Eunuch Su, Eunuch Su!

The sky was still dark, with just a hint of light peeking through. Huiming, her face serious, had already packed her things and opened her carved wooden door.

Outside, on the table by the door, Eunuch Su had also neatly arranged everything. Hearing the sound of the door, he stood up abruptly and took a step towards her. He paused, as if remembering something, and stopped. His voice was almost cautious, "Huiming."

Huiming lowered her eyes, her face betraying no emotion. She simply knelt and addressed him respectfully, "Eunuch Su."

Faced with such a Huiming, the usually aloof and composed Su Jin couldn't help but show some awkwardness. He opened his mouth, seemingly at a loss for words.

It was Yuanbao, standing beside him, who smiled, trying to break the tense atmosphere, although he didn't know the reason. "Auntie, you're awake! Look, Master specifically ordered the kitchen to stew lotus root and pig's feet for you. You injured your leg yesterday, this will be good for you!"

Indeed, as soon as the lid was lifted, the rich, enticing aroma of pig's feet wafted to her nose.

However, Huiming's expression didn't change. She glanced at the table and took a step back, politely refusing, "I wouldn't want to disturb Eunuch Su's meal. I'll just have a bowl of porridge in the kitchen."

Hearing this, Su Jin's face became even more flustered. He took a step forward, his voice full of concern, "You're not thinking of going to work, are you?"

Huiming's face was cold. "It's time, naturally I have to go."

Su Jin's heart ached at her icy tone. He lowered his eyes, his voice filled with warmth and sincerity, "You knelt for so long yesterday, your leg hasn't recovered yet. Why don't you rest for another day? I'll go to Concubine Kang and ask for a day off for you."

"Eunuch Su has his own plans for everything. If you don't want me to go, just send someone to ask for leave for me. I wouldn't dare disobey!" Her words were extremely polite and agreeable, but upon hearing them, Huiming couldn't help but show some anger. She looked up, her lips tightly pursed, and anyone could see that she was deliberately sulking.

Yes, Huiming was indeed sulking. She was angry about last night, on the palace path, about Eunuch Su's self-righteous decision.

When she had questioned him, after the shock and emotion on Eunuch Su's face, what finally surfaced was guilt and shame. Although he immediately shook his head, apologized, and explained, he didn't give up the idea of sending Huiming out of the palace. Even under Huiming's repeated questioning, in the end, he only said vaguely and helplessly, "You leave the palace first, wait for me for a while. Wait for me to beg His Majesty to grant me freedom. At that time, if you're still willing, I… will leave the palace to find you."

Hearing this perfunctory answer, Huiming almost laughed in anger. In both her lives, she had always been well-behaved and reserved, rarely speaking harshly to anyone. But facing the Eunuch Su she wanted to repay and treat well in this life, at this moment, she couldn't help but ask in an almost sharp and mean tone, "Wait for you? Until when does Eunuch want me to wait? If you never leave the palace, should I wait for you my whole life? If you die in this palace, wouldn't you be asking me to wait for you until I die of old age!"

But even after hearing her disrespectful, almost cursed words, Eunuch Su didn't show any anger. He still spoke to her kindly, even gently explaining, "Of course not. If I delay you, it can only be blamed on my lack of fortune. You, outside, if you're tired of waiting, or meet someone else…"

Speaking of this, Eunuch Su's eyes finally revealed a trace of pain, as if he couldn't continue. His words abruptly stopped.

"Enough, Eunuch, don't lie to me anymore!" Huiming didn't want to see Eunuch Su's expression. She didn't let him finish his words, but took a deep breath and directly interrupted him, laying things out in the open, "Today, even Empress Niangniang called me to warn you, what else is there to misunderstand? You, in order to avenge your family's blood feud, got involved in the great matter of the two princes' fight for the throne. I'm afraid you're in great danger yourself, aren't you?"

Huiming came back to her senses and finally understood the reason, "You want to send me out of the palace just because you don't want to implicate me. Saying that I might meet someone else is just because you're worried that you might lose your life, isn't it?"

How could she not guess? Even in her previous life, when she had been cold and distant to Eunuch Su, he still managed to send her to the safe and stable Changxing Palace before the Ghost Festival, let alone now that they had confessed their feelings for each other?

In fact, Eunuch Su's plan was not wrong. After all, in his previous life, he really didn't survive the rebellion of Prince Rui…

Eunuch Su seemed surprised to hear this, but he didn't refute it.

"You want revenge, it's a serious matter, I can't stop you." Looking at Eunuch Su, Huiming took a step forward and bluntly said, "But you don't have to send me away. If you really want to leave the palace, unless you wait until you've done what you need to do, we'll leave the palace together!"

Hearing her words, Eunuch Su paused, his lips trembling slightly. But for a long time, he couldn't utter a single word. He just clenched his fists and lowered his head. The man who was always as straight as a bamboo in this palace seemed to have lost all his insistence at this moment.

Seeing this, Huiming's heart was both sour and astringent. But she still gritted her teeth and, seeing that Eunuch Su had no intention of speaking, turned around with a stiff face, "I've said all I need to say. If Eunuch Su is just acting on a whim and has no long-term intentions towards me, then do as you please. I'm just a lowly palace maid, how can I disobey you, the grand Head Eunuch!"

After saying that, Huiming straightened up, ignoring the stinging pain in her legs, and walked straight out.

In fact, how could Huiming not understand? It wasn't that Eunuch Su was unwilling to promise her anything, but that this matter was so important that even with all his effort, he couldn't guarantee that he would be able to escape unscathed. But Huiming still said that. She wanted to use this to force him, even if she couldn't…

Then they would face it together. Having lived again, she really couldn't watch Eunuch Su die and live that lonely and boring life again like in her previous life.

Thinking like this, after returning to her room, Huiming insisted on not looking at Eunuch Su again. She directly went into her room and refused the ointment for swelling and bruising that Eunuch Su sent over later.

She tossed and turned in her room all night. As dawn broke, she got up and went out, which led to the current situation with Eunuch Su.

Su Jin was worried about Huiming's knees and naturally didn't want her to torture herself like this by insisting on going to work.

But the more Huiming said that, the less he could force her. All his eloquence and cleverness seemed to have disappeared. Facing such a Huiming, he couldn't say a word.

Seeing this, Huiming didn't say anything more. She just deliberately knelt down, bowed respectfully, and walked straight out the door.

After taking two steps out of the door, she realized that Eunuch Su had followed her out. He took a few hurried steps forward but then, as if afraid of angering her, slowed down and followed her at a distance of three to five paces.

Why bother…

Huiming's heart softened again. But having come this far, she couldn't back down. She forced herself to be firm. However, because she was distracted by Eunuch Su's movements behind her, coupled with the soreness and pain in her leg, when she went out of the courtyard gate, her toe caught on the threshold, and she almost fell.

"Be careful!"

Of course, Huiming didn't really fall. Su Jin, who was closely following behind her, was quick to react and grabbed her.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. You shouldn't blame yourself." Not wanting her to go to work like this, Su Jin didn't let go after helping her regain her balance. He stood inside the door, his head lowered in an apologetic manner, his voice almost pleading, "Please, don't be so reckless with your own body."

Eunuch Su, even in front of His Majesty, always spoke and acted in a neither humble nor overbearing manner. In both her lives, she had never seen him so humble.

And now, it was because of her…

Such a Eunuch Su made Huiming unable to maintain the seriousness and coldness of the night. She sighed softly and couldn't help but relax, "Eunuch Su… I just don't want you to be so focused on revenge that you don't care about your own life at all. I just… I just want to be with you forever."

Su Jin had been intelligent since childhood. He began his studies at the age of three and was already an avid reader at the age of seven. He knew so many touching poems and songs, ancient masterpieces, but at this moment, he felt that even if they were all added together, they couldn't compare to Huiming's simple words of "forever."

To be with Huiming, forever…

Just thinking about this possibility filled his heart with an indescribable feeling. It was bittersweet, sour and sweet, all five flavors mixed together. It made his chest feel like a pool of water, yet also erected an indestructible wall in front of him.

But he clenched his fists tightly, using the pain to keep himself awake. He looked down at Huiming's face seriously. His tone was serious and instructive, but his peach blossom eyes seemed to ripple, "You're young now and don't know any better. It's easy to talk about forever, but you'll regret it later."

Huiming frowned, "I won't!"

Huiming had experienced two lifetimes and had already seen her own choice and heart's desire in the precipitation of more than ten years. But in Su Jin's eyes, it seemed even more like a little girl's innocence. He raised his lips slightly, as if wanting to laugh, but there was a trace of bitterness, "You're full of sincerity now, but if I really agree to you now, I'd be taking advantage of your youth."

But the more Huiming listened, the more she felt that Eunuch Su was deliberately trying to avoid the issue. She raised her head slightly and brought the topic back to the main point, "I'm asking if Eunuch Su can save his life and be with me for a long time. Why are you talking about age and trying to fool me?"

Su Jin looked at her and slowly curved his eyebrows, "I'm not fooling you. This is a serious matter." Seeing Huiming frowning, obviously dissatisfied, he quickly continued, "Just wait for me for a while. Wait for you to think about it more, and wait for me to… finish this matter. If you still feel the same way then, I will naturally agree to you."

"How long is a while?" Huiming didn't give him any chance to be vague.

"I… I can't say for sure. I think, no more than three years."

It was now the 34th year of the Xuand Emperor's reign. Prince Rui's rebellion would take place on the Ghost Festival of the 35th year. By then, everything would be settled. Huiming recalled and shook her head, "Three years is too long, two years at most!"

Su Jin paused, thought for a moment, and agreed.

Huiming was still not very reassured and looked up to confirm, "Then in these two years, Eunuch Su must protect himself. No matter what, your life comes first!"

Su Jin's eyes were clear, and he repeated her words seriously, "Within these two years, I will protect myself. Everything will be secondary to my life."

That was enough. There was no absolute certainty in this kind of thing. With her watching over him, Eunuch Su would at least be a little more careful for her sake, right? Thinking this, Huiming continued, "And Eunuch is not allowed to think about sending me away again!"

Su Jin paused and said another sentence very seriously, "As long as you don't want to leave, I will never force you."

Huiming didn't seem to hear the difference. She nodded in satisfaction and then lowered her head, "Then, Eunuch, you can let go of me now?"

Su Jin only then realized that he was still holding Huiming's right arm tightly, as if he had been pricked by something. He quickly let go and apologized, "Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Huiming shook her head, "It's getting late, let's go back and have breakfast quickly, so as not to delay Eunuch's work. I also need to go to Changxing Palace."

Seeing that Eunuch Su seemed to want to persuade her again, Huiming explained, "It's not just to ask for leave, there are some things I need to tell Little Highness and the others. I'll walk over slowly later."

"Then… I'll see you off." Su Jin lowered his head. In the morning light, Huiming could clearly see a blush on his face.

Only then did Huiming belatedly feel a trace of shyness. She touched the arm that Eunuch Su had just held, her voice extremely low, "Okay."

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