To Hold One’s Joy

  Chapter 219 Reluctant to die

  In the dining room, only Chaohua and Xiuyue were left.

   Chaohua looked at Xiuyue, and Xiuyue also looked at Chaohua.

  The two are close to each other, but they are separated by a world because of the completely different experiences created during the twelve years.

  In the past, they were intimate and talked about everything, but now they have become silent about each other.

   Chaohua was the first to break the silence.

   "Xiuyue—" she whispered.

  Xiuyue shook the hand holding the kitchen knife, looked away and quickly sliced ​​the fish.

   "Xiuyue, I'm Chaohua." Chaohua said softly.

  Xiuyue put the fish fillets as thin as cicada's wings into the deep plate beside her, and her voice didn't fluctuate: "Your honor has admitted the wrong person. Xiuyue died a long time ago, and Chaohua... also died a long time ago."

  The ones who survive now are the ugly mother-in-law and Yu Xuanshi.

   Chaohua's expression was startled, the corners of her eyes wet, and she murmured: "Yes, Xiuyue and Chaohua died a long time ago."

  The moment the princess died, they were no longer Chaohua and Xiuyue, but poor wretches lingering on their last legs.

   "Then why are you standing here?" Xiuyue stroked the cold blade, her fingertips smelled of fish.

  Her tone was colder than her expression.

  At this moment, Chao Hua felt a sharp pain hit her, which made her breathless.

  From the moment she guessed that Xiuyue was still alive, she had thought countless times what Xiuyue would say if she saw her.

   But no matter what she said, she would never call her sister Chaohua again.

  But despite such preparations, hearing Xiuyue say these words still hurts to the marrow.

   "I—" Chao Hua opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.

   Do you want her to explain that she is guarding the princess's bracelet, guarding an illusory hope?

  From Xiuyue's point of view, this is probably an excuse for her to live on.

How many nights she lay next to that man, she would occasionally have this thought: Could it be that she was greedy for life and afraid of death and suffered from hysteria, and she never had an explanation from the princess. That's all.

   This bracelet has been with her for many years, and she doesn't find anything special.

  How could she have the face to explain to Xiuyue.

   "I didn't want to die, so I followed the prince." Chao Hua bit the tip of her tongue and said word for word.

  Xiuyue's eyelids trembled slightly, covering the flickering light.

  The princess said that Chaohua was sensitive and aloof. If she hadn't changed, she would talk in twists and turns.

  The princess left it to her to judge, but she is still too stupid.

  Xiuyue raised her eyes and stared at Chaohua intently.

   Chaohua suddenly had the urge to run away.

  But she couldn't bear it.

  The opportunity to meet Xiuyue was obtained by her hard work, how could she be willing to leave just like that.

   Chaohua pursed her lips tightly, looking at Xiuyue with a bit of embarrassment in her eyes.

  Xiuyue looked at those familiar yet unfamiliar eyes, her heart ached suddenly, but her face was cold and hard: "Then what do you see me doing? Is your lord planning to bring me into the palace and cook you a decent meal?"

   Chaohua clenched her fists hard, and laughed at herself: "I really want to do that. It's a pity that you are Miss Luo's cook, and the crown prince doesn't have such a big face in choosing servants."

   "Then it can't be reminiscing about the past, right?" Xiuyue also mocked, "You and I are so different now, I don't think there is any old love to recount."

   She paused at this point, and looked at the other party indifferently: "Or, the nobleman wants to hand me over to the prince to claim credit?"

   "I didn't!" Chao Hua blurted out.

  Xiuyue's tone was light: "My lord, please keep your voice down."

   Chaohua pinched her palms hard, restrained her uncontrollable emotions, and said softly: "Xiuyue, after all, you and I grew up together, sisters, I have no intention of harming you anyway."

  Xiuyue seemed a little impatient, and said coldly: "Then thank you for not killing me."

   Something was stuffed into her palm suddenly.

  Xiuyue looked down at the bracelet in her hand, a little dazed.

   Chao Huaqiang smiled and said: "Since you don't want to deal with me anymore, I won't force it, so I'll give you this bracelet as a thought—"

  Xiuyue stuffed the bracelet back.

Chao Hua was startled, and then explained with a wry smile: "The bracelet is left by the princess, not I got it in the palace, you just accept it. Even if you don't want to leave any thoughts with me, just keep it safe The princess's bracelet."

  Experiencing the princess concubine's seizure of the bracelet made her more aware of the frightening step by step in the palace.

  She thought that relying on the crown prince could protect what the princess left behind, but she was too naive.

  There is no more suitable person in this world to entrust the bracelet to than Xiuyue.

  Xiuyue is loyal to the princess, and now she has become Miss Luo's cook. As Miss Luo, she is enough to protect her.

   Taking a step back, even if Xiuyue loses Miss Luo's protection in the future, no one will be too embarrassed by her status as a well-known chef in the capital.

  Who would feel bad for a chef who can make delicious food that makes people's index fingers dreadful? At most, he would go back to the house and become a cook.

  Bracelet was handed over to Xiuyue, she felt relieved.

   "I can't accept it."

   "Xiuyue—" Chao Hua bit her lip, with pleading eyes.

  Does Xiuyue hate her so much?

  Xiuyue felt sour when she saw Chao Hua like this, and asked in an inaudible voice: "Is it because of this bracelet that you are reluctant to die?"

   Chaohua took a few steps back and looked at Xiuyue with incredulous eyes.

  Xiuyue seemed to have expected this kind of reaction from her long ago, but instead became much calmer, she picked up an onion and peeled it slowly.

   "What did you just say?" Chao Hua asked tremblingly.

  The princess only told her about the bracelet, why did Xiuyue know?

  Maybe she misunderstood, what Xiuyue said was not what she thought.

   "Xiuyue, what did you say?"

  Xiuyue looked at her, with warmth in her eyes, and said in a low voice: "Didn't you promise the princess to keep this bracelet well, so you can live hard?"

   Chao Hua's pupils shrank, and he tightly covered his mouth.

  Xiuyue lowered her eyes and continued cooking the ingredients.

  She is here to cook, so she can't explain it just by chatting.

   Chaohua fell into a long silence.

   After a long time, the sour smell began to waft in the dining room, and she finally recovered her voice.

   "Xiuyue—"

  Xiuyue gently stirred the boiling sour soup with a wooden spoon, as if she didn't hear the cry.

  Take a step towards the flower, cast your eyes on the boiling soup, and ask softly: "How do you know?"

  Xiuyue clenched the wooden spoon tightly, and said word by word: "The princess told me."

   Chaohua grabbed Xiuyue's wrist violently, and the hand that wore the gold inlaid seven-treasure bracelet kept shaking.

   "Calm down." Xiuyue reminded in a low voice.

   Chaohua bit her lip hard, unable to control the trembling all over her body.

  A tear falls into a boiling pot.

   "Is it... the princess entrusted you with a dream?"

  Xiuyue gently broke free from Chaohua's hand, and continued to stir the soup pot with a wooden spoon.

   That drop of tears has long been fused with the soup, and there is no trace of it.

   "No." Xiuyue's voice was low and inaudible, "The princess is Miss Luo."

  The princess said that if Chaohua took the initiative to give her the bracelet, then she could tell Chaohua the secret according to the situation.

  (end of this chapter)