Chapter 247: The Second Encounter with Bishuo

Chapter 247: The Second Encounter with Bishuo

"How is she doing now?" Cheng Yunshuo asked hurriedly.

"I don't know," Li, the Imperial Guards leader, shook his head. "She might have returned to her hometown."

Back then, when palace maids and eunuchs were let go, most returned to their hometowns.

They had spent the better part of their lives in the palace; few knew anyone in the Imperial City.

Occasionally, some might have had acquaintances, but it was still difficult to stay in the city through those connections.

As for Bishuo, she had been punished. Even though she avoided severe punishment for the false rumors, she still faced penalties. The head housekeeper confiscated all her severance pay and monthly salary, expelling her from the palace.

Bishuo only had her savings from all those years left.

Hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo furrowed his brows.

Seeing his reaction, Li urged him to drink, "Stop overthinking! Let's drink!"

After the meal, it was already afternoon. Li, the Imperial Guards leader, drunk, was carried back to the Li residence by his servants. Cheng Yunshuo was only mildly intoxicated, and despite the invitation to rest at the Li residence, he insisted on returning to the Marquis's Mansion.

As he exited the restaurant, he bumped into a woman in plain clothes.

"Watch where you're going!" Qingfeng, dissatisfied, spoke up.

The woman lowered her head and quickly apologized, "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

At the sound of her voice, Cheng Yunshuo's slightly drunk eyes widened in surprise. He pushed Qingfeng aside and stared in shock at the woman in front of him, "Bishuo!"

The woman looked up, "Lord Cheng?"

Seeing Bishuo again, Cheng Yunshuo felt a rush of mixed emotions.

After the ordeal some days ago, he had already lost the obsessive feelings he once had for Bishuo.

Even when Li mentioned that Bishuo had returned to her hometown, he only felt a faint sense of regret.

Because he hadn’t seen her for some time, he had realized that Bishuo was just Bishuo, not that person.

No matter how similar they looked, she wasn’t her.

After feeling disappointed and regretful, he didn’t feel the need to find her, thinking it was better this way.

But this unexpected encounter, seeing a face so similar to that person, caused Cheng Yunshuo's heart to beat wildly.

"What are you doing here?" Cheng Yunshuo asked her excitedly.

"I came to look for a job," Bishuo raised her eyes and smiled faintly, "I have no family or friends left in the Imperial City, and I have no one to rely on. Luckily, I picked up some cooking skills in the palace, so I came here hoping to find work as a cook."

After she finished speaking, Cheng Yunshuo spoke up.

"How about I hire you? You can be my cook!"

That night, Cheng Yunshuo returned to the mansion very late.

Du Ruo had been waiting for a long time at Xiaohe Courtyard and was finally able to see Cheng Yunshuo returning.

"Master!"

She hurried toward him, "Why did it take you so long to come back!"

Seeing her, Cheng Yunshuo couldn't help but avert his gaze. "I encountered some matters on the way."

"Big or small? Is it urgent?" Du Ruo asked concernedly, her questions coming one after another.

"It was nothing serious; I've already taken care of it," Cheng Yunshuo replied casually.

Hearing this, Du Ruo felt reassured. She hooked her arm through Cheng Yunshuo's and said coquettishly, "So where are the things you promised me?"

"What things?"

"Didn't you say you'd buy some dried fruits for me?"

Cheng Yunshuo suddenly remembered—oh yes, that!

After meeting Bi Nuo, how could he possibly remember to get dried fruits for Du Ruo? It had completely slipped his mind.

Seeing his flustered look, Du Ruo sensed something was wrong. "Master, what exactly did you encounter?"

"No, no," Cheng Yunshuo shook his head hastily, afraid that Du Ruo would notice something unusual. "I'm just really exhausted today. I'll definitely get them for you tomorrow."

With that, he extricated his arm from Du Ruo's embrace and walked away.

Seeing his flustered demeanor, Du Ruo became even more suspicious. She stood frowning, feeling that something was off.

For several days, Cheng Yunshuo was out during the day and returned very late at night. Instead of going to Lu Lingyun's or Xiaohe Courtyard, he went straight to Yaoguang Pavilion to sleep.

One day, unable to hold back any longer, Du Ruo sought out Ling Long, who was relaxing and chatting in the backyard. As soon as they met, she called out, "Sister Ling."

"Wow, the sun must be rising from the west! You're actually calling me sister now?" Ling Long said, fanning herself with a round fan as she looked at the flattering Du Ruo.

Du Ruo hadn't even called her sister when she asked for embroidery lessons before.

Sitting nearby, Qiu Ling added, "She must need something! Concubine Du only remembers us when she needs help!"

Du Ruo's face turned red.

"Let me guess, it's about the Crown Prince, right?"

"Isn't it? Other than the Crown Prince, who else is she concerned about?"

Hearing their teasing, Du Ruo twisted her handkerchief and said, "Okay, you guessed right—now spill the beans!"

Ling Long and Qiu Ling burst into laughter.

Du Ruo sat down next to Ling Long. "Sister Ling, I just want to know what my master has been doing at night these days."

"Look, look, she can't even wait a few days before asking about such things!" Qiu Ling pointed at Du Ruo and said.

There wasn't much competition in the Marquis's Mansion's backyard, but after all, they were all concubines.

As concubines, there should be some boundaries, each relying on their own skills to gain favor, not directly asking about nighttime matters.

Is it okay for Cheng Yunshuo to stay at your place every night but not visit anyone else's room?

Even if they were giving way to Du Ruo and didn't want to compete with her, her openly asking was bound to make people feel uneasy.

"I didn't mean that!" Du Ruo quickly explained. "I just want to know; I haven't offended my master recently, nor have I quarreled with him. I don't understand why he isn't coming to my room."

"Isn't that exactly what I'm saying?" Qiu Ling pointed at her. "You can't tie the Crown Prince down with a rope, only letting him come to your room every day and not allowing him to visit others! Don't be so small-minded. If you keep being petty, we won't play with you anymore."

Du Ruo stomped her foot in anxiety. "He can visit Sister Ling Long, and I wouldn't mind. I just don't know why he isn't looking for me! Could it be that I've done something wrong again?"

Ling Long chuckled at this point and said directly, "Well, the Crown Prince hasn't called on me in the past few days."

Hearing this, Du Ruo looked up in surprise.

"Look how worked up you are," Ling Long said sourly on her behalf. "The Crown Prince hasn't come to find you for just a few days, and it's already making you this worried. The more you care about men, the less they care about you!"

"Exactly, in the end, you're just hurting yourself!" Qiu Ling added.

Both of them had been through this before. Qiu Ling had felt Cheng Yunshuo's coldness and knew that if a man didn't have you in his heart, it was true. No matter how hard she tried, it was useless.

Ling Long, who came from a brothel, never believed in love. From the moment Cheng Yunshuo took her from Xing Dairong, she had a clear understanding of her position. She was just a pawn he used to provoke others.

First, it was that woman, Xing Dairong, and now she was occasionally used to provoke Du Ruo. In any case, no matter who it was, in Cheng Yunshuo's eyes, she was nothing.

"Hold on, before you two say anything else, what's my Master up to?"