Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 469 - 472: The Delicate Guest (4)

Min nodded honestly: "We didn’t have a place to play, so we often went to his mother’s courtyard, where there were many people to play with us."

So, did the original housemaid of Tong Xihua tell Xing that she was her sixth aunt?

She recalled the moment with Chunyan in the backyard, hearing a woman’s cry...

As they were speaking, Chunyan accompanied Ruan Jingliu in, and Xiqiu was a bit surprised and asked: "Sister Jingliu, why are you here at this moment? Is something the matter?"

She led Ruan Jingliu into the room and sent Chunyan to pour tea. The two of them sat side by side.

Ruan Jingliu glanced at Min, patted his head, and Min respectfully called: "Hello, Aunt Ruan."

Ruan Jingliu nodded: "Good boy, Min!" After saying this, she turned to Xiqiu and said: "Miss Hu fainted, and the Grand Dowager asked me to take a look."

Xiqiu was taken aback and looked at Min, seeing him listening intently. She asked: "Wasn’t she fine today, why did she faint? Has the illness relapsed?"

"Not for now," Ruan Jingliu replied with a faint sarcastic smile: "She fainted from exhaustion." Seeing the surprise on Xiqiu’s face, she explained with a laugh: "She is still on medication, and her condition is only stable for now. I’ve long advised her to rest well, but she’s been out running around every day. How can she recover this way!"

So that’s how it was. Xiqiu smiled, nodding, and sighed: "Running back and forth must be tiring for you."

Ruan Jingliu dismissively waved her hand: "I’m just here as a favor for the Grand Dowager." Then she paused and looked at Xiqiu: "Do you have any food? I was in such a rush that I didn’t have time to eat dinner."

"Yes!" Xiqiu immediately went to ask Chunyan to prepare food, then looked back at Ruan Jingliu: "You should take care of yourself being alone; as a doctor, you should know the importance of health maintenance better than anyone." Ruan Jingliu smiled slightly and joked: "That’s why I came to you after seeing the patient, isn’t it?"

Ruan Jingliu might seem reserved, but once familiar, she is very straightforward and honest in her speech, which Xiqiu appreciated!

Xiqiu then asked: "Is the matter of the clinic still undecided? Finding a premises must be tough, right?" Ruan Jingliu nodded: "Yes, I don’t have much money, and although the place needn’t be too bustling, it shouldn’t be too remote either."

Xiqiu never asked Ruan Jingliu about her background or why she didn’t return to Tongzhou but settled in the Capital instead.

These were things she wouldn’t ask unless Ruan brought them up.

She thought for a moment and sighed: "Things can only be planned long-term." With that, she took Ruan Jingliu’s hand and said: "If silver becomes short, I have some, though not much, it could help a bit."

Ruan Jingliu didn’t stand on ceremony and nodded with a smile: "Rest assured, I will seek you if I need help."

Finishing up, Chunyan brought in the meal. After eating and chatting with Xiqiu for a while, Ruan Jingliu said: "It’s getting late, I’ll be off." Standing with a young girl, she added: "Have the Grand Dowager send Miss Hu back early; lingering here, who knows if she’ll get exhausted again!"

Seeing her playful expression, Xiqiu smiled softly.

In the evening when Fourth Master Xiao returned, Xiqiu mentioned Hu Suqing’s matter, to which he replied without even lifting an eyebrow: "I’ll talk to Mother tomorrow to have someone send her back. If anything happens while she’s at our residence, it wouldn’t be good!"

Xiqiu agreed with Ruan Jingliu’s assessment and nodded without objection.

The next morning, after running five laps around the courtyard with Min, she sent him to Mr. Song and then went to the Grand Dowager’s room to pay respects. In the afternoon, she spent half a day in the shed in the backyard; upon coming out, she saw Hu Suqing, leaning on a handmaid, smilingly waiting for her in the courtyard.

Xiqiu raised an eyebrow and asked: "Does Miss Hu need anything?"

"Fourth Madam," Hu Suqing curtsied courteously, smiling: "No particular reason, just here to bid farewell."

Xiqiu nodded, not inviting her in: "Then farewell, Miss Hu, I have matters to attend to and won’t see you off."

Hu Suqing smiled: "There’s also this." She brought out a small mud-crafted dog, slender and long, very cute, and handed it to Xiqiu: "Min asked me to make this yesterday. Later, I felt unwell. Is Min around? I want to give this to him."

The implication was that she wanted to stay and wait for Min to return.

"Min hasn’t been dismissed from school yet," Xiqiu replied coolly: "Please come in and wait, Miss Hu."

Hu Suqing accepted the invitation without hesitation: "Thank you for your hospitality, Madam."

There was still half a quarter of an hour before Min would be dismissed!

Xiqiu turned and entered the room, with Hu Suqing following her into the Warm Pavilion. Xiqiu then said: "I will go change clothes, please wait here, Miss Hu."

Hu Suqing sat in the Warm Pavilion, her eyes carefully scanning. There wasn’t much decoration, but everything was exquisite. On the windowsill was a pot of clivia, emitting a faint fragrance. By the stove, a study desk was awkwardly placed, holding scrolls and paper. Unfinished characters, as bold as a blade’s edge, lay on papers—clearly a man’s hand.

She deduced that the desk was likely brought here for Fourth Master Xiao to use.

Unexpectedly, he moved his study items into the Warm Pavilion.

This implied that even when working, he preferred staying with Tong Xiqiu in their room?

The thought crossed her mind that their relationship might be quite strong!

Hu Suqing’s gaze flickered as she touched an unfinished garment Xiqiu was making for Fourth Master Xiao. The fabric, a soft, greyish-blue fiberwoven cotton, felt warm from the stove.

When Xiqiu entered, she saw Hu Suqing examining the garment she was making for Fourth Master Xiao.

"Fourth Madam." Hu Suqing stood up somewhat embarrassed, smiling: "I was just admiring your craftsmanship; it’s remarkable."

Xiqiu smiled with a nod: "Please have some tea!" She took a seat opposite Hu Suqing, who then remarked: "Suqing and Fourth Madam are somewhat fated to meet; actually, I’ve met the Madam long ago."

"Oh?" Xiqiu raised an eyebrow: "Have I met Miss Hu? I really don’t recall."

"It’s understandable," Hu Suqing continued with a smile: "Did the Madam visit Puji Temple four years ago on the third day of the third month?"

One year, indeed, she accompanied the Lady to Puji Temple on that particular day. She nodded: "Yes! Was Miss Hu there at the time too?"

"Exactly," Hu Suqing smiled: "I was at the Lotus Pool in the back mountain; Madam came down from the other side with her sisters. Unfortunately, my mother was urging me to return to the residence, so I left hastily without meeting Madam. Looking back, if I’d stayed a bit longer, we would surely have known each other by now."