Hua Yueye didn't do anything to Su Qingwen. Instead, she just stayed by her side, and the two of them had a long, heart - to - heart talk.
Finally, Su Qingwen couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep in Hua Yueye's arms.
Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, Hua Yueye's heart was filled with warmth. She lowered her head and kissed her forehead, then hugged the woman in her arms tightly.
Meanwhile, Li Ruhua walked back to her courtyard with a scowl on her face. Now she truly understood what it meant to draw water with a bamboo basket and end up with nothing.
"Miss Li." A man's voice suddenly came from ahead, pulling Li Ruhua out of her thoughts.
Hearing the sound, Li Ruhua raised her eyes and saw that it was Ning Yunqing standing in front of her. She was slightly taken aback and asked with a bit of confusion, "What are you doing here?"
Since Ning Yunqing had spoken in support of Gao Quan last time, everyone knew that he had become one of Gao Quan's men. If she got involved with him again, wouldn't Hua Yueye suspect her even more?
"I'm just here to pass on a message. You don't need to be so nervous," Ning Yunqing sized her up, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"What?" Li Ruhua frowned slightly, glaring at the man in front of her coldly. Her face looked rather unpleasant.
"Eunuch Gao asked me to inquire if you've made up your mind." As he said this, Ning Yunqing lowered his voice a bit and leaned closer to her face.
Hearing this, Li Ruhua was greatly startled. She widened her eyes, then looked around, looking a bit nervous. Then she snorted and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Really?" Ning Yunqing raised his eyebrows, with a hint of playfulness and mockery in his eyes. Then he said, "If I remember correctly, Eunuch Gao has already made things clear to you, hasn't he? You've had some time to think. It's about time you decided whether you want to cooperate with Eunuch Gao or not."
Li Ruhua's face suddenly turned extremely ugly. She gasped for air, staring at the man in front of her. Her fists tightened inch by inch, then she gritted her teeth, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
No, she couldn't just give in like this. If someone saw her, she would never win Hua Yueye's heart.
Thinking of this, Li Ruhua sneered and took several steps back. "Ning Yunqing, keep your distance. Don't even think of lumping me in with you. I won't collude with a man like Gao Quan."
"Are you sure? This is a once - in - a - lifetime opportunity," the man stepped forward, staring at her sharply.
Seeing this, Li Ruhua was really pushed to the limit. She raised her eyes and slapped Ning Yunqing across the face. "Stop spouting nonsense. Get out of here. I don't welcome you. Let me say it one more time. I will never collude with people like you. Don't even dream about it."
This slap was delivered with all of Li Ruhua's strength. Due to her extreme anger, her palm was trembling slightly, her chest heaved up and down, and her eyebrows were tightly knitted.
Obviously, Ning Yunqing didn't expect her to be so emotional. There was a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Then he frowned and stared at her. "Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course," Li Ruhua clenched her fingers, looking righteous. She lifted her chin high. "Don't ever think that I'll cooperate with a man like Gao Quan. You can leave now."
After saying this, Li Ruhua turned around and walked away.
After she got back, she quickly closed the door. Cold sweat slowly dripped from her forehead. God knows how scared she was just now. Even if she wanted to cooperate, she couldn't talk to Ning Yunqing about it. After all, such things spread easily. If it reached Hua Yueye's ears, she would be in big trouble.
Ning Yunqing stared at her back, his eyes full of curiosity. Then he gave a bitter smile and turned away. It seemed that this Li Ruhua had some integrity and wouldn't be easily won over by Gao Quan's words.
That night, Li Ruhua had already made up her mind. At first, she thought that the slut Su Qingwen was dead and wouldn't pose a threat to her. But now that Su Qingwen had come back to life and Hua Yueye's feelings for her had deepened, she had even less of a chance. So, it would be better to make a choice as soon as possible according to Gao Quan's suggestion.
"Su Qingwen, you'll never be better than me or steal him from me. Even if you manage to survive this time, you won't be a threat to me," Li Ruhua thought secretly in the darkness. She immediately found a set of night clothes and put them on. She was going to find Gao Quan right away and tell him her decision.
Thanks to her previous experience, Li Ruhua smoothly found Gao Quan's mansion. Before she got close, she saw a lamp lit in Gao Quan's study. It was so late, and he still wasn't asleep?
She couldn't help but slow down her steps. Li Ruhua swallowed nervously and walked closer.
Just as she was about to push the door open, Li Ruhua got scared. Once she took this step, there would be no turning back.
"Since you're here, why don't you come in?" Gao Quan's confident voice came from the room, scaring Li Ruhua almost out of her wits.
He must be talking to her. Li Ruhua trembled all over. She calmed herself down and quickly reached out to push the door open.
Sure enough, Gao Quan was sitting opposite. He was casually flipping through a book, his eyes fixed on the words on the page. He didn't even bother to look up. He seemed very calm about her arrival.
Li Ruhua just stared at him quietly, looking calm. She didn't want to be the first one to speak.
The two of them just stood there, and the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
"Li Ruhua, once you step into this door, we're in the same boat. From now on, you'll work for me, Gao Quan. Do you understand?" The man's voice sounded very imposing. Li Ruhua didn't like it. She bit her lips and gave a bitter smile.
"Okay, but you have to promise me one condition. I want to win Hua Yueye's heart. If you can help me achieve that, I'll work for you," Li Ruhua tightened her fingers and didn't forget to put forward her own request.
"Of course. I won't treat you badly. You can rest assured on this point," Gao Quan gently raised his hand, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.
Li Ruhua was overjoyed, thinking that she would be able to win Hua Yueye. Little did she know that she was just weaving a net for herself and falling into a bigger trap.
After she left, Li Ruhua was in a good mood. She satisfactorily curled up the corners of her mouth and couldn't help but envision a beautiful future in her mind.
In the palace, Ning Yunqing personally made several crab buns and sent them to Hua Xue'er to win her favor.