Chapter 61 I am unworthy of her intelligence; I have tried every possible method to temporarily...

Fortunately, she was clever and managed to buy some time.

She didn't know how long she could delay, and when she could no longer continue, she would have no choice but to leave.

"Of course not. Your Highness was good in the past, but things are different today."

Qi Fan didn't respond to her words for the time being, but just looked at her with tender and doting eyes.

"What do you think is the reason?"

Jiang Zhuoying suddenly stopped chewing...

What a strange look that is?

Was it gentleness? Why was he looking at her like that, and speaking so softly?

Chu Yixin happened to enter at that moment, holding a secret letter in his hand, and gestured to Qi Fan: "Master."

Jiang Zhuoying was helped to lie down, and candied fruit was placed beside her. A warm palm touched her forehead, followed by a soft, soothing voice that she had never heard before.

"Rest a little longer. Remember, don't use too much candied fruit..."

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Jiang Zhuoying, who was still feeling a bit dizzy, suddenly heard Chu Yixin vaguely mention "the Duke of Rui's Mansion".

She was still in a daze when she suddenly woke up.

She quietly slipped off the bed and tiptoed to find the two figures.

The two did not enter the study, but talked in the hall. She quietly leaned in and whispered in his ear...

Chu Yixin presented the secret letter in her hand, which was handed over by Feiying. It contained news from the Duke of Rui's mansion.

Qi Fan read ten lines at a glance, and by the end, his expression had become quite serious.

He handed the secret letter to Chu Yixin: "Jiang Zheng is still alive."

Jiang Zhuoying, separated from him by a gauze curtain, suddenly narrowed her eyes. Her father was still alive?

"I never imagined that Jiang Lang would be so ruthless. It's just a title, yet it has led to such a fratricidal conflict."

Chu Yixin frowned deeply: "It's really pitiful for Miss Jiang the Second..."

He stopped abruptly, glancing instinctively at Qi Fan's expression, before changing his tone: "But that girl is indeed vicious!"

Jiang Zhuoying, who was almost entirely lying on the gauze curtain, thought: "???"

How is she vicious?

"Jiang girl was so well-behaved and sensible, yet she was ruined into such a state. Alas, if she hadn't met the master after being driven out of the manor, who knows what state she would be in now..."

Jiang Zhuoying belatedly realized that she had been ruthless in framing herself in order to get close to Qi Fan.

Chu Yixin sighed to herself for a moment, then glanced at her master.

Qi Fan sat in the armchair, his expression somewhat grim. After a long while, he finally ordered in a deep voice, "Send someone to Jiaohai to find Jiang Zheng. Make sure he returns to Luojing safely."

"Yes, this servant understands."

Chu Yixin was not surprised to receive such an order. Although General Jiang had suffered a defeat, he had done his best.

The battlefield is ever-changing, and who can guarantee victory in every situation?

Jiang Zhuoying trembled involuntarily. Jiao Hai, is Father in Jiao Hai now? What about my younger brother?

"What about Madam Jiang Zheng?" Chu Yixin asked tentatively in a low voice.

The man glanced at him: "It's a matter of the Duke's household."

Chu Yixin was slightly taken aback; that meant she wouldn't interfere.

"...But this letter says that Zhao intends to harm the Second Miss. Madam Jiang Zheng died unjustly. If we submit the evidence to the Censorate..."

Chu Yixin suddenly paused: "If this servant is not mistaken, the Imperial Censor is from Madam Jiang's maternal family. This incident will surely cause a great upheaval."

Qi Fan said calmly, "What use is this woman if we keep her around?"

Chu Yixin choked for a moment, then immediately stopped talking.

He had been seeing his master's kind face so much lately that he almost forgot that his master was a ruthless and cold-hearted person.

"Step aside. Prepare dinner according to A-Zhuo's preferences."

"Yes, this servant takes his leave."

Chu Yixin respectfully withdrew, and Qi Fan casually burned the secret letter to ashes, straightened the wrinkles on his clothes, and then got up and went to the bedroom.

Jiang Zhuoying had already tiptoed onto the couch when the Duke of Chu announced his departure...

This time, she received a major piece of news without any warning.

Her father was still alive, her younger brother had not been mentioned yet, and as for her uncle and his wife, it seemed they really wanted to kill her.

She just didn't understand why her uncle would harm her when he already had the title of Duke in his grasp.

She had lived peacefully in her manor outside the city for more than three years, so why did they have to want to harm her now?

With just a little recollection, one can know that she contracted the fake smallpox disease just as Jiang Ying was about to get engaged to the Third Prince.

This marriage must have been approved by her grandfather. Could it be that... her grandfather has also arranged a marriage for her?

Her marriage displeased her uncle, who then wanted to harm her.

She had always disdained to speculate about the dark thoughts of others, but now that things had come to this, the words spoken by Eunuch Chu had already revealed their true colors.

The body inside the blankets was trembling slightly, not from cold or heat, but from excessive excitement and anger.

A large hand suddenly pressed against my back, and the man's voice was filled with worry.

Why are you shaking?

Jiang Zhuoying tried hard to suppress her trembling, but the more she tried to stop, the more violently her body trembled.

She bit her lip tightly, her eyes already filled with tears.

"Don't bite."

His rough thumb pried open her lips and lifted her up, blanket and all.

Qi Fan had already sat on the edge of the bed at some point, scooped the soft, limp mass into his arms, and pinched her neck with one hand, wanting to see her face.

"Why are you crying? Are you feeling unwell?"

Rough fingertips brushed across her cheek from the corner of her eye, wiping away the tears that had just welled up in her eyes. But the next moment, her bright, watery eyes, like springs, began to overflow with large tears.

The man's face darkened, his brows furrowed, and he checked her forehead again; it didn't seem like she had a fever.

Jiang Zhuoying shook her head repeatedly, her voice hoarse and muffled, tinged with tears: "No, I feel fine."

Even after receiving a denial, Qi Fan was not at ease.

He let the person in his arms hug his waist, burying their face in his chest and crying hysterically.

Jiang Zhuoying cried loudly for a while before sobbing and trying to explain herself: "I just remembered some things and I'm a little scared."

She steered the conversation toward what had happened at the Third Prince's villa, but what she said wasn't exactly a lie.

She was indeed slow to realize it, and she didn't know when it started, but her uncle and his family were plotting to harm her.

It was after her father went to war that only she and her mother were left at home.

Or was it just a chance encounter?

She was playful from a young age and grew up under the protection of her parents, never having harbored such doubts.

But if she had been more cautious and suspicious, would her mother... have been safe?

"...Your Highness."

She was almost sobbing uncontrollably, her voice filled with an unprecedented sense of grievance. Of course, she had also heard Qi Fan's instructions and knew that he had sent someone to find her father.

Fortunately, without him, she didn't know how she could have accomplished this on her own.

"Thank you, Second Prince."

She thanked him softly, her voice choked with emotion, saying that she owed him.

The man's dark eyes were unfathomable, and he assumed she was terrified.

He pinched the little girl's chin and leaned down to gently kiss the corner of her slightly reddened eyes.

He kissed away the tears on her face.

When he stepped back, Jiang Zhuoying was already stiff all over, her lips slightly parted as she stared at him blankly.

She stood there, stunned, her mind pounding, her heart pounding as if it would jump out of her mouth.

He...

She felt hot all over, but it was a different feeling from the heat she had experienced when she had been soaking in the pool not long ago.

This warmth emanated from within; she could clearly see the tenderness in the man's dark eyes.

Her heart felt like it was swaying in a warm pool, the heat bursting from her chest and throat, making her cheeks burn.

"What are you afraid of? Give me some more time, and no one will dare to bully you again."

The eyes that were staring at her were very dark, and because of the oil lamp, she could see her own reflection in them.

Before this, she hadn't taken Qi Fan's words to heart.

Jiang Zhuoying has always been beautiful and self-aware, and she was pampered growing up, so she has a full heart and lives with confidence.

From what Qi Fan had done to her before, she could see his control, dominance, and possessiveness...

It's perfectly normal for someone in a high position to have these thoughts and attitudes; in his eyes, she was just a mere maid.

An identity he could control anytime, anywhere, and she was so weak and timid.

Before approaching the Second Prince, Jiang Zhuoying never imagined things would develop into what they are today.

But when she heard with her own ears that the other party had ulterior motives towards her, she quickly felt that it was only natural.

For example, my eldest uncle had quite a few concubines in his household, and then there's the third prince...

Although the second prince usually didn't get close to women, she was young and beautiful, and easy for him to have. It's not incomprehensible that he had some thoughts about her.

She could tell that Qi Fan was interested in her and had a certain amount of patience.

This is also why she was able to calm down and buy time.

But today's words made her feel that the situation was getting out of control.

The girl flinched, pulling herself out of her thoughts.

She cautiously raised her eyes and saw that the man's gaze remained unchanged, his eyes half-closed, exuding a more oppressive aura than before.

They are still waiting for her response.

"Then... I'll wait." Jiang Zhuoying stammered, trying to get away with it quickly.

But the next moment, to her astonishment, the man leaned down and gently kissed her slightly swollen eyelids.

A hoarse voice came from above, promising, "I swear to Azhuo, I will never betray you in this life."

Jiang Zhuoying's heart skipped a beat: "Ah...ah?"

Why did you suddenly say something like that?

The hairs on her body stood on end, and a chill ran down her spine...

Jiang Zhuoying silently recalled their conversation.

He said that no one would bully her anymore, and she said she would wait.

What does this have to do with whether he betrayed her or not?

Qi Fan pulled her into his arms and could clearly feel the stiffness in her body. He patted her shoulder and back and patiently comforted her.

"Don't worry, your status is indeed a bit low if you want to get married, but it's not like there's no other way."

Her body, which had just relaxed, suddenly stiffened again: "Get...get married?"

Jiang Zhuoying exclaimed in surprise.

She straightened up, stepped out of the man's arms, and looked on in astonishment.

But upon meeting that impeccably handsome face, her tone softened: "What marriage? This is such a big deal, how can it be decided so casually..."

She managed a weak smile.

How did things develop to the point of marriage?

To marry a maidservant like her? Is he insane?

The man's gaze was dark as he waited for her to be surprised before gradually regaining her composure.

He then spoke slowly, his tone steady: "I see the scars on your shoulder, and I touch them."

Jiang Zhuoying held her breath and slowly touched her shoulder...

"Just now in the carriage, you were crying and demanding an explanation."

His tone shifted from steady to gentle, and finally almost tender: "Are you dissatisfied?"

An invisible pressure made Jiang Zhuoying break out in a cold sweat. She cautiously raised her eyes to glance at the other person's expression.

Seeing the other person staring intently at her, a slight curve appeared at the corner of their lips, but the forced smile didn't reach their eyes.

Jiang Zhuoying swallowed hard: "..."

She was someone who attended the Third Prince's birthday banquet, and this guy always had this expression towards the Third Prince.

He appears gentle, but could deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

Why is she provoking him now?

Having obtained the information I wanted, I can simply find an opportunity to slip away later.

Thinking of this, her expression suddenly changed. Suppressing her anxiety, she smiled slightly.

Two small dimples were also revealed, and as her eyes moved, the corners of her eyes curved into a soft arc, her eyes were charming, yet her gaze was very lively.

She's delicate and alluring.

She adopted her usual sweet and cloying tone: "Second Prince is talking nonsense again, how could I be dissatisfied?"

"But..." Her smile faded, and she glanced timidly at the man's face, "I just thought about my own status, I... I'm not worthy..."

-----------------------

Author's note: Yingbao, just keep acting up.