231 – Slip of the Tongue
When Phecda"s figure disappeared from the field of vision, Gong Tianqing withdrew her sympathetic gaze and turned to Xue Qilin, who is pulling her randomly tied hair to in front of her.
Xue Qilin"s hair is very long. Even though it pulled to in front of her, it still touches the ground. Moreover, it is smooth and glossy, making Gong Tianqing envious.
“Young Ancestor, isn"t this…”
“It"s all right! Little Phecda is really naughty. She is the typical case of spare the rod, spoil the child.”
Seeing Xue Qilin act like an elder, Gong Tianqing murmured involuntarily, “But, Young Ancestor, aren"t you the same…”
“Ah — Little Qing, what did you say?”
Xue Qilin blinked as if she heard something incredible.
Seeing this, Gong Tianqing covered her mouth with both hands at once, opened her eyes wide, and shook her head vigorously. Then, as if trying to change the subject, she asked hesitantly, “Young Ancestor, do you have something you want to tell me?”
“I have, but let"s wash up first.”
Xue Qilin opened her mouth wide and yawned.
“After getting up, we should wash the face! What do you think?”
“Oh… then, I"ll go prepare the things we"ll need?”
Even though she"s a little curious about what Xue Qilin has to say to her, Gong Tianqing still gave priority to the other party"s idea.
“Oh, then I"ll have to trouble you, Little Qing.”
After replying with an “okay”, Gong Tianqing, who has been kneeling on the bed, finally got out of bed, put her small, delicate feet into a pair of embroidered shoes, and then left the room alone to prepare toiletries and water.
However, when she just came out of the courtyard house, she met two maids.
Carrying a set of toiletries and a basin of water respectively, they seem to be heading to the courtyard house where Gong Tianqing is staying. After making a detailed inquiry, Gong Tianqing found out that it was Shui Yun"er who instructed the maids to send these things over.
She probably learned from Phecda that Gong Tianqing and Xue Qilin got up and thus specially instructed the maids to prepare them.
Older Sister Shui is as considerate as ever… Gong Tianqing suddenly was a little disappointed, feeling like Shui Yun"er robbed her of her job. After all, before Shui Yun"er became Xue Qilin"s apprentice, she has been in charge of her everyday necessities.
While she let her imagination run wild, Gong Tianqing led the maids back to the room.
After the maids put the things down and left the room, the two people began to wash and dress.
They washed their faces and changed into clean clothes.
Because Gong Tianqing"s clothes were left in the Gong Clan, she had to borrow Xue Qilin"s clothes. Fortunately, there is not much difference between their figures.
After they finished washing and dressing, Xue Qilin sat in front of the dressing table and asked Gong Tianqing to comb her hair.
Gong Tianqing is very skillful, her movements are as fluid as water. Xue Qilin"s hair, which was a mess a moment ago, was soon skillfully tied into two ponytails with a bun placed on the left and right of her head.
As always, Gong Tianqing made the buns a little lower, which can be regarded as her feature.
After taking a few looks at Xue Qilin"s hair and ascertaining that nothing is out of place, Gong Tianqing put down the comb and asked expectantly, “What do you think, Young Ancestor?”
Since she lacks confidence, she always thinks that Xue Qilin will be dissatisfied.
Upon hearing her question, Xue Qilin first touched the buns on both sides of the head, and then nodded with satisfaction.
“Perfect!”
“Great!”
Gong Tianqing pressed a hand on her chest and, as if relieved of a burden, breathed a long sigh of relief.
“Little Qing…”
Xue Qilin casts Gong Tianqing a complicated look, as if wanting to say something.
“Um?”
Gong Tianqing tilted her hair and made a sound of confusion. Then, she suddenly remembered what the other party said before and asked, “Young, Young Ancestor, do you have something to tell me?”
Xue Qilin answered with a short “yes”, but she still didn"t reveal what she has to say. Instead, she stood up abruptly, grabbed Gong Tianqing by the shoulders, and made her sit down in front of the dressing table.
“Young Ancestor?”
Gong Tianqing"s eyes showed confusion. Yet Xue Qilin just picked up the comb and handed it to her.
“Little Qing, get ready as well. You"re going somewhere with me later.”
“Oh… all right.” Gong Tianqing took the comb in a daze, “Where are we going?”
“To your clan.”
“My clan?”
Gong Tianqing didn"t react, but mumbled thusly. It wasn"t until Xue Qilin answered with a “yes” that she opened her eyes wide as if she woke up from a dream.
“Eh, Young Ancestor, you"re going to my clan?”
“Yes, I"m going to the Gong Clan…” Xue Qilin said mischievously, “Why do you look so surprised? Don"t tell me I"m not welcome? Ah, I didn"t expect –”
“That"s not it!”
Gong Tianqing denied emotionally.
Xue Qilin, who doesn"t look like she expected Gong Tianqing to shout this loudly, blinked her bright yellow eyes, and then smiled.
“Yo yo, our Little Qing even knows how to shout.”
After Xue Qilin said that, Gong Tianqing became aware of the volume of voice just now. The imposing manner, which she rarely display, faded at once, and she lowered her head.
“There"s no way I wouldn"t welcome Young Ancestor…” Gong Tianqing twisted her fingers and said in a weak voice, “What"s more, it"s not up to me to decide whether you"re welcome or not…”
For some reason, Xue Qilin sighed. Mixed in sigh is disappointment and pity.
Then, with “Actually, it"s like this…” as a prologue, Xue Qilin told the truth about Tailor"s misdiagnosis.
Gong Tianqing didn"t have much of a reaction.
She felt puzzled, wondering why she is so calm. But she cannot think of a reason.
However, when she heard Xue Qilin say that she can cure the disease that has plagued Gong Tianyang for more than ten years, she suddenly raised her head and stared at the other party in disbelief.
“Hey, you don"t believe me?”
Xue Qilin revealed a disheartened expression.
“That that that"s not it… but but… this…”
Gong Tianqing"s speech was incoherent, obviously having suffered a great blow. She took several deep breaths, and her surprise subsided a little.
“Really? Young Ancestor, can you really cure my younger brother?”
There was no expectation in the words.
“Of course.” Xue Qilin wrinkled her nose cutely, “Although I usually am not serious. But I know how to separate things that can be joked about and things that cannot.”
“I I didn"t suspect that Young Ancestor was making fun of me. But…” Gong Tianqing"s voice became as thin as quiet as the sound made by a mosquito"s wings, “I"m just a little surprised, that"s all.”
Gong Tianqing stared blankly at the floor, and her train of thought bogged down abruptly.
The shade of bitterness appeared on her face inadvertently.
“So, have I become useless again?”
When she snapped out of it, she had already blurted out without thinking.
In the next moment, she realized that she made a slip of the tongue. She immediately closed her mouth and dispelled the bitterness on her face, as if she had never revealed anything. But a trace of emotion still remains in her eyes.
However, she doesn"t know why she wants to hide the feelings of envy and anxiety that overcame her.