Chapter 34 Little Flower Bud "Back then, you were also at Jiang Zheng's daughter's residence..."

"Were you like this back when you were at Jiang Zheng's daughter's residence?"

Jiang Zhuoying's expression stiffened slightly: "Wh-what?"

She belatedly shook her head and said weakly, "No, I wouldn't dare. Miss Jiang treats me badly and always beats and scolds me."

She had to cover up the mess she created herself.

"Hmm." A faint reply.

Jiang Zhuoying thought for a moment and quickly realized the inappropriateness of her answer.

As he frowned, his cold voice deepened slightly: "You wouldn't dare do that to her, but you would dare do it to me?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

She sniffed and whispered to herself, "But...but you're different."

The man's deep eyes flickered slightly: "Hmm?"

Jiang Zhuoying poured him a cup of tea and pushed it towards him with both hands, saying, "...I'll call you Second Prince Brother."

She didn't say anything more.

She's already calling him Second Prince Brother, does he think I'd treat her badly?

The man remained silent.

Staring at the steaming hot tea beside him, his expression remained as calm and aloof as ever, but his mind was filled with the image of the girl biting her lip and crying silently.

He raised his hand and pinched the space between his eyebrows.

He casually picked up the teacup, took two sips, and said slowly, "The tea is quite good today."

Jiang Zhuoying nodded slightly, but in her heart she felt that this big ice shard was really difficult to deal with.

Are you really going to just let this matter slide?

Then what about all those tears she shed?

Jiang Zhuoying narrowed her eyes, determined to bring the topic back to the present.

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her soft, delicate voice feigned ignorance: "Second Prince, why were you angry with me just now?"

The man put down his teacup and glanced at her indifferently: "Not angry anymore?"

She really is a young girl; her temper flares up and subsides just as quickly.

The girl puffed out her cheeks: "I... I'm not angry, I'm sad. I clearly thought of you in everything and did nothing to deceive you, but you turned your back on me when I was in the mood."

"You have no idea how scared I was just now."

Qi Fan stared at her intently, his face cold and expressionless.

The girl had a small, oval face, and her two bright, almond-shaped eyes were almost swollen like walnuts.

She was extremely thin and frail, and I recalled the time when she had fainted from a cold.

He squinted, and indeed looked fragile, like a delicate flower bud that had never experienced hardship.

They were actually terrified by his words and expression.

Jiang Zhuoying had no idea that he had imagined so much in such a short time.

She was determined that her efforts shouldn't be wasted, and she needed to get some explanation from him.

So, looking into the other person's eyes, she asked again in a low voice, "Can't I ask? About your anger just now?"

Qi Fan casually shifted his gaze, his thin lips pursed slightly: "This is just a test for you."

Jiang Zhuoying's almond-shaped eyes, sharp at the front and round at the back, slowly widened, her voice rising at the end: "A test?"

Can this guy please stop being so shameless?!

Seeing the girl's incredulous expression, the man nodded slightly.

His deep, dark, slender eyes stared directly into hers, and his perfectly sculpted jawline twitched slightly: "You passed."

Jiang Zhuoying almost couldn't control her twitching lips.

"You mean you're deliberately testing whether I'm lying?"

Qi Fan didn't find it rude that she addressed him as "you" and "me" directly; he simply nodded with a blank expression.

"you!"

Jiang Zhuoying suddenly stood up, but before she could say anything, Qi Fan suddenly looked at her.

He said nothing, yet his words carried a strong sense of danger and oppression.

"I...I understand." She lowered her head.

Jiang Zhuoying silently repeated it a hundred times in her heart...

She's just a maid now.

She's just a maid now.

...

She just needs to be clear about her goals, and it's okay to suffer some minor setbacks along the way or to humble herself a little.

What's wrong with the second prince wanting to test his maid?

"There will be some compensation for you."

She was almost resigned to her fate when a few more words came from her clear, melodious voice.

Jiang Zhuoying immediately looked over and saw the other person pinching their brow.

His fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles. Looking at him, the sunlight streaming in through the window illuminated his angular profile, creating a perfect "Young Master Frowning" portrait.

Jiang Zhuoying narrowed her eyes. How could she not have a headache with so many schemes running through her mind every day?

Just as I thought of this, I heard Eunuch Chu's deliberately lowered voice from behind me.

As if afraid of disturbing the atmosphere in the room, she gently knocked on the pillar of the floor screen, her voice almost a whisper: "Master? The things have arrived."

What is it?

Jiang Zhuoying turned her head with a sudden inspiration and happened to see a secret letter in Chu Yixin's hand.

Her eyes suddenly brightened, and she immediately turned back...

Qi Fan heard Chu Yixin's voice. As soon as he stopped pinching his brow, he heard the girl's earnest and soft voice: "Second Prince, do you have a headache?"

The man paused slightly, turning his head to look at the girl who had already walked up behind him: "?"

Jiang Zhuoying smiled gently, "Second Prince, how about I give you a head massage?"

In Jiang Zhuoying's eyes, Eunuch Chu was not an outsider, and she could call him "Second Prince Brother"!

And if she could stay for this reason, she could at least hear what the news was about today.

I wonder if this plan will work?

"You?" The man's usually cool voice carried a hint of doubt.

Qi Fan believed he had long since seen through the real reason why the little girl was kicked out by Jiang Zheng's daughter.

She has a beautiful face, but her body is too delicate; she can't carry anything on her shoulders or lift anything with her hands.

They finally managed to send her to carry out a "seduction plan," but she still failed to fulfill her master's mission.

Once its only use is gone, it's only natural that it would be abandoned as a discarded pawn.

However... those old wounds on her arms cannot be left untreated.

Jiang Zhuoying sensed the doubt in his tone, but her smile remained unchanged as she softly defended herself: "My cooking skills are excellent, why don't you let me give it a try, Second Prince?"

Qi Fan glanced at her slowly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Chu Yixin had already received her master's signal and called out with a grin, "Jiang girl, weren't you just going to feed Zhuozhuo?"

"If we don't go now, Zhuozhuo will really miss you!"

Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously looked at Qi Fan: "I..."

The man nodded: "Go ahead, you don't need to stay here. After you've fed Zhuozhuo, you can go back to your room and rest."

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

But she hasn't even asked what the compensation she'll receive is yet!

It seems there's no room for negotiation today.

The girl left, turning back every few steps. Only after her petite figure finally disappeared did Chu Yixin glance at Qi Fan's expression and say with a smile.

"Look how worried Jiang girl is about my headache. Such a well-behaved and innocent girl, I must treat her well in the future."

He spoke earnestly and patiently, as if he had been worrying about the days to come.

He worried that Jiang Zhuoying, with her cunning, would suffer losses in the backyard.

Qi Fan glanced at him: "I believe you."

"ah?"

Chu Yixin was slightly taken aback, and quickly presented the sealed letter in her hand.

Judging from the master's expression, I wonder what his plans are for Jiang girl?

His heart pounded with apprehension, and he began to regret agreeing to Eunuch Liu's request.

If he had known that such a wonderful girl as Jiang would appear, he should have firmly refused her back then!

So much time has passed, could it be... that His Majesty has changed his mind?

...

The next day.

Jiang Zhuoying still got up at dawn, feeling embarrassed to have A-Liu come so early to do her hair.

She then styled her hair into a bun herself.

After practicing for the past few days, she has become more and more adept at styling her hair in double buns, and at first glance, it looks presentable enough.

When she arrived at the main room, Qi Fan was already gone, and only Chu Yixin was busy running around.

Upon seeing Jiang Zhuoying, he cheerfully waved to her: "I have instructed that you, Jiang girl, do not need to come so early in the future. Just come at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

Jiang Zhuoying's eyes lit up: "Really?"

So she won't have to get up before dawn tomorrow?

Chu Yixin chuckled: "Of course, I said you have nothing to do here so early, it's the same if you come later."

Jiang Zhuoying smiled broadly and nodded repeatedly: "Second Prince is right, thank you for your consideration."

At the same time, she recalled that Da Bingzhazi had indeed said yesterday that he would make some compensation to her.

Is this compensation for making her eyes swollen from crying?

Although she wasn't entirely satisfied with it, something was better than nothing...

"Oh my, there's more than just this little bit; there's a surprise inside!"

Chu Yixin gestured with the tip of her chin toward the study.

A spark rekindled in Jiang Zhuoying's eyes. There's more?!

Has Big Ice Shard grown a conscience?

"Jiang girl, why don't you go in and take a look?"

Jiang Zhuoying nodded reservedly and walked towards the study with small, quick steps.

What kind of surprises would you like to keep in the study?

In just a few dozen steps, Jiang Zhuoying already had several guesses in her mind.

Could it be clothes, shoes, or socks again?

But she already has enough of these, so could they be hairpins or jewelry?

These are the kinds of things that are suitable to give as gifts to young ladies.

Although she had never lacked these things before, she felt a strange unease at that moment.

The thought of the icy man coldly ordering her to prepare certain jewelry made her chuckle.

With a soft "plop," she stepped into the study.

Looking around, there was nothing to see; what surprises were there?

They had neither clothes nor jewelry.

So... a slightly smaller desk was added to the place where the soft couch was originally placed.

As for the soft couch, it was moved to the other side.

Seeing her stop, Chu Yixin, who was following behind him, asked softly with a smile, "Is Jiang girl happy?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "?"

She pointed to the low desk and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Could this be the surprise that my brother, the Second Prince, prepared for me?"

"Oh, right!" Chu Yixin flicked his whisk. "Jiang girl is incredibly clever; she really understands our master's thoughts!"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

A bad feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.

The girl turned to the side, her eyes flickering with uncertainty: "Why did Second Prince prepare this desk?"