"Your maids tried to stop them and told them that the young madam was unwell and could not receive guests, but... but the Western Liang princess refused to leave. She said that since the young madam was unwell, she naturally had to see her in person before she could leave with peace of mind."
From the moment she knew the Western Liang princess had arrived, she dared not go to the front hall. It was always Sister Cai Qing who dealt with them. These words were all heard from Sister Cai Qing.
It was only when she could no longer cope that Sister Cai Qing sent her to find the young madam for a decision.
Feng Jin's eyes darkened. She got up from the bed and sat down in front of the dressing table. "Chu Qing, help me with my makeup. Try to look as pale as possible."
Since they had already said she was unwell, she had to put on a complete act. She had to put on a good show for the sake of appearances.
"Yes, young madam."
Chu Qing's hands were always the most skillful. In no time at all, she had finished Feng Jin's makeup. After Chu Qing's efforts, she did indeed appear somewhat sickly.
Feng Jin looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction. This slightly enhanced makeup that conveyed a hint of weakness was indeed just right. She had to admit that Chu Qing's hands were very skilled. If it were the clumsy girl Cai Qing, she would definitely not have been able to achieve such an effect.
"Young madam, the person outside is the Western Liang princess. To avoid danger, I shouldn't go. I'm also worried about being recognized, which would be troublesome."
"What are you afraid of? Everyone in your Western Liang knows that I'm the one who took you away. As the princess of Western Liang, she naturally knows about this. It's not something you can avoid just by saying you won't go. Why don't you just come with me openly?"
She had openly taken Chu Qing away, and it was something everyone knew. Why should she hide? It was better to display it openly before the world.
Feng Jin, without explanation, directly pulled Chu Qing out. On the way, she instructed Chu Qing to remain calm and that there was no need to be afraid.
When Feng Jin stepped into the front hall, Murong Jin Yun slowly put down her teacup and stood up. She said in a gentle tone, "Young madam... are you feeling better? I apologize for the unannounced visit. Please do not blame me."
"It's nothing, just a slight cold. If I rest quietly for a few days, I'll recover. There's no need to trouble the princess with your concern..."
Although she didn't say anything explicitly, Murong Jin Yun still heard the implicit meaning in Feng Jin's words. Wasn't this a subtle reminder that her unannounced visit had disturbed her rest?
Although Murong Jin Yun was displeased, she still maintained a faint smile on her face. Seeing that Feng Jin was not engaging her further, she took the initiative to strike up a conversation. Her gaze fell upon Chu Qing, who stood to the side, and the expression in her eyes deepened. A faint smile played on her lips.
"You've improved a lot since following the Young Madam Ling. Your complexion looks even more radiant. Compared to when I last saw you in the palace, you're worlds apart. It's evident that the environment in Eastern Chu is good for people. Of course, this is also thanks to the young madam's care."
Chu Qing, who was addressed, raised her eyes to look at Murong Jin Yun, then immediately lowered them and said in a calm voice, "The young madam treats me very well. I am truly flattered by the princess's concern."
"I originally intended to have you serve by my side, but I didn't expect the young madam and I to have the same thought. You were taken by her first. Speaking of which, this is also fate. However, you can come visit me often in the future, see more things from Western Liang, and perhaps alleviate your homesickness. I believe the young madam wouldn't mind these small matters."
Murong Jin Yun smiled at Feng Jin, her eyes revealing a hidden probing intent beneath the gentleness.
Feng Jin took a sip of her clear tea, not taking Murong Jin Yun's words to heart. She replied indifferently, "It's a natural human feeling. If I were to stop you, wouldn't I seem inhumane? If the princess asks like this, you are truly flattering me."
At that moment, the smile on Murong Jin Yun's lips froze. She had not expected Feng Jin to reply like this.
She then realized that the seemingly delicate woman before her was so formidable. Indeed, she had underestimated her.
Gu Bei Chen, who had been sitting aside silently for a long time, finally stepped in at a crucial moment and said something appropriate. "Jin Yun, we came specifically to visit the young madam. Why are you talking about such trivial matters? I'm getting dizzy listening to you..."
Murong Jin Yun immediately came back to her senses. She realized that she had almost messed things up due to a moment of impulsiveness. She quickly turned to look at Gu Bei Chen behind her. "I'm just seeing someone from my homeland, so I'm inevitably a little excited. I just wanted to say a few more words. Young madam, please don't mind."
"Of course not. I believe the princess is also an emotional person, so I naturally won't mind. I believe Lord Gu also won't mind, right, my lord?"
"That... that's natural..." Gu Bei Chen replied somewhat stiffly. His awkward expression almost made Feng Jin unable to suppress her laughter.
Suppressing her smile, Feng Jin coughed lightly to conceal it. "My throat is still a bit uncomfortable these past two days, and I have a severe headache right now. It seems I'll have to excuse myself..."
Feng Jin reached up to rub her temples, feigning a look of unbearable pain. She just wanted to find an excuse to leave as soon as possible.
"If you are really feeling very unwell, we will not disturb you and will leave now."
Gu Bei Chen immediately understood Feng Jin's intention. He stood up, took Murong Jin Yun's hand, and walked towards the exit.
"Young madam, they... they just left like that!"
Cai Qing's eyes widened. She had tried her best to persuade them to leave earlier, but after the young madam appeared, they obediently left. How could this be so incredible?
She felt she was useless, unable to even handle such a small matter, and had to trouble the young madam to come out. Cai Qing's spirits immediately sank. She looked at Feng Jin. "Young madam, I... am I not useless? I couldn't even handle this small matter and had to trouble the young madam to come out."
Feng Jin picked up her teacup and took a sip of the clear tea. "What happened today, they clearly came for me. If I hadn't appeared, they wouldn't have left so obediently. This is not your fault, so you don't need to blame yourself."
Murong Jin Yun's visit today was clearly aimed at her. Even if Gu Bei Chen wanted to mediate, he lacked a proper excuse. Otherwise, he wouldn't have quickly stood up and pulled Murong Jin Yun away in a hurry when he heard her say she was unwell.