Eunuch Su, Eunuch Su!

After the last time, Huiming had learned a thing or two. Although she could sense the hidden meaning in Eunuch Su's words, she didn't react with the same shock and anger as she did the first time. Instead, she simply raised an eyebrow, looked at Eunuch Su across from her, and agreed with a smile.

What Eunuch Su had in mind was simple: once Huiming saw her parents and family, she would naturally miss them and long to be with them. This longing would inevitably lead to thoughts of leaving the palace. Add to that a little persuasion from her family, and she wouldn't need any pressure from Eunuch Su; she would choose to leave on her own.

In Huiming's heart, Eunuch Su was the source of decades of regret and longing. Yet, in Eunuch Su's eyes, she seemed to regard him as nothing more than a casual acquaintance, easily swayed by such a small temptation.

To be honest, Eunuch Su's plan really underestimated his own importance…

Thinking of this, Huiming's heart was filled with complex emotions. She shook her head and gave a wry smile, tinged with an indescribable pity and sadness. After agreeing, she stood up and looked down at Eunuch Su. "Is that all? Have you finished, Eunuch Su?"

Su Jin was initially very confident in his plan. After all, in his opinion, Huiming was still young. Having left home at such a young age and being separated from her family for so many years, she would undoubtedly be overjoyed to see her parents again. He figured he would start with this, and the rest could be planned slowly. Huiming's initial reaction was indeed within his expectations.

However, at this moment, faced with Huiming's calm demeanor, Su Jin felt a strange unease in his heart, as if all his thoughts had been seen through by Huiming. He nodded, stood up, and looked at the calmness on Huiming's face. He couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to ask when your parents will arrive in the capital?"

Huiming turned around and gave Su Jin a knowing smile. "I'm already grateful that you, in your thoughtfulness, knew I missed my family and made arrangements for them to come see me. How could I possibly pester you with more questions and rush you? Please, take your time, Eunuch Su."

Hearing this, Su Jin felt another wave of unease wash over him, as if Huiming had indeed seen through all his thoughts. An inexplicable guilt welled up inside him, and he couldn't help but lower his head.

Huiming didn't say much else. Seeing that Eunuch Su had nothing more to add, she got up and returned to her east room. After a short while, she came out carrying a pair of thick cloth shoes and squatted down beside Eunuch Su.

Su Jin had just collected himself when he realized what she was doing. He trembled, almost jumping up in panic. He bowed and shook his head. "What, what are you doing?"

Huiming remained squatting, looking up at him, her tone casual. "I just finished making these shoes for you yesterday. Try them on and see if they fit."

Seeing that Huiming hadn't gotten up, Su Jin simply gathered his robe and knelt down, bending over to take the thick-soled cloth shoes from her. "I could have done that myself."

Huiming didn't argue, handing him the shoes obediently. She then got up and sat down on the side of the arhat bed, watching Eunuch Su with a smile. "Go on then, try them on."

Su Jin took the shoes, his heart initially filled with warmth and joy. But hearing her words, he froze for a moment. He hesitated, wanting to turn and head back to his room. "Alright, I'll go try them on now."

Normally, hearing Eunuch Su say this, knowing his usual meticulousness, Huiming wouldn't have said anything more. However, having just learned of his plan to send her out of the palace, although not angry, she couldn't help but feel a little slighted. So, she deliberately smiled and said, "Why bother? You can just change into them here. Save yourself the trouble of going back and forth."

As she spoke, she saw Eunuch Su stiffen, his expression turning hesitant and uncertain. Huiming lowered her head, feigning a hurt expression. "It's just a pair of shoes. It seems, Eunuch Su, you truly haven't taken me to heart, haven't treated me as one of your own…"

"How could that be!" Su Jin quickly defended himself, startled. Seeing Huiming's expression, he couldn't bring himself to mention changing in his room again. He immediately sat down on the opposite couch and, as if afraid of upsetting her further, explained, "It's just that I've been working all day and I'm afraid of being…improper in front of you."

Huiming smiled inwardly, but her face remained nonchalant. She blinked. "If we were truly close, why would we care about such trivial matters?"

Su Jin silently agreed. He lowered his head, turning slightly to the side, trying his best to avoid Huiming's gaze as he bent down to remove his boots.

Huiming found it amusing. At first, she only watched as Eunuch Su's face flushed red and his movements became slightly stiff. However, as he continued, trying to shield himself from her view, Huiming couldn't help but let her gaze drift downwards—

Eunuch Su was a handsome man, and his feet were slender and long. They were encased in clean white socks, tightly bound due to his duties. His ankles were slim and elegant. Not only were they pleasant to look at, but even when she paid close attention, Huiming couldn't detect any unpleasant odor.

Huiming wasn't surprised by this. Ever since they started living together, she knew that Eunuch Su was a man who loved cleanliness. Even in this cold weather, he would wash his face and rinse his mouth every morning and evening. He even insisted on bathing almost every day. Often, she would already be in bed when she would hear the faint sound of water coming from his side, as if he was afraid of disturbing her and was secretly washing up.

She wasn't sure about his undergarments, but Huiming rarely saw Eunuch Su wear the same outer robe for more than three days. He was more particular than she was, a woman. Not to mention, given Eunuch Su's status, he didn't have to do any manual labor, so naturally, he wouldn't be like some eunuchs who lived up to the derogatory nickname of "stinky eunuch."

Under Huiming's watchful gaze, Su Jin struggled to put on the comfortable, soft-soled cloth shoes. He tried several times, but couldn't quite manage it. Huiming began to wonder if she had made them too small. Just as she was about to get up and help him, Eunuch Su finally stood up and took a couple of steps forward.

Huiming asked with concern, "Are they too small?"

Su Jin quickly shook his head. "Not at all, they fit perfectly. They're very comfortable."

Huiming carefully observed Eunuch Su's expression and looked down at the toe of the shoes, seeing no signs of tightness. Relieved, she looked up and said, "These are lighter. You can wear them around the house when you come back. I'll make you another pair with thicker soles in a couple of days. We can use the uppers from your work boots. They'll be comfortable for both standing and walking!"

"There's no need," Su Jin quickly shook his head, declining her offer. "Making shoes is hard work. One pair is enough."

He meant it sincerely. At that moment, Su Jin felt not only the softness beneath his feet, but also a warmth and comfort that spread throughout his chest. For a fleeting moment, he even felt guilty that Huiming had made him shoes with her own hands, while he had only gifted her a box of rouge and cosmetics.

In truth, if they were to consider only monetary value, his box of cosmetics would be worth more than ten times the value of this pair of cloth shoes. However, when it came to Huiming, how could Su Jin possibly measure things so superficially?

In Su Jin's eyes, these shoes represented Huiming's heartfelt effort, crafted stitch by stitch over ten days. His gift of cosmetics, on the other hand, was merely a result of him using his position as the Chief Eunuch to casually ask for it from the palace treasury before having Yuanbao deliver it.

See! Back then, he hadn't understood the deeper meaning behind Huiming's request for cosmetics and hadn't put much thought into selecting them. He hadn't even bothered to deliver them personally!

Yuanbao was right. Huiming not being angry at the time was already incredibly kind of her!

The more he thought about it, the more ashamed and uneasy Su Jin felt. He looked up at Huiming, wanting to explain. However, he realized that after all this time, apologizing now wouldn't seem sincere. After hesitating for a while, he looked at Huiming again and said, "Thank you for the shoes. You must have worked hard on them for days… I was thinking of getting you some new jewelry when I have time. Do you have any preferences for materials or styles?"

New jewelry…

Hearing this, Huiming couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

What woman didn't like beautiful hairpins and jewelry? However, Huiming's happiness stemmed not just from the prospect of receiving gifts, but also from the fact that, within the palace walls, only those who were truly close and shared a special bond as sworn siblings would speak so casually about "buying jewelry" for a palace maid.

Just when she felt a distance between herself and Eunuch Su, he went and did something so characteristic of sworn siblings.

Huiming smiled, lowering her head. "I don't have any particular preference. As long as it's chosen by you, Eunuch Su, I'm sure I'll love it."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized they could be misconstrued. Huiming blushed, quickly muttering a few more words before excusing herself and returning to her room.

Su Jin stood there for a moment, watching as the wooden door to the east room closed tightly. He sat down again, took off the cloth shoes, and carried them back to his room on the west side. He carefully wiped the soles, which had gathered a thin layer of dust from the floor, with a damp cloth. He then placed them neatly on his desk and admired them for a while. Finally, he got up, found a piece of fine cloth, carefully wrapped the shoes, and put them away in his chest.

———————

In the days that followed, Huiming deliberately avoided mentioning her parents and family. Under her knowing gaze, Su Jin naturally couldn't bring himself to bring it up again. The two continued their days peacefully. The light snow outside turned into a heavy snowfall before gradually subsiding. Finally, on a relatively clear day, as dusk settled and the snow on Jing Alley turned into mud and slush, Huiming's family arrived at the doorstep of her and Su Jin's residence.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

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