A Forbidden Happiness

Chapter 12

Jiayi felt tears well up in her eyes when she stepped through the gates of Xianfugong. The dizzying mixture of happiness, relief, and fear made her hands shake, and knees wobble. Pie'er was standing at the doors, head pointed to the ground.

"Little Cutie!" She called.

Pie'er wasn't prone to raising her voice or making sudden movements, so when the young girl screamed Jiayi's name and barreled her way into her arms, Pie'er nearly knocked her to the ground. She buried her face in Jiayi's chest and burst into tears.

"Don't cry, don't cry! I was only gone for two days!" Said Jiayi, hugging her tight.

Through her tears, Pie'er said, "Susu said that you weren't going to return! She said they would hang your body outside the divine gate to teach the other maids a lesson!"

"She was just trying to scare you," said Jiayi, "I'm already back,"

"Mistress! It's Jiayi! She's back!"

Two more pairs of arms crushed Jiayi before she could raise her head.

"Jiejie, you're back! You're back!"

Ping'er added to Pie'er tears while Molan's mouth was running a mile a minute. Try as she might, Jiayi ended up with tears running down her face as well. She couldn't help it. It was overwhelming to know that these girls loved her as much as she loved them in such a short time.

"Jiejie, you're not allowed to leave again," Pie'er said, a wobbly glare on her red face.

Jiayi nodded.

"You wild girl, where did you run off to?" said a familiar voice. 

Jiayi wiped her face and gently extracted herself from the sobbing pile of girls. She kowtowed to her mistress.

"Xiang gui ren, I've returned,"

Xiang gui ren helped Jiayi to her feet and then tweaked her nose, "So unruly. You kept those girls up worried for you day and night,"

Her mistress' lips wobbled as she spoke, and an errant tear welled up in her eye before she dashed it away.

"I'm sorry for worrying them," replied Jiayi.

"Xiang meimei, His Majesty will scold you again if you make a stir about leaving. Hurry back inside before someone notices!"

When Jiang gui ren caught sight of Jiayi, her face when slack with shock; a second later, she smiled.

"Meimei! Your maid is back! What good news," said Jiang gui ren.

Jiayi greeted Jiang gui ren properly and did her best not to slap her. How dare she behave like she wasn't almost the reason for Jiayi's death?

Jiang gui ren went as far to pet Jiayi's face to play the role of a concerned friend. It made Jiayi's skin crawl. 

"Xiang meimei was so scared for you! Thank goodness you've returned,"

"This servant isn't worthy of your concern," replied Jiayi.

"Nonsense! In fact," Jiang gui ren slipped a jade and copper ring off her finger and pressed it into Jiayi's hands, "For you, to celebrate your return,

Jiayi quietly thanked her. Being touched by Jiang gui ren made her feel even dirtier than she already was after spending two days in The Office of Careful Punishment.

Susu cleared her throat, "Mistress, you have to change. His Majesty is waiting,"

"Right. Congratulations, Xiang meimei, His Majesty has learned the truth. I'll come back and celebrate with you later, okay?"