The Tofu Queen: A Modern Woman's Ancient Kingdom Journey

Princess He Linglong didn't stay long, though her fondness for Tangbao seemed genuine. Before leaving, she casually suggested Jiang Huaiyu bring the child to the palace for a visit sometime.

Jiang Huaiyu smiled and agreed, but she mentally dismissed it as a polite formality.

Once the princess had departed, Jiang Huaiyu's brows arched slightly. "Xiao Cao, check the courtyard and corridors for anything that doesn't belong to us."

Though Xiao Cao didn't understand the reasoning behind this unusual instruction, she dutifully complied, scouring every nook and cranny.

Jiang Huaiyu paced slowly under the eaves, her gaze flitting casually around the courtyard. While she didn't assume malice in every encounter, she wasn't naive. The earlier visit from Qin Jiuru and her entourage, likely orchestrated by Li Sumeng, had her on alert.

The overly determined attempt by their servants to search her rooms only confirmed her suspicions. The corner of Jiang Huaiyu's lips curled upward in a faintly chilling smile.

Xiao Cao's diligent search yielded results. She knelt to retrieve a small object glinting between the flagstones and steps. Holding it up, she ran to Jiang Huaiyu, her face full of confusion. "Madam, I found an earring. How could this be in our courtyard?"

Jiang Huaiyu's gaze lowered to the pearl earring in Xiao Cao's palm. The pearl was unimpressive—slightly larger than a grain of rice, with poor luster. She let out a soft laugh. "Because, my dear, a little mouse tried sneaking into our pantry."

"Mouse?" Xiao Cao blinked, thoroughly bewildered.

Jiang Huaiyu didn't explain further, plucking the earring from Xiao Cao's hand. "Go on and finish your chores," she said with a calm smile. Then, standing still under the eaves, she turned the earring over in her fingers, lost in thought.

Qin Jiuru stood with her jaw clenched, glaring at the princess's departing entourage. Only after they were gone did she whirl on her servants. "Who told you to act on your own?! Speak up!"

Normally impulsive and strong-willed, Qin Jiuru wasn't oblivious to the oddities of the day's events. The brash behavior of her servants now seemed especially suspicious. Sweeping her sharp gaze over the group, she opened her mouth to reprimand them when Li Sumeng spoke up.

Her delicate lashes fluttered as she tugged on Qin Jiuru's sleeve, her voice laced with worry. "Jiuru, I've lost one of my earrings. It must have fallen while we were at Madam Jiang's house. Could you help me retrieve it?"

Qin Jiuru glanced at Li Sumeng's ear, noting the absence of the matching earring. With a frown, she said, "It's just an earring. If it's lost, I'll let you pick a pair from my collection."

Li Sumeng raised her face, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But it's my mother's," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I almost never wear it, but I put it on today for you..."

The mention of Li Sumeng's late mother tugged at Qin Jiuru's heartstrings. Both women had lost their mothers early, but while Qin Jiuru had the fortitude to defy her stepmother, Li Sumeng's gentle temperament often left her at the mercy of her father's second wife and her half-siblings.

With a sigh, Qin Jiuru relented. "Fine. I'll go back with you to look for it."

Li Sumeng hesitated, her soft voice tinged with regret. "But we upset Madam Jiang earlier. Perhaps I should go with Chen Po alone and apologize to her myself."

Her tone and demeanor were carefully calculated to appear considerate, and Qin Jiuru fell for it. Moved, she turned to Chen Po and barked, "Go with Sumeng. If you offend her or Madam Jiang again, I'll deal with you personally!"

"Yes, Miss," Chen Po replied meekly, her face a mask of deference.

Satisfied, Qin Jiuru said to Li Sumeng, "I need to return to my father's residence. If you find the earring, come find me. If not, don't worry too much."

Li Sumeng nodded obediently, lips pressed into a shy smile.

Once Qin Jiuru's carriage disappeared from sight, Li Sumeng's expression cooled, though she maintained her frail posture. On the way back to Jiang Huaiyu's residence, Chen Po sidled up to her, smiling obsequiously.

"Miss, you promised us a reward," Chen Po began, her voice ingratiating. "Even though the job didn't go as planned, we worked hard, and we bore the brunt of our mistress's anger. Surely you won't short us."

Li Sumeng's lips curved in a faint smile, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of disdain. "Here." She pulled out a ten-tael silver note and handed it over. "Buy yourselves something nice."

Chen Po's face soured at the amount. Seeing this, Li Sumeng sighed and removed a jade-inlaid silver hairpin from her bun. "And this," she added, offering it up.

The hairpin was a gift from Qin Jiuru, but Li Sumeng handed it over without a second thought. She was adept at making use of others' generosity to advance her own plans.

Chen Po inspected the silver note to confirm its authenticity before grinning greedily. As she pocketed her rewards, Li Sumeng's lashes lowered, hiding her derision.

These coarse servants, planted by Qin Jiuru's stepmother, were easily manipulated. Their willingness to smear their mistress's name made them useful tools.

Having placated her pawns, Li Sumeng approached Jiang Huaiyu's door.

Inside, Jiang Huaiyu sat with her son, gently stroking the warm jade pendant gifted by the princess. It radiated a comforting heat against her skin. Her thoughts wandered.

Initially, she had clung to the hope of simply existing here—a quiet, peaceful life. But recent events proved such illusions naive.

As her gaze fell on her slumbering son and Xiao Cao diligently practicing her characters, warmth spread through her heart. Her days had grown steadily brighter. Wasn't that enough?

But Li Sumeng's soft-spoken manipulation had been a thorn in her side. Such "white lotus" types were far more insidious than outright antagonists. Jiang Huaiyu shuddered at the thought of being ensnared in the kind of petty drama they so often created.

Her musings were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.

Rising gracefully, Jiang Huaiyu left her son in Xiao Cao's care and made her way to the entrance. Fingering the pearl earring she'd retrieved earlier, she pulled the door open to reveal Li Sumeng.

"Back so soon?" Jiang Huaiyu asked, her smile cool but polite. "What brings you here this time, Miss?"

Li Sumeng's lashes quivered as she bowed slightly. "I lost one of my earrings earlier. It's very precious to me—my late mother's—and I wondered if it might have fallen here. I know this is an imposition, but—"

Her words faltered as Jiang Huaiyu raised her hand, the missing earring pinched between her fingers. Li Sumeng's breath caught, her carefully crafted facade momentarily slipping.

Even Chen Po, standing a step behind, could sense the tension in the air.