The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Inside the room, Hongli was admiring paintings with Qingying.

When Hailan came in to pay her respects, Qingying was standing next to Hongli, personally tidying up the painting for him.

"This servant greets Your Highness and the Consort."

Qingying turned around and saw Hailan. She smiled and said, "Get up. Is the food ready?"

"Reporting to Consort, it is ready. Please take a look."

Hylan presented the tray.

Qingying glanced at it casually and saw that the stitches were fine and the pattern was exactly the same as what she had described. She nodded in satisfaction. Just as she was about to tell Aruo to put the things away, she suddenly noticed that Hongli was still looking down at the painting. For some reason, she had a little thought of teasing him.

He reached out and snatched the scroll from Hongli's hands.

Hongli was taken aback: "What are you doing?"

Qingying turned around, holding the painting, deliberately preventing him from touching it: "This painting is mine now. You've been looking at it for so long, it's time to return it to me... You're not allowed to look at it again today."

Hongli was amused by her unusually charming appearance and reached out to take the scroll back.

Qingying quickly stepped aside, and the two of them started bickering by the window, just like when they were teenagers.

A'Ruo smiled broadly, but Hailan didn't dare to look up, only standing quietly to the side waiting for instructions.

Hongli, being taller, reached over Qingying's shoulder to take the painting she was holding.

Qingying laughed and dodged backward, but with a flick of her wrist, the slender nail on her finger inadvertently snagged on the purse at Hongli's waist.

With a hissing sound.

The purse's ribbon broke, and the embroidered surface was torn, causing the dried flowers and spices inside to scatter all over the ground.

Qingying's smile froze.

"oops!"

She quickly squatted down to look, her voice full of annoyance: "I told you not to make a fuss, but you insisted on taking it. This purse, wasn't it made by Consort Xi herself? Now I've ruined it, what am I going to do?"

Hongli glanced down, his brows furrowing slightly. Before he could say anything, Hailan had already bent down and picked up a small dried flower that had fallen at Hongli's feet.

Her movements were very gentle. After picking up the scattered spices one by one, she held the torn purse and said softly, "Your Highness, Consort, there's no need to worry. The embroidery is just torn and one of the ties is broken, but the lining inside is not damaged. If you have suitable needle and thread, I can try to mend it."

Qingying immediately looked at her: "Can you fix it to be exactly the same as before?"

Hailan examined it carefully for a moment: "This servant dares not say it is exactly the same, but this servant has learned the needlework technique before, so after it is repaired, there should not be too many traces."

Qingying breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly instructed, "Aruo, quickly go and get the needle and thread."

She then said to Hailan, "The side room has better lighting, go there and fix it. Just tell Aruo what you need."

Hailan bowed in agreement and followed Aruo to the side hall.

The room fell silent again.

Qingying still felt a little guilty: "If I had known, I wouldn't have argued with you. Things made by Mother's own hands have a different meaning. If I really can't mend it, I will embroider another one for you myself."

Seeing her frustrated expression, Hongli's initial displeasure dissipated.

"It's nothing serious."

He pulled the scroll back from Qingying's arms and said with a smile, "But we need to clarify who snatched the painting first."

Qingying raised her eyes and glared at him: "You still dare to talk back?"

The two quickly changed the subject.

For some reason, Hongli's gaze would occasionally pass over the half-open partition and fall on the side hall.

Hailan sat by the window with her back to them.

She kept her head down, her fingers moving back and forth across the needle and thread, her expression focused.

The afternoon sunlight fell on her shoulders, making her already delicate profile appear even more radiant.

She seemed to sense something and turned her face slightly to the side.

Hongli had already turned his gaze away as if nothing had happened and continued talking to Qingying.

About an hour later, Hailan finally came out of the side hall, holding the repaired purse in her hands.

Qingying took it and examined it carefully. She saw that the area that had been torn by the armor had been re-embroidered with a small flower and leaf, which not only covered the tear but also connected with the original pattern on the pouch. The broken ribbon had also been replaced with a new one, with almost the same color and thickness as the original.

"It's really fixed."

Qingying's eyes lit up, and she quickly handed the purse to Hongli: "Look, can you still spot any flaws?"

Hongli took it and glanced at it, then said calmly, "The repair is quite good."

Hailan quickly lowered her head: "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness."

Hongli held the purse in his palm and asked, "You've repaired what your mother made herself. What reward do you want?"

Hailan seemed taken aback by the question, and immediately knelt down, saying, "This servant only did what she was supposed to do and fulfilled her duty... I dare not accept any reward."

"Now that Your Highness has spoken, you need not be afraid," Qingying said with a smile. "Whether you want silver or jewelry, just say so."

Hailan shook her head again: "The concubine has always treated me very well. I only did a small favor and dare not ask for any reward. It's getting late, and there's still some work to be done in the embroidery room. Your Highness, Concubine, I'll take my leave now."

Seeing that she was not greedy for money, Qingying felt even more that this girl was honest and upright. She personally tied the purse back to Hongli's waist and said to Hailan, "Thank you so much for today. Come again another day when you have time. I still have some freshly made lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cakes from my kitchen. I'll save a couple more for you."

Hailan smiled, pursing her lips.

"Thank you, Consort."

She bowed respectfully, turned and left.

Her dress swept lightly across the threshold, her slender and graceful figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Looking at the empty doorway, Hongli suddenly said, "I just remembered that there are still some official matters to be dealt with in the front courtyard."

Qingying was taken aback, and before she could say anything, Hongli had already stood up.

"Will you be coming over for dinner again tonight?"

Qingying could only ask.

Hongli paused for a moment: "We'll see. If we're busy until late, we can rest in the front yard so you don't have to wait."

Qingying forced a smile: "Official business is important, you just go."

Hongli nodded and turned to leave.

Aruo hurriedly saw him to the door, watching him walk away in a rush, but a very bad premonition suddenly welled up in her heart.

Hailan, however, was in a very lighthearted mood.

As I walked across the covered bridge, I couldn't help but reach out and brush against the railing, and softly hummed a folk song from the Horqin region that my mother used to sing when I was a child.

Consort Qing is truly a good person.

When the other sisters in the embroidery room came to the backyard to deliver things, their biggest fear was running into the prince or several masters who were busy. They could only return the way they came and make another trip an hour or two later.

Sometimes an item has to be sent two or three times before it finally reaches the master's hands.

Only she didn't have to make many trips whenever she came to Consort Qing's place.

Every time something was delivered, Consort Qing would always say a few words to her, sometimes giving her a bowl of hot tea, sometimes a couple of pastries, never treating her lightly just because she was a seamstress.

She is such a gentle person.

The more Hailan thought about it, the lighter her steps became, but suddenly a figure appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

Hailan paused in her steps.

Upon recognizing the person, he quickly took half a step back and squatted down to pay his respects.

"This servant greets Your Highness."

A slight smile appeared on Hongli's lips, and his voice softened: "Get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Hailan stood up, but kept her head down, her hands neatly folded in front of her.

Seeing this, Hongli laughed instead: "Why are you so timid? Just now, I heard someone humming a song from afar. The tune was quite pleasant, but when I got closer, the person didn't even dare to raise their head."