Chapter 51 is all your fault, seemingly implying that having her riding with the master like this...

It seems to be saying that there is a maid like her who rides in the same carriage as her master and whose clothes and living conditions are even better than her master's.

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

It's all her fault for being careless back then; she should have known that there must be a reason for this person's sudden change in attitude.

This is clearly taking advantage of her ignorance and naivety.

She had foolishly thought she was about to become the number one maidservant by the Second Prince's side.

Waaah... So it turns out I've been targeted by this wolf!

She couldn't respond to him, nor could she anger him, so she could only nitpick some trivial faults.

"But...you're different from him."

The man was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized that "he" referred to Gu Yanqing.

"What's the difference?"

He was curious to hear how the young girl described the difference between himself and that hothead.

Jiang Zhuoying pursed her lips and said, half-jokingly, "You are much older than us, and not of the same generation."

Qi Fan's expression gradually hardened.

"and……"

"Um?"

Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback, and looked up to see that his face had become somewhat stiff.

She's never one to bottle up her feelings; if she's unhappy, she'll speak out, or she'll retaliate by making the unpleasantness even worse.

So she took the opportunity to express her displeasure: "Your Highness has always looked down on me, and now you want to use your status as a prince to bully me?"

Qi Fan frowned upon hearing this, but immediately understood that they were referring to what had happened in the room earlier.

“A-Zhuo”.

His voice was deep and husky, with a hint of persuasion.

Jiang Zhuoying's heart skipped a beat. She didn't dare to look up and hurriedly looked away, saying, "Your Highness, please feel free to give your orders."

Then she felt a warm breath that made her tremble slowly blowing towards her ear.

"Ah Zhuo... how can you be so stupid?" His voice was slow and magnetic, drilling straight into my ears.

Jiang Zhuoying: "???"

Why not talk things out properly? Why call her stupid?

She was praised from a young age, and everyone who met her praised her for being exceptionally intelligent.

"Now we have an opportunity to stop being a maid?"

Jiang Zhuoying forced a smile: "I appreciate Your Highness's kindness, but I am not interested in wealth and glory. I think being a maid is just fine."

"Just now you were saying you wanted to rise to prominence, and even that you were willing to become Yanqing's concubine, but now, Azhuo is... playing favorites?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

He inadvertently got caught up in it.

The man's gaze gradually darkened, and his eyes slowly moved downwards. The girl keenly sensed danger.

"Or do you want to be—" His Adam's apple bobbed as he looked directly at her rosy lips, "a maid like that?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "!!!"

The girl covered her mouth with her hands in surprise.

"Is this the kind of fun you young people have?"

"I……"

"If you are pleased, it is not impossible to do as you wish."

Jiang Zhuoying's pupils widened slightly. Wasn't he originally a cold and aloof person?

How did he manage to say those words in such a cold tone?

"Have you thought it through?"

"No! No, please allow me to think about it..."

Jiang Zhuoying hurriedly interrupted him.

This guy is too cunning. She needs to stay away from him. If she gets too close, she'll be led by the nose without even realizing it!

The man sat up straight, giving her a long, thoughtful look: "How do you intend to think this through? How long will it take?"

Jiang Zhuoying broke out in a cold sweat. After hearing this, she felt that this person's eyes were different from before.

In the past, his gaze was indifferent, aloof, and distant, but now it is dark and obscure.

It inexplicably made her feel dangerous.

"I... three."

"Three days?" The man nodded. "Okay."

The girl hurriedly shook her head: "March! It's March!"

Qi Fan looked at her, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed. Jiang Zhuoying straightened her back; this matter could not be compromised.

She had already decided that she must obtain all the secrets about the Duke of Rui's mansion within these three months!

She was rapidly planning her next move in her mind, completely unaware of the change in the man's gaze.

Suddenly, her arm was grabbed, and Jiang Zhuoying was startled: "What?"

The man's face was rather grim: "The wound reopened, why didn't you say so?"

"ah?"

Jiang Zhuoying turned her head to look and then noticed that dark red blood had seeped out from her shoulder.

The dark red she wore today was a pale pink, making the dark red stand out even more.

She was bleeding... Jiang Zhuoying immediately began to look weak and aggrieved...

When did she suffer such a serious injury?

Last time she was stabbed, her wound had already been bandaged when she woke up, but today, seeing the blood seeping through her clothes, it was all her own blood!

"..."

The girl looked up at him, her eyelashes instantly becoming wet, her eyes filled with grievance and helplessness.

Just then, the carriage stopped, and Chu Yixin's voice came from outside, saying that they had arrived at the villa.

Jiang Zhuoying didn't dare to move at all, turning her head to look at her right shoulder, feeling both angry and aggrieved.

She felt a lightness in her body; she was already familiar with this position and knew that she had been picked up again.

"Waaah... It's all your fault!"

Chu Yixin, who was waiting at the door, kept her head slightly lowered, seemingly lost in thought.

He had overheard some of the commotion inside the carriage on the way there. It seemed that from now on, he could no longer treat Jiang the same way he had before!

Jiang Zhuoying was sent back to her room, and A-Liu reapplied the medicine and bandaged her wounds.

After changing her clothes, she leaned against the couch and glanced in the direction of the door, her expression not very pleasant.

She was just pretending to be worried about him, but now she can't even be seen!

Seeing the direction she was looking, Ah Liu thoughtfully replied, "Does Miss Jiang wish to see her master? I'll go and inform him right away."

Jiang Zhuoying's face stiffened: "No, I don't want to see him at all."

Ah Liu couldn't help but smile upon hearing this: "Okay."

Even after dinner, Jiang Zhuoying did not mention that person again. She had been frightened repeatedly during the day, and her wounds had reopened. Not long after dinner, she fell into a deep sleep on the soft couch.

When I woke up the next day, it was still early.

She rubbed her eyes, and the gauze curtains swayed, revealing Ah Liu peeking in.

Jiang Zhuoying's voice was a little hoarse: "A-Liu?"

She wasn't surprised to see Ah Liu when she opened her eyes. Ah Liu had moved in with her in this room after she was injured.

“The master came by after you fell asleep yesterday, and he was the one who carried you to the bed.”

Jiang Zhuoying was taken aback: "???"

Did she just ask about the Second Prince?

He glanced at Ah Liu and saw that her expression was normal, and she showed no emotion, acting as if she were just doing her job.

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

Ah Liu's personality was quite different from that of Xiang Yue and Xiang Xing, who were by her side.

Xiangxing is gentle and considerate, Xiangyue is innocent and lively, but A-Liu is just too composed.

However… she suddenly remembered something.

The girl suddenly sat up straight: "Ah Liu, His Highness and I... I,"

She originally wanted to explain to Ah Liu, but when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she realized that she couldn't explain it clearly.

"Don't worry, Miss Jiang, I understand, and I won't say anything more."

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

If you can't explain it, then give up.

Jiang Zhuoying originally thought that Qi Fan would definitely come to see her today, but a day passed and she still didn't see him. She heard from A Liu that he had taken Eunuch Chu out.

At first, she did feel a little uncomfortable, but after lunch she went to see Zhuozhuo and didn't care about that person anymore.

Human hearts are unpredictable. She had deceived him so much, yet the more sincere he was towards her, the more guilty she felt.

The girl touched the smooth head of the red carp in the pond: "Zhuozhuo, you've grown even more beautiful in just a few days!"

The red carp rubbed against her palm, swimming back and forth. Jiang Zhuoying sighed inwardly and pointed to her right shoulder.

"Zhuozhuo must be a celestial carp sent from heaven. It was all my fault for having wicked thoughts, and now I'm reaping what I sowed."

After watching Zhuozhuo, she had nothing to do, so she went back to her room. Recently, she had been enjoying the osmanthus almond tofu, and she used three whole dishes of it before going to bed.

Until a cold, sharp voice came from the doorway: "Take it away."

The girl suddenly looked up, her oval face full of confusion: "?"

Qi Fan happened to be looking at her, and seeing Jiang Zhuoying's confused expression, he walked over with his hands behind his back.

Ah Liu followed behind him with his head down, a hint of difficulty showing on his usually calm face.

Jiang Zhuoying sensed something and immediately reached out to protect the bowls and plates in front of her.

She looked up and asked, "What do you want to do?"

It's one thing to dawdle and not come to see her, but this person comes and immediately tries to make things difficult for her?

The man pursed his lips, and his serious demeanor was somewhat intimidating.

But Jiang Zhuoying wasn't afraid of his face.

"Listen to me, you can't have any more of these sweet snacks." He said sternly, his tone slightly stiff.

Why?

It was just a few dishes of osmanthus almond tofu; was it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it?

"Ahem, Miss Jiang, your shoulder injury hasn't fully healed yet. These things are too sweet and will hinder the wound's recovery."

This is Ah Liu's explanation from the side.

Jiang Zhuoying's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed; so that's how it is.

Why not just talk to her nicely? Why be so domineering?

As she watched Ah Liu take the things away, Qi Fan took the opportunity to sit down next to her.

What are you doing here?

The girl's tone wasn't friendly, and her eyes were filled with wariness as she looked at him.

This person is a far cry from the timid, obedient person who used to be, easily frightened and crying.

The man lowered his eyes slightly, tapping his fingertips lightly on his knee. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke softly: "It's my third brother's birthday. He specially invites you to his residence as a guest."

Jiang Zhuoying's attention was suddenly diverted, her brown pupils widened slightly, and her charming peach blossom eyes turned into round eyes.

"I?"

The chilling gaze she had felt that day returned to her mind, and she couldn't help but flinch slightly.

Why did you invite me?

Her current status is nothing more than a maidservant. If one has to draw a connection, it's with Xie Xiao, whom she met by chance outside Yuanbao Tower that day...

“In his eyes, you are my concubine.”

The man answered at the right time, in a calm tone.

It really is so... Saying she was the second prince's concubine was meant to discourage the third prince from pursuing her.

But this reason can only be used to guard against gentlemen.

The young woman frowned, her face clouded with worry: "How could a mere concubine be qualified to attend His Highness's birthday banquet?"

Jiang Ying is highly likely to appear on the Third Prince's birthday, which would make it even more likely that she would be exposed.

The man glanced at her, seeing her worried face, and couldn't bear to make things difficult for her.

A casual remark: "Then forget it."

The low voice reached Jiang Zhuoying's ears, and she truly breathed a sigh of relief.

...

The next day.

Jiang Zhuoying was still having breakfast when Chu Yixin came with a whisk to deliver a message, asking if she was going to the main room to work today.

The girl's face was contorted with emotion. She had suffered such severe injuries and had only rested for a few days?

Does this guy really not want her to rest?

But she really should stay by Qi Fan's side more often, so as not to miss any important news.