenth son? No matter how big the issue, the lord will handle it.”
I dejectedly tugged at my ear. “I might as well walk into the tiger’s den…”
Que’er’s eyes finally showed a hint of compassion. “It’s not easy for my lady to be so pathetic.”
“At least you understand. Face is just a fleeting thing.” I looked at her eagerly: “Que’er, don’t let my husband know until the last moment.”
