Chapter 328 - The Pleasant Surprise from Afar (1/2)

As soon as Mo Xiangbin’s imperial edict to grant the marriage was announced, all people had different reactions.

When the person concerned Shi Qingxue received the imperial edict, she stared at it all the time.

She was…in a daze unexpectedly?

Quan waited for quite a while and didn’t hear Shi Qingxue’s voice, so he couldn’t help but remind her softly, “My Lady, it’s time to express your thanks to His Majesty!”

Shi Qingxue kept silent.

“Ahem!” Quan coughed hard and tried to attract Shi Qingxue’s attention.

Shi Qingxue suddenly awakened and looked at Quan, saying in a hurry, “Thanks to His Majesty. I am greatly appreciated.”

She told Xia Mang to give Quan a bag of gold.

Quan beamed with happy smiles in an instant and wasn’t stingy to say lucky words.

Then Xia Mang and Dong Shuang led him to give the rewards from Mo Xiangbin.

Shi Qingxue sat in the room alone and still had the imperial edict with sincere words in her hands.

She unfolded the imperial edict and stared at the beautiful praising words, gently stroking it with her fingers.

Her dull face turned blank slowly, but there was still a strong feeling of loss.

All people guessed that she must be surprised and overjoyed with tears as her wish came true, yet it wasn’t shown on her face.

It wasn’t in her heart, either.

It was not that Shi Qingxue was unwilling to marry Mo Junyang, but what she had hoped for long suddenly came true.

The joy became unreal because it happened all of a sudden.

Qingxue subconsciously raised her head and looked around. When she didn’t find the familiar figure, she suddenly woke up.

Mo Junyang was not here.

It turned out that all her negative emotions emerged because of this.

Shi Qingxue always thought that she had stayed with Mo Junyang as a soul for so long in the previous life, so she must have been used to living alone.

However, when she came to live a life in the family temple, she finally realized that some things had changed.

For so long, she was used to Mo Junyang’s companion, so when he was not around her all of a sudden, she couldn’t adapt herself.

“I don’t know when I can see you.”

Shi Qingxue murmured and stared out of the window. There was heavy snow outside, and everything around seemed to have become quiet with loneliness.

She sat for a long time till Xia Mang and the others returned after seeing the guests off. Xia Mang reminded in a soft voice, “My Lady, it’s time to take a bath and burn incense.”

After lunch every day, Shi Qingxue would have a bath and burn incense. Then she would play the zither in the room where Kwan-yin was worshiped to pray for Dong Hui.

She did it every day.

Therefore, Shi Qingxue had to hold back the complex thoughts and get up, going to take a bath in the back room.

After Dong Shuang knew that her lady’s marriage was granted by the emperor, she was excited all the time, as if revealing Shi Qingxue’s joy that she didn’t show.

However, when she returned to the bedroom after seeing Quan off, she finally realized something wrong even though she was not smart.

When Shi Qingxue was bathing, Dong Shuang pulled Xia Mang aside and asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong with Lady Qingxue? Didn’t His Majesty grant her marriage to His Excellency? Why can’t I see that she is happy?”

She was unhappy and even disappointed and disconsolate seemingly.

It was surprising. Was the man their lady loved not Mo Junyang? Did they guess wrong all the time?

As soon as she had this idea, she shook her head and got rid of it.

It was not a play. How could it be so dramatic?

Moreover, although Shi Qingxue didn’t express her feelings directly like Mo Junyang did, it was obvious, and at least as her personal maids, they could see it clearly.

Xia Mang had found something.

She made a gesture of shushing and pulled Dong Shuang far away from the bathroom before whispering, “Perhaps it’s because of His Excellency.”

Dong Shuang blinked in confusion and obviously didn’t understand what Xia Mang meant.

Xia Mang knocked at Dong Shuang’s brainless head and sighed helplessly. “You idiot. Lady Qingxue misses His Excellency. He didn’t come but only an emotionless imperial edict and some rewords of no significance came. Do you think that she will be happy?”

This first-rank maid of Shi Qingxue had seen a lot following her, so she wouldn’t be blinded by the few rewards like the short-sighted maids.

So she could naturally guess most of her lady’s feelings.

Dong Shuang was open-mouthed while listening and looked at Xia Mang in a daze.

Xia Mang asked with a frown, “Don’t you understand?”

“Yes…I understand.” Dong Shuang nodded hesitantly.

Xia Mang asked, “What else confuses you?”

It was harder for Dong Shuang to speak.

She looked at Xia Mang for a long time with hesitation and then asked in a low voice, “Although I know that our lady has a lot of rewards from the royal family, is it all right when you mention the rewards from His Majesty with disdain?”

It was not that Dong Shuang thought too much, but any maid would have an urge to beat Xia Mang to death after hearing these words.