The maid didn’t move, seemingly prepared, and replied:
"The Saintess is not convenient to see guests, Mr. You, please return."
"When will the Saintess be convenient to see guests?"
The maid paused, her tone a bit wistful:
"I don’t know either."
This maid is the personal maid of Yudie, the Saintess. Seeing her hesitant expression, You Su was well aware she must know sothing but was deliberately hiding it.
"Then tell the Saintess that I have been here."
"I will."
Since the other party purposely avoided eting, You Su didn’t intend to force it, and simply turned to leave.
Seeing this, the maid suddenly called out to You Su:
"Oh, Mr. You, the Saintess said you released the sky lantern for her that night, and she still owes you a question."
You Su stopped; according to the exchange, he indeed could still ask Yudie a question.
But what should he ask?
He already had a preliminary understanding of the Jade Ring Pool, and asking about deeper secrets probably wouldn’t get a candid response; this chance to ask a question felt sowhat redundant.
Seeing You Su silent, the maid bowed and spoke again:
"Mr. You, no need to hurry, you can ask before you get the Lotus Heart. You can take your ti to think."
You Su was a bit surprised, responded with "Okay," and then turned to leave.
...
This was the tenth day of coming to the Jade Ring Pool, the day he was supposed to get the Lotus Heart as promised.
After Yo ng and Yu Long candidly revealed their motives yesterday and got rejected, their interaction with You Su beca awkward. You Su was glad for it and tried to avoid their service.
After dinner, You Su went again to the outside of the Small Pool Palace.
His Divine Sense couldn’t penetrate inside, so he didn’t know what exactly was going on in there.
He wanted to use that question as an excuse to et the Saintess, but couldn’t think of what to ask; he just paced back and forth outside the Small Pool Palace, looking anxious.
The personal maid of Yudie still guarded the door; she felt for You Su, seeing his anxious look, and approached him:
"Mr. You, have you figured out what question to ask?"
You Su thought a bit before saying, "I want to ask about my ntor’s retreat back in the day."
The maid shook her head, "Mr. You, please return. That’s not the real question you want to ask."
The real question?
You Su appeared surprised and left, pondering.
The maid watched You Su’s retreating figure and sighed deeply.
The eleventh day.
Yo ng and Yu Long noticed You Su was about to leave again; unable to resist the impulse, they asked:
"Mr. You, are you going to see the Saintess again?"
You Su nodded, "Yes."
"But the Saintess sees no one. Why do you persist in going to her?"
"The Saintess still owes an answer. Once she gives it to , I won’t seek her out again."
"Mr. You, you really are... ticulous about trifles."
Yo ng and Yu Long exchanged a glance, hope rekindling in their eyes. To them, the question was just an excuse, You Su truly wanted to see the Saintess.
"Mr. You, have you figured out your question yet?"
You Su stepped over the threshold, not looking back, silently walking the sa path again.
You Su arrived outside the Small Pool Palace, where the maid still stopped him and asked with concern:
"Mr. You, have you settled on your question? Tomorrow... the Lotus Heart will mature."
"Hmm, I have." You Su said solemnly, hands clasped behind him, "How is the Saintess?"
The maid looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears, bowed and murmured:
"Forgive , Mr. You, actually I should have answered your question for the Saintess yesterday, but I took the liberty of refusing you."
"Why?"
"As the Saintess’s personal maid, I heard her complain during bathing that despite six days of interaction and asking dozens of questions, none were concerning her, which deeply frustrated her. I couldn’t bear to see her sad and rembered her words, so decided to wait until Mr. You asked a question about the Saintess before answering."
The maid glanced at the worried You Su, sighing silently, thinking she was right; You Su did have feelings for the Saintess, otherwise, he wouldn’t have sought her out, nor asked about her situation.
"Then, is she well?" You Su didn’t pursue the maid’s small discretion.
The maid wiped away the corner of her eyes’ tears and took out a worn book from her bosom. The book emitted a strong yet pleasant fragrance, which You Su recognized; it wasn’t the maid’s scent, but the Saintess’s fragrance, clear in his mory.
"Mr. You, you’ll understand after reading this."
The maid handed the book to You Su, who hesitated for a mont before accepting it.
...
When You Su returned to Cyan Wave Hall, Yo ng and Yu Long were still waiting in the courtyard.
You Su’s face was grave, brows tightly knit, silent and making the atmosphere quite oppressive, like the night sky pressed down with clouds before the storm.
It was Yo ng and Yu Long’s first ti seeing You Su in such a state, and both felt a pang of tension, until Yo ng gathered the courage to whisper:
"Mr. You, did you see the Saintess?"
You Su still didn’t speak, evoking a calm before the storm. He handed over the book he had received from the maid, and although Yo ng didn’t recognize what it was, she sensed sothing unusual.
She led her sister to the light, carefully opening the book.
The handwriting on the pages was delicate, each stroke written with care, as if writing wasn’t arduous for the author, but sothing to be thoroughly enjoyed.
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