Eunuch Su, Eunuch Su!

Huiming couldn't help but clutch the familiar knot in her hand, trying hard to recall a scene long forgotten in the depths of her memory.

If she wasn't mistaken, she was the one who gave this knot to Eunuch Su.

Yes, she should have remembered it earlier. Huiming took a deep breath. She should have remembered it back when Eunuch Su told her about their first encounter outside the Imperial Laundry Bureau, beneath the large water vat.

It was just that at the time, she was completely preoccupied with the fact that Eunuch Su was bald when they first met. Besides, Eunuch Su had already explained everything clearly, so she didn't bother to recall the details.

In fact, even now, she still couldn't remember the exact circumstances of her first encounter with Eunuch Su five years ago. After all, she was only ten years old at the time, a forgetful age. She had just entered the palace from home and had to adapt to many new and different things every day.

Looking back now, even the faces of her parents were nothing more than a blur in her mind. It was even harder to recall a brief encounter from when she first entered the palace. The only reason she could remember crying because of having her head shaved was because the subsequent punishment of being whipped with a cane was too deeply ingrained in her memory.

It wasn't until she found this pouch under Eunuch Su's pillow that she vaguely remembered that the knot she received when she first entered the palace was indeed missing. For several months, before she began to learn needlework and knot-making, she had been missing that knot.

She even seemed to remember mentioning to someone that she had given it away. But to whom, she couldn't say for sure. Even the ten-year-old Song Huiming was muddled and unclear about it. But now, seeing the knot, she suddenly realized, in that case, this person must be Eunuch Su.

Huiming looked up, a little dazed for a moment.

If Eunuch Su had brought her to serve the Emperor and taken such good care of her simply because of their past encounter, then what about this knot under his pillow?

Why would he keep an old knot with him all the time and preserve it so well for so long, just because of a brief encounter?

Although she had never truly experienced romantic love in either of her lives, as long as she thought about Eunuch Su's words and actions towards her, how could she not guess?

Could it be… that Eunuch Su had really taken a liking to her and truly intended to be with her?

At this thought, Huiming's face instantly flushed red. No, that's not right, she shook her head repeatedly. Before sending her to Changxing Palace, Eunuch Su clearly asked Yuanbao to explain things to her. And the rumors about them were clearly spread by Consort Wei out of pettiness, not Eunuch Su's intention!

In her previous life, every time she thought of this, she was filled with shame and embarrassment and didn't dare to think about it any further. Now that she remembered, although she was still ashamed, times had changed. The now thirty-year-old "Aunt Song" finally had the capacity to discern the reasons behind it, especially now that she knew Eunuch Su was deeply involved with Prince Rui.

Eunuch Su had transferred her to Empress Dowager Kang's palace half a month before Prince Rui's rebellion. But before that, she had been serving the Emperor for nearly two years. If it weren't for his concern for her safety and his desire to send her to a safe place before the upheaval, how could it have been such a coincidence?

This time was one thing, but in her previous life, she had been cold and indifferent to Eunuch Su from beginning to end, never giving him a kind word. Yet, Eunuch Su still did that for her?

Huiming felt a pang of heartache. She stuffed the knot back into the pouch, got up, and walked over to the desk to sit down.

If Eunuch Su truly had feelings for her, would she still be as unwilling and resistant as she was in her previous life?

No, she wouldn't.

Without thinking too much, Huiming resolutely came to this conclusion. Not to mention now, even in her previous life, it wasn't so much that she hated or feared Eunuch Su. Rather, she was afraid of what she had heard from the palace people about powerful eunuchs bullying and forcing palace maids into relationships, and she feared that she would end up in the same situation. She was also unwilling to acknowledge the teasing and scorn from the other palace people.

If she truly only felt wary and afraid of Eunuch Su and didn't care about him at all, then in her previous life, she should have felt relieved when he died. Instead, she was entangled and conflicted, filled with regret and complex emotions. She kept all his memories close to her heart, reminiscing and cherishing them for over ten years.

Eunuch Su passed away early in her previous life. When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. She only knew that she had wronged Eunuch Su, but she was unwilling and afraid to admit her true feelings because not only would it be useless, but it would only make her feel more guilty and remorseful.

But fortunately, by some miracle, she had returned. Now, Eunuch Su was still alive and well. Prince Rui's rebellion was still a year away. Everything was still in time.

Huiming slowly raised her hand to cover her eyes. Saving Eunuch Su's life was something she had already decided on. But at this moment, besides determination, there was something else in her heart, something she couldn't quite describe, but it weighed heavily on her, giving her an inexplicable sense of security.

By the time Eunuch Su returned to Jing Alley, dusk had fallen. However, his room was lit with candles, a warm glow emanating from the newly pasted moon-white windowpane, upon which a slender silhouette was cast, as if waiting for his return home.

Knowing it was Huiming waiting for him inside, Su Jin's heart softened. The throbbing pain in his temples, a lingering effect of his cold, seemed to ease instantly. He paused outside the wooden lattice door of the west room, straightened his clothes, and tried to make his tired face appear more lively. Only then did he reach out to push the door open and look at Huiming, who was sitting at the table.

Su Jin's expression was gentle. Before he could speak, Huiming, hearing the sound, came back to her senses and took the initiative to greet him. "Have you had your dinner, Eunuch? Are you feeling better?" she asked with concern.

"Yes, I've eaten in the dining hall. I'm fine," Su Jin replied, nodding, not noticing anything unusual yet. He then asked in return, "What about you?"

"I'm not busy," Huiming simply said, then asked, "Is everything alright with His Majesty?"

Su Jin explained that the physician had examined the Emperor and administered acupuncture. He was now awake and should be fine. After he finished speaking, he glanced around the room. Everything was neat and tidy. He frowned slightly and asked, "Did you clean my room?"

Huiming didn't hide it and responded with a "yes." Then, as Eunuch Su was about to say, "There are palace servants responsible for cleaning the residence, you don't have to tire yourself," she took out the pouch she had found under his pillow that afternoon.

"I found this under your pillow while I was cleaning."

Huiming had been waiting in the room for half a day. After saying that, she looked up at Eunuch Su seriously. As expected, as soon as she took out the pouch, Eunuch Su's expression changed drastically. By the time she finished her sentence, his face had turned pale, as if this small pouch was some shocking piece of evidence. Even his voice carried a hint of hesitation, "Is, is that so?"

Although she was 70% sure in her heart, at this moment, Huiming still felt an indescribable nervousness. She looked at Su Jin and continued, "This knot inside… it looks very familiar…" She paused, then continued, under his stiff gaze, "I seem to remember… could this be the one I gave you outside the Imperial Laundry Bureau?"

She had discovered it…

Su Jin's face paled. Huiming had finally started to believe that the previous rumors were just Consort Wei's doing and was treating him with such closeness. He originally thought he could guard Huiming like this until the rumors died down and then send her out of the palace. He never expected that heaven wouldn't even grant him these few days of happiness.

Thinking of Huiming's disgust and fear towards him when she first arrived at the Emperor's side, he, who was usually so eloquent and manipulative, couldn't even utter a denial. His lips moved slightly a few times, but the only thing that came out was a single word, "Yes."

So, her memory was correct. Huiming's heart relaxed a little. Even though she had experienced two lifetimes, it was still inevitable that she lowered her head slightly, revealing a hint of shyness as she said, "Eunuch, why have you kept it all this time…"

"I…" Su Jin opened his mouth, his voice raspy. He originally wanted to explain that in a few days, he would send her out of the palace and back home. However, he realized that he couldn't bring himself to say the rest.

Huiming waited for a while, realizing that her straightforward question had indeed left the usually gentlemanly and upright Eunuch Su speechless. She lowered her head and said, "Before, they all said that you had feelings for me, but I thought it was just a rumor…"

"It was indeed just a rumor!" Su Jin finally came back to his senses. His face was almost panicked as he turned around, clenching his fists tightly. His voice involuntarily rose, "Back then, I was starving and freezing. You gave me food and saved my life. I kept this knot to remind myself that I will repay your kindness one day!"

Huiming's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Eunuch Su's back, momentarily stunned. Then, she suddenly smiled, her voice carrying three parts understanding and three parts amusement, "How can it be considered saving your life? If we're talking about kindness, it's you who has shown me great kindness."

Su Jin remained frozen, not moving an inch. Huiming put down the pouch and took a few steps forward, circling around to face him. She wanted to ask something more, but under the light of the nearby candle, she clearly saw a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, his face pale and bloodless.

That's right, Eunuch Su was a man of action, not words. In his previous life, he had so many concerns that he refused to say a word until the very end. Now, he was still unwell, not to mention that they were living together now. There were still many days ahead, why should she bother him so late at night and prevent him from resting?

Thinking of this, Huiming immediately changed her mind. She simply went out, wrung out a handkerchief, and brought it over, urging Eunuch Su to sit down and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Su Jin sat down and wiped his forehead with the handkerchief, his eyes downcast and evasive. His voice was slightly stammering, "It's just like that, you, you must not misunderstand."

Huiming raised an eyebrow, took the handkerchief, and then nodded with a smile as if coaxing a child, "I understand. Don't worry, Eunuch. I know everything."

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

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