Anning’s pov

I let out a not so small scoff, one that she probably heard but did not comment on it.

"I greeted you, Young miss." I said, smiling politely.

Wanqing tilted her head to the side brushing a few strands of her black silky hair to the side. They seemed to have grown longer.

No, Anning. Stop noticing anything about her.

"I am your mistress. Special greetings are meant for me and me alone." Wanqing said, her dark eyes roaming around my face.

"Special greetings are meant for who I want to greet that way. The imperial princess is tolerable." I said, glancing at Xiao Qingyue.

The way I was speaking was wrong. Without a doubt, but with how polite I sounded, no one could find fault in my words.

Qingyue smiled but immediately raised her sleeve to hide the smile.

Meanwhile, Wanqing’s gaze seemed to have darkened slightly.

"So you have nothing nice to say to me?" Wanqing asked, making me frown.

Was I imagining things? Why was Wanqing behaving so... different?

"I don’t feel like saying anything nice to you. Especially since I’m not always nice." I paused, lowering my gaze.

"But how would the young miss know? When she has been gone for nine months."

Qingyue’s eyes widened at my words and Wanqing pressed her eyes closed, leaving me with both but her unreadable expression.

"You’ve been counting." Xiao Qingyue said, in a mocking tone.

"No." I replied immediately. "It’s hard not to notice."

The room fell silent again. Qingyue suddenly sighed and leaned toward Wanqing, placing her head on Wanqing’s shoulder.

They shouldn’t be acting this way in front of me. But it wasn’t exactly my business.

"You two are utterly annoying." Qingyue muttered.

"You asked me to come here." I said, actually rolling my eyes this time.

"Yes, I did. I wanted to see how Wanqing would act." Qingyue said, glancing up at Wanqing who was also staring at her.

I bit on my lower lip, forcing myself to look away.

"I simply wanted to see whether the little slave would burn down the Gu residence. I just didn’t expect things to just...change?" The imperial princess said, sounding a bit uncertain.

"I see." I muttered, nodding. "People change and eventually adapt to their surroundings."

The tales of a hardworking slave would be the only thing she’d hear if she tries investigating.

The imperial princess hummed thoughtfully then looked at Wanqing. "Don’t you agree?"

Wanqing remained silent for a few seconds. Even though I wasn’t looking at her, I could feel her looking at me.

When she finally answered, her voice remained calm.

"Yes, that is true."

I glanced at her and noticed there was nothing unusual in her expression. It wasn’t exactly subtle or too strong, but I could feel it.

The way her eyes lingered on me whenever Qingyue spoke to me. What the fuck was she looking at?

The way her attention never completely left me.

At that point, I finally understood something. Gu Wanqing hadn’t expected me to behave like this upon her arrival.

She expected to meet the same fierce tiger. Not a pretentious, polite one.

Qingyue’s smile widened as she straightened up and looked at me.

"Tell me, Anning." She said, making me turn my head in her direction.

"Now that Wanqing has returned, are you happy to see her?" She continued, glancing at the woman seated beside her before looking back at me.

I didn’t answer immediately. When I did, I first offered her a polite smile and spoke. "I think Your Highness is questioning the wrong person?"

"What do you mean?" Qingyue asked with a raised brow.

I turned toward Wanqing, staring right into her eyes.

"If the young miss wishes to know how I feel. She can ask me herself."

I waited. Maybe because a small part of me still wanted or rather, expected Gu Wanqing to answer.

To say something that wouldn’t make all this worse or at least make me feel slightly better.

Instead, I watched as she picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

"I don’t care how she felt." Wanqing says, shrugging slightly.

There it was. That utter disappointment that would or rather u wouldn’t let leave my chest.

Whatever we had between us was a disappointment. Literally.

"Oh?" I muttered, the sound leaving my mouth only made me more embarrassed.

Beside her, Xiao Qingyue stared into my eyes. That playful gleam that had been in her eyes earlier was nowhere to be seen.

She seemed...upset.

Wanqing set her cup down, then continued calmly as though this whole gathering wasn’t so awkward, "However. I would like you to return to your duties as my personal maid."

I raised a brow at her, genuinely hoping I had heard wrong.

"Pardon me?"

"You heard me, Anning." She said firmly.

She wasn’t even looking at me while saying it and who the fuck told her she could call me by my name?

"I require a personal maid, and you don’t actually annoy me. Return to your previous position."

I found this whole situation nothing but ridiculous. After nine months, without any explanations or a single goodbye.

She simply came back and wanted me to just return to my duties. Was I some sort of ornament?

That she left on a shelf and could pick up at any time?

I folded my hands against my chest and firmly said, "No."

That had Wanqing turning toward me. "What?"

"I said no." I repeated.

Sure, I was a tad bit angry. But I wasn’t even hurt by whatever she did anymore.

"I prefer my life as a normal maid. It might be exhausting and I hate washing clothes. But, it’s peaceful." I added it soon after.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when the only thing you could do when something doesn’t turn out your way is to give up.

And this was me giving up.

"But at least you don’t have to deal with her." Xiao Qingyue said, staring up at the ceiling.

I looked directly at Wanqing and said, "You are free to choose anyone as your personal maid. It is fine."