Blindfolded

Chapter 5 - Unexpected Visitor

Jingting tapped the handkerchief on her hand and said to the curtain, "I also had a good prize today."

The handkerchief... It's mine.

After arriving at the Liu Mansion, I learned that the prize of the competition was a luxurious beaded hairpin with a remarkable origin. It was worn by the Empress Dowager when she was crowned Empress.

Liu Yu had no use for the hairpin, so he would give it away. It didn't matter who he gave it to, but I never thought he would give it to me.

I was surprised, "Are you sure it's for me?"

Liu Yu said, "Firstly, you are worthy of it, and secondly... just as a memento."

I was puzzled by the latter statement.

Liu Yu said, "I've just decided to visit the Emperor tomorrow. It's not helpful for us to delay things any longer, and as for the possibility of offending the Empress Dowager... we'll talk about it later. I'll go and talk to the Emperor first."

He said it so easily, but I was still nervous and anxious.

Even Princess Nine thought that JIngting would agree immediately, but the fact was that Jingting rejected Liu Yu's request.

Jingting rejected...?

After Liu Yu left the palace, we looked at each other for a long time, feeling lost.

During this period of time, I rarely entered the palace, only occasionally hearing some vague news from inside.

Until the day my father, Duke Wei, passed away, news spread like wildfire that Jingting had issued a decree allowing Duke Wei to enter the imperial ancestral temple.

With such an honor, I must visit the palace tomorrow no matter what.

At night, Liu Yu went to sleep in the study again. I was comfortable sleeping alone and soon fell asleep.

Half asleep, I faintly heard some voices nearby.

"Yue Yue, wake up and talk to me."

"Don't want to." I was still half-asleep and couldn't hear anything clearly. I rolled over.

"Do you want me to wait until dawn?"

Wait, what? I was now half awake.

When I was fully awake, I sat up abruptly.

Jingting was staring at me the whole time, making me feel a bit embarrassed.

Jingting leaned over, and a playful look flashed in his beautiful eyes. "Yue Yue, you don't seem surprised that I'm here?"

"I just...haven't fully woken up yet."

"Yue Yue, do you know something? For example, that it's not the first time I visited your mansion?" Jingting's tone was ambiguous.

This was a difficult question...

Of course, I wouldn't answer.

So I lay down again, flipped over, and tightly closed my eyes. I thought to myself that if he confronted me, I would say I thought I was dreaming.

But Jingting didn't seem to have any intention of confronting me. He just touched my ears twice. "I suddenly feel that you and Liu Yu should separate after he gains some fame. When the southern region suffers from a severe drought, I'll let him assist with disaster relief as a deputy manager. He'll leave in five days. Let's see if he can make some achievements."

The warmth from Jingting's finger on my ear made my heart beat faster.

"Yue Yue," Jingting chuckled. "Are you shy again?"

I didn't listen or respond.

As a light fragrance floated over, I noticed that Jingting had leaned over completely. His face was only a short distance away from me. "Yue Yue, in three days, there will be a banquet for the empress dowager. Remember to come and don't pretend to be sick. Also, tomorrow you will see new clothes and jewelry on the table. Remember to wear them."

I nodded.

"Now you can't back out," Jingting said.

At large banquets, the official wives always appeared with their husbands, and Liu Yu couldn't avoid it.

When we were on the carriage, he even took the initiative to make small talk. "Your new dress is very beautiful."

I also thought it was beautiful and even wanted to get off the carriage to spin around. "It's pretty, right? The ninth princess will pester me to ask which embroiderer made it."

"Of course, it's from the palace," Liu Yu said quickly.

"You talk a lot," I said.

Liu Yu fell silent.

At the banquet, the empress dowager called me to her seat and asked about my recent situation. She also gave me a lot of rewards and let me sit closer to Liu Yu.

With this move, I was closer to Jingting as well.