By the time Hua Jing and Zhao Yan arrived at the shelter, exhaustion was written all over their faces. The gates creaked open, and servants hurried forward, their expressions a mix of relief and worry.
But before anyone could utter a word, a blur of movement zipped past everyone.
Hua Jing blinked, startled, as she suddenly felt a weight slam into her body. She staggered back slightly, steadying herself just in time to see a familiar face buried in her chest.
It was the maid she had rescued earlier, tears streaming down her face and mucus running from her nose. She clung to Hua Jing like a lifeline, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Seventh Consort! A-Aye! I thought— I thought you were gone!" the maid wailed, her voice broken by hiccups and gasps for air.
Hua Jing froze for a moment, unsure of how to react. The sheer force of the maid's emotions had caught her off guard. Then she softened, wrapping her arms around the girl in a comforting embrace.
