Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 27

“I brought her something sweet.”

After Jiang Qionghua left, Ming Yishu fell into a deep, solitary sleep. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she was finally awakened by Su Qian’er.

Su Qian’er spoke with the nasal tone of someone who had just been weeping. “Miss, let me serve you and help you wash.”

Ming Yishu reacted a beat late, realizing what had happened. After the absurdity of last night, she had been so physically and mentally exhausted that she had fallen asleep first. Now, Su Qian’er had witnessed this wretched scene, which had clearly distressed the young girl again.

“Don’t cry.” Ming Yishu composedly lowered her eyes and draped a garment over herself. “Things have come to this; being able to preserve one’s life is already a rare feat.”

Su Qian’er felt wronged and distressed. “Miss, let me wipe your body down.”

Ming Yishu opened her mouth to stop her, but seeing how Su Qian’er was currently so consumed by guilt that she seemed abnormal—as if she couldn’t set her conscience at ease unless she did something for her—she hesitated.

She wasn’t accustomed to being waited on or cared for by others, but she remembered this was ancient times. If she stubbornly refused, it would only make Su Qian’er feel more out of place. So, after a pause, she ultimately did not decline.

The water in the bath was warmed. Su Qian’er had added fragrant oils and flower petals before helping Ming Yishu inside.

“Miss Ming, the Prime Minister…” Su Qian’er spoke hesitantly, with a touch of worldly innocence. “Why did she suddenly become like this? All these years, the Prime Minister has treated you so well. How could she suddenly vent her rage on you over an old matter?”

Ming Yishu thought with a bitter smile that a mercurial person doesn’t need a reason to get angry. As long as their mood is bad, their fury can be unleashed on anyone at will. After all, everyone in this manor was an appendage of Jiang Qionghua, their very lives held in her palm.

“Qian’er, you have such a pure and sincere nature. How did you come to the Prime Minister’s Manor?”

Worried that someone might still be eavesdropping, Ming Yishu did not answer Su Qian’er’s question directly. She turned around in the pool, brushing her damp, dark hair behind her shoulders, revealing her clean, fair shoulders and the skin beneath…

Su Qian’er instinctively looked at her, and for a moment, her eyes were dazzled by that smooth, radiant glow. Her heart skipped a violent beat, and she hurried to lower her head.

“When I was a child, my family suffered from collective punishment, and the women of the household were sent away as slaves. It was Mr. Bolu, the manager of the Prime Minister’s Manor, who redeemed me and brought me here to be your maid. I heard that when you first arrived at the manor, the Prime Minister wanted to find a younger maid to serve you…”

Ming Yishu pondered this, lifting her hand to splash water over herself. “So, it was because of my arrival that you came to this manor?”

In just a short moment, a suspicious blush crept across Su Qian’er’s face. She whispered, “Yes, Miss Ming.”

“Why the sudden blushing?” Ming Yishu stopped her movements, touching the young girl’s cheek with a sense of helplessness and fondness. She tilted the girl’s face up, meeting those bright, deer-like eyes as Su Qian’er obediently looked at her.

At that moment, Ming Yishu suddenly experienced the joy of teasing a young girl. It was quite interesting—like a clingy yet timid little animal that would try to hide itself at a single touch, leaving only its fluffy body to be toyed with.

It was truly fascinating.

“Miss, please don’t…” Su Qian’er was made to feel utterly mortified by her every move. She dared not look at her, yet she dared not avoid her.

In the past, when she served Miss Ming, she never had any ulterior thoughts; she simply performed her duties. She didn’t know what was wrong today, but just one accidental glance had…

Su Qian’er swallowed slightly, her fingers gripping her clothes tightly.

I mustn’t think too much. This isn’t right.

The seeds of a young girl’s secret longing were planted then—daring not to speak of it, feeling unworthy to even think of it.

“I, I… I will go get you some fresh clothes.” Su Qian’er scrambled to her feet and fled the room in a panic.

Ming Yishu didn’t even have time to say a word. She laughed helplessly to herself; the clothes had already been brought in.

Jiang Qionghua arrived very late to the morning court session today. The officials assumed she was off handling some major affair, so the court was exceptionally silent. Everyone was afraid of being implicated, choosing their words with extreme caution.

Usually, when she arrived late, Jiang Qionghua would dig up a mountain of issues to cross-examine people over. But this time was different. The crowd maintained their trepidation until the end of the session, yet Jiang Qionghua’s reprimand never came.

Even stranger, it seemed the Right Prime Minister was in a remarkably good mood today?

The officials kept their eyes lowered, noticing that Jiang Qionghua wasn’t wearing her usual cold expression. She even looked at Chu Qing with slightly less hostility.

What had happened?

No one knew. Jiang Qionghua’s good mood today stemmed entirely from a deep sense of satiation. She had tasted the flavor of Ming Yishu and experienced the most comfortable and pleasant thing in the world. The lingering gloom of recent years seemed to have been swept away, leaving her entire body feeling light and cheerful. Naturally, she was overjoyed.

She didn’t make things difficult for anyone. She even stopped at the Shangshi Workshop on her way out of the palace to buy some sweet pastries. In the past, she certainly wouldn’t have stopped at such a place, let alone personally gone in to buy anything.

When she stepped out of her carriage and entered, the workers and the owner of Shangshi Workshop all looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy. They submissively crowded forward to serve her alone.

“The one at my home likes sweets, but nothing too cloying. It’s best if they have a hint of floral or fruit fragrance—something light and sweet.” Jiang Qionghua recalled Ming Yishu’s tastes and added, “Something palatable. The flavor must be excellent.”

Though she made these specific requests, she wouldn’t just buy a few items now that she was at Shangshi Workshop. It was said to be the best pastry shop in the capital, frequented by the children of high-ranking officials. Seeing how exquisite the snacks looked, Jiang Qionghua ordered some of everything.

“Right Prime Minister, this is the ‘Bamboo Orchid Crisp’ our master recommends to you. The ingredients are top-tier—honeydew melons and sour cream purchased from the Western Regions. It is palatable, sweet, and crisp, with a rich layer of textures and a long-lasting aftertaste—”

Jiang Qionghua turned her head. “Master? Does the shop owner happen to be someone else? Why hasn’t he come out to see me?”

The shop worker gave a difficult, fawning smile. “Our master’s appearance is hideous and unfit to be seen; he fears it would spoil the Right Prime Minister’s good mood.”

Jiang Qionghua had only asked in passing; she wasn’t truly interested in the trivialities of a pastry shop. She simply waited for everything to be packed so she could take it back to Ming Yishu.

“Bamboo Orchid Crisp? Why haven’t I seen such a food before?”

She heard this remark as she was about to leave. She didn’t think much of it; after all, such special treatment was nothing rare for her. It was perfectly normal for the owner of Shangshi Workshop to bring out these unique delicacies just to flatter her.

Bolu waited until all the food was packed before approaching Jiang Qionghua with the items. “Prime Minister, the worker just advised that the Bamboo Orchid Crisp must be eaten as soon as possible. Otherwise, the sour cream will become too tart, and the melon filling will lose its freshness and become unpalatable.”

Jiang Qionghua frowned. “How can such a little thing be so troublesome?”

Bolu explained with a smile, “After all, they are ingredients brought from the Western Regions. It is indeed difficult to keep them fresh.”

Jiang Qionghua waved her hand. “Have someone send it back to the manor by fast horse immediately. Tell Ming Yishu not to wait for me and to taste it quickly.”

Bolu handed the package of Bamboo Orchid Crisps to a hidden guard, sending them off first. Then he turned back to Jiang Qionghua. “No wonder these Bamboo Orchid Crisps are never sold openly. Those storage conditions are indeed demanding. When I held the oiled paper package just now, I noticed the shopkeeper had placed ice stones inside to protect those tiny pastries, fearing the heat would affect the taste.”

“These pastries are almost as delicate as a person,” Jiang Qionghua grumbled, but a sense of satisfaction rose in her heart.

Such a complex and demanding delicacy must have been made with great care. Ming Yishu ought to appreciate this kindness of hers and be properly grateful.

At the manor, Ming Yishu unexpectedly received the pastries Jiang Qionghua had sent.

“Miss Ming, these are the Bamboo Orchid Crisps the Prime Minister bought from Shangshi Workshop. She insisted you must eat them promptly, as they won’t keep for long.”

The hidden guard delivered the items and quickly retreated to report back.

Ming Yishu looked at the food in her hands with a strange feeling. It was almost like a girlfriend, returning home after overtime, seeing an exquisite dessert in a bakery window and taking the time to buy it for her lover waiting at home. it was a kind of affection that meant she was being thought of, making it hard not to be moved.

Eat it soon.

Remembering the instruction, Ming Yishu quickly went to her room and unwrapped the package. Inside were ice stones used for low-temperature preservation, and within that protective layer were several exquisite desserts.

But that wasn’t the most important part. Nestled among the ice stones was a medicine bottle… exactly what she lacked most: the medicine for her heart ailment.

Teacher?

Ming Yishu quickly took out the bottle. Upon opening it, she found a tiny slip of paper rolled tightly inside. Logically, it would be difficult to write on such a small slip in ancient times, but she opened it as if possessed.

There were indeed words.

And… it was the delicate brushwork used by modern people, with a unique personal style—not the standard regular script, but a cursive style like a personal signature.

It was very easy to recognize.

Ming Yishu’s fingers froze. She stared at the note for a long time. It was an elegant greeting that reminded her not only of Ji Zijun but of someone else across eras and space.

—That “refined and graceful” investor, the entrepreneur who had disappeared without a trace before she transmigrated into the book.

That person would use this kind of tone to greet her.

Although they hadn’t spent much time together, Ming Yishu was certain of it. Her intuition was sometimes incredibly accurate—so accurate it frightened her.

She had indeed identified the wrong task target, but hadn’t that “benefactor” died?

No.

The system mentioned a “benefactor,” but it didn’t specify if it was a benefactor within the ancient setting or a benefactor from her real life.

A realization suddenly hit Ming Yishu, and her expression turned grave.

Could it be… that the female investor who had been kind to her had also come here?

How did she know what medicine she took? Could it be… that she was Ji Zijun?

Ming Yishu sat there for a long time, her heart in turmoil. She reviewed her interactions with her teacher; she couldn’t detect a single modern detail in the woman. But that didn’t prove anything—after all, that investor’s greatest passion was studying ancient history. Being familiar with the period was only natural.

Her heart was restless. She sat down, leaning her head on her hand.

No wonder she didn’t have a system. If this theory was true, then it made sense why she didn’t have one. The person who needed help was the one who should have the system, and she just needed to find that person. Once they met, they could discuss their next steps.

Ming Yishu sighed and prepared to burn the note in the candlelight.

“What are you looking at? I’ve been here so long and you haven’t—”

Jiang Qionghua’s voice suddenly rang out.

Ming Yishu’s hand shook, and the note slipped from her fingers…

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