Chapter 244

Chapter 244

Su Yi: *Sigh*.

Is this even appropriate to mention?

Qinxin was just bringing in the freshly brewed tea.

This feels awkward—right in front of them, too.

Su Yi stayed quiet for just a second, but by then, the others had already jumped to their own conclusions.

Their faces practically screamed, *"I knew it would be like this,"* even if they didn’t voice it outright.

Faced with the choice of accidentally revealing too much or just playing along, Su Yi decisively chose the latter.

Fine, have it your way.

It’s not like this changes anything.

"Let’s just have some tea," Su Yi said with a polite smile, following protocol—especially since one of them was clearly a newcomer.

The unfamiliar beauty sat slightly behind the Imperial Noble Consort, radiating quiet elegance.

From the moment she entered, aside from the initial greetings, she had kept to herself.

She didn’t speak much, just listening, never cutting in or chiming in unnecessarily.

Honestly, her restraint was impressive.

She treaded exactly the right line of what the Imperial Noble Consort would tolerate—which was rather interesting.

Noble Lady Qing had only introduced herself briefly at the start, as if she were just here as a plus-one without any pressing matters.

After accepting the tea, she took a small sip and set it down gently, not a single wasted motion.

Tea was the last thing on her mind right now. No matter how fine the brew, her thoughts were elsewhere.

She took a perfunctory sip, not even tasting it, and watched as Su Yi continued drinking her tea, even pairing it with snacks. "How can you still drink tea at a time like this?"

Su Yi: *Hmm, why wouldn’t I?*

If anything, she should be eating *more* now. Before, even when eating, it had felt like she was just doing it for show.

Su Yi had even deliberately switched to sunflower seeds earlier, figuring the crunching would be too loud for the current atmosphere.

The constant, fragmented sound might set people even more on edge.

*Maybe later*, she thought. *No point cracking seeds solo anyway.*

Was it really about the seeds?

Nah—it was all about the atmosphere.

But now, even eating soft, noiseless pastries earned her a remark. Su Yi said dryly, "Since things are already like this, let’s just break out the spicy stuff. Could at least distract us."

If pressed, she’d claim she was *so heartbroken* that only mouth-numbing heat could drown her grief—even if the drool at the corners of her mouth ended up pouring from her eyes instead.

With a gloomy and downcast expression, she demanded extra spice and heat.

Imperial Noble Consort looked like she’d been choked up upon hearing this.

Noble Lady Qing lowered her head slightly, as if suppressing a laugh, showing a flicker of amusement in her eyes—though it was quickly concealed.

Qinxin’s feelings were mixed. She had assumed that with Imperial Noble Consort’s arrival, Her Ladyship would have no reason to keep eating like this.

What noble lady drowns her sorrows in food when she’s upset? At the very least, one’s appetite should be affected, if not completely lost.

Her Ladyship held back at first—but only for a brief moment.

She always had an excuse.

In the end, the spice didn’t make Su Yi cry, but Noble Lady Qing, whose face flushed red after just a small taste, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, wasn’t much better off. Imperial Noble Consort fared only slightly better.

Neither of them could handle spice well.

But Imperial Noble Consort, despite being unable to handle spice, had developed a slight tolerance after repeated exposure.

As for Noble Lady Qing, she took a polite nibble to save face—only to underestimate how too spicy even "mild" was.

Su Yi, on the other hand, was totally fine, her face glowing so much she almost ruined her gloomy act.

It was truly difficult—after all, she was doing something she enjoyed.

She quickly worked up some tears, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief for effect.

She even pressed a little harder, reddening the edges of her eyes to sell the mood before resuming her meal.

Her demeanor declared, *Don’t mind me, I just want to cry from the spice.*

She balanced speed and grace, achieving an almost mystical balance.

Always so proper, she still managed to maintain elegance even now.

Imperial Noble Consort, who kept drinking water intermittently, clenched her jaw, her expression torn between wanting to scold her and holding back.

Indeed, if not for Noble Lady Qing’s presence, Imperial Noble Consort would have called her bluff.

One side had mild spice; the other, face-melting spice.

She hadn’t even taken more than a few sips from her cup.

Noble Lady Qing stopped after just one bite.

Yet even that single bite left her lips slightly swollen, her face tinged with a pretty pink flush—adding unexpected allure to her usual gentleness.

Su Yi kept stealing glances at her, her gaze lingering.

She looked rather lovely.

Especially since, each time, Noble Lady Qing would respond with a gentle, polite smile—as if every accidental glance was met with immediate acknowledgment.

Imperial Noble Consort noticed too, letting out a quiet scoff before remarking, "If you can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. No need to suffer stomach discomfort later."

Though the words seemed considerate on the surface, there was no genuine concern behind it.

It was often at such moments that she would chime in at just the right moment.

At this time, she didn’t appear to neglect the other, still mindful to acknowledge them, just as their outward display suggested—the sisters of the Tong family had a good relationship.

But at this moment, it was inevitable that her earlier reaction would be linked together, making it look like she couldn’t take the spice yet forced herself—not that she was reluctant, but it came off as if she’d been pressured.

As if someone had insisted she must eat it—this whole display.

The spiciness in Noble Lady Qing’s mouth had already subsided quite a bit. Hearing this, she put on her usual gentle act, as if she hadn’t detected any underlying meaning, her face showing a hint of gratitude at her elder sister’s concern.

"Thank you for your concern, elder sister. I’m much better now."

Lowering her brows, she concealed her still-moist eyes, toning down her striking looks with her demure air.

Then, turning to Rong Noble Consort, she wore an apologetic expression. "I hardly ever eat things like this. Today was also the first time I’ve seen it. Seeing elder sister and Imperial Noble Consort enjoying it so much, I gave in to temptation.

I never expected to make such a scene before Imperial Noble Consort. I hope elder sister and Imperial Noble Consort won’t let me spoil your mood."

She offered excuses to cover up her earlier exaggerated reaction after just one bite.

She implied that she hadn’t forced herself to eat it but had simply found it novel and couldn’t resist trying it.

It was just that she wasn’t accustomed to spicy food and had underestimated herself, leading to the embarrassing display. However, the fault lay with her, and she didn’t wish to affect her elder sister and Imperial Noble Consort.

These words were polished and thoughtful, putting the listeners at ease.

It was akin to noticing someone seeming slightly troubled and debating whether to say something sympathetic.

Though one knew their concern wouldn’t be deep, they still had to go through the polite motions—otherwise, it might seem a bit unseemly. And just then, the other party had already proactively said, "It’s nothing, just a minor issue. You go ahead with your own matters."

What a relief, right?

No need for unnecessary formalities—the other party had already signaled it was fine.

Like the perfect exit line: "You go ahead, I won’t disturb you." A tidy wrap-up to small talk no one wanted.

"It’s really nothing," Su Yi also responded politely.

Then she returned to her own affairs.

Eating.

"This younger sister of mine is always so thoughtful, speaking and acting with such poise. It truly saves me much trouble." Though she praised her sister’s tact and dependability, her tone lacked real affection.

After a pause, she added, "If she were too loud or showy, I’d have to worry about her from behind." Imperial Noble Consort’s words carried an implied meaning.

Lately, the most talked-about figures in the palace were undoubtedly Su Yi and Consort Ping.

They were practically the palace’s newest dynamic duo.

"Indeed," Su Yi spared a moment to reply with a stock response, indicating she was listening.

At such times, Imperial Noble Consort mostly wanted to rant—like she needed to unload.

At this point, there was no need to engage—just showing that one was listening and giving some reaction was enough.

By the time Imperial Noble Consort had run out of steam, Su Yi had also finished eating and began wiping her hands.

After wiping her hands, she started drinking water while continuing to listen. This routine was handled seamlessly, with almost no noticeable movements or sounds—just an effortless rhythm.

Clearly, this wasn't her first time doing this.

The Imperial Noble Consort suddenly paused and asked Su Yi to repeat what she had just said, checking if she was really listening or just going 'uh-huh' while pretending to pay attention.

Su Yi understood perfectly well—one could react casually while listening, but it was crucial to actually be paying attention, or there'd be trouble.

Of course, she could answer without missing a beat.

Was she someone who could be easily stumped?

She was great at multitasking.

Even when slacking off, she had to remember not to get too absorbed, staying alert to avoid getting caught red-handed.

Naturally, she answered without missing a beat.

Noble Lady Qing sat quietly nearby. Though she didn’t interject, her reactions showed she was paying attention.

It was entirely different from sitting silently and zoning out.

Like a student attentively following a lecture, her eyes moved with the speaker, giving appropriate reactions—same as saying, "I’m listening, don’t call on me unless necessary."

She appeared to be an even better listener than Su Yi, great at showing she was paying attention in both visual cues and overall attentiveness.

Her focus seemed largely devoted to her elder sister, the Imperial Noble Consort, even refilling her tea without being asked, concerned she might grow thirsty from speaking too much.

She was more attentive than the servants, never showing off.

Such tact.

Now Su Yi understood why she had been brought along by the Imperial Noble Consort for this meeting.

"As things stand, I won’t be able to join the trip. There’s simply too much to handle in the palace—I can’t step away," the Imperial Noble Consort added, her tone full of regret. It was a rare chance to leave the palace and see the outside world, a change from the familiar scenery within the palace walls, yet she couldn’t go.

Wishes were one thing, but not everything could be indulged.

"Otherwise, I’d accompany you. We'd have fun traveling together," the Imperial Noble Consort continued, her words carrying disappointment at missing the opportunity.

Su Yi reached out and took the Imperial Noble Consort’s hand. "I could stay behind with you, then you wouldn’t be bored in the palace."

She even seemed genuinely excited by the idea, her eyes brightening, her voice soft but excited. "We could have long talks by candlelight—you coming to me or me visiting you, it’d be convenient, with fewer interruptions."

Her tone carried giddy excitement—"Who’d dare stop us then?!"—all ready to take advantage.

It wasn’t hard to guess who the "interruptions" referred to—none other than the Emperor.

With the Emperor gone and many others leaving the palace, no one left to stop them. Who could possibly object then?

Imperial Noble Consort: ...

"Talks by candlelight" sounded proper enough, but her last experience being pestered by Rong Noble Consort had been far too "memorable." She doubted it would work out.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she withdrew her hand with difficulty.

This woman—one minute talking seriously, the next proposing some 'brilliant' idea.

She outright ignored Su Yi’s earlier suggestion.

"As things stand, I can’t go. Opportunities to relax outside the palace are rare. Ru Ying has just entered the palace and is still very young. As her elder sister, I can't keep her cooped up here with me," the Imperial Noble Consort explained, glancing at Noble Lady Qing, who sat quietly listening beside her, as if expressing a sisterly concern—since Ru Ying had entered the palace, she’d have few chances to leave again. Seizing this rare opportunity, she wanted to let her younger sister get some fresh air.

After all, they had their whole lives ahead of them, and some chances shouldn’t be missed.