Nina flashed Duoduo a radiant smile.
“Of course!”
“Not only can it be done—you can have whatever effect you want.”
Duoduo immediately became interested.
“Come on, Nina. Let’s go sit in my room and talk!”
Nina pointed at the empty plate. “What about the pastries?”
Duoduo smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.
“You can have as many as you want!”
“But dinner will be served soon. Are you sure you don’t want to stay and try the food prepared by the Prince’s cooks?”
Nina glanced at Duoduo and nodded.
“All right. I’ll take your word for it and try the food at the Prince of Pingyang’s residence to see if it suits my taste!”
“I guarantee that once you’ve eaten it, you won’t want to leave!” Duoduo joked.
Duoduo took Yingniang by the hand. “Lüdou, sorry to trouble you with the cleanup.”
“I’ll have Qingliu come over to help you in a little while!”
Lüdou happened to have no desire to stay with Nina either, so she shook her head.
“This servant can finish tidying up by herself in a little while.”
“There’s no need to call Qingliu over. Let her stay and attend to the Princess!”
Duoduo understood what Lüdou meant.
Lüdou was worried that Nina might hurt her. If Qingliu stayed behind, she could at least lend a hand if anything happened.
But Duoduo wasn’t worried at all.
Since Father had dared to invite Nina’s master, he must have investigated her thoroughly.
Besides, Duoduo had observed Nina just now.
Although Nina’s way of speaking and doing things was different from theirs, she was straightforward and said exactly what she thought.
Whatever was on her mind showed plainly on her face.
She was a relatively simple person.
As for the danger Father had mentioned, Duoduo had taken it to heart.
But now she had a gu worm.
She had to find a way to learn from Nina how to train Little Gold.
Once Little Gold had been properly trained, she wouldn’t have to worry about those risks anymore.
Duoduo had absolute confidence in her ability to learn.
All she needed to do was take advantage of the fact that Nina didn’t know her well yet and master everything as quickly as possible.
Duoduo pulled Nina into the room. Along the way, the two of them continued discussing how to train gu worms.
Yingniang listened until her eyes began to spin.
She wanted to go home.
Resting her chin in both hands, Yingniang wore a face full of misery.
When would her mother finally remember that she had been left behind?
The sun slowly sank below the horizon, dyeing the sky red.
The rosy light of sunset streamed into the room, tinting the entire interior crimson.
“Yingniang!”
At last, Yingniang heard a familiar voice.
She stood up and ran outside.
There she saw her mother and Aunt Su, arm in arm, looking at her.
Yingniang threw herself into Xu Jinxin’s arms.
“Mother, you finally remembered me!”
Xu Jinxin felt rather embarrassed.
“Mother left you at the Prince’s residence on purpose. I had some business to take care of, and it wasn’t convenient to bring you along.”
“It’s just that I was in such a hurry when I left that I forgot to tell you and your Aunt Su.”
“Once I finished my business, I came right back to get you!”
“Aren’t you always clamoring to play with Duoduo?”
“What happened? Did you two quarrel after only half an afternoon?”
This was the first time Xu Jinxin had seen her daughter so eager to go home.
Usually, Yingniang and Duoduo would have so much fun together that they forgot the time, and no one could persuade them to leave.
Could the two little girls have quarreled?
That would be a serious matter indeed!
Su Xian was stunned when she heard this.
“Yingniang, did you two have a fight?”
“Come, tell your Aunt Su all about it. If Duoduo was in the wrong, I’ll make her apologize to you!”
Yingniang was Duoduo’s closest friend, and Su Xian certainly didn’t want the two children to fall out over something trivial.
Still, children squabbled all the time. It was perfectly normal.
A little reassurance from the adults, and the matter would pass.
Yingniang straightened up awkwardly in Xu Jinxin’s arms.
“Aunt Su, we didn’t fight. I just wanted to go home.”
“Why?” Su Xian asked, puzzled.
“Don’t you and Duoduo usually get along so well?”
“Where’s Duoduo? Why hasn’t she come out?”
Su Xian’s heart gave a sudden jolt.
Yingniang and Duoduo were inseparable.
Yingniang had already been outside for some time, yet Duoduo still hadn’t come out.
That was highly unusual.
Su Xian and Xu Jinxin exchanged a glance.
They both saw the worry in the other’s eyes.
“Jinxin, come on. Let’s go inside and talk.”
Su Xian immediately led Xu Jinxin and Yingniang into the room.
This matter had to be explained face-to-face.
“The Princess is busy,” Yingniang reminded Su Xian in a small voice.
Su Xian assumed Yingniang was trying to make excuses for Duoduo, so she quickened her pace and entered the room.
The moment she stepped inside, Su Xian froze.
Duoduo was speaking with an unfamiliar woman.
The two of them had their heads close together, leaning so near that they were practically touching.
“Duoduo, do you have a guest?” Su Xian asked, maintaining a polite smile.
Duoduo, who had been talking to Nina, looked up.
She gave Su Xian a radiant smile.
“Mother, Aunt Xu, you’re here!”
“This is my master, Nina!”
“Nina, this is my mother. That’s Aunt Xu, Yingniang’s mother!”
“She and my mother are bosom friends, just like Yingniang and I are!”
Duoduo explained the relationships to Nina.
Nina nodded at Su Xian and Xu Jinxin in greeting.
Xu Jinxin blinked.
It seemed that this woman had stolen Duoduo away, which was why her daughter had become so bored that she wanted to go home.
She sized up Nina’s clothing and appearance, a strange glint passing through her eyes.
“Are you from the Miao frontier?”
Nina’s eyes lit up. “You’re so clever! You guessed it right away!”
A peculiar gleam flashed through Xu Jinxin’s eyes as she glanced at Su Xian.
“Your clothes gave it away at once.”
Nina lowered her head and looked at her own outfit.
“So that’s how you knew!”
Xu Jinxin noticed the little gold-colored creature in Duoduo’s palm, and her eyes flickered.
“Duoduo, you said she’s your master.”
“Don’t tell me you’re learning gu magic from her?”
Duoduo blinked. “Aunt Xu, you know about that too?”
Su Xian also saw the bug in Duoduo’s palm, and her face immediately changed.
“Duoduo, why are you playing with bugs?”
“Be careful. If your father finds out, he’ll scold you!”
Duoduo gave Su Xian a reassuring smile.
“Mother, Father already knows!”
“Nina was invited by the Prince!”
A look of astonishment appeared in Su Xian’s eyes.
Why on earth had the Prince found such a master for his daughter?
Xu Jinxin had more or less guessed why her daughter wanted to go home.
So Duoduo had taken up learning something new again.
When it came to learning ability, her daughter could only be crushed into the ground by Duoduo.
If she were in Yingniang’s place, she wouldn’t have lasted even a minute.
“Duoduo, Aunt Xu once heard people talk about gu magic, but I’ve never actually seen anyone who practices it.”
“We don’t ‘play’ with them!” Nina protested.
“Gu worms are our friends and family. We’re closer to them than you are to each other.”
Nina pointed at Xu Jinxin and Su Xian.
“Can you let me see what your family and friends look like?”
