Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Sleep until You Naturally Wake Up

There is one advantage to wearing wooden clogs: comfort. Feet are not tightly bound by shoes and socks, allowing the skin to breathe with their exposure.

Wandering leisurely in one’s own home while wearing a pair of slippers is indeed a very leisurely and comfortable experience.

Chu Yu leisurely savored her lunch. A dish of small silverfish was especially delicious, prompting her to take a few more bites. The snow-white fish flesh was delicate and tender, with a faint sweetness lingering in her mouth. Her feet tapped rhythmically, and she listened to the rounded sound of the small leaf rosewood striking the floor.

Sleeping until waking naturally, letting others count money until their hands cramped, sipping White Jade delicacies, treading on Gold… slippers—if it weren’t for the looming political storm threatening her life, such a life really had little to complain about.

You Lan stood by her side. Whenever Chu Yu wanted to eat something from the table, she would simply move her mouth to instruct her to serve it. After Chu Yu had eaten her fill, she set down her silver chopsticks and sighed, “If you have something to say, say it.”

She had already noticed You Lan’s hesitant and seemingly eager-to-speak demeanor and knew there must be something amiss. However, to avoid losing her appetite after hearing the matter, she had chosen to eat her fill before asking.

You Lan hurriedly lowered her head: “It’s about Young Master Rong.”

As soon as Chu Yu heard this, she indeed lost her appetite and couldn’t help frowning, “What has he done now?”

You Lan whispered, “This morning, the Princess asked You Lan to convey a message to Young Master Rong, telling him to prepare a few more incense bags…”

Chu Yu tilted her head, recalling the matter, “That’s right, that’s what happened. What did he say?”

You Lan took a moment before replying, “Young Master Rong said that he would give them to the Princess after she had finished her meal, otherwise the Princess wouldn’t be able to eat.”

Chu Yu was momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but laugh out loud, as if she could see Rong Zhi’s half-smiling expression as he spoke those words. She picked up a handkerchief from the side to wipe her lips and said indifferently, “Whatever he gave you to pass on, bring it out. I can’t eat anymore anyway.”

What You Lan took out from her sleeve was a piece of folded white brocade, one foot square when unfolded. The lustrous and smooth satin surface was covered in ink-black writing that was handsome and graceful.

Chu Yu took a close look and her expression immediately darkened, frightening You Lan so much that she shuddered, inwardly lamenting, ‘Young Master Rong, if you have a quarrel with the Princess, why involve me in the middle?’

Chu Yu read the words on the brocade over and over again in silence. After a long while, she put it down, attempting to sneer to express her stance, yet she was unsure how to articulate her current feelings. She ended up just humming dismissively.

Rong Zhi had seen right through her.

The reason she had specifically asked Rong Zhi to prepare more incense bags was twofold: first, to provide Wang Yizhi with more material for analysis and research, and second, to obtain the original ingredients directly from the spices Rong Zhi used—Rong Zhi might use other spices to create smoke bombs, but at least she could narrow down the possibilities.

However, the brocade that Rong Zhi had personally delivered was neatly inscribed with the names of the spices, the quantities used, the processing methods, and even a prescription for a medicine.

The names of the spices written on the brocade, most of which Chu Yu had heard from Wang Yizhi the day before, matched his judgments, and the final recipe did not exceed his predictions. This showed that Wang Yizhi’s research on spices was incredibly profound. Yet, on the other hand, it also showed that Rong Zhi had insight into her intentions; any slight move she made could be deduced by Rong Zhi.

Just like today’s affair.@@novelbin@@

It was slightly irksome… but while feeling irritated, she also felt something else… Chu Yu couldn’t quite put her finger on that emotion. It was as if something was stirring beneath the surface of the water, with the intersecting ripples reflecting a sharp brilliance.

Perhaps, there was also a bit of admiration.

However, what puzzled Chu Yu was, what exactly was Rong Zhi trying to do by doing this?

He shouldn’t know about Wang Yizhi’s affair, as after all, Chu Yu’s meeting with Wang Yizhi was purely coincidental, and Rong Zhi could only guess her intent from her orders today… But why did he send the formula directly to her?

What was his purpose?

To show off his power, to indicate that he could see through her thoughts, to brag about his intelligence?

Or was it a gesture of goodwill, a practical demonstration that he harbored no hostility?

No matter from which perspective she analyzed it, Rong Zhi didn’t seem like someone who would do something as trivial as showing off, and regarding the other possibility…

If Rong Zhi’s action was a gesture of goodwill, then what did he want to ask for from her in return?

Folding the brocade and tucking it into her bosom, Chu Yu glanced at the meal in front of her and indeed had lost her appetite—not because she was angry, but because her mind was too cluttered with chaotic thoughts to care about the taste of food.

Recalling what You Lan had said earlier, she couldn’t help but laugh. She was a bit annoyed yet also found it somewhat amusing.

What Rong Zhi’s purpose was, there was no use in her wildly guessing on her own. The best and most direct approach was to simply go and ask Rong Zhi directly.

If the spice formula was correct, and he had any requests, as long as they weren’t excessive, she would permit them.

After Chu Yu had finished pondering, she had the meal removed but didn’t hurry to leave. Instead, she took out some paper and ink and pondered for a moment before slowly starting to write.

She didn’t practice calligraphy often, so her handwriting was still somewhat stiff, but as she wrote slowly, it was decent and presentable.

You Lan served her carefully by grinding the ink, occasionally sneaking peeks. She was illiterate and didn’t understand what Chu Yu was writing, but alongside some characters were drawings, the largest object resembling a furnace, with other shapes next to it that looked like bowls, and lines connecting them in the middle. She didn’t know what they were for.

She didn’t dare to look too much, but every so often, she would stealthily lift her eyes to glance quickly. After several peeks, she managed to memorize the drawings quite accurately. There were details she wanted to see more clearly, but by the time she tried, Chu Yu had already picked up the paper to dry the ink, cautiously folding it, and tucking it into her bosom.

Only after completing these tasks did Chu Yu leisurely walk out the door, but as soon as she left the East Upper Pavilion, she saw Huan Yuan standing at the entrance, speaking with the guards at the door.

Chu Yu asked as if nonchalantly, “How long has he been waiting?”

You Lan replied without thinking, “It’s been about an hour.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she had said and her face went pale.

Chu Yu stopped in her tracks and looked at You Lan with a smile, “Not bad at all. You dare to risk displeasing me to convey a message to Rong Zhi, yet Huan Yuan is here to see me and you didn’t even bother to inform me.” It seems, Rong Zhi’s influence is still quite substantial in the Princess Mansion.

Realizing the frosty undertone in Chu Yu’s words, You Lan turned deathly pale, knelt down with a thud and trembled, “Princess, spare my life.”

Chu Yu still had a smile on her face, looking down at her from her elevated position, yet did not reach out to help her.