Chapter 398: You want to cultivate? Then I

"Mother."

The scorching sun hung high. Qiu Qingxia pouted, her face full of displeasure, as she returned to Qiushui Villa accompanied by a crowd of Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian's followers.

After the martial arts competition yesterday, Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian had left with his father. Although Qiu Qingxia felt a little lonely, she had secretly stayed behind at Hong Sect Villa, hoping to curry favor with Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian's mother, Luo Qimeng—her future mother-in-law—while also driving away Lu Shanshan and the other followers so she could return to Qiushui Villa and enjoy the advantage of proximity.

With her, the legitimate daughter of Qiushui Villa, not present, she figured that no matter how thick-skinned Lu Shanshan and the others were, they couldn't possibly return to Qiushui Villa on their own. After all, any one of them plucked from the crowd was a famous beauty in this region, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were all arrogant and proud.

Who would have thought these people shared the same idea? In the end, they were gathered at one table by Luo Zixi, and today, they even returned to Qiushui Villa with her.

Qiu Qingxia cursed them for being shameless in her heart, but she dared not show the slightest bit of it on the surface, fearing that Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian might think her petty or even grow to loathe her.

Yu Jing swept her gaze over the women present and discovered that Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian was not among them. She guessed the reason for her daughter's disappointment with reasonable accuracy.

Yu Jing naturally wouldn't pick at her daughter's wounds. Instead, she dotingly ruffled Qiu Qingxia's hair and said, "We have very distinguished guests at home these past two days. You take those girls and rest in the front courtyard. Mother will send people to bring you meals later. Remember, do not speak loudly, and do not wander about at will, lest you disturb the noble guests' quiet cultivation."

Yu Jing naturally had selfish motives for arranging for Qiu Qingxia to stay in the front courtyard. The power of that Emperor made it impossible for her to control herself. If Qiu Qingxia were to wander around and hear her heartfelt cries of pleasure, would she, as a mother, have any face left?

Qiu Qingxia was depressed and naturally didn't want to say much at the moment. She nodded and led Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian's followers toward a side room in the front courtyard.

Once Qiu Qingxia returned, Yu Jing said to her daughter, "My good daughter, actually, Mother feels for you too. I have discovered someone even more outstanding than Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian—"

Before she could finish, Qiu Qingxia interrupted, "Mother, say no more. I know what you're thinking, but my heart is already taken."

She knew her mother must have found a more outstanding man for her to go on a blind date with, but right now, she only had room for Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian and could not accommodate anyone else. She refused decisively.

Then, without waiting for Yu Jing to say more, she left the courtyard herself.

Seeing her daughter's back, Yu Jing felt some reluctance, but more of a mother's resolve.

Recalling the sensation of last night, she couldn't help but shudder with pleasure.

Mother isn't eating alone, yet you're still unhappy? Wouldn't you be happier living like a widow waiting for Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian?

"Should I, as a mother, help her?" Yu Jing murmured.

Perhaps her husband's remark about her conceiving the Emperor's dragon heir was suspected to be a joke, but her daughter could do it.

Whether it was conceiving a dragon heir or becoming an imperial consort, either could allow the Qiu family to turn their fortunes around in one fell swoop. It wasn't impossible for them to become the greatest family in this region!

Yu Jing still remembered that there were aphrodisiacs like Drunken Immortal Powder in the house, and even a little of the aphrodisiac her husband had used back in the day when he was weak; they could certainly be put to use.

Half an hour later, dish after dish of delicacies was delivered to the side room in the front courtyard by servants.

Qiu Qingxia did not sit at the table with Lu Shanshan, the Mo sisters, and Liu Yu. Instead, she sat alone in a corner, lost in thought, her mind seemingly still on that man.

Lu Shanshan hurried to Qiu Qingxia's side, smiling, and shook Qiu Qingxia's shoulder, saying, "Sister Qingxia, Young Master Jun will come sooner or later. Come out and eat with your sisters. Otherwise, if you starve yourself thin, Young Master Jun will feel heartache."

"It's fine, I'm not hungry yet. You all eat first." Qiu Qingxia's longing had turned into an illness; she had developed a sickness where she had no appetite without Shizi Shizi Jun Zhan Tian by her side.

It felt like this illness was incurable.

Lu Shanshan saw this and said no more; after all, Shizi Jun Zhan Tian had been using this place as his base lately, otherwise, she wouldn't have wanted to come at all.

Since Qiu Qingxia wouldn't eat, Lu Shanshan and the other women went to dine first.

"Young Lady, the Mistress specially prepared the little white rabbit pastries you love most."

Just as Lu Shanshan left, a maid walked up to Qiu Qingxia with a food box, her face full of smiles.

The food box was opened, revealing the soft little white rabbit pastries inside, emitting the sweet fragrance of osmanthus.

Qiu Qingxia's thoughts couldn't help but drift back to her childhood. Whenever she was in a bad mood, her mother would make these pastries to coax her into being happy. She did indeed love these filled pastries with the scent of osmanthus.

"Put it down, I'll eat later." Qiu Qingxia still had no appetite.

The maid's order was to deliver the items to Qiu Qingxia. With the task completed, she naturally left.

When the maid returned to Yu Jing to report, Yu Jing heard that her daughter had accepted the pastries and breathed a sigh of relief. Her daughter usually loved these most; since she hadn't eaten yet, she would definitely eat them. She was very confident about this.

Once her daughter ate them and felt a bit dizzy, she would definitely return to her room to rest. Then, the opportunity she had created for her daughter would arrive.

If the Emperor took a fancy to her, that would be her daughter's good fortune. If he didn't, then Mother couldn't help it.

However, Yu Jing was only half right. Qiu Qingxia did indeed return to her room, but she only took the pastries with her and hadn't eaten them yet.

On the other side, because there were noble guests in the back courtyard, Lu Shanshan and the others no longer had guest rooms to live in. They definitely had to go find Qiu Qingxia to ask, so they came to her room.

Upon entering, the gluttonous Mo Yan'er smelled a fragrance and said, "Sister Qingxia, are you hiding something delicious, planning to save it for Young Master Jun?"

Mo Yan'er chimed in, "No wonder you didn't eat just now. So you were waiting to dine with Young Master Jun."

Qiu Qingxia was a bit embarrassed by what was said and explained, "These are pastries my mother made for me. If you want them, just take them and eat."

"Auntie's hands are truly skillful." Mo Yan'er was the first to pick up a little white rabbit pastry from the food box, observing it curiously in her hand.

Mo Yan'er also picked one up, but without the slightest hesitation, she stuffed it into her mouth. The pastry, fragrant with osmanthus, was very soft upon entering her mouth, and as she bit down, the sweet, non-cloying sugar filling flowed into her mouth.

It made her squint her eyes in delight, praising repeatedly, "Sister Qingxia, you are truly blessed. These are much better than the pastries in the big restaurants. If Sister Qingxia weren't a woman, I would want to marry into Qiushui Villa!"

Seeing this, the other women immediately took one from the food box out of curiosity and stuffed them into their mouths. For a time, praises rang out one after another.

Meanwhile, in the main courtyard of the back courtyard.

"Your Majesty." Yu Jing stepped into the room and bowed to Li Chen. Before coming, she had specially dressed up with great care, choosing a thin gauze long dress that accentuated her figure. At this moment, whether it was her waist that could be spanned by a single hand or her long, full thighs without a trace of fat, everything was wrapped in mysterious black thin gauze.

Managing her daughter's lifelong affairs didn't mean she could forget to reward herself, right? Without dressing up carefully, how could she make the Emperor put in more effort!

She had to first attract Li Chen's desire; this way, perhaps Li Chen would also find her daughter pleasing to the eye.

At this moment, Li Chen and Luo Xi were cultivating, and Yu Jing was definitely going to be the sparring partner.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 399 =====