Chapter 50 The dutiful maid recalled the mountains of clothes and...

Recalling the mountain of clothes and jewelry, Jiang Zhuoying felt a wave of fear.

He's a complete hypocrite and a beast in human clothing!

What, the only maidservant by his side?

He had long harbored designs on her. If she wanted to stay, wouldn't that be like a lamb entering a tiger's den?

Oh... Why am I so useless? I've been by the Second Prince's side for so long, yet I still haven't found out any news about my mother.

"Mother, if you are watching from heaven, could you give A-Zhuo some guidance?"

She murmured, tears welling in her eyes.

She lifted her skirt with her left hand, preparing to go downstairs, when suddenly a long arm blocked her way.

Where to?

The girl was slightly taken aback, raised her hand and pushed that arm, but it didn't budge.

"You heard everything?"

Jiang Zhuoying's whole body stiffened. Judging from his tone, he was still as indifferent and aloof as ever.

Such a trivial matter did not affect his mood at all.

If he doesn't care so much, then she shouldn't care either.

Then the man saw the girl calmly nod, her voice indifferent: "Yes, I heard you, Your Highness, you have severed my good match."

Qi Fan's face suddenly darkened.

Just then, Gu Yanqing and the others caught up from behind.

Jiang Zhuoying calmly pointed to Gu Yanqing standing not far away: "I just heard that this young master has expressed his desire to marry me."

Gu Yanqing's expression changed drastically. He immediately widened his eyes and took two steps back to hide behind Gu Yunci.

Unable to withstand Qi Fan's icy gaze, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "This... I wouldn't dare, it's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding..."

"I heard it with my own ears, how could it be a misunderstanding?"

Jiang Zhuoying stared at him and blinked: "Am I not pretty enough?"

The melon seed-sized noodles were small and tender, almost as if you could squeeze water out of them, and those bright, upturned peach blossom eyes were even more captivating.

Although she was born beautiful, her eyes were clear and pure. She was charming but not seductive. Her contradictory temperament was eye-catching and made her stand out.

Gu Yanqing swallowed hard, then suddenly felt a punch to his back. He lowered his eyes abruptly, his mind a jumble of thoughts, and stammered, "No, it's not."

"No, what is it then? Does the young master think that my status is too low and I am not worthy of him?"

Gu Yanqing felt a chill run through her body, and even felt that she might not return home today...

“Young master, please don’t worry. I know what’s going on and I’m a polite person. If you are truly fond of me, I am willing to… ah…”

Suddenly a delicate shout rang out, and Gu Yanqing looked up to see that His Highness had already carried her downstairs.

The man had long strides, taking two steps at a time, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

He turned his head, his face falling, and looked at Gu Yunci: "Brother..."

The latter pretended not to see it, turned around and left: "Think carefully about how to apologize."

...

Jiang Zhuoying remained frozen in Qi Fan's arms, her lips pressed tightly together, not because she dared not, but because the further downstairs they went, the more guests they encountered.

She's a person who cares about her reputation; she couldn't very well cause a scene in front of so many people...

Qi Fan's face was also ashen. He carried the person in his arms out of Yuanbao Tower without saying a word and then returned to the carriage.

Chu Yixin had been following silently behind, and now she had the foresight to quietly instruct the driver to hurry back.

Qi Fan put the person in his arms down. The little girl shrank into a corner on her own, turned her head away with a stern face, and didn't look at him or say anything.

The man sat opposite her, his face cold, and asked, "Do you know who he is?"

Jiang Zhuoying didn't want to pay any attention to him, regardless of his identity.

The girl not only didn't respond to him, but she even turned her body around, facing the car wall.

Qi Fan: "..."

He pinched the bridge of his nose: "I know you're throwing a tantrum."

"How dare this servant throw a tantrum in front of Your Highness?" the girl said in a soft but sarcastic tone.

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall, dark figure caught his eye out of the corner of his eye.

Qi Fan sat down directly next to her, tilting his head to glance at her, his voice slightly deep: "No tantrum? Then you're just saying what's on your mind?"

Jiang Zhuoying choked. She always had to be coaxed and appeased; provoking her was the most useless thing to do.

Without a second thought, the girl retorted, "Of course, these are my true feelings! They're a golden opportunity for me to rise to prominence!"

As the man's face grew increasingly dark, she felt a surge of pleasure and continued to chatter incessantly without thinking.

"Does Your Highness mean that a servant like me is not qualified to be a son of a noble family?"

"But as far as I know, Prince Shen and his wife are reasonable and open-minded. The heir is already married. If we are mutually in love, who knows!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the man's arm came hurtling towards him with lightning speed.

Jiang Zhuoying was startled and immediately backed away, leaning her back against the soft cushion behind her.

But his right arm slammed hard against the edge of the corner table with a 'thud'.

She was immediately in so much pain that she broke out in a cold sweat.

The man had already braced his arms behind her, a chill emanating from him, his eyes filled with coldness, and his voice was like ice: "His ambitions are higher than the sky."

Jiang Zhuoying kept her face tightly closed. She had always been proud and arrogant, and was afraid of losing face.

But the excruciating pain in her shoulder made the tightly taut thread in her mind teeter on the brink of collapse.

Meeting the man's narrow, seemingly frozen eyes, she loosened her teeth, and before she could utter a sound, her composure crumbled.

The girl's bright eyes began to well up with moisture, yet a broken stubbornness could still be seen within that moisture.

But a moment later, a crack appeared in his icy gaze, and his voice lowered slightly: "Why are you crying?"

Given Jiang Zhuoying's temperament, she wouldn't easily admit defeat in this situation. Even if she lost the battle first, she would still shift the blame onto the other party.

Then the man saw the little girl with red eyes, gritting her teeth and accusing him: "You bullied me!"

In fact, Jiang Zhuoying knew perfectly well that she had misunderstood just now. She thought that the other party couldn't control himself and wanted to teach her a lesson, so she bumped her wound while dodging.

As soon as he said it, Qi Fan narrowed his eyes, a storm brewing within them.

Jiang Zhuoying swallowed hard and instinctively shrank back.

But she had already shrunk to the very back of the carriage, leaning against the soft cushions. Where else could she hide?

A sudden pain shot through her lips, and she let out a soft "Ooh~". The newcomer pressed forward relentlessly, enveloping her entirely in a cool, sweet flavor...

After the storm subsided, the person gradually became gentle, and the damp touch moved softly... until the earlobe trembled.

Qi Fan clearly felt the push, a negligible force, and he looked down...

The girl's eyes were filled with fear, and glistening tears clung to her eyelashes, threatening to fall.

His expression remained indifferent; apart from his unfathomable dark eyes and heavy breathing, no one could fathom the turmoil churning within him.

Rough fingertips brushed against her eyelashes, causing a slight itch, and Jiang Zhuoying subconsciously closed her eyes.

Even with his eyes closed, his long eyelashes trembled incessantly as the man wiped away his tears with a stern face.

"This is bullying."

Jiang Zhuoying was startled, then opened her eyes, only to see that the man had already sat back down opposite her, his expression indifferent, having completely lost his usual aloofness and arrogance.

She belatedly realized that she felt she had framed him, so she wanted to solidify this claim.

"continue."

The man uttered two words in a calm tone, his face stern.

Jiang Zhuoying opened her mouth, feeling a lingering fear in her heart: "Continue... what?"

"Continue with your plan. If you two are mutually in love, what's next?"

"Next, naturally, is..."

The man's gaze darkened slightly as he looked directly into her misty, tearful eyes, exuding undisguised pressure and possessiveness, yet his voice unusually carried a hint of coaxing.

"Don't you understand what I'm thinking?"

The girl's eyes widened suddenly, and she trembled: "Wh-what are you thinking?"

He harbors ill intentions towards her, wanting to use his power to coerce and seduce her. On one hand, he despises her, and on the other hand, he wants to completely possess her...

Mother, Mother, where exactly is the guidance you gave A-Zhuo?

Seeing her staring blankly in a daze, the man pursed his thin lips, stared at her rosy lips, and then said in a gentler tone, "Be bolder."

"What you are thinking right now."

The girl's pupils widened further; what was she thinking?

Now you're not even willing to cover it up anymore?

What a hypocrite!

Jiang Zhuoying opened her lips, her voice trembling, "When...when did you come up with these thoughts?"

The shock and confusion in her eyes were unmistakable, and Qi Fan frowned.

Are you that afraid of him?

Didn't he call out "Second Prince Brother" so naturally?

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Jiang Zhuoying no longer wanted to explore the answer to this question.

There is another, more important problem at hand.

Then Qi Fan heard the girl's trembling voice again: "What if I don't want to?"

The man, who had just exuded a refined and handsome aura, suddenly released a powerful pressure, causing Jiang Zhuoying to shrink back even further: "What do you want?"

She originally wanted to ask, "Are you trying to force me?"

But the tingling sensation on her lips couldn't lie; she was still a little apprehensive, afraid that this person had confirmed her words again...

The man's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly sneered to himself.

Although he appears to have made progress, his courage hasn't grown much.

He changed the subject: "Didn't you just say that I was the one who blocked your great opportunity to rise to prominence?"

"Am I not a better choice?"

"How can they be the same?" the girl retorted without thinking.

“What’s the difference? He’s just the second son of Prince Shen and holds no official position, while I am a prince.”

The girl's hands trembled, her lips trembled, and she almost blurted out the word "shameless".

The man had already stood up and sat down beside her again, leaning down to look her in the eye: "What you can get from him, I can give you, and even more."

A rare, almost imperceptible smile appeared in his eyes, as he intended to tease her.

He knew perfectly well whether she was a person who craved wealth and glory.

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

"But what are your concerns?" His voice was calm, and he seemed to have suppressed his imposing aura at some point.

Jiang Zhuoying naturally didn't want to get herself involved...

She kept too many things from Qi Fan, and even their initial meeting was a calculated scheme.

Right now, she could simply agree to his proposal. If she became his sweetheart, it would be incredibly easy for her to find out about the affairs of the Rui Kingdom's palace.

But if the two of them have this relationship, it will be even more difficult for her to leave in the future.

"Can't I just continue to be a dutiful maid?"

"Be honest and dutiful?" The man repeated the four words, his gaze sweeping over her from head to toe.