The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 312 - Not Taken to Heart

Ye Yun lowered her head to look at her hand stove and replied directly, "It was the Emperor who took it to my place yesterday. He praised the beautiful color and elegant design of this hand stove pouch, and he rewarded it to me."

"I see. The Emperor's gifts are indeed all good things," Qi Wanrong said with an awkward smile. "May I take a look at that hand stove? I really like this design and want to learn how to embroider it when I go back."

It wasn't a big deal, so Ye Yun handed it to her.

After examining it, Qi Wanrong's expression dimmed slightly, but she didn't show any other reactions and returned it.

In the end, she stood up, "I suddenly have a bit of a stomach ache; it's probably from the cold wind. I can't stay and chat with Ming Shunyuan anymore. Please forgive me."

"If you're not feeling well, you should go back quickly. There will be other opportunities to talk," Ye Yun waved her hand.

She didn't want to put anyone in an awkward position.

Once Qi Wanrong left, Ye Yun called Hui Yue and Lu Mei over and picked up the hand stove.

"Take a look at the embroidery on this hand stove pouch. Is there anything unusual about it?"

Though Qi Wanrong's earlier expression had changed very subtly, Ye Yun was still sharp enough to notice.

It was clear that something must be off with this hand stove pouch for her to react that way.

The two girls looked it over for a moment. Hui Yue didn't notice anything amiss, but Lu Mei found something.

She said in a low voice, "Ming Shunyuan, I think the embroidery stitches on this hand stove pouch seem very similar to the one Qi Wanrong had."

"Are you sure?" Ye Yun asked.

Lu Mei thought for a moment and nodded. "It's probably the same person who embroidered it. Although I didn't look closely at the stitches, I can still tell a thing or two."

Ye Yun was taken aback by this remark and examined the hand stove pouch more closely.

"Could it be that the Emperor gave me this because it was embroidered for him by Qi Wanrong?"

If that were the case, it would explain Qi Wanrong's strange expression.

Tsk, if Ning Chen dared to give something she had embroidered with every stitch to another consort, she would stab this pair of lovers several times!

"Go back; don't take this hand stove pouch out again in the future."

Ye Yun stood up and handed the hand stove to Hui Yue to hold. It wasn't that she looked down on it, but she felt that, in a way, she was wasting a girl's heartfelt effort.

She could see that Qi Wanrong's feelings for Ning Chen were different. This woman always looked at Ning Chen with infatuated eyes.

Meanwhile, Qi Wanrong returned to her residence and collapsed on the bed, quietly crying. Her two maids were heartbroken but didn't know how to comfort her.

It was Yu Xin who went over first and gently patted Qi Wanrong's back.

"Wanrong, don't cry. It must be that Ming Shunyuan insisted on having it before the Emperor gave it to her. After all, it was personally embroidered by you for the Emperor. How could the Emperor not cherish it?"

"Yes, Wanrong, don't cry yourself sick. Ming Shunyuan's brother just achieved military merit, and the Emperor is favoring her for the time being. Since she asked for it, it's just a hand stove pouch; the Emperor couldn't very well refuse her."