Chu Qitong reached out and gently touched the spot where the girl had kissed. Unexpectedly, she got a smudge of bright red lipstick on her hand. She looked at the girl in front of her, who was grinning mischievously like a fox, and sighed helplessly, saying, "Alright, stop fooling around. Be careful not to pull on the wound."

After finishing talking, Chu Qitong looked at the woman whose clothes were even more disheveled due to the undone belt. Ignoring the ambiguous smile on the corner of her lips, Chu Qitong reached out once again and skillfully fastened the woman's belt for her.

Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside the carriage. Chu Qitong speculated that it was Liluo, whom she had just kept at bay. She gestured for the woman to be silent and then spoke first, ahead of Liluo: "Have you found out? Do you know where Minguan bought her rouge from?"

"Princess, the county princess said that she bought all her rouge from the newly opened Baihua Pavilion in the east of the city. The county princess even specially instructed a servant to bring a box of it for the princess." Lilo's voice came respectfully through the curtains of the carriage.

Chu Qitong opened a small gap in the door curtain, and reached out her hand through the slit, saying, "Bring it over."

Now standing outside the gate of the Ruian Mansion, Chu Qitong knew very well that she had to be extremely cautious in her actions. She absolutely couldn't let Lilo catch sight of the woman hiding in the carriage. It wasn't that she didn't trust Lilo, but rather that the woman's enemies seemed formidable. Chu Qitong was afraid that Lilo wouldn't be able to hide her expressions and give away any clues.

It's always better when fewer people know about things like this.

Chu Qitong felt that Li Luo had placed a cold iron box in her palm. She quickly withdrew her hand and saw that there was a rouge box in her palm.

The base of the rouge box is black, with many gold clouds carved on top, giving it a somewhat dignified and heavy feeling. Chu Qitong silently praised the packaging of the rouge in her heart, and then opened the lid.

The moment the lid was opened, a faint fragrance of cold plum drifted in, completely masking the faint smell of blood inside the car. Chu Qitong nodded in satisfaction and praised, "Indeed, it's a high-quality rouge box."

"Do we need to take a detour and go buy a couple of boxes?" After hearing Chu Qitong's words, Liluo asked through the curtain.

Chu Qitong did not cover the rouge. She placed it on the small table in front of her. Smelling the continuous fragrance of plum coming from the rouge box, she smiled satisfactorily and said, "It's getting late today, and it's also snowing. Let's not go. When we have time, let's buy a few more boxes and also give some to the imperial concubine. Let's go, it's time to return to the palace."

After Chu Qitong's words fell, Lilo, who was standing outside the carriage, responded softly, and then Chu Qitong heard her commanding the coachman to drive.

"Why is the young lady hiding in my car?" After giving instructions to Lilo, Chu Qitong's gaze turned to the woman who was leaning against the cushion, eyes closed in rest. Chu Qitong noticed that even on her own carriage, the woman remained calm and unaffected, able to rest with her eyes closed as if she were completely unfamiliar with Chu Qitong's presence. This behavior sparked a certain level of curiosity in Chu Qitong towards this woman.

Hearing Chu Qitong's words, the woman opened her eyes. The blood-red color of her pupils became even more intense. Her eyes fixed on the rouge pot that Chu Qitong intentionally left uncovered. The corners of her lips lifted, and she reached out to embrace Chu Qitong, leaning close to her ear and saying, "Because I know the little beauty will save me."