Chapter 55
Chapter 55
The rain hit Gu Yi’s face, and the raindrops flowed down her hair, making small, ice-cold strands along her forehead, cheeks, and neck. She knew she must look wretched now but couldn’t care less. She blinked, and the water mist condensed on her eyelashes dispersed a bit before she saw a blue and green silhouette walking on the palace road outside the Laundry Bureau not far away.
This plot point had stayed the same!
She remembered that she had successfully waited here on the night of the third day to watch over the female lead, and the two of them wandered along the stone path in the garden before saying goodbye at the fork by the lake.
Xiao Yan would appear on the other side of the lake a few moments later. Since he didn’t come to Xiuyi Hall, she would take the female lead here to wait for him. If he didn’t pass by this lake tonight, she would try even if he went to the front hall! At worst, she’d be charged with committing a crime, and the end would be the same anyway!
Gu Yi couldn’t help but tighten her right hand in her sleeve, tugging the white rabbit jade pendant tightly.
Zhao Wan, holding a paper umbrella and clutching the aqua-colored silk in her arms, looked up and saw the drenched Beauty Gu striding straight toward her. She stopped in her tracks and said in panic: “Why is Beauty here? I was just about to head to the side hall of the Xiuyi Hall to give you the cloth ……”
Gu Yi impatiently caught her wrist, “Follow me.” She pulled Zhao Wan and headed for the lakeside stone path.
Tao Jia hurriedly followed and put an oil paper umbrella over Gu Yi’s head. Even so, the rain had long soaked Gu Yi’s turquoise skirt, sticking to her body.
Tao Jia remembered to advise: “Beauty, where are you going in such a hurry? Because of this rain, the lake must be very slippery. Beauty, be more careful!”
Gu Yi turned back to look at Tao Jia and saw she had long been drenched. Tonight’s move was risky, so it was better to avoid bringing her along.
Gu Yi snatched the cloth from Zhao Wan’s arms and handed it to Tao Jia, saying, “I don’t need you now. Hold this cloth and return to the west side of Xiuyi Hall.”
Tao Jia was stunned: “You’re not going back? It is raining so heavily! Strolling in the lake is meaningless!”
Gu Yi waved her hand, “No need to care about me, just go back.” As she spoke, she stuffed the cloth into Tao Jia’s arms and pulled Zhao Wan hurriedly.
Tao Jia gritted her teeth. She did not dare disobey, so she could only hold the cloth and returned.
A thunderstorm rolled in the sky, illuminating the lake beside them with a flash of green light. Gu Yi turned her head to look, and at the bamboo shadows across the lake, she spied a group of men.
The man at the head of the group was clad in bright yellow and followed by a long line of courtiers. It was the Emperor. The plot honestly does not deceive me!
Gu Yi felt like she had drunk chicken blood and pulled Zhao Wan. Her footsteps got faster and faster as she welcomed them!
Zhao Wan naturally saw the person in the bright yellow uniform. She panicked and tried to shake off Gu Yi’s left hand, struggling, “Beauty, forgive me! I’m all wet! It is disrespectful to see the Emperor! I– I –”
Gu Yi interrupted her, “Haven’t you always wanted to see him? Since you can see him tonight, why don’t you?”
Zhao Wan’s eyes widened in shock, “How do you …… know that?”
Gu Yi was indignant in her heart, holding a ghostly fire. Come on, plot, let’s hurt each other!
Eunuch Gao’s eyes were sharp, and at a glance, he saw two figures walking hurriedly outside the rain curtain.
Two women.
Although holding a paper umbrella, the two had wet hair stuck to their cheeks. The rain soaked their bodies from head to toe, making them ghost-like.
Who are they? Dressed like this, yet still dare to ask for a favor!
Eunuch Gao swept his eyes. Immediately, two palace attendants trotted forward to drive them away.
Through the rain curtain, Xiao Yan’s footsteps were swift. Watching people in the front road, he slightly frowned and stopped. The palace servant holding the umbrella behind him suddenly stopped and barely retained the umbrella handle, fearing the rain would fall on the Emperor.
“Avoid the Emperor!” The palace attendant marched to Gu Yi’s front and shouted.
Gu Yi obediently knelt and bowed, throwing the white rabbit jade pendant in her sleeve with great force! In an arc, it slid down and fell into a small pool of rainwater, splashing several times before stopping ten paces away in front of the Emperor’s feet.
She threw the essential prop, a white rabbit jade pendant the female lead entangled with ‘Should I show it to him or not’ for forty-five chapters in front of Xiao Yan. She pulled the progress bar of the plot!
Gu Yi has figured it out. She worked diligently and conscientiously to protect the plot and progress, but it was still useless. This time, she was going to make the first move!
Zhao Wan saw the Emperor’s footsteps move slightly, and immediately, she buried her head and bowed.
Xiao Yan’s eyes swept over the two figures kneeling in the rain and stopped on the white jade before his boots.
The white rabbit jade, déjà vu.
His long eyebrows slightly converged, and he picked up the white jade, placing it in his palm for a closer look.
The white jade rabbit was soft to the touch. His heart moved slightly. He turned over the jade pendant and used his index finger to stroke the mark engraved on the lower right corner. A very tiny word, “Jade,” was written. One stroke, lightly and shallowly, melted into the white jade. One would never have known if one had not carefully observed.
Xiao Yan laughed. He laughed distinctly but was like a madman, and he stopped after two laughs.
“This jade ….. is owned by who?” His voice was neither high nor low but recognizable in the heavy rain.
Zhao Wan bowed, “This jade …… is mine.”
Xiao Yan fixed his eyes and looked at her carefully. Seeing that she lowered her eyebrows and hid her face in the shadows, he said, “Raise your head.”
Zhao Wan slowly straightened her back and raised her head.
With frosty eyes, the Emperor in front of her gazed at her coldly, “Who are you?”
Zhao Wan replied softly, “I’m Zhao Wan, the palace maid of the Laundry Bureau.”
“Zhao Wan ……” Xiao Yan chuckled, “In that case, you are the descendant of Zhao Jie ……”
Gu Yi’s heart thumped; this progress bar was too fast! The mystery of the female lead’s life experience, hidden for sixty chapters, was revealed quickly. Did they skip their childhood playmate’s story? Did she move the progress bar too fast? Sucks!
She lay on the ground and did not dare to move.
When Xiao Yan saw that Zhao Wan’s face was pale and did not answer, he turned his gaze to the figure kneeling on the side. He only saw her head buried, kneeling on the ground, with four plain white beaded flower hairpins on the top of her head, which had been brushed by the rain and lay limply between her hair.
“And who are you?”
Hello, I’m Gu Leifeng, and I saved your life.
Gu Yi slandered in her heart, but in her mouth, she replied, “I’m Beauty Gu of the west side of the Xiuyi Hall.”
Xiao Yan let out an ‘oh.’ “The person who threw the jade was you?”
His voice was even colder than Gu Yi remembered. She dared not raise her head and obediently said: “I slipped and accidentally threw it…….”
“Presumptuous.”
Gu Yi couldn’t help but tremble at the words. Those words contained great anger. It was not the tone of Xiao Yan in her memory anymore. She swallowed a mouthful of saliva and worshipped, “Your Majesty, I’m sorry for my slip of the tongue.”
Xiao Yan pinched the white jade, his mind turning several times. If this Gu Beauty was intent on blackmailing her with this jade, he could not keep her. He turned his eyes and glanced at her lowered head but saw a few strands of her hair hanging down by her ears, exposing her small, snow-white earlobes. He couldn’t utter the word “kill.”
The muffled thunder rolled in the sky, and heavy rain smashed on the ground, crackling sound unceasingly.
Xiao Yan was silent momentarily. “Zhao Wan is beautiful and gorgeous. She’ll be promoted to Beauty Wan and live on the west side of Xiuyi Hall.”
When Eunuch Gao heard this, he became happy and was about to reply. But the Emperor added, “Xiuyi Hall Beauty Gu harbors malicious intentions and has lost her etiquette, so she’ll be demoted to a Talent Lady and move out of Xiuyi Hall.”
Gu Yi crouched on the ground and blinked. This ending was still within her expectations. After all, she had blatantly brought the female lead and stimulated Xiao Yan with key props that she couldn’t stay alive. She even suspected this was how the original Beauty Gu retired.
She has only been demoted; she must say she was still lucky. Fortunately, the plot was online, although it has fast-forwarded sixty chapters.
Zhao Wan bowed, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace.”
Gu Yi followed suit and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace.”
The sound of footsteps drifted away from her ears, and only when she could no longer hear them did Gu Yi raise her head.
In front of her, Zhao Wan stared at her unblinkingly. “What exactly is Talent Lady Gu’s intention?”
Gu Yi stood up, her wet clothes sticking to her body, making her feel uncomfortable. She smiled, “Is it not good for Beauty Wan to have what she wishes for?”
Zhao Wan frowned, “Who exactly are you? Why do you want to help me?”
Gu Yi laughed, “I’m only a nobody in the harem. I wish you a bright future.” After saying that, she headed towards Xiuyi Hall without stopping again.
Since she should moved out, the Shangyi Bureau sent people to drive her out of Xiuyi Hall tonight. The heavy rain stopped suddenly, and the cool summer breeze blew away the dark clouds. A round of bright moon hanging high in the sky.
In the Imperial City, the drums of the third watch were beating. Gu Yi’s hanging heart finally fell into place. With her fierce actions, she passed the first seventy-two hours. Thank goodness for the spoilers. She didn’t vainly read “The Heartless Emperor Falls in Love with Me” before bed. After thinking about it, she looked around at this unfamiliar palace. Ping Cui Hall was a small palace in the northwest corner of the Western Garden. Due to its age and lack of repair, it appeared to be very deprived, approximately equivalent to a cold palace. The wooden bed in the palace was old, and the standing cabinet accumulated dust. But it didn’t matter. After all, she had pulled the main emotional line progress bar. She probably had to live in the cold palace for a while, and soon, the main plot would finished. Then, she could leave the palace to be a happy, wealthy woman.
Gu Yi changed her wet clothes and raised her eyes to see Tao Jia enter the hall holding a basin of hot water into the palace, with a faint redness in the corners of her eyes.
She was surprised and asked, “You cried?”
Tao Jia shook her head, put down the basin, and choked a little, “I didn’t cry. I couldn’t understand why you were demoted to a Talent Lady and moved to the West Garden?”
Gu Yi wanted to comfort her, “Fortune and bad luck depend on each other. Maybe this is a blessing instead of a disaster.”
Tao Jia had a bitter face and only said, “Hmm.”