amaotonovel Chapter 217 Undercurrent
Chapter 217 Undercurrent
Chapter 217
Although this mirror she made herself looked a bit ugly, she had no intention of replacing it and kept it for her own use.
Soon, the carriage slowly stopped. Both of them knew that it must have arrived at the gate of the Marquis' Mansion. Chun Xing got off the carriage first, turned around and reached out to hold Luo Shuiyao firmly. Luo Shuiyao took her hand and used it to get off the carriage.
She looked up and saw the gate inscribed with the words "Loyal and Brave Marquis' Mansion." For a moment, her mind wandered. It was as if she had first arrived here months ago. The stone lions and the plaque on the gate were exactly the same. The only difference was that this time, it wasn't just Nanny Sang who greeted her at the gate, but also the Marquis' wife and Lu Zhaozhao.
Over the past month, Luo Shuiyao and the Marquis' wife had been corresponding frequently. The Marquis' wife had asked her if she was getting used to living at the villa and if she needed anything, but Luo Shuiyao politely declined each one. Yesterday, when she was preparing to return home, she had sent a letter to the Marquis's residence, informing him that she didn't need to send a driver to pick her up, as she would find a carriage herself.
Despite this, the Marquis' wife felt a little guilty for not going to greet her the last time she came to the mansion, so she waited outside the mansion early today. Lu Zhaozhao was now free from house arrest and naturally accompanied the Marquis' wife.
Seeing Luo Shuiyao disembark from the carriage, Lu Zhaozhao took the Marquis's hand and walked over gracefully. She looked Luo Shuiyao up and down, her eyes devoid of any hint of ulterior motives. She remained as gentle and polite as if the previous disagreements had never occurred. She even spoke before the Marquis's wife could, "Sister Yao, it's been a long time since we last met. You've become even more beautiful."
Luo Shuiyao did not respond to Lu Zhaozhao's words, but first leaned over and bowed to the Marquis's wife, and said softly: "Yaoyao greets aunt."
Madam Hou nodded with a smile, took her hand, patted it gently, and said, "Zhao Zhao is right. Girls change a lot when they grow up. You have indeed become more beautiful."
Luo Shuiyao curled her lips and smiled shyly, "Thank you for the compliment, auntie."
Then he turned to look at Lu Zhaozhao and responded to her previous words: "Thank you for the compliment, Sister Zhao, but since you are the elder, I must bow first. I hope Sister Zhao will not blame me for not answering you first."
Her words seemed like an apology, but in reality, they were a subtle reminder of Lu Zhaozhao's lack of courtesy in speaking before her elders. However, Lu Zhaozhao seemed oblivious to the underlying meaning, her smile remaining gentle as she spoke, "How could that be? Sister, I haven't seen you in ages, and I was so happy to see you that I forgot my manners for a moment. Auntie understands and will definitely not blame Zhaozhao."
As she spoke, she inadvertently raised her hand and gently stroked the delicate hairpin on her temples. When no one noticed, she glanced at Luo Shuiyao with deep meaning in her eyes.
Luo Shuiyao naturally noticed her suggestive action, but she just lowered her eyes slightly, and her fine eyelashes seemed to drop a curtain, covering the expression in her eyes, making it impossible to see the dark color hidden in her eyes.
The Marquis's wife seemed unaware of the undercurrent between them. Seeing the two of them interacting so well, she thought it was just a joke between sisters. With a smile on her face, she jokingly said, "You should be blamed, but it's not me who should be blamed. Yaoyao should be blamed. When you return home, you should pour Yaoyao a cup of tea and apologize.
Lu Zhaozhao quickly stepped forward and took Madam Hou's hand, saying sweetly, "Of course. I did something wrong before and made Sister Yao unhappy. I should have apologized long ago."
As he spoke, he bowed and said, "Zhao Zhao would like to thank Auntie for her reminder."
Seeing her rarely showing such a mischievous look, the Marquis's wife couldn't help but chuckle with her hands covering her lips.
Luo Shuiyao narrowed her eyes slightly, watching Lu Zhaozhao's behavior. She didn't find it strange. How could the original heroine be a simple character? Every failure teaches us a lesson. After suffering a heavy loss last time, it's no surprise she's improved. She glanced at the beaming Marquis' wife again, sighed inwardly, and fell silent, silently watching the two of them laughing together like a real mother and daughter.
The third nanny, standing nearby, observed the scene and sighed softly, almost inaudibly. She then stepped forward and, unobtrusively, reminded the Marquis' wife, "Miss Luo has been traveling so long, she must be exhausted. Madam, you have already prepared a meal at home. If you and the two young ladies could go in now, they could enjoy a meal and chat, and rest for a while."
Upon hearing this, the Marquis's wife turned her head and immediately caught the suggestive look in Nanny Sang's eyes. She turned her head again and saw Luo Shuiyao standing quietly by herself, a gentle smile on her lips, as if she had not noticed that she had been inadvertently ignored. There was no trace of resentment in her expression. The Marquis's face warmed slightly, and a trace of guilt rose in her heart. After a moment of thought, she smiled and raised her hand to nod, saying, "Look at me, I was so happy to see Yaoyao that I forgot to invite her into the mansion to rest."
As she spoke, the Marquis's wife calmly pushed away Lu Zhaozhao's hand, walked forward, took Luo Shuiyao's hand, and said softly: "Yaoyao, come, follow me back to the mansion." After that, she took Luo Shuiyao and walked towards the mansion, her steps full of intimacy.
As they approached the gate of the mansion, the Marquis' wife couldn't bear to completely ignore Lu Zhaozhao, so she turned around and called out, "Zhaozhao, you come with us too."
Lu Zhaozhao lowered her eyes, making it impossible to see the expression hidden in them. When she heard the Marquis's wife calling her, she instantly smiled brightly, "Yes, aunt, I'm coming right away." She looked well-behaved and docile, without any sign of abnormality.
On the other hand, Luo Shuiyao never looked at Lu Zhaozhao from beginning to end. Her face was calm and indifferent. She did not show any resentment for being deliberately ignored before, nor did she show any pride at being warmly received by the Marquis's wife. It seemed that the undercurrents and human warmth and coldness around her could not disturb her mood.
The Marquis's wife glanced at him inconspicuously, and a hint of admiration flashed in her eyes, but it was fleeting. If Luo Shuiyao hadn't paid attention, it would have been difficult to detect this subtle look.
Luo Shuiyao found the Marquis's wife's expression amusing. She had anticipated this on the way back. Lu Zhaozhao was a perpetually relentless person, having suffered several setbacks at her hands. She wouldn't let him off easily. This time, returning home, she was bound to be embroiled in a conflict with her. But that was fine. As long as she wasn't hurt, Luo Shuiyao didn't bother to tangle with her any further. Once she had a clue about what she was investigating, wouldn't it be better to just deal with her once and for all? Why bother arguing with her over trivial matters?