The cock crowed three times, and the dawn had just arrived. Ao Qingmei was already awake. It was not really bright outside, and the light in the room was still dim, so she got up, put on her clothes, got out of bed, walked to the window, stretched out her hand and gently pushed the window open. Suddenly, a morning breeze blew in with a hint of coolness. It rained late last night, but it has stopped now. The air after the rain is fresh and moist. Looking around, the water droplets on the green leaves and between the petals outside are crystal clear, full of vitality, and it is soothing to look at. Suddenly, Ao Qingmei turned back to the dressing table, tidied her clothes, washed up, and then walked out of the room.
It was still early, and everyone in Baoan Hall was still asleep. Ao Qingmei walked alone along the corridor, and the morning breeze blew her long hair, which seemed to dance in the wind. It had been three days since she came to Baoan Hall. Unlike the first time, she was very familiar with Baoan Hall in three days. She turned the corridor and walked for a while before coming to the back garden. In the garden, hundreds of flowers were in full bloom, and the fragrance was floating. Ao Qingmei walked to a peony flower that was in full bloom, and couldn't help but stop and reach out to hold the flower branch. She leaned over and gently smelled the fragrance of the peony flower, then smiled and stood up, looking around. Suddenly, through the gaps between the branches, she saw a familiar figure in the pavilion not far away. She was slightly startled, and then smiled, and walked towards the pavilion.
On the stone table in the pavilion, there were cakes, fruits, a pot of hot tea, and two teacups. Ao Qingmei only took a glance and a knowing smile flashed across her eyes. "Third sister, you got up early. Why did you come to the garden with Sister Bai to enjoy the flowers and scenery? But why are you the only one here? Where is Sister Bai?"
"Sister has gone back to her room to get some clothes." Xiao Qing looked up at Ao Qingmei and raised her eyebrows, "Why did Second Sister get up so early?"
"It's a rare opportunity to be outside the Dragon Palace. It's good to get up a little earlier and breathe some fresh air." Ao Qingmei said as she sat down in the seat opposite Xiaoqing. Her stomach was empty, so she casually took a piece of osmanthus cake from the plate, opened her mouth, and took a small bite elegantly, chewing slowly. The osmanthus cake was soft and sticky, and the fragrance of osmanthus spread throughout her mouth. The only drawback was that the taste was a little too sweet. "The cooking skills of your Baoantang chefs seem to need to be improved..." Before she finished speaking, Xiaoqing interrupted her unhappily.
"That was made by my sister—" Xiao Qing glanced at Ao Qingmei with dissatisfaction, "If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. No one is forcing you."
"Oh, so this sweet-scented osmanthus cake was made by Sister Bai herself..." Ao Qingmei raised her eyebrows slightly and nodded with a smile: "Yes... Sister Bai is beautiful, kind-hearted, and has great magical powers. She even knows how to cook. She is really good."
Xiao Qing heard Ao Qingmei praising Bai Suzhen and found it very pleasing to the ear. She raised her lips and said proudly, "Of course—"
"But..." Ao Qingmei changed the subject and said slowly: "Sister Bai's cooking skills are indeed average." As expected, seeing Xiaoqing's face immediately darken, Ao Qingmei chuckled and was very satisfied with the result - bickering with her third sister has always been an interesting thing, especially when she sees her at a disadvantage.
Xiao Qing glared at Ao Qingmei and snorted, "I don't want to be angry with you." She snatched the remaining half piece of osmanthus cake from Ao Qingmei's hand and ate it herself. "If the cake doesn't suit your taste, you can eat fruit."
Ao Qingmei clapped her hands with a smile, patted off the osmanthus cake residue on her hands, looked at Xiaoqing and said jokingly: "Why, has our Third Princess Long changed her personality? When did you learn to compromise and give in?" Xiaoqing didn't argue with her, and Ao Qingmei felt uncomfortable for a moment. In the past, she would never give in even when she was at a disadvantage in bickering. As the saying goes, "A red plum becomes red, and a black plum becomes black." It seems that during this time with Sister Bai, her third sister's temperament has become much gentler.
"I am in a good mood now, so I won't bother with you." Xiaoqing said excitedly while eating osmanthus cake.
Ao Qingmei saw that Xiaoqing was eating the same piece of osmanthus cake with gusto, and she didn't find it too sweet at all. It seemed that as long as it was made by Sister Bai, she would treat the food as delicious as delicacies from land and sea, no matter how hard it was to swallow. Hmm... As expected, the power of love is great.
"Third sister, seriously, when are you planning to bring Sister Bai back to the Dragon Palace to meet our father, the king, and our mother, the queen?" A daughter-in-law will have to meet her parents-in-law sooner or later. Since the third sister likes Sister Bai, a woman, not a man, she will have to give an explanation to our father, the king, and our mother, the queen. Besides, as the third princess of the Dragon Palace of the East China Sea, it is not suitable for her to stay in the mortal world all the time.
"Of course I hope to bring my sister back to the Dragon Palace as soon as possible, but I have been delayed by the matter of Xu Xian." Xiao Qing bit the sweet-scented osmanthus cake hard and said through gritted teeth, "If my sister had not wanted to repay her gratitude and insisted on helping Xu Xian to achieve success before leaving with peace of mind, she and I would have already paid our respects to our father, the king, and our mother, and would have been free and unrestrained in the world."
Ao Qingmei nodded and said, "Sister Bai is a person who values friendship and loyalty. It is only natural for her to repay a favor." After a pause, he looked at Xiaoqing and said, "Third sister, these days I have heard a little about Xu Xian from the servants of your Bao'an Hall. I heard that Xu Xian has become famous in Suzhou Prefecture since he successfully helped the prefect's wife give birth. Moreover, he has now taken over the position of the head of the Three Emperors Patriarch Association. His future is limitless. In this case, Sister Bai no longer owes Xu Xian anything... Third sister, you can ask Sister Bai to leave with you."
"Well, I will find a chance to talk to my sister in the next few days and ask her to go back to the Dragon Palace with me to see my father, the king and the queen mother." Xiaoqing completely agreed with Ao Qingmei's statement. The favor of that idiot Xu Xian has indeed been repaid. Well, it's time to take my sister away from this mortal world and live a life that belongs to the two of them. "Second sister, don't forget what you promised me. When the time comes, you have to help me talk to my sister and ask them not to object to us being together."
Ao Qingmei curled her lips and smiled, and said leisurely: "Of course..." She caught a glimpse of a white shadow at the end of the corridor coming towards the garden pavilion, so she pursed her lips and smiled, "Since the beauty is here, I, an idler, should also leave tactfully." She stood up, brushed her sleeves, turned around and walked down the pavilion, not forgetting to tease and throw in a sentence: "Third sister, I won't delay you and Sister Bai from kissing each other here."