Qing Ruo sat upright in her cosy bed in a daze. She was so immersed in her thoughts, that she was not even aware when Ah Ling entered the room with a set of beautifully embroidered red robes.
Inspecting the unfazed Qing Ruo who was still deeply immersed in replaying Bai Li Qing Ruo's memories in her mind. Ah Ling waved her hand in front of her face, only to get no response.
"Milady? Milady? Milady!"
She called out to the dreaming Qing Ruo, gradually snapping her back to reality.
Qing Ruo couldn't help but look at the ginger-haired Ah Ling in awe, admiring her selfless dedication and diligence as she showered the previous Bai Li Qing Ruo, who had low emotional intelligence.
"I'm sorry I made you worry. I... was just lost in some thoughts."
Qing Ruo replied to the adorable girl in front of her with a subtle gentle smile, yet again bewildering and changing Ah Ling's perception of her.
"N-No....I-I didn't mean it like that..."
Overwhelmed by the sight of the gentle smile full of grace that made her heart flutter with happiness and embarrassment at the same time, her voice gradually dying down with her stutters.
Qing Ruo chuckled at the sight of this. She asked Ah Ling to help her get dressed in the set of robes that she had brought in.
While getting her dressed, a thought flashed in Ah Ling's mind. Thus, she asked in a careful tone.
"Milady, did you sleep well last night?"
"I did. I slept so soundly that I didn't even realise I had fallen asleep."
Qing Ruo interpreted her question as a genuine expression of concern, without any harm or hidden meanings to it.
"Well, did any interesting happen last night?"
Ah Ling carefully asked again, this time, Qing Ruo caught wind of it. On being asked this, the images from her peculiar (exciting) dream of the masked man enclosing her hands and taking control of her, flashed before her eyes, creating a weird sense of rhythmic heartbeat in her body.
"Nothing interesting happened. But I did have a sweet dream."
Qing Ruo laughed it off in embarrassment.
Ah, Ling just nodded and went about chit-chatting on different topics.
Later on, she requested Ah Ling to get her 'somethings' for her with an evil-ish cheeky grin, giving the latter an ominous feeling. On hearing the order (request), she was puzzled by it, nonetheless, she nodded and left.
Now, Qing Ruo settled herself down, sitting on the chair of the study table. She took a writing brush from a drawer and a few pieces of vintage-looking paper of fine quality and smoothness.
' Okay! Let's begin the planning!'
As someone who used to write novels and stories, she could attest that the initial stage of bringing any plot or plan to life involves careful outlining. It's a crucial step that lays the foundation for the entire creative process, helping you to organize your thoughts, flesh out your characters, and develop a coherent and engaging story that keeps readers hooked right until the end.
Not long after, a series of writings, some understandable, some out of the world, some just like scribbles, appeared on the previously blank papers.
'Done!'