Entering the Palace (5)
T/N: Chapter sponsored by Annieca, Kiem, Kim, and ShiroiYuki! Thank you for sponsoring!
Du Xiao Li watched Han Ming Xiang and them walk in another direction, before finally heading in the direction they pointed out for her. As soon as she walked out of the courtyard, she saw Du Ke Xin and Chen Yue approaching from the opposite direction.
"Third sister."
Du Ke Xin walked over from the other side and looked to Du Xiao Li with a smile.
As soon as Du Xiao Li saw Du Ke Xin's smile, she inwardly rolled her eyes. She clearly hated her very much, yet still can smile at her this warmly. Unfortunately, the hatred in her eyes wasn't covered up.
"Second sister." Du Xiao Li faintly replied.
"Third sister, what are you doing here? We were just about to head to the imperial gardens to admire the flowers, why don't you come with us?" Du Ke Xin looked to Du Xiao Li and said.
"Isn't the banquet about to start? I need to go back." Du Xiao Li said and just went around Du Ke Xin and Chen Yue.
"Eh, I heard there are many osmanthus flowers planted in the imperial gardens, and right now is precisely the time when osmanthus flowers are blooming. Let's go pick a few branches of osmanthus flowers." Chen Yue went forward and pulled Du Xiao Li's hands, dragging her towards another exit of the courtyard. Du Ke Xin also went forward and dragged Du Xiao Li along.
Du Xiao Li looked to Du Ke Xin and Chen Yue, who obviously had ulterior motives. She wanted to struggle free and leave them, but seeing them this energetic, she suddenly changed her mind, "Are there really osmanthus flowers? I like osmanthus flowers the most! Then I'll go together with you. You don't need to drag me, I'll walk on my own."
Hearing Du Xiao Li say she was willing to go together with them, they finally let go of her. "Then let's quickly go. The banquet is about to start soon, so we need to quickly head back."
(T/N: I totally would have turned and bolted the moment they let go.)
Du Xiao Li didn't know what Du Ke Xin was scheming inside, but she still followed them, passing through several palaces and arriving at an osmanthus flower forest.
"There's so many osmanthus flowers here!" Du Xiao Li indeed quite like osmanthus flowers. Seeing the courtyard full of osmanthus flowers, she couldn't help but close her and deeply inhale a breath.
(T/N: I can't help but think that she likes them because they're edible.)
"How about it, we didn't trick you, right?" Chen Yue said, "Let's go inside, heard there's an osmanthus tree that's already more than a hundred years old."
Chen Yue finished saying and dragged Du Xiao Li inside.
Du Xiao Li got dragged towards the inside of the osmanthus flower forest. Originally, she thought this was just their excuse to get her here, but unexpectedly, in the middle of the forest, there really was a three-story building tall osmanthus tree. The tree trunk needed both arms to wrap around, and on there, hung full of light yellow flowers.
"So big....." Du Xiao Li couldn't help but exclaim.
"Aiyaaa." Du Ke Xin suddenly called out.
"What's wrong?" Chen Yue quickly asked.
"My handkerchief is gone." Du Ke Xin anxiously said.
"When did you lose it? How come you just noticed now?" Chen Yue also began worrying.
"What to do? If some man were to pick it up, what face will I have to continue living?!" Du Ke Xin said as she was about to cry.
"Don't worry." Chen Yue said, "While there's still a bit of time right now, let's quickly go look for it."
"It's not too late to look for it right now?" Du Ke Xin had a very scared look. Her hand that was holding onto Chen Yue continuously trembled.
"Whether it's too late or not, we all have to go look for it! Let's hurry." Chen Yue said.
"But we still haven't picked osmanthus flowers back for grandmother and them." Du Ke Xin said with a troubled look.
"How about this, let Xiao Li stay here and pick a few branches of osmanthus flower back for your grandmother." Chen Yue looked to Du Xiao Li and said.
"But...."
"Don't but. Let's quickly go look for your handkerchief. If it really gets picked up by someone, then you'll be screwed." Chen Yue said, "Xiao Li, we'll just have you take care of things here."
Chen Yue said and dragged Du Ke Xin away.
Du Xiao Li watched the two of them echo each other, saying like it was real. If they'd hadn't suppressed the rising smile on their lips when they turned around, she would have thought it was real.
The two quickly headed out of the forest. Just as they were a few meters away from the exit, suddenly, as if they'd gotten hit by something, the two swayed a few times before falling to the ground with a thud.
Du Xiao Li came to their side and had Du Ke Xin turned over, face facing upwards. At a glance, she already saw a corner of her handkerchief exposing from her chest.
"Just knew she didn't have good intentions." Du Xiao Li had Du Ke Xin's handkerchief pulled out and coldly looked to the two of them, "But what did they lead me here for? Could it be that people aren't allowed to enter here?"
Du Xiao Li looked around. This place didn't even have a guard. It was very quiet, presumably her guess was more or less on point. They deliberately had her brought here and then found an excuse to leave, waiting to see her get caught.
"Should I repay the favor?" Du Xiao Li propped her hand under her chin and said, "To not reciprocate is against etiquette. I'd best send you all back then."
Seeing that there was no one around, Du Xiao Li picked up each with one hand and had Du Ke Xin and Chen Yue dragged back under the hundred year old osmanthus tree, letting the two sit on the ground with their backs against the tree.
"What are you doing?"
An aged voice suddenly came from behind, startling Du Xiao Li. She turned around and saw an old mama standing behind her watching her. She had crane like white hair and a child's rosy complexion, wearing very simple clothes, unable to tell her identity.
When did this old mama appear? Du Xiao Li felt fearful. She completely didn't sense her presence at all! If she were to secretly ambush her just now, she simply wouldn't have been able to dodge.
"Eh, that, I......" Du Xiao Li momentarily didn't know what to say. The other party had seen her drag Du Ke Xin and Chen Yue here, so naturally she knew what she was doing.
Getting caught red-handed was precisely her current situation, right?
"Master wants to see you." The old mama coldly glanced at Du Xiao LI and turned around.
Du Xiao Li looked to that old mama, then looked again to the two that were still on the ground. "Then what about them......"
"Continue lying there." A cold voice drifted over. The indifference made Du Xiao Li pull back her neck, quickly catching up to the old mama's footsteps.
She said her master wanted to see her, then could it be that she'd intruded into her territory, thus intends to silence her? But thinking back to the two that were still in the forest, she rejected this idea again. If that was the case, then she wouldn't have left Du Ke Xin and them there.
But, for such a high level martial arts old mama in the palace, who could her master be? And why did they want to see her?
Seeing the old mama already walking ahead, Du Xiao Li calculated how high of a chance she'll be able to successfully escape. After calculating in her heart, Du Xiao Li gave up on this idea. Never mind that later during the banquet, she'll be able to find her immediately, even now, she didn't have the confidence that she'll be able to escape from this old mama.
Sigh, can only just follow her to go see her master.
After recognizing the situation, with a tense mind, Du Xiao Li followed the old mama out of this piece of osmanthus forest.
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