Just as Bitao was about to go elsewhere to look for something, she heard the sound of water not far away. Then a small boat emerged, pushing aside the lotus leaves.
There were two people sitting in the boat. They were her mistress and... the master?
Bitao's eyes widened in surprise. Then she tiptoed away quietly.
She wasn't here. She wasn't here. It wasn't her who shouted just now.
But it seemed too late. He Xun's voice came right after.
"Come here quickly and help your mistress ashore."
His voice seemed to carry a hint of anger, which instantly made Bitao freeze in place.
She quickly reached out to help Su Nansheng onto the shore, and then draped a light cloak over her.
"The night is deep and the dew is heavy. This servant was just afraid that my mistress would catch a cold," Bitao retorted. But her voice grew softer and softer under He Xun's gaze. Finally, she shrank her neck and hid behind Su Nansheng.
Su Nansheng also felt a bit flustered at this moment. She lowered her head and said, "It's time to go back."
With that, she ignored He Xun and walked quickly towards the Tingfeng Courtyard.
Looking at Su Nansheng's fleeing back, He Xun let out a soft laugh.
Wasn't she trying to seduce him before? Why is she running away now?
Thinking of this, He Xun put his hands behind his back and slowly followed Su Nansheng.
...
The bedroom was completely dark. Su Hele tossed and turned in bed. The dizziness and nausea made her even more irritable, and she couldn't fall asleep at all.
In the darkness, she slowly sat up, her movements stiff.
Before, she was waiting for He Jin to come back and tell her how he fought with Concubine Li and stood up for her.
But what she waited for was the news that He Jin would sleep in the guest room.
She was tortured by illness, but He Jin didn't come to take care of her. Instead, he wanted to sleep in the guest room. Is this what a husband should do?
The more Su Hele thought about it, the angrier she became. First, he didn't let her go out. Now, he didn't even share a room with her. How could he treat her like this?
Suddenly, Su Hele remembered the thing before when He Jin asked her to go to the Huai Prince's Mansion with him to apologize. A sense of uneasiness welled up in her heart.
Could it be that He Jin thought she was wrong and thus grew tired of her?
Su Hele shook her head secretly. No, He Jin was deeply in love with her. He even dared to confront Concubine Li for her. How could he grow tired of her?
It must be Concubine Li's doing. It must be her.
Thinking of this, Su Hele squinted her eyes slightly. She had to think of a way to teach Concubine Li a lesson, so that she wouldn't become even more arrogant in the future.
...
When Su Nansheng returned to the bedroom, she drank two cups of tea in a row before calming down her racing heart.
But as soon as she thought of the scene just now, her heart skipped a beat again.
Just as she was thinking, Su Nansheng heard the sound of the door opening outside. It must be He Xun coming back.
Su Nansheng quickly took off her outer robe and threw herself onto the bed, pretending to be asleep.
Although her eyes were tightly closed, Su Nansheng's hearing became even more sensitive.
She heard He Xun come in. Then there came the rustling sound of him taking off his clothes. Then the sound got closer.
Su Nansheng immediately held her breath. However, her heart kept pounding wildly and she couldn't control it at all.
She thought He Xun would do something next, but she waited for a long time and there was no movement beside her at all.
While Su Nansheng let out a sigh of relief, she also felt a bit annoyed.
At this moment, she should have turned around bravely and hugged He Xun. Why was she hiding?
But when she tried to turn around, another thought came to her mind. Would this make her seem too proactive and not dignified enough?
So, Su Nansheng fell asleep in the battle between taking the initiative and going with the flow.
Hearing Su Nansheng's even and long breathing, He Xun then turned to look at her.
Of course, he knew that Su Nansheng was pretending to be asleep before, but he didn't want to expose her. It was just that he didn't control his emotions just now.
He Xun stroked the black hair scattered on the couch, his eyes deep.
On the boat, she didn't seem to resist, but when they returned to the bedroom, she pretended to be asleep.
There seemed to be something between them that made him unable to see clearly.
Thinking of this, He Xun kissed the black hair in his hand and said, "You're really a torment."
...
The next day, Su Hele forced herself to ignore her physical discomfort and directed the servants again.
Although it was really annoying that the rules she set before were abolished, fortunately, Chen Wanrong didn't deprive her of the power to manage the household.
She thought about it all night last night. If she wanted to suppress Concubine Li, she must make Chen Wanrong like her. With the support of the mistress, she wouldn't be worried about teaching Concubine Li a lesson.
So even though she was really reluctant to manage these mundane things, she had to prove to Chen Wanrong that she was a hundred times better than Su Nansheng. Su Nansheng didn't deserve Chen Wanrong's love.
Although she was sick, Su Hele still held her back straight and her chin high.
"You guys clean this place up and pave it with blue bricks. I'm going to draw the blueprint myself and build a thatched cottage here. Then you'll be able to experience how elegant and peaceful the life of 'picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence and leisurely seeing the southern mountains' is."
With her haggard and sickly face, thin figure and a white silk dress, Su Hele really looked a bit elegant standing there.
But the servants she called didn't seem to appreciate her elegance. They just glanced at each other and then lowered their heads silently.
They really knew how to live the life of 'picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence and leisurely seeing the southern mountains'. Wasn't it just their life before they sold themselves into slavery?
Elegant and peaceful? They really couldn't feel it.
Just as Su Hele was sitting in the shade, watching the servants work, Sumo came back.
"Madam, the accountant didn't give me any silver."
Su Hele's hand that was shaking the round fan paused slightly, and then she continued to shake it.
"Doesn't Yan Heng know that it's me who needs the silver?"
Since she was going to build a house, she would inevitably have to hire craftsmen and buy materials, so she naturally needed to spend silver.
But Su Hele would never do such a vulgar thing as asking for silver. So she sent Sumo. But Yan Heng actually refused. Didn't he know that Sumo was her servant?
"I can't give the silver to you just because I know it's for the Second Madam," was what the accountant said at that time. But Sumo didn't dare to repeat it directly. Instead, she said euphemistically, "The accountant said that each courtyard has a limited amount of silver that can be taken. If it exceeds the limit, you have to ask Concubine Su first. Now she is in charge of the accounts."
Su Hele's movement paused. Her fingernails left a row of marks on the round fan. The calm look on her face also faded a bit.
"He's just a small accountant, but he dares to restrict me."
But asking Su Nansheng for money...
"Sumo, you go and ask Concubine Su for the silver. This is for official business. After all, if the scenery in the mansion becomes more elegant, she will also benefit."
After Su Hele said that, she stood up. Then she randomly pointed at a little maid and said, "You, keep an eye on them. They can't eat until they clean this place spotlessly."
After saying that, Su Hele walked gracefully towards the Bitao Courtyard.
The sun was too strong. She couldn't bear the heat. She was still sick.
Behind her, Sumo looked embarrassed.
And behind Sumo, several maids and servants with their backs soaked in sweat also looked unhappy.