As they were speaking, Jun Mohan's palm suddenly gathered an internal force, and with a raise of his hand, he struck the roof beam. Old Man Lu, who was sunbathing on the rooftop, was immediately sent flying into mid-air. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and grabbed a branch of a nearby crooked neck tree, preventing himself from crashing down heavily from the air.
"You kid are too ruthless! You almost broke my old bones apart," Old Man Lu grumbled indignantly.
In the room, Lu Liyue's heart leaped with joy upon hearing the familiar voice.
"That's my grandpa's voice, my grandpa didn't run away," Lu Liyue said excitedly.
She rushed to the courtyard and looked up at the rooftop.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, I finally found you. Wuwuwu..."
Lu Liyue started crying as she called out.
She had been extremely worried for the past few days.
"Why are you crying, girl? I'm a grown man, do you think I can get lost?"
After scolding her, Old Man Lu jumped down from the rooftop.
"I was just worried about you," Lu Liyue said, crying with a runny nose.
"Yes, Grandpa Lu, wherever you go in the future, please remember to tell me and Liyue, otherwise, both of us will be very worried about you," Yan Yu also said to him helplessly.
"Alright, alright, Liyue, stop crying. From now on, I'll tell you both where I'm going, won't that be enough?" Old Man Lu was annoyed by Lu Liyue's crying.
Only then did Lu Liyue stop crying.
Old Man Lu turned to look at Jun Mohan, and his anger immediately surged. Without regard for who he was, he said, "You kid are really ruthless. You knew I was on the roof and still struck me from below with a palm strike."
Hearing this, Jun Mohan raised his hand and touched his nose. He had noticed someone on the roof as soon as he entered the courtyard, but he wasn't sure if it was Old Man Lu. So, when Old Man Lu moved the tiles to peek, he casually struck the roof beam.
"Alright, Grandpa, stop talking. It's because you were acting like a thief, running up to the roof for no reason. You knew we were looking for you, yet you hid up there without a sound and even peeked at us. We would have been justified in mistaking you for a thief and striking you down," Lu Liyue chided Old Man Lu a few times playfully.
"Fine, fine, you're right about everything. It's all my fault, humph humph humph! You're all ganging up on me, an old man."
As he spoke, Old Man Lu suddenly threw a tantrum, stomped into the room, and slammed the door shut.
Everyone: "..."
The few of them stood outside the courtyard, bewildered by the wind.
This Old Man Lu...
"Sister Li'er, oh no, Your Highness the Consort, my grandpa has always been like this. You don't need to mind him. Hehe..." Lu Liyue gave an awkward laugh.
Leng Ruoli didn't mind, but if it weren't for her consort's sake, Jun Mohan would probably have beaten this Old Man Lu severely.
"It's alright, Liyue, we don't blame your grandpa. However, Liyue, you and Yan Yu shouldn't call me Your Highness the Consort anymore. You are both my friends, Leng Ruoli, so you can just call me by my name."
Leng Ruoli was already accustomed to Lu Liyue calling her Sister Li'er, and she found it unaccustomed to suddenly be addressed as "Your Highness the Consort."
"Okay, I'll call you Sister Li'er like before," Lu Liyue said playfully, blinking her eyes.
...
Meanwhile, at Prime Minister Qin's residence.
The first thing Qin Xixue did upon waking up this morning was to look in the mirror.
She didn't know what she had eaten recently, but her face suddenly broke out with many red pustules. Every morning when she woke up, the pustules on her face would increase. So, she secretly invited many skilled folk doctors to examine her face. After each examination, they would all prescribe her many medicines and instruct her to take them on time, but the pustules on her face only increased, never decreased.
This morning, as usual, the first thing she did upon waking was to look in the mirror.
As a result, the ugly and disgusting appearance reflected in the bronze mirror nearly scared her to death.
"Heavens! Can my face still be seen by others?"
"Ah!!!"
Qin Xixue let out an angry roar, grabbed the bronze mirror on her vanity table, and smashed it to the ground. All her jewelry was also knocked onto the floor. Her jade ornaments were all broken, and her hand was cut and bleeding by a sharp hairpin, but she didn't care at all.
Hearing the commotion outside the door, two maidservants hurriedly pushed open the door and rushed in.
"Eldest Miss, are you alright?" the two young maids asked anxiously as they quickly approached Qin Xixue.
"Get lost, both of you. This young lady doesn't need your false kindness. You must be very happy to see me looking like this. Perhaps you're all secretly mocking me in your hearts for becoming an ugly freak," Qin Xixue said fiercely as she looked at the two maids.
"Eldest Miss, we are not mocking you, really not..." The two young maids quickly shook their heads and waved their hands.
Seeing the sinister look in Qin Xixue's eyes, they were so scared that their whole bodies trembled.
"Get out! All of you get out! This young lady is annoyed just by looking at you."
Qin Xixue continued to roar at the two maids, then grabbed a small flower vase and hurled it at them. With a "bang!", the two maids' faces turned pale with fright.
Subsequently, the two maids stumbled out of the room to inform Madam Qin.
A moment later, Qin Xixue's mother, Madam Qin, who had just received the news, rushed to Qin Xixue's room with a few maidservants.
Madam Qin's attire was exceptionally noble. Her hair was styled in an elegant peony bun, adorned with a cloud-like hairpin with a golden phoenix dangle. As she walked, there was a clear "ding-ding-dang-dang" sound. She also wore exquisite makeup and a luxurious, bright red noblewoman's dress. As she entered Qin Xixue's room, she slightly lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands.
Madam Qin's gaze quickly swept over her beloved daughter's room. The messy scene caused her brows to furrow. She shook her head, while Qin Xixue was hunched over her vanity, crying non-stop.
"Xiaoxue, what's wrong? To have such a big temper so early in the morning," Madam Qin asked softly as she walked to Qin Xixue's side.
"Mother, my face, my face is completely ruined," Qin Xixue sobbed to Madam Qin.
"Silly girl, you just have a few pimples. You'll be fine in a few days. It's not ruined," Madam Qin patiently comforted her.
"Mother, actually, what's growing on my face isn't pimples, but disgusting pustules. A few days ago, fearing you would worry and that the news of my ruined face would spread, I lied to you, saying I had pimples," Qin Xixue said truthfully.
"What? Quickly let Mother see."
Hearing Qin Xixue's words, Madam Qin was instantly startled and said urgently.
"Mother, my face is really ugly, I don't dare to let you see," Qin Xixue shook her head.
"Don't be afraid, let Mother have a look."
Madam Qin coaxed her in a low voice. Helpless, Qin Xixue lifted her head directly to face Madam Qin.
When Madam Qin saw Qin Xixue's face covered in pustules, she almost fainted. She immediately cried out loudly.
"My heavens! Xiaoxue, how did your face become like this?"