Chapter 35 The upright and virtuous Chu Yixin walked over and tapped on the table...

Chu Yixin walked over, tapped the table, and answered her question at the right time: "Master said that in the future, when he is in this study, you will also study here."

Jiang Zhuoying suddenly raised her voice, her face full of shock: "Reading?"

Seeing her so shocked, Chu Yixin carefully explained to her, "Jiang girl, I'm doing this out of good intentions. I heard that you don't have much education and have some difficulty recognizing characters, so I've decided to teach you to read."

He carefully observed Jiang Zhuoying's every move and the changes in her facial expressions.

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

She forced a smile and said in a soft voice, "This... is truly my good fortune."

"Oh, this is nothing! Jiang girl, if you trust us, your future will be even brighter!"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

Her lips curved into a deeper smile, a bright and radiant one: "I never expected that my Second Prince would be so considerate of me."

In other words, besides flattering and pandering to others on a daily basis, she would also have to pretend to be illiterate every day and learn these books for elementary school children.

A casual glance revealed that the desk was covered with books such as the "Three Character Classic," "Hundred Family Surnames," and "Thousand Character Classic"...

That was something she had already memorized by the age of three!

Jiang Zhuoying felt utterly hopeless; what kind of feeling was this?

It's like something that has you itching with excitement, making you almost certain of the reward you're about to receive, only to suddenly pour cold water on you.

And I'll tell you that I've rewarded you with a cloth tiger that only a child would like.

You also have to be grateful and pretend you've never seen the cloth tiger before.

Jiang Zhuoying raised her hand to cover her face, worried that she was too speechless and unable to control her facial expressions.

"Jiang girl? Don't get too excited! You should learn from this. Even if you don't become a scholar in the future, with my guidance, you will still be knowledgeable and have a strong memory."

Jiang Zhuoying took a deep breath, lowered her hand, put on a gentle yet perfect smile, and nodded carefully: "Yes, thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Kang. I will try my best."

"I will never let my brother, the Second Prince, down."

...

Chu Yixin left, holding her whisk. Jiang Zhuoying then tested the height of the desk and the round-backed chair.

It matched her height perfectly, and it fit her just right when she sat down.

I tapped the desk again; it certainly didn't look as valuable or eye-catching as the sandalwood desk.

But Jiang Zhuoying knew its value; it was made of the finest Phoebe zhennan wood, which was widely used in the palace but rarely seen among the common people.

She then casually picked up the Thousand Character Classic that was placed aside. As soon as she opened it, she recalled the scene when her father taught her the basics.

She was mischievous and spoiled from a young age, and couldn't concentrate on anything. She would want to do something else before she could even finish studying for a short while.

Moreover, she was quite cunning and would always encourage her younger brother to play around.

Whenever Father glared at them and tried to teach them a lesson, Mother would stop him and say many good things for her.

"Ah Zhuo is so young, and she's a girl, so why did you hit her?"

"A-Zhuo is the apple of my eye. If you dare to hit her, I'll never forgive you!"

"So what if she's naughty? It's good for a girl to be a little naughty; it'll prevent her from being bullied by her husband's family in the future!"

Father then turned his head and focused solely on beating his younger brother.

Ultimately, things have changed...

When people are immersed in something, they often fail to realize how wonderful the moment is.

A golden bean suddenly slipped from the tip of her chin, staining the paper.

"You don't know a single word?"

Jiang Zhuoying's memories were interrupted, and she suddenly looked up: "Huh?"

The girl's moist, pink petal-like lips were slightly parted, her eyes were wet and misty, and she looked at him with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Hearing the approaching footsteps behind him, Qi Fan's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward without making a sound, his tall figure completely obscuring the girl.

"Sir, please return."

"You may step back."

Chu Yixin, who had rushed over anxiously with a whisk in hand, was taken aback: "Oh, this servant will be leaving now."

The hurried footsteps faded into the distance, and sounded like they were getting even more urgent.

Jiang Zhuoying didn't hear what was said clearly. She just raised her hand to wipe her tears and quickly got up to pour tea.

The man remained standing in place, then turned his gaze to the open book of the Thousand Character Classic.

Half a page of paper was already soaked with tears.

He reached out and flipped through a few pages, his previously expressionless face softening slightly.

Jiang Zhuoying had already brewed the tea and was handing it to Qi Fan with both hands when she noticed that he was "disheveled."

She hurriedly looked away, her hand holding the teacup wobbling slightly: "...tea, tea."

Two slender little hands were held in palms that were hot.

Jiang Zhuoying was startled and immediately withdrew both hands.

"So impulsive?"

His flat voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Jiang Zhuoying was still an unmarried young woman, and she had never been so close to a man before.

Her cheeks flushed, and she tilted her head, speaking clearly and logically: "Second Prince, you should go change your clothes first. If you delay any longer, you might catch a cold."

Judging from his appearance, he had just finished practicing martial arts and was sweating. She had seen him dressed similarly before.

"Come with me to change your clothes."

Jiang Zhuoying's pupils dilated slightly, and she immediately turned her head to look at Qi Fan's face: "Me?"

The latter's expression was as cold and stern as a mountain, not like he was joking.

Jiang Zhuoying's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately understood what he meant.

Ultimately, she was a maid, and it's not unreasonable for a maid to help her master change clothes.

However, in aristocratic families with strict rules and etiquette, the young masters and noblemen would be served by servants when they changed clothes.

Only someone with impure motives would allow a maid to serve them so closely.

Serving her like this, serving her like this... who knows, she might end up on the bed with her.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as when the maid is a concubine, in which case she can serve the servant directly.

But didn't she say before that she didn't want to?

Besides... she calls him "Second Prince Brother" all the time, how could he still have such feelings for her?

Hypocritical!

Human face and animal heart! !

You hypocrite!

Jiang Zhuoying bit her lip, suppressing her anger.

Before she could figure out how to refuse, the man had already turned and left.

He coldly tossed out the question: "In your heart, am I such a hypocritical person?"

Jiang Zhuoying's anger was instantly extinguished, and she blinked: "?"

"Copy the Thousand Character Classic three times, and mark any characters you don't recognize."

After speaking in a chilling tone, the tall figure simply turned and left.

Jiang Zhuoying's eyes widened suddenly. Had she been tested again?

Her gaze shifted to the open "Thousand Character Classic" on the desk, where traces of her tears still stained the pages.

An unbelievable thought slowly rose in my mind—

Could it be that he saw her crying and was trying to distract her?

After a moment's thought, she lifted her skirt and went out of the study to ask Eunuch Chu.

The answer she received matched what she had in mind.

“There has never been a maidservant by my side. Even if there are maidservants in the prince’s mansion in Luojing, they can’t get close to me. Ah Liu is an example of that.”

"So, Jiang girl, you are the maid I've been closest to so far."

Jiang Zhuoying stared at the expectant look on the other person's face and nodded silently.

Although Eunuch Chu treated her fairly well, he was ultimately the Second Prince's man, and naturally he would speak wholeheartedly on behalf of his master.

Therefore, she could only believe about 50% of what was said about protecting the iceberg.

The thing she trusted most was her own eyes.

For example... that filthy book on the desk.

Under the loving gaze of Eunuch Chu, Jiang Zhuoying returned to the study and went straight to Qi Fan's desk.

She quickly found the book, the one whose title alone made her blush.

She took a deep breath, then flipped the book open with trembling hands, quickly glanced at it, and found nothing she had expected.

Upon closer inspection, it was filled with dense text.

Jiang Zhuoying's expression changed slightly. She calmed down and flipped through the pages again, only to find that they were all about regulating emotions or health preservation.

The girl frowned. Had she really misunderstood him?

*

On the other side, the man who had just stepped out of the bathhouse was wearing only a pair of underpants.

A few glistening water droplets clung to her firm belly as Chu Yixin handed her a bath towel.

Qi Fan glanced at him, his expression unchanged: "What is it?"

He never needed anyone to serve him when he bathed.

After careful consideration, Chu Yixin relayed Jiang Zhuoying's question to the others.

As soon as he finished speaking, the man glanced at him and said, "You seem to have a lot of free time."

Chu Yixin smiled and offered her suggestion: "Master, Jiang girl is clueless and has such a pretty face, you should take the initiative."

As someone who worked in the palace, he had seen countless beauties, but even the once most beautiful Consort Wan in Luoyang couldn't compare to Jiang Yatou.

In his opinion, if the most beautiful woman in Luoyang were to be chosen again, Jiang would be the winner.

This face will bring misfortune wherever it is.

It would be better to bring them under our wing as soon as possible.

He had good intentions.

But when it comes to matters concerning Master Guan, he has no say.

So Chu Yixin only heard a lukewarm instruction: "Let Zhao Xiping leave."

Chu Yixin's lips twitched as she bowed and agreed.

What's the point of doing all this? Getting people into the workforce is the real priority.

He sighed softly and prepared to leave.

"stop."

Chu Yixin paused: "Master?"

Qi Fanqing glanced at him coldly and gave the next instruction in a detached voice.

The hunched eunuch's pupils suddenly widened, and he hurriedly bowed, saying, "Yes, this servant understands."

Is Master trying to act like a gentleman in front of Jiang Yaya?

...

Zhao Xiping has disappeared.

This was not something Jiang Zhuoying discovered on her own initiative.

That day, the gatekeeper specially brought her jasmine flowers, saying that they were left for her by Zhao Xiping.

"Where is Brother Zhao? Why hasn't he come by himself?"

Jiang Zhuoying asked the question casually and politely.

But the gatekeeper said, "Hey, he's very busy right now! Zhao Xiping is quite lucky. I heard that his skill in growing flowers and plants has won His Highness's favor, so he sent him back to the Second Prince's residence in Luoyang to take care of the flowers and plants."

Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback: "Doesn't the Second Prince's residence have someone specifically to take care of flowers and plants?"