Hairpin

Xie Ning felt that it was not the way for Qinghe to be so nervous all the time, and they had to find a way to persuade her. Though she was the servant in name, Xie Ning had been serving her since she moved into Haunting Fragrance Pavilion with Qinghe and Qingmei. Qingmei was livelier, while Qinghe was more mature. Xie Ning thought that Qinghe's temperament of worrying about the world's troubles too much should be changed, or else she would live too tiredly.

Xie Ning understood Qinghe's concern and care for her, even though it was not necessary. "Put down the tea tray and come here," she said.

Qinghe obediently put the tea tray aside and walked to Xie Ning's side.

"Look at these and choose one. Previously, I had nothing to give to you all. You choose one and let Qingmei choose one too." Though Qinghe was not particularly interested in jewellery now, she did not want to spoil the fun. Giving presents was a sign of goodwill, which meant that you should receive them joyfully. Otherwise, it would be asking for benefits without showing any gratitude.

Inside the box that Xie Ning opened were a row of hairpins with twelve pieces in different colours of pearls and agates, with a small lotus seed at the top. They were not particularly expensive but were just right for Qinghe and others' status.

Xie Ning was not a stingy person. Even if she wanted to give precious jewellery to Qinghe and Qingmei, they could not wear them as the dressing regulations for palace maids were strictly enforced. Violations led to punishment, needless to say. But this hairpin was quite suitable. They could wear it in their daily lives, and if they were released from the palace in the future, they could even take it with them as savings.

Qinghe kneeled and thanked Xie Ning before picking one. Qingmei also chose one. "Sit down, I'll help you with this," Xie Ning said cheerfully, taking the hairpin from Qinghe's hand.

Qinghe realized that Xie Ning just wanted to make her happy.

Xie Ning was a really good person.

The more Qinghe thought so, the more uneasy she felt. She hoped that Xie Ning was well, not just for her own benefits. Xie Ning was kind and treated everyone with respect. If Xie Ning had not entered the palace and married, she would have had a happy life if she had found a good family outside the palace.

She didn't want to see Xie Ning become crazy like other women who spent their lives in a secluded palace waiting to die when she got older.

Xie Ning helped Qinghe put on the hairpin and gestured for her to look in the mirror. "Look at yourself," Xie Ning said.

Qinghe smiled and thanked her, "You are so talented. I feel like my head has had a rare moment of beauty today."

Xie Ning smiled, putting her hand on Qinghe's shoulder. "You are only two years older than me, but you wear a stern face every day. If you keep it up, when your term ends and you can leave the palace, others will think that you are already a senior palace attendant. How will you find a husband then?"

Though Qinghe wanted to join in the joke and laugh, she could not force herself to. Xie Ning squeezed her shoulder slightly. "Don't worry. The current emperor is not a foolish monarch. Even if Handsome Fairness Chen is favoured, have you heard of the emperor doing anything excessive for her?"

Qinghe was taken aback. She had never heard of such a thing before.

Handsome Fairness Chen might not reveal the incident of the flower appreciation banquet, as it would be risky to twist the truth in front of the emperor. If the emperor were to find out the truth, she might be accused of deceiving him. Even if she did reveal it, the emperor might not necessarily punish her for it.

Xie Ning herself did not have a strong sense of confidence about the situation. She had only met the emperor a few times and had not spoken much to him. She did not really understand his character and could not claim to be able to handle the emperor.

However, she had to comfort Qinghe and avoid her falling ill from worry before the emperor could punish her. Qinghe looked better than before.

The palace was not crowded, and Xie Ning had spent quite some time with Qinghe. They knew each other quite well. Qinghe was worried about many things such as whether she could please the emperor, whether the emperor's affection for her was just temporary, and whether someone would harm her out of jealousy.

Xie Ning had those concerns too, but she did not let fear take over. As a concubine, no one was exempt from aging, and their looks were essential to their survival. Aging was terrifying as it meant losing their appeal.

However, Xie Ning did not torment herself with such fear. She tried to make the most of each day and planned her meals while thinking of what she could do. She had another hope now. She was looking forward to seeing the emperor again, excited to hear what he would say and what they would do together.

This was not only because he was the emperor.

The day went by uneventfully. Qinghe finally relaxed and stopped worrying about everything. During dinner, Xie Ning ordered a bowl of fruit jelly, which was specially prepared by the diet room and tasted deliciously refreshing in the hot weather.

Originally, she planned to finish the whole bowl, but she was advised against it after only a few bites.

Qinghe whispered, "It's about time for lady's period. It's not advisable to eat cold things like this, or you'll feel uncomfortable later."

"I didn't think of that," Xie Ning said regretfully, looking at the bowl of fruit jelly.

"If lady really likes it, it's not too late to enjoy it after this time," Qinghe suggested.

Talking about her period made Qinghe worry again.

Xie Ning’s period was irregular, sometimes delayed for several days, but rarely early. When Qinghe first started serving her, she had not had her period for almost four months.

If her period was not regular, the chance of her getting pregnant was not high.

Unfortunately, if Xie’s period happened to come at this time, the emperor would not favour her anytime soon. Favor was like hot food, it needed to be fresh and hot. If the time between favours was too long, it would inevitably cool down and lose its taste.