Chapter 117: Do Not Be Afraid
Chapter 117: Do Not Be Afraid
Upon hearing Aunt Qiu's explanation, Princess Qi froze, her face turning several shades paler.
She opened her mouth as if to ask something, but no sound came out.
Princess Qi thought back to the previous day. It was only because Su Su found Princess Yingzhu beautiful and wanted to spend more time with her lovely sister that she had invited the Grand Princess and her entourage to stay at the manor.
If it weren't for Su Su's presence, Princess Qi wouldn't have extended the invitation so readily.
After all, the accommodations at the manor weren't exactly luxurious, and entertaining guests there would have been somewhat impolite.
Moreover, the Grand Princess was known for her discerning taste, and if it hadn't been for accommodating the children, she wouldn't have accepted the invitation either.
Princess Qi realized that if any one of those factors had been different, the Grand Princess and her party might have been among those injured in the explosion...
This realization made the princess's face grow even paler.
Aunt Qiu was startled and quickly took a couple of steps forward, gently patting Princess Qi's back to comfort her. Her voice was soft and soothing as she spoke: "Your Highness, don't panic. Everything is fine now. Everyone is safe, but the guest house will need to be rebuilt, and the recently planted fields were also damaged."
For people of their status, these were minor inconveniences.
As long as everyone was safe, everything else could be resolved.
Aunt Qiu felt relieved that Princess Qi, aside from being startled, also felt...
A sense of foreboding.
She tried to control herself but found her gaze drifting towards Su Su.
The little girl looked on, confused, clearly not understanding what the adults were talking about.
However, it was because of this very girl that the Grand Princess and her party had avoided the danger yesterday.
Su Su...
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
If Su Su belonged to another family, Princess Qi might have considered her a lucky star, evoking envy and admiration.
But because Su Su was her own daughter, Princess Qi could only feel worry and heartache.
Had Heaven bestowed such profound blessings on this child...
Could she shoulder the burden?
Could she handle the pressure?
Moreover, there was a cause for every effect.
What had Su Su exchanged for such good fortune in these matters?
Wasn't the suffering she endured in the past a form of punishment?
The more she thought about it, the deeper she sank into her spiral of anxiety.
The more Princess Qi thought about it, the more her cold sweat poured out, uncontrollable.
Aunt Qiu was genuinely frightened.
She thought that Princess Qi had a brave heart, but why was she so terrified upon hearing this news?
And, to be fair, even if they hadn't extended the invitation yesterday, her family would have still been safe, wouldn't they?
Aunt Qiu didn't understand, but she continued to comfort the princess gently.
Princess Qi realized that she had let the matter frighten her, and she was now overthinking it.
However, her mind seemed to have a mind of its own, and she couldn't stop the intrusive thoughts.
What should she do?
Just as she felt overwhelmed and helpless, a small but gentle hand reached out and gently touched her heart.
Princess Qi snapped out of her thoughts and looked down to meet Su Su's worried gaze.
The little girl didn't understand why her mother had suddenly become unwell.
Not knowing how to heal her or do anything else, Su Su could only imitate Aunt Qiu and gently pat her mother's chest, hoping to bring her some comfort.
Witnessing this scene, Princess Qi felt both touched and fearful.
Tears flowed uncontrollably, and she gently pulled Su Su closer, cradling the little girl in her arms as her tears fell onto Su Su's head.
The tears tickled, but Su Su endured, remaining still and snuggling close to her mother.
Su Su thought that if this made her mother feel better, she would gladly stay like this forever.
She loved her mother's embrace and the scent of her.
It was a warmth and love she had never experienced before.
She cherished and adored it.
Princess Qi held the little girl tightly as silent tears streamed down her face.
Aunt Qiu, standing by, grew even more perplexed, but she refrained from asking any questions.
After a while, Princess Qi gradually regained control of her emotions. She raised her hand to signal to Aunt Qiu that she didn't need to continue rubbing her back, and then gently wiped away her tears.
After composing herself, Princess Qi directly held Su Su in her arms.
Su Su obediently yielded to her mother's movements, not hearing the faint sound of her mother's sobbing. The little girl looked up, her voice soft and anxious, "Is Mother feeling better?"
Princess Qi sorted out her emotions and forced a smile. "Mother was momentarily overwhelmed, and I scared you. It's nothing, Mother just thought of something and felt a bit apprehensive. Be good."
As she spoke, she gently pressed the little girl against her.
Hearing that her mother was fine, Su Su obediently responded, gently snuggling closer to her mother.
After comforting the little girl briefly, Princess Qi signaled to Aunt Qiu, "Prepare the tea and snacks for tomorrow carefully. Also, send someone to inquire about the weather for the day after tomorrow. If the weather is good, we will go to Lanruo Temple to offer incense."
After finishing, she specifically emphasized, "We will depart at the Yinshi hour."
It wasn't the first or fifteenth day of the month, so why was she suddenly going to offer incense?
Aunt Qiu was puzzled, but after what had happened, going to offer incense and pray for peace would indeed bring calm to the mind.
Without asking further questions, Aunt Qiu nodded and agreed.
The Grand Princess was not visiting for the first time, so Aunt Qiu had a good idea of what needed to be done.
After Aunt Qiu left, Princess Qi still held Su Su in her arms.
She thought that there were some things she couldn't change, and she could only pray harder to the Buddha and make more offerings. If Su Su was this lucky, she must offer something in return.
Su Su didn't know the turmoil and helplessness her mother was feeling at that moment.
Her little head rested on her mother's shoulder, and she could see the fish in the pond not far away.
A large red goldfish suddenly leaped out of the water.
At that moment, no one was feeding the fish, yet it jumped out of the water.
The scene was quite beautiful.
Although it was just a fleeting moment, Su Su still wanted her mother to see it: "Mother, the fish jumped!"
Princess Qi turned her head reflexively at the sound of Su Su's voice.
She only caught a glimpse of the dazzling red tail of the fish as it flashed by.
The fish had already jumped back into the pond.
Although she had missed the moment, the dazzling flash of red was indeed quite stunning, and Princess Qi felt that such scenery was indeed rare.
This relaxation and pleasure dispelled the deep-seated fear and helplessness in her heart.
She thought that no one could predict the future.
When challenges arose, she would face them head-on, and when water came, she would dam it.
Being too anxious at the moment would only be detrimental.
She comforted herself, and her tense emotions gradually eased.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled gently again, "Yes, the sight of the goldfish jumping is indeed quite beautiful."
Su Su was actually a little disappointed, and she whispered softly, "But Mother didn't see the whole thing."
Princess Qi didn't think it was a pity.
She was about to explain when she saw Su Su suddenly raise her hand excitedly, "Hey, Mother, look!"
A brilliant red carp suddenly surged out of the water, as if it wanted to break through the clouds.
However, in mid-air, it suddenly bent, and the entire carp arched like a bridge.
Then, the beautiful carp plunged downward rapidly, smoothly entering the water and creating a circle of ripples.
The waves rippled for a while before returning to calm.
It was as if that stunning moment had never happened.
The fish passed, the water stirred.
The fish swam, and the water stilled.
In that instant, Princess Qi felt as if she had gained a lot of insight.
She thought that worrying in advance wouldn't be of much use, and it would only scare the child.
Her Su Su must be the child most beloved and favored by Heaven.
Therefore, she must not be afraid.
Cute second watch
(End of Chapter)
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