When talking to her own people, Nan Chaoyu didn't beat around the bush. She pointed to two seats in the study. "Sit down. Feng Xiao, tell me how you got out?"
"Even if you didn't ask, my lord, I was going to report to you. Young Master Mu seems rather strange!"
There was a hint of doubt in Feng Xiao's voice. "In the secret realm, by the time my subordinate and Feng Ji rushed over, you had already fallen into the lake. And Young Master Mu's aura was even more intimidating. But he seemed quite certain that he could sense you were okay."
Feng Xiao told Nan Chaoyu what had happened in the secret realm after Mu Qihan had fallen unconscious. Then he took out a jade box from his bosom. "This is the Soul - Devouring Sea Flower that Young Master Mu gave to my subordinate."
Nan Chaoyu took the box and opened it. Two blooming black flowers were lying quietly inside, exuding a somewhat alluring yet unlikable aura.
"Don't mention Young Master Mu's odd behavior. Since he has forgotten, don't interfere in the matter about Xiao Tian either."
Although she was fond of Mu Qihan, she wouldn't meddle in everything. Moreover, someone like Xiao Tian, who wore his heart on his sleeve, wasn't someone she was petty enough to deal with.
As long as he was loyal to Mu Qihan, she'd act like she didn't see anything.
Feng Xiao nodded and sat back down after finishing his report.
Ye Ling stood up, took out a stack of letters from his bosom, and placed them on the desk in front of Nan Chaoyu. "My lord, these are the letters from various places that need your attention. Additionally, Guan Yu sent a message asking if you want him to come and pick you up."
Hearing the name Guan Yu, Nan Chaoyu's expression softened a bit. After a moment's thought, she said, "Tell him to wait at sea for now. If I decide to leave, I'll send a message for him to come and escort me."
Ye Ling nodded, and a look of hesitation suddenly crossed his face.
Nan Chaoyu noticed his expression and casually asked, "What's wrong? Is there something else?"
"There is indeed something, but it's not a big deal."
"Just say it! There's nothing you can't tell me in front of me." What could make Ye Ling so hesitant must not be an external matter. It must be something about the maid beside her.
Ye Ling nodded. Having served his lord for three years, he knew what kind of person she was. He stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "It's Miss Ting Lan. She wants to get involved in our external affairs. But without your order, my subordinate didn't dare to let her know. Miss Ting Lan seems to have a bit of a grudge against me because of this. My subordinate was thinking..."
Hearing this, Nan Chaoyu's face turned cold. She waved her hand, signaling Ye Ling not to say any more. "I know about this. Ye Ling, you've done a great job. I'm sorry to have put you through this. If something like this happens again in the future, just tell her to come and ask me."
Ye Ling nodded. "My subordinate has nothing else to say."
"Alright. You've all worked hard these days. Although the matter of the Xie family didn't affect Muyu Garden, the turmoil in the city hasn't ended yet. Ye Ling, take some people to help Second Brother Li. Feng Xiao, go and rest and recover your injuries with Feng Ji."
After the two of them left, Nan Chaoyu couldn't rest yet. She opened the letters one by one, read them, dealt with the matters, and then put them back in the envelopes, waiting for Ye Ling to take them away and send them out.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but miss the days when Guan Yu was by her side.
Among the people around her, Ye Ling was in charge of the Four Departments, so she didn't need to worry about them. And Guan Yu was in charge of all the other industries and networks, so she didn't need to worry about those either.
If she hadn't stirred up trouble with the pirates and sent Guan Yu to clean up the mess, she wouldn't have to deal with these matters.
Nan Chaoyu stretched her waist and got up to go back to her room. She also needed to wash up.
Ting Lan had already prepared the bath water and tidied up everything, waiting for her to return.
But she waited and waited, and Nan Chaoyu didn't come. She was so anxious that she even wanted to go and drag the princess back.
But then she remembered that the princess had said that idlers were not allowed to approach the study, so she forced herself to hold back.
However, just thinking about this made her feel frustrated. She was assigned to the princess by the empress dowager and had been by the princess's side for two years.
But the princess only let her take care of daily life and didn't allow her to interfere in other matters at all. This made her feel left out, and it was a really unpleasant feeling.
The last time they returned to the palace, the empress dowager had asked about the princess's situation. But besides the fact that the princess was highly skilled and the people who often came and went around her, she knew nothing else.
The empress dowager had even scolded her for not caring about the princess.
Heaven knew it wasn't that she didn't want to care, but that the princess didn't allow her to.
Thinking of this, she decided that this time, no matter what, she would make the princess take her along when she went out to do things again.
Nan Chaoyu didn't know what Ting Lan was thinking. When she returned to her room, she was startled by the girl's burning gaze.
Ting Lan seemed unaware. "Princess, you're back. The bath water is ready, and your clothes are prepared too."
Nan Chaoyu nodded and entered the room, but was stunned for a moment.
Was this exquisitely decorated room really hers?
"Ting Lan, what's going on?"
Ting Lan immediately stepped forward. "Princess, this was arranged by your maid. You're no longer an ordinary person. You're now the Grand Princess of the Holy Light Empire. If you still lived in a shabby place, people would laugh at you. So your maid took the liberty to decorate it for you. If you don't like it, your maid will change it."
There were pearl - embroidered brocades, evening - cloud silk, and glazed lamps. Even the candlesticks were made of gold.
For some reason, Nan Chaoyu remembered the two candlesticks in the ancestral hall of Dream Sea City, which were also shining with golden light.
Thinking of this, Nan Chaoyu felt a chill and shivered. Her determination became even firmer!
But she didn't say anything. She just nodded. "I'll take a bath first. You can go now."
Ting Lan wanted to say that she would serve Nan Chaoyu, but then she remembered that the princess didn't like to be served by others. She curtsied and retreated.
"Then your maid will go and check on the kitchen."
Finally, Ting Lan left, and Nan Chaoyu heaved a sigh of relief. She took a comfortable bath.
When Nan Chaoyu came out after changing her clothes, Ting Lan was already waiting outside.
"Princess, the meal is ready. Your maid will ask them to serve it."
Seeing Nan Chaoyu come out, Ting Lan walked in. First, she curtsied, and then she looked up at Nan Chaoyu.
She couldn't help but be stunned. She had prepared a set of peach - colored brocade palace clothes for the princess.
Her princess was extremely beautiful. Usually, she only wore black or red. Suddenly wearing such a gentle - colored dress, she lost a bit of her sharpness and looked even more charming.
But...
"Don't prepare this kind of clothes for me in the future. I'm not used to them. You ask someone to set the meal in the flower hall. I'll go and invite Young Master Mu to have dinner with me."
Hearing this, Ting Lan broke out in a cold sweat.
However, upon hearing the name Mu Qihan, Ting Lan's eyes flashed. "Princess, it might not be appropriate for you to have dinner with Young Master Mu. Why don't your maid invite Ye Ling to have dinner with Young Master Mu instead?"
Hearing this, Nan Chaoyu stopped in her tracks, turned around, and glanced at Ting Lan, smiling faintly. "Ting Lan, you call yourself a maid. I didn't know that a maid could make decisions for her master."
Ting Lan was shocked and quickly pleaded for mercy. "Your maid doesn't dare!"