Chapter 26 This Time It's a Real Illness "So weak?" That last sentence...

"So weak?" The last sentence was spoken in a noticeably lower voice, as if he were talking to himself.

Chu Yixin, standing beside her, immediately chimed in, "Of course! This girl looks so frail."

"That small frame looks like it could be blown over by the wind. Plus, she must have been extremely heartbroken these past few days. Perhaps her body just can't take it anymore?"

"Where is he?" the man interrupted his implied question.

"It's still at the gate of the mansion... but I've already sent someone to fetch the bed."

The servant lowered his head even further.

That's a young woman, and aside from the fact that men and women shouldn't touch each other, no one would dare to escort her back to her room without His Highness's permission.

"Hey? Master? Wait for me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man beside him strode away.

Chu Yixin quickly grabbed her whisk and chased after them.

...

Jiang Zhuoying lay diagonally on the ground, having deliberately chosen a shady spot when she fainted.

The sun wasn't shining on her now, but the ground was cold and hard, making her uncomfortable, and a sense of urgency arose in her heart.

I just heard the servants say that they went to fetch the bed, but why hasn't it been brought back yet?

If she doesn't come back soon, she'll have to wake up on her own.

"Greetings to Your Highness."

"Greetings, Your Highness."

...

The sounds of greetings rising and falling—was the Second Prince arriving?

Jiang Zhuoying held her breath. She was neither arrogant nor did she believe that this person had come specifically for her.

She's not that important.

I guess they were just passing by...

But the footsteps grew closer and closer, and she was silently lifted up by strong, powerful arms. Jiang Zhuoying's heart began to tighten.

She remained silent the whole way until she was placed on the bed, at which point she slowly woke up.

The girl slowly opened her eyes, and upon seeing the scene before her, she immediately panicked. She propped herself up and sat up: "Your Highness? How did I get here?"

Her voice was soft and slurred, with a hint of confusion.

He seemed to feel dizzy and rubbed his temples with his hand.

"Jiang girl? You fainted at the gate just now, and it was Master who brought you back!"

The big ice shard didn't say a word, but it was Eunuch Chu who warmly replied to her.

Jiang Zhuoying was already used to this; that was just her nature.

She needs to ignore these things as much as possible. As long as she follows her plan, she can melt even the coldest ice!

"What? I actually fainted?"

The girl looked astonished, her mouth agape as if she were at a loss.

"If you can't be a good maid, then leave."

A cold voice rang out above her head again, but the meaning behind those words made Jiang Zhuoying freeze.

Isn't it said that people prefer gentle and weak women? Isn't she gentle and weak enough?

Jiang Zhuoying lowered her head, somewhat nervous, and was thinking of ways to make amends.

The man had already turned and left, about to step out of her room.

Jiang Zhuoying felt flustered, then suddenly remembered that the Second Prince preferred obedient and well-behaved girls...

The girl suddenly knelt on the bed and kept kowtowing, her forehead touching the soft brocade quilt each time.

It doesn't hurt, but I feel a little dizzy from making too much of a movement...

"Your Highness, it was my fault, it was my fault..."

Although she didn't know what she had done to offend this cold-faced devil, the first thing she had to do was pretend to be obedient and admit her mistake.

"Your Highness, please forgive this servant this time."

"Hey, hey, hey! Jiang girl!"

Chu Yixin was anxious about how to persuade her master. She looked around, feeling troubled, when she didn't expect the girl on the bed to suddenly fall down.

He tried to help, but it was too late.

With a muffled thud, Jiang Zhuoying really fell to the ground.

In the instant before losing consciousness, all she could think was that she had brought this upon herself.

Chu Yixin's exclamation successfully made the man, who had already reached the door, stop in his tracks.

As soon as I turned around, I saw with my own eyes that thin and petite figure fall straight to the ground.

His pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately flew forward, but it was too late...

*

When Jiang Zhuoying opened her eyes again, all around was silent. After a brief moment of reflection, she remembered what had happened before she fainted.

She suddenly sat up on the couch, the dizziness in her head making her cover her forehead, only then realizing the unusual sensation under her palm.

It's gauze...and her face?!

Jiang Zhuoying was suddenly frightened. She had accidentally fallen to the ground. Could it be that she had injured her face?

The girl was terrified. She hurriedly got off the bed, hastily slipped on her embroidered shoes, and ran towards the bronze mirror...

With a creak, the door was pushed open.

Jiang Zhuoying also subconsciously turned around to look.

The tall figure standing at the entrance was backlit.

The girl's lips parted slightly: "Your Highness?"

"This servant greets Your Highness."

Jiang Zhuoying immediately curtsied, for she had not forgotten what this evil spirit had said earlier.

If she were allowed to leave, all her previous efforts would have been in vain.

The man was much taller than her, and he spotted the old bronze mirror behind the girl in just one glance.

He said coldly, "Get up."

"yes."

Jiang Zhuoying straightened up, her head slightly lowered, wanting only for the person in front of her to leave quickly.

She wanted to see exactly where her face was injured!

The girl pursed her lips: "What brings Your Highness here to see me?"

"Go back to your bed."

At this moment, the cold-faced devil didn't hold back his words and actually said four words to her!

And it wasn't even those unpleasant words.

Jiang Zhuoying swallowed hard, glanced at the bronze mirror again, and reluctantly returned to her bed.

She sat on the edge of the couch: "This servant is going back to the couch."

That sounds a bit strange, doesn't it?

Jiang Zhuoying paused for a moment, then added, "This servant is on the couch."

Something still doesn't seem right...

Jiang Zhuoying looked away and coughed awkwardly twice.

"Oh dear, Jiang girl, why are you up? You have a fever, you should go to bed and rest for a while!"

Behind the tall and imposing figure, Chu Yixin, who was much shorter, suddenly appeared, carrying a bowl of medicine.

"We don't have any other maids in this house, so Jiang girl, you'll have to make do, okay?"

He walked forward with a smile on his face.

Jiang Zhuoying still harbors goodwill towards this only eunuch in the Second Prince's villa.

She smiled back, "Thank you for your care, Eunuch Chu."

Chu Yixin had already walked up to her, and upon hearing this, she frowned at her, her expression suggesting something was amiss.

Jiang Zhuoying, feeling a surge of joy, raised her voice slightly: "Thank you for your care, Your Highness."

Chu Yixin quickly replied, "Since you are sick, there's no need to be polite. Just finish this medicine and rest."

"Mmm." The girl obediently nodded.

Under the watchful eyes of the two men, Jiang Zhuoying awkwardly finished the bowl of herbal soup.

Chu Yixin had just taken the medicine bowl from her hand when that tall and imposing figure walked in from the doorway.

"There is a minor bruise on the forehead, which is treated with ointment."

The man, with a cold expression, reached out and handed her something.

Jiang Zhuoying subconsciously opened her palm, and in the next instant, a porcelain bottle appeared in her hand.

"Thank you, Your Highness," she murmured, swallowing hard.

Does this mean that her gentle and obedient behavior worked?

"Yu Ji said your cold has gotten worse, why is that?"

The air was filled with the bitter scent of sandalwood, and the man's voice was as cold as ever.

Jiang Zhuoying was speechless for a moment, realizing that she was truly suffering, inside and out.

She paused for a moment, considered it carefully, and then answered according to her original plan.

"Your Highness, this servant...this servant was thinking about that matter last night, and felt very depressed and distressed. I couldn't sleep for a long time, and perhaps that's why I caught a cold."

The girl lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the ground.

From a man's perspective, all he could see was the top of her dark hair.

Qi Fan pursed his lips, his voice even colder than before: "You can't bear to part with him?"

Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback, then quickly replied, "This servant just can't figure it out for a moment."

She pursed her lips: "I will ask him for clarification tomorrow."

"Want to get a clear answer?"

The man squinted slightly.

Jiang Zhuoying: "?"

She thought about it briefly and felt that her answer was correct, so she nodded again: "Yes, I will definitely go and ask him tomorrow."

"Thank you for your concern and care, Your Highness."

The man's eyes were cold and indifferent: "Whatever."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Jiang Zhuoying curtsied again on the couch and said in a gentle voice, "Your Highness, please take care."

Are all older men so unfathomable?

I gave her a nice look just now, how come she changed her attitude in the blink of an eye?

Chu Yixin, of course, understood her master's temperament, and immediately tried to ease the atmosphere with a laugh.

"Your Highness is in a bad mood. Jiang girl, please don't overthink it. Just stay here and let me know if you need anything."

Jiang Zhuoying nodded: "Yes, this servant understands. Then... will Your Highness still send this servant away?"

“If I leave here, I truly have nowhere to go…”

She whimpered, her voice trembling with sobs.

He could perform much better in front of Eunuch Chu than he had in front of that cold-faced, menacing figure from before.

"Oh dear, Jiang girl, you're really overthinking things! His Highness has been having some troubles these past few days, so you can rest assured and stay here!"

Chu Yixin lowered her voice and mumbled incoherently, "I assure you, His Highness won't really let you leave!"

Jiang Zhuoying was speechless. What use would his guarantee be?

She did all this simply to solidify her image as weak and pitiful, hoping that Eunuch Chu would tell the Second Prince more about her pitiful state...

But since things had come to this, she could only nod weakly: "Yes, this servant has remembered."

She felt drowsy after taking the herbal medicine, and as soon as Eunuch Chu left, she fell asleep.

*

"Master! You didn't see it, Jiang girl is crying so sadly!"

"The poor child looked so afraid that you would drive her away. She was already sick, and I was really worried that she would faint from crying."

Seeing that his master, who was staring at the military treatise, remained unmoved, he swallowed hard and continued.

"I'm naturally timid and easily frightened, I wonder if I'll develop some kind of health problems from being scared?"

The man finally made a move, glancing at him: "Didn't you say anything to her?"

"Oh dear, how could that be! This servant has always followed Master's orders and would never dare to say a word."

Qi Fan chuckled lightly, without saying anything more.

Chu Yixin observed his expression, thought for a moment, and said, "Jiang girl is still a young lady. Now that she is sick, it's not easy to take care of all the people in the courtyard."

"Why don't we hire someone to take care of her?"

The man gave him a long, thoughtful look: "I think you're not bad."

Chu Yixin immediately twitched the corners of her mouth: "Your Highness is joking. This servant is naturally dedicated to serving his master."

He thought to himself, "That means I don't want to..."

Afternoon.

After lunch, the man strolled to the backyard and stared at the red carp swimming happily in the pond.

Chu Yixin immediately reported: "Master didn't say he was coming. Zhuozhuo's lunch has already been fed by someone."

Qi Fan nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the direction of the rear building.

Chu Yixin suppressed the corners of her lips that had already turned up: "It wasn't Jiang Yatou, this servant gave her sick leave."

The man glanced at him sideways: "Just a minor cold."

The latter lowered her head: "No matter what, she is still a girl, and she looks weak. Of course, she can't compare with us martial artists."

Qi Fan didn't say anything more.

Chu Yixin suddenly frowned again: "I don't know if Jiang has had lunch yet. I instructed the kitchen, but no one has come to report back."

The man ignored him and continued his afternoon stroll as usual, but somehow he ended up in front of the back room door...

Qi Fan pursed his lips, about to turn and leave.

But the person behind him immediately stepped forward a few steps: "Sir, now that you're here, why not say hello?"

He knew he shouldn't take these words too seriously; what right did a master have to come and greet a maid?

But now he has the audacity to say such things.

Since the master had never met a young lady before and did not know how to get along with her, he naturally had to act as the bridge between them.

Thinking this, Chu Yixin took a few quick steps forward and knocked on Jiang Zhuoying's door again.

"Jiang girl? Is she still inside?"

"Jiang girl?"

Chu Yixin called out several times, but received no response.

He frowned and turned to look at his master: "Could it be that he's not inside?"

But where else can we go if we're not in the house?

The man's gaze sharpened slightly, and after only a few moments of contemplation, he decisively stepped forward.

With a muffled thud, the boots hit the ground, and the already flimsy door panel broke in two.

Qi Fan walked into the room alone and reached the bedside in just a few steps.

The girl on the couch was delirious with fever, her cheeks were pink and tender, and she was only wearing a thin nightgown, but the quilt had already been kicked to her feet.

The loud 'bang' just now startled Jiang Zhuoying awake.

She looked toward the door, her vision blurry.

As the tall figure drew closer, his face dark and cold, she shivered involuntarily…

Could this person be the reincarnation of an ancient iceberg?

Otherwise, why would she suddenly feel cold all over?

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Author's Note: [Sunglasses]