Because of this, Xiao Shan was questioned repeatedly by those women, but they couldn't get any answers from him. They all assumed that Xiao Shan was unwilling to tell them.

Xiao Shan was also scared, but since there was no real need for it, he let Minghe go in and serve him that night.

From the moment Minghe entered the study until midnight, Xiao Jingying, who was busy with official business, didn't even glance at him. Minghe suspected that he didn't even know who was serving him.

After Xiao Jingying finally finished his official business, he looked at Minghe, propped his head up with his hand, and said, "Come here."

Minghe paused for a moment, then went over.

"Squat down," Xiao Jingying ordered him again.

Minghe didn't understand what he was going to do, but she obediently squatted down anyway.

Xiao Jingying pinched his face and looked at the handprint on his face.

In the flickering candlelight, Xiao Jingying's gaze drifted slightly, and he saw Minghe kneeling in front of him, looking at him with a somewhat confused expression.

He remembered those eyes—without fear, without desire—and when they smiled, they were filled with joy.

Perhaps having seen too many people, he suddenly turned around and saw these eyes again, only to realize that no one's eyes could be so pure when looking at him.

This is not vulgar at all.

My interest, which I had long since lost, was suddenly rekindled at this moment.

"Does it hurt?" Xiao Jingying asked him, her tone unexpectedly gentle.

Minghe: "...It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Look at you," Xiao Jingying scolded him in a slightly hoarse voice, "you didn't even know how to hide."

Minghe thought to herself, "This is called professional ethics. A servant can't avoid his master's slap."

He didn't answer, and Xiao Jingying didn't care; his eyes grew darker and darker.

Minghe felt that Xiao Jingying was terrifyingly gentle today.

He was actually familiar with this version of Xiao Jingying.

The gentler and more considerate they are in their speech, the more... fierce their actions become.

“Come on,” Xiao Jingying caressed his lips, coaxing him gently, “open your mouth.”

Minghe's pupils twitched, then she smiled and complied.

In no time, those clear eyes filled with tears.

Tonight, it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Minghe covered her mouth as she left the study, coughing all the way back to the servants' quarters. After tidying up, she sat on the bed and couldn't help but gag a little.

Then, Minghe lay flat on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

He felt that this wouldn't work.

He said to Xiao Guai, "This, cough cough! This won't do."

"..." Xiao Guai's eyes were wet. "No, it won't work."

Minghe: "When I watched palace dramas before, it seemed like all the servants were promoted from the emperor's concubines."

Little Darling: "You want to..."

"I want to sleep! Cough cough! I want to sleep..." Minghe turned over and fell asleep.

After that day, Xiao Jingying noticed that Minghe was hanging around him less, and he didn't even see her for several days.

But he didn't care, after all, Minghe was just a servant.

There are plenty of servants in this mansion, so one more won't make a difference.

At this moment, a beautiful woman was reclining on a couch, fanning herself. At her feet, Minghe was kneeling in front of her, massaging her legs.

Speaking of the women in this manor, although Xiao Jingying did not give any of them official titles, the woman in front of him was, after all, the illegitimate daughter of a fourth-rank official. She was different from the other women who could be given away at will.

From now on, this Zhang Qing'er will at least be a concubine.

That's why Minghe came to curry favor with her.

“Isn’t that right?” Minghe said, with a hint of resentment in her voice, deliberately letting Zhang Qing’er see it. “The master has been summoned to the Xiao family again, and he’s taken Xiao Shan with him again!”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qing'er raised her jade-like foot and lightly kicked him on the shoulder, saying, "So you can't get close to your master, that's why you came to me!"

Minghe rubbed her shoulder and smiled, "Miss Zhang, what are you saying?"

Zhang Qing'er looked at him with a smug expression.

In this mansion, Minghe had served Xiao Jingying closely, but now that Xiao Shan had stolen his thunder, he had come to Zhang Qing'er's place.

What does that tell us?

This only shows that in this servant's mind, Zhang Qing'er is different from the other women in this mansion.

Minghe climbed over again and massaged her legs.

These past few days, Minghe has been trying all sorts of ways to please her, either by styling her hair in the most fashionable updo in the capital or by going out to find her all sorts of little trinkets.

On this day, Zhang Qing'er suddenly had a whim and said she wanted to eat chestnut cakes from the East City.

The East City is at least five miles away from here, and Minghe went there without saying a word.

He ran over and bought some, but because Zhang Qing'er said she wanted to eat them hot, Minghe hid the pancakes in her bosom to keep them warm while they were still hot.

The freshly baked pancakes were so hot that he winced in pain.

"Minghe, you're pushing yourself too hard." Xiaoguai felt sorry for him.

“You don’t understand,” Minghe said, running back with the cake in her arms. “I have high hopes for this girl. She’s not just pretty, she’s also very smart. Look at her since she entered the manor, she hasn’t been in a hurry to compete for favor. She can even spend time with Xiao Jingying under the moon and flowers, reciting a few lines of poetry. Maybe one day they will definitely become true love.”

"When that time comes, as long as Zhang Qing'er does as I say and whispers sweet nothings in Xiao Jingying's ear, I don't believe he can do anything heinous!"

Xiao Guai understood and gave him a thumbs up: "Awesome!"

Minghe was running so fast that he bumped into several people. His legs were as weak as noodles, but he didn't dare to delay for even a moment.

I didn't know; I thought someone was chasing him.

“My lord,” Xiao Shan said with a smile, “look, isn’t that Minghe from our manor?”

Xiao Jingying, who was riding on horseback, looked at Minghe and frowned.

Why isn't he staying at home? What is he doing here?

Seeing Xiao Jingying frown, Xiao Shan immediately called out to Minghe, "Minghe—"

Minghe was already exhausted and unsteady on his feet when a familiar person called out to him. He lost his footing and fell forward, landing face-first in the mud.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Shan burst into laughter.

This Minghe, who usually tries to steal his thunder, naturally makes Xiao Shan somewhat hostile towards him. Now that he sees him in such a sorry state, he can't help but laugh at him.

He was laughing happily, but for some reason, it felt as if a heavy blade was pressing down on his head.

He looked up in confusion and suddenly saw Xiao Jingying's eyes. Although he didn't know why, he was so frightened that he immediately lowered his head, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Xiao Jinying spurred his horse and headed towards Minghe.

But Minghe, who had just gotten up, didn't even stand up. Instead, he knelt on the street and immediately looked at the pancake in his arms.

Although the pancake was no longer hot, several large blisters had formed on his chest, and it hurt terribly to the touch.