Joy of Life: Starting by clinging to the eldest princess's coattails!

Chapter 11 I really want to strangle her...

Inside the flower hall, Ye Qingmei had just put down her chopsticks when extremely light footsteps came from outside the door.

Wu Zhu, dressed in black, appeared silently at the door, holding the black steel shovel-like weapon he never parted with. His eyes were not visible under the black blindfold, but one could sense that he was "looking" at Ye Qingmei.

"Miss, you shouldn't see her right now." Wu Zhu's voice was flat and even. "It's too dangerous for you to see her in your current state."

Upon seeing Wu Zhu, Ye Qingmei revealed a gentle smile.

She gently stroked her prominently pregnant belly with one hand, her voice soft: "Xiao Zhuzhu, no matter what, she's still my child's aunt. And... in the end, it's me who owes her."

"You don't owe her anything," Wu Zhu said.

Ye Qingmei didn't say anything more, she just smiled and shook her head.

Just then, the old servant led the people across the courtyard, their footsteps growing louder as they approached.

"Sister Ye, Yunrui has come to see you~"

Before she even arrived, her gentle voice had already drifted in.

Li Yunrui walked into the flower hall, her long black satin dress shimmering faintly in the spring sunlight. Her figure was slender, and her exquisitely made-up face wore a gentle smile.

"It's been so long since I've seen Sister Ye. I wonder how she is doing?"

As she spoke, she walked naturally toward Ye Qingmei, her steps light and graceful, her skirt swaying slightly.

Wu Feng and Chunmei followed behind her.

Ye Qingmei also stood up with the help of her maid, her loose white dress unable to conceal her protruding belly.

She smiled and said gently, "It's alright, it's just that the little one in my belly is a bit restless."

She extended her hand, gesturing for Li Yunrui to sit down: "Yunrui, please sit down."

Li Yunrui naturally sat down next to Ye Qingmei, the two of them very close together.

Li Yunrui reached out and gently grasped Ye Qingmei's hand, the gesture intimate and natural.

"Your hands are a little cold, sister," Li Yunrui said softly, her eyes full of concern. "You must take care of yourself."

Ye Qingmei smiled and let her hold her hand: "It's always like this when you're further along in your pregnancy."

The two held hands, just like close sisters, and chatted softly about everyday things.

Wu Feng and Chunmei stood quietly to the side.

Is this Ye Qingmei?

Wu Feng's gaze fell on Ye Qingmei without making a sound.

She looked to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with fair skin and delicate features. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she had a unique charm.

Calm, gentle, with a clear understanding of the ways of the world in his eyes.

Even now, with her large belly and the weariness of pregnancy on her face, she can't hide the calmness that comes from within.

In the present Qing Kingdom, it's less a kingdom ruled by the royal family and more a kingdom ruled by Ye Qingmei. Wu Feng thought to himself.

Putting aside everything else, the Jiangnan navy alone, if Ye Qingmei were willing, would be enough to divide the Qing Kingdom into north and south.

Not to mention the Ye family, the Censorate, and the three major workshops that amass wealth across the land.

I just don't know how she managed to squander such a great opportunity.

Wu Feng thought to himself, why isn't the system bound to Ye Qingmei? Otherwise, he would at least make Fan Xian call him "father".

He shifted his gaze to Wu Zhu, who was standing not far behind Ye Qingmei.

Dressed in black, blindfolded, clutching a black steel shovel, he stood as still as a statue.

The temple's technology is indeed powerful, capable of creating such a lifelike robot. Without internal energy, it can fight a Grandmaster using only pure brute force.

"Little Wuzi."

Li Yunrui's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Wu Feng's thoughts.

Wu Feng immediately snapped out of his daze, quickly walked to Li Yunrui's side, and bowed, saying, "Your Highness."

Li Yunrui turned to look at Ye Qingmei, her smile gentle: "Sister Ye, I heard that someone tried to break into Taiping Villa half a month ago, and I've been worried about it ever since."

"This is Xiao Wuzi, he's very clever. Perhaps... you could leave him here to serve you?"

She looked at Ye Qingmei with sincere eyes: "My brother is not in the capital, and you are about to give birth. You need someone clever to serve you. With Xiao Wuzi here to take care of you, I can feel more at ease."

Wu Feng was startled.

Holy crap, no, Your Highness!

How can I become stronger without you?!

Ye Qingmei glanced at Wu Feng, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Xiao Wuzi?

This little brother... is he a eunuch?

Many people know that Li Yunrui dislikes eunuchs. But now, Li Yunrui has actually kept one eunuch by his side, and seems to value him quite a bit.

That's strange.

She turned her gaze away, looked at Li Yunrui, and said softly with a smile, "Sister Yunrui, there's no need to worry."

She tilted her head slightly, gesturing to Wu Zhu behind her: "With Xiao Zhu here, even a Grandmaster wouldn't be able to breach Taiping Villa."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Zhu glanced slightly in Li Yunrui's direction.

Although she was blindfolded, Li Yunrui felt an invisible pressure envelop her in that instant, making her back feel slightly cold.

Her smile remained unchanged, but her fingers curled slightly inside her sleeve.

"Alright," Li Yunrui's voice remained gentle, "With Wu Zhu here, Sister Ye really doesn't need to worry. However, Fan Jian and Dean Chen are both out of Kyoto right now, so Sister Ye should still be careful."

"I understand, sister," Ye Qingmei replied gently.

She turned around and took Li Yunrui's hand, patting it gently: "Sister, you should too. The outskirts of Beijing are not like the capital city. The world is not peaceful right now, so you should try not to leave the city and be careful."

"Thank you for your concern, sister."

Li Yunrui smiled and agreed, his gaze naturally falling on Ye Qingmei's protruding belly.

"By the way," she said softly, "did the doctor say... approximately when I'll give birth?"

Looking at her round belly, a barely perceptible hint of malice flashed deep within her gentle eyes.

It'll be soon, right?

This bastard child... is it coming out soon?

Ye Qingmei lowered her head, gently stroking her high, protruding belly with one hand, a tender maternal glow appearing on her face.

"About ten days or so."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself, or perhaps to the baby in her womb: "I hope... there's still time..."

Li Yunrui narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Is my sister hoping that my brother will return soon?"

Ye Qingmei raised her head, looked at Li Yunrui, and smiled gently: "Probably. I hope they can return in triumph soon."

"Miss, it's already noon, you should rest."

Wu Zhu's voice suddenly interrupted, flat and emotionless.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingmei slowly stood up. Because her belly was so large, her movements were somewhat clumsy and slow.

"Sister Yunrui, I'm so sorry," she said with an apologetic smile. "You've finally managed to come out, but I'm quite far along in my pregnancy and feeling rather sleepy. I won't keep you any longer."

Li Yunrui immediately stood up and reached out to support Ye Qingmei's arm.

"It's alright, your health is the most important thing. By the way, I want Xiao Wuzi to..."

Soon, a maid came over and carefully helped Ye Qingmei up.

Li Yunrui also let go of her hand at the right time.

Ye Qingmei nodded to Li Yunrui, said nothing more, and slowly turned around with the help of a maid, walking towards the courtyard behind the flower hall.

Wu Zhu, carrying the black steel chisel, followed silently behind her.

Li Yunrui stood there, watching Ye Qingmei's departing figure.

Her back view appeared bloated due to pregnancy, and her steps were slow, yet exuded a sense of composure.

The smile on Li Yunrui's face slowly faded, and the gentleness in her eyes completely disappeared, replaced by a cold, almost insane jealousy and hatred.

She just...

I really want to strangle Ye Qingmei.

The impulse was so strong that her fingers are still trembling slightly.

She took a deep breath, put on a gentle smile again, and turned to look at Chunmei and Wu Feng.

"Return to the palace."

The voice was soft and gentle, with no hint of anything unusual.

But Wu Feng, standing beside her, clearly saw the fleeting, almost overflowing madness in her eyes.