A smile appeared on Long Yang’s lips at those words. “I would like to eat them now.”

Lu Liangwei rolled her eyes. “Let’s continue picking them. I haven’t been able to keep any for myself since I’ve given it all to them.”

The pair walked around the peach orchard once more.

When they eventually called it a day and left, Chu Jiu was carrying a basket full of peaches picked by Lu Liangwei and Long Yang.

It was rare for them to leave the Palace and Lu Liangwei planned to stay a night at the imperial holiday home before returning to the Palace the following day.

Long Yang was worried about leaving her here by herself, so he decided to stay as well.

They had spent the morning picking waxberries and peaches and in the afternoon she would accompany Long Yang fishing by the lake.

It was the beginning of summer and the ice that coated the surface of the lake had already melted.

The weather was neither too hot nor cold at this time of the year; it felt just nice.

Lu Liangwei sat next to Long Yang, watching him fish.

Long Yang gripped the fishing rod in one hand and his other hand was holding hers.

They never felt bored with each other’s company even when they sat in silence.

Lu Liangwei was propping her elbow on her knee while her chin rested on her palm. She was savoring the wind blowing on her face.

The gentle breeze was pleasant and cool, making for a rather comfortable experience.

A group of maidservants from the imperial holiday home walked by the lake a fair distance away from them.

One rather slender maidservant snuck a few extra looks in their direction while walking past.

Lu Liangwei was busy staring at the lake and did not notice this.

However, Chu Jiu had.

After all, protecting the Empress was her responsibility.

It was her duty to make sure that every movement that took place around them was within her grasp.

The maidservant earlier had merely taken a casual look at them.

However, Chu Jiu was astute and observant, and she sensed that this maidservant was different from the other servants.

The others would all look straight ahead and move on tip-toes, but this maidservant did not fit that description.

At the very least, she gave off a different vibe.

Chu Jiu informed Chu Qi about this, then she quietly followed the maidservant.

There were not many maidservants at the imperial holiday home. Most of them were in charge of cleaning the courtyard. There would usually be more farmsteads at the imperial holiday home.

The Emperor and Empress would bring palace maids along during their trips, which was why even when they were at the imperial holiday home, the maidservants stationed here were unable to get close to them.

The servants at the imperial holiday home were responsible for miscellaneous chores such as cleaning up.

These servants had been instructed to tidy up the courtyard where the Emperor and Empress would be staying after they suddenly arrived today.

They had just finished their work at this time.

A few of the maidservants were about to return to the courtyard allocated for the servants to rest.

As there were not many of them—and the compound was huge—each servant at the imperial holiday home had a room of their own, all of which were quite spacious.

Chu Jiu followed the maidservants into their courtyard.

Her eyes flickered sharply at the few people and her gaze finally fell on a slender maidservant.

Some of these servants were laborers and had thickset builds, but this maidservant was the only one who seemed different.

One could still make out her slender waist even though she was wearing a huge and rough dress, and she carried herself quite gracefully.

Chu Jiu tailed the maidservant and right before the maidservant could enter her room, Chu Jiu suddenly approached her and grabbed her by the wrist.

Startled, the maidservant whirled around. Her eyes bulged wide and her expression changed at the sight of Chu Jiu.

She immediately lowered her head when she realized she had been found out. She pulled her hand away forcefully and retreated a few steps back.

“Li Tong’er, what are you doing here?” Chi Jiu asked coldly.

She was sure Li Tong’er recognized her as well.

The maidservant said fearfully, “Respected Miss, I don’t understand what you’re saying. Who is Li Tong’er? I don’t know her at all.”

Chu Jiu sneered. Who was she trying to trick with such lousy acting?

However, Chu Jiu said nothing more and turned to leave.

The maidservant panicked when she saw this.

Afraid Chu Jiu would report her, she ran forward and stopped her. She said in a low voice, “Respected Miss, may we have a chat?”

Chu Jiu was getting a little annoyed. “What do you have to say that can’t be spoken out here?”

Li Tong’er could only clench her teeth when she saw Chu Jiu’s irked expression. She lowered her voice further. “If you can pretend you didn’t see me here, I will not forget this favor if I manage to make my wish come true.”