The woman's face contorted in a mixture of anger and shock, and she was on the verge of letting out a stream of curses when she suddenly looked up and locked eyes with her. It was as if she had just come face-to-face with a ghost. She quickly averted her gaze and lowered her head, shrinking her neck as she hurriedly made her way towards a small adjacent building.
With a furtive step, the woman reached the door and quietly closed it, stealing a glance at Qiao Mu in the process.
The sight of Qiao Mu nearly sent s.h.i.+vers down her spine, as if she had encountered a specter. Miss Qiao was already standing at the entrance of the small building, her presence eerie and unnerving.
Through the narrow gap in the door, the woman met Qiao Mu's cold and detached gaze, causing her heart to skip a beat. In a panic, she forcefully slammed the door shut with both hands, securing the latch. Then, she gasped for breath and absentmindedly wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve before slowly turning around.
Upon seeing Qiao Mu, who was standing before her with an expressionless stare, the woman's eyes widened in sheer astonishment.
With a loud thud, her fear caused her legs to turn into jelly, and she had to lean against the door to avoid collapsing to the ground.
Struggling to maintain her composure, she trembled while leaning against the door. Her eyes were filled with terror as she stammered, "Miss, Miss, why did you barge in without permission and trespa.s.s into someone else's property?"
"Do you recognize me?"
The woman frantically shook her head as if her life depended on it.
"I suppose you don't know me. You seem like you've just seen a ghost," Qiao Mu's eyes conveyed this message, and she couldn't be bothered to speak further.
However, it was clear that the woman was not as quick-witted as Mo Lian or Duan Yue, and she failed to grasp the meaning behind the young lady's gaze.
Trembling, she moved to the side of the building and stammered, "Since you're still young, Miss, you, you don't belong here. Please leave."
Qiao Mu regarded her with suspicion, her intense gaze causing the woman's heart to race.
"Hmph," the young lady huffed in boredom, turned away, and headed out of the inner courtyard.
This time, the woman finally grasped the truth. It explained why the young lady had seemed like a ghost earlier, silently standing behind her. She had pa.s.sed through the wall!
Startled, the woman promptly jumped to her feet and dashed towards the inner courtyard, her steps relentless.
"Consort, Consort, Consort," a middle-aged female servant hurried to the entrance of the inner courtyard, calling repeatedly.
The door of a nearby room creaked as it opened. A pretty maidservant with a round face emerged.
She shot an impatient glare at the elderly servant and said, "Why are you making such a fuss outside the door? Can't you see the Consort is occupied?"
"I have urgent news to deliver to the Consort. I-I humbly request your a.s.sistance."
Upon hearing this, the round-faced maid named Cai Hui sneered involuntarily. "Well, go ahead and tell me what it is. The Consort doesn't have the time to entertain an elderly servant like you, a mere gatekeeper."
"What's all this commotion about?" A woman with porcelain-white skin and graceful fingers emerged from the house, accompanied by a muscular man with his upper body exposed.
The elderly servant's face reddened slightly, and she quickly knelt down, bowing respectfully. "Greetings, Consort. I have important information to convey."
"I believe I glimpsed the Crown Prince Consort," she hesitated, "from the appearance."
Madam Guo'an, who had initially been composed, was suddenly struck with shock. Her entire body tensed involuntarily. "What did you say? Whom did you see?"