Chapter 41 uses the man's burning gaze to seemingly casually glance at her...
The man's gaze seemingly casually swept over the top of her head, and his voice softened: "You don't need to wear those double buns anymore."
Although she is pretty, it is obvious that the young girl's skills are not good. I don't know how she stayed in Jiang Zheng's daughter's mansion for so long.
Logically speaking, he should have been expelled from the mansion long ago.
Why?
Meeting those charming peach blossom eyes, Qi Fan was slightly taken aback, then sighed softly in his heart.
It's truly foolish of someone of such beauty to be driven out of the mansion.
Jiang Zhuoying was genuinely puzzled. She frowned slightly, not only by his words but also by his attitude.
Why does it feel like this guy isn't as cold and indifferent to her as before after she injured her foot?
Do you really like delicate girls that much?
"The hairpins and jewelry you saw at Yuanbaolou have already been placed in your room. You can style your hair however you like from now on."
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
What did she think was the reason?
Why make such a big fuss over just one hairpin?
The girl smiled inwardly, but her eyes widened slightly. Her small face, no bigger than a palm, showed surprise and delight, along with a hint of being flattered: "So what the shopkeeper said was all true!"
Qi Fan, unusually intrigued, raised his thick eyebrows, which had been covered by frost for so long: "What did he say?"
Jiang Zhuoying tried her best to act shy: "The shopkeeper said that I can choose whatever I want, and the Second Prince will give it to me."
The little girl's cheeks were slightly flushed, her voice was soft and shy, and her fluffy bunny ears had already drooped down...
Qi Fan's throat felt a little dry. He rubbed his fingertips, but in the end, he couldn't help but reach out and stroke her drooping ear again.
His voice was hoarse when he spoke again: "You only chose one? I'll give you another chance?"
Jiang Zhuoying was clearly immersed in her acting skills.
Without hesitation, she shook her head: "No need."
The man lowered his eyes: "Why?"
The girl looked up and met his gaze, then lowered her head again, muttering, "Second Prince Brother is still wearing ordinary clothes, so he must not be well-off. How could he spend money on me?"
"I am already very satisfied with having a hairpin."
Jiang Zhuoying lowered her head, avoiding the man's gaze, but what she was thinking was—
In that case, you can tell me yourself that you are the mastermind behind Yuanbaolou, right?
Opening your heart is the first step. Once you've done one, what's the next?
She waited patiently for a few moments, but the room remained silent.
Where did things go wrong?
Jiang Zhuoying looked up again, and when their eyes met, she was taken aback.
The gaze of the person before me was deep and intense, and one could even sense the aggression and possessiveness unique to those in a superior position.
She was used to being treated with indifference and had never seen such a look in her eyes before.
But when she blinked and looked over again, the other person's eyes had returned to their usual coldness.
That eye contact just now seemed to be her imagination.
Qi Fan had already turned around, his voice still unsteady: "You're overthinking it. Yuanbaolou is mine. If you see anything you like in the future, just tell the manager."
He didn't even see the shock and joy in the little girl's eyes before he hurriedly left the study.
Jiang Zhuoying was indeed pleased to hear this, but the reason for her joy was not what she had imagined.
The girl watched his retreating figure, feeling not only excitement but also a bit of confusion.
Why are you walking so fast? Are you in a hurry to go to the toilet?
Not long after the man left, Chu Yixin brought over dinner.
Jiang Zhuoying was so tempted by the delicious aroma of the food that she was almost dizzy with hunger. She was still thinking about what to do for her dinner when Eunuch Chu had already spoken.
"Jiang girl? I said your legs aren't very strong, and Ah Liu isn't here right now, so why don't you stay for dinner today?"
Jiang Zhuoying thought for a moment and then agreed.
Why shouldn't we seize this opportunity to make things convenient for her?
The girl nodded obediently and sat down at the dining table with Chu Yixin's help.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—
Jiang Zhuoying swallowed again and looked at Chu Yixin, who was standing guard to the side.
She hesitated, then asked, "Eunuch Chu... what is His Highness doing?"
If she had known she would have to wait for him for so long, she wouldn't have sat down here so soon. Not only was there no soft cushion, but she also had to smell the delicious food up close.
You should know that she was starving!
"this……"
Chu Yixin glanced in the direction of the bathhouse. He could guess a little, but it wasn't appropriate to explain it to Jiang Yatou in detail.
"Ahem, shall I help you back to sit for a while?"
Jiang Zhuoying shook her head. It was a pointless and unnecessary thing.
After waiting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the food was almost cold when Qi Fan finally arrived, albeit late.
Jiang Zhuoying could tell at a glance that he had changed his clothes and his dark hair was slightly damp.
She actually took advantage of this little bit of time to shower and change!
Thinking about how long she had been waiting anxiously, Jiang Zhuoying really couldn't swallow this insult.
She immediately leaned over and served the man some food: "This Dongpo pork looks fatty but not greasy and melts in your mouth. Second Prince, you are too thin and should eat more to nourish yourself."
Hehe, how about trying some refreshingly cold fatty meat?
Qi Fan glanced at her, then put the meat into his mouth with an unreadable expression.
Before he could even chew, he heard the girl's panicked voice again.
"Oh dear, has the meat gotten cold? We can't use the fatty meat if it's cold. It's all my fault for being so hungry that I forgot about this for a moment. I hope Second Prince won't be angry with me?"
The man swallowed the food in his mouth, then gave her a long, meaningful look: "How could this be?"
Jiang Zhuoying looked away, offered a casual apology, and soon heard an order to have the food reheated.
After the meal, Jiang Zhuoying was carried back to her room.
She had only wanted to ask Eunuch Chu to help her, but someone with a cold face offered to personally escort her back as a gesture of apology.
As for what kind of apology it is?
Naturally, it was an apology for leaving her waiting for so long and making her starve.
Jiang Zhuoying was flattered but reluctantly agreed, and was then carried back to her room.
As she passed the dressing table, she initially glanced at it briefly, but the next moment...
A bunch of small hills?
The girl craned her neck to look back, and the man above her asked in a cold, indifferent voice, "What are you looking at?"
"Huh? What are those things on the dressing table?"
She already had a vague idea in her mind.
"Of course, it's because you've seen the hairpins and jewelry."
It really is?!
Is it really just "seen" in the literal sense?
Look at that pile of brocade boxes; they must have been sent over to anyone she glanced at more than a few times today.
The man placed her on the couch, looking down at the girl who was gasping softly, his eyes flickering slightly.
Could something this small really shock her so much?
Are you satisfied with what you've seen?
Jiang Zhuoying's pupils widened slightly; she was indeed shocked.
Although she was originally a young lady from the Duke's mansion and did not lack these things, she had never received so much jewelry at once.
Her jewelry consisted of pieces she bought herself and gifts from her parents; it was something she accumulated gradually.
It doesn't appear out of thin air like it does today.
Moreover, according to her recollection, those items she saw were not ordinary objects; they were all quite expensive.
What exactly are the Second Prince's intentions towards her?
If we only consider her an ordinary maid, why would we need these things?
As if guessing what she was thinking, the indifferent voice above her continued: "Don't worry, you are my maid, it is only right that I take care of you."
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
She suddenly looked up: "What about Ah Liu? Does she have so much jewelry too?"
The man glanced at her, his gaze seemingly meaningful: "She is not my maid."
The girl frowned: "Then who is she?"
“She considers herself the same as Pei Yun and Xie Ling.”
"Have I ever said that you are the only maidservant by my side?"
Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback; she understood.
It seems that although Ah Liu is ostensibly a maid in the Second Prince's mansion in Luoyang, she is also a guard by the Second Prince's side and has to do real work.
Unlike her, who spent her days serving tea and water and munching on pastries whenever she had free time.
Does this mean that these things... are a privilege reserved for her, the only maidservant?
But why did she always feel something was off?
Qi Fan didn't linger; he left after putting her down.
Jiang Zhuoying jumped up and down to check, and it was indeed the jewelry she had "seen".
After pondering this for a while, she finally came to a conclusion—
She was only one step away from becoming a maid truly trusted by the Second Prince.
Given this... a plan that was bound to succeed gradually formed in her mind.
Ah Liu returned at night, and with her help, it was much easier for Jiang Zhuoying to go to the outhouse or the bathroom.
Jiang Zhuoying planned to wait until her foot injury healed before making any further plans.
During her time recovering from her ankle injury, Jiang Zhuoying did her best to play the role of a well-behaved and obedient maid, which made Qi Fan occasionally show a gentle expression, and her relationship with A Liu also became better and better.
...
That evening, Jiang Zhuoying brought a food box to the fish pond in the backyard to feed Zhuozhuo.
Having scouted the area beforehand and confirmed that she was the only one there, Jiang Zhuoying held a porcelain spoon in each hand, one containing crab meat and the other shrimp meat.
She placed both spoons on the surface of the water.
"Zhuozhuo, there's something I want to discuss with you. It's like this..."
"So, if you agree, then eat the crab meat first; if you disagree, then eat the shrimp meat first?"
Jiang Zhuoying watched the red carp's every move in the water with bated breath.
What she was about to do involved taking advantage of Zhuozhuo, and since Zhuozhuo was such a spirited carp, Jiang Zhuoying decided to ask her about it beforehand.
If Zhuozhuo was unwilling, then she would think of other ways.
The fiery red carp swam over, wagging its tail fin, and swallowed the crab meat from the girl's left hand without hesitation.
Jiang Zhuoying's pupils dilated slightly, and her voice was tinged with excitement: "Really? You really agreed?"
These things always happen by chance. Jiang Zhuoying calmed herself down and tried the same trick again.
“Let’s do it again! Zhuozhuo, if you agree, we’ll use crab meat; if you don’t agree, we’ll use shrimp meat.”
Fei Li swallowed the crab meat from her right hand in one gulp.
Jiang Zhuoying felt much more at ease, and then fed it and even reached into the water to stroke its head.
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