Chapter 65 Testing the Waters "After these past few days of careful consideration, I still..."
"After careful consideration these past few days, I still think it's best to stay and serve Your Highness as your personal maid, and continue to serve you attentively."
The girl carefully curved her lips into a smile, revealing two dimples, her peach-blossom eyes full of flattery: "Second Prince, I wonder if you could grant my wish?"
The chilling, terrifying aura surrounding her gradually weakened...
The man's voice was slightly deep: "How long do you plan to keep this personal maidservant?"
Seeing the obvious change in someone's attitude, Jiang Zhuoying slowly leaned closer, smiling cautiously: "Naturally, it's all thanks to a single word from the Second Prince."
His dark eyes stared directly at her, and the frost in his eyes slowly melted away.
“This servant has caused a great disaster and knows that I am no longer worthy of Your Highness’s favor. If Your Highness agrees, this servant is willing to serve Your Highness as a maid for the rest of my life.”
The girl's voice grew weaker and weaker as she sensed the atmosphere around her suddenly becoming tense, even more so than before.
Qi Fan's gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared at her.
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
She lowered her head guiltily...
She was indeed hesitant, and her mind was wavering.
"Serve? Can you?" the man chuckled.
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
"I……"
She stammered, her heart conflicted, no longer able to speak her mind as easily as she had when they first met.
Even though there were multiple versions of the story, she couldn't say anything at that moment.
The girl let out a soft breath and fell silent...
The carriage fell silent again. After some time, Chu Yixin announced from outside that they had arrived.
Jiang Zhuoying glanced out the window subconsciously and met a pair of round eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat; it was Xiangyue.
The girl quickly lowered her eyes, stood up, and followed Qi Fan off the carriage.
The man walked inside without changing his expression, when suddenly a tiny force tugged at his sleeve.
He paused slightly, turning his head to ask, "What?"
"Can I...can I have a sugar figurine?"
Qi Fan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and after a few breaths, he followed the little girl's gaze and looked at the vendors in front of him.
Outside Yuanbaolou is Zhuque Street, where vendors come and go in an endless stream, including stalls selling sugar figurines.
He glanced at Chu Yixin, who nodded and immediately turned around, clearly heading towards the sugar figurine stall.
Jiang Zhuoying panicked and shook the sleeve of the man, saying, "I want to choose for myself."
Qi Fan's expression stiffened slightly, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was hoarse: "Come back."
"Why!"
Chu Yixin hadn't taken more than a few steps when she turned back, smiling brightly, "Jiang girl, I'll go with you, shall we go?"
If we don't let Eunuch Chu accompany us, it would seem too deliberate.
Jiang Zhuoying had no choice but to nod.
There was more than one stall selling sugar figurines, but Xiangyue's was the most ordinary, with unremarkable designs, and the stall was deserted.
Chu Yixin naturally headed towards the bustling entrance, but Jiang Zhuoying quickly grabbed his sleeve and shook her head.
"There are too many customers there, and we don't know how long we'll have to wait. His Highness is still waiting for us. Let's go somewhere less crowded."
Chu Yixin glanced at her in surprise: "You're really thoughtful to have such an idea."
Jiang Zhuoying chuckled twice and headed towards Xiangyue first.
Xiangyue ordered a sugar figurine of a little rabbit, and she made it extremely slowly, so slowly that even Chu Yixin couldn't bear to watch.
He twitched the corner of his mouth: "Young lady, did you just start making sugar figurines today?"
Xiangyue's expression remained unchanged, her mind focused on the movements of her hands. Without even looking up, she replied, "Indeed, the movements are a bit slow, but slow and steady wins the race. I hope you will be patient."
Chu Yixin hesitated, then pursed her lips and shut up.
As the waiting time goes on, some free time will inevitably be found.
It was during this brief moment of free time that Jiang Zhuoying received the letter that Xiangyue had secretly handed to her.
The rabbit-shaped sugar figurine I received was simple yet exquisite, and tasted great too.
Chu Yixin glanced at another sugar figurine stall not far away. After waiting for so long, it would have been better to take Jiang Yatou there from the beginning!
...
When the two arrived at the third floor of Yuanbao Tower, Jiang Zhuoying was already familiar with the place. She pushed open the door to the private room, and inside was none other than the female doctor from Baofu Medical Hall whom she had met before.
Liu Zhiyou.
Jiang Zhuoying never expected that Liu Zhiyou's special visit to see her was at Qi Fan's behest.
The purpose was... to give her female friends with whom she could communicate and play.
Jiang Zhuoying felt a little depressed. If Qi Fan's feelings for her were not genuine, but just a passing fancy, or if he only wanted to force her, then she would feel better.
Such methods, however, inexplicably made her feel a pang of bitterness.
This can't go on... She was afraid she wouldn't be able to get away, and she felt increasingly guilty towards him.
After managing to keep up a smile and a few words with Liu Zhiyou, Qi Fan's matter was also settled. The man asked her with a stern face where she wanted to go next.
The girl shook her head, saying that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to go back.
The man looked at her a couple more times, then suddenly blurted out, "Wasn't your period supposed to start half a month ago?"
Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback: "???"
A blush instantly spread across her cheeks, and she gave him a half-hearted glare: "It's none of your business as a woman's thoughts."
The man hesitated, then stopped himself from speaking: "..."
Back at the villa, Jiang Zhuoying went smoothly back to her room without anyone stopping her, and the matter of being confined was over.
She quietly finished reading the letter Xiangyue had given her, and following the instructions, Jiang Ying sent a message to the manor.
Jiang Ying told her not to return to the Duke's mansion.
Coincidentally, not long after this message arrived, her aunt also sent someone to deliver a message saying that her mourning period was over and that someone would come to pick her up and take her back to the mansion in two days.
Grandfather wanted to see her.
Jiang Zhuoying casually burned the scroll to ashes, already having made up her mind.
For the next two days, she behaved herself as a proper personal maid, much better than before.
She never sat on the soft couch in the study again, nor did she touch the mouthwatering pastries and snacks...
Every day, I simply follow the rules and complete my assigned tasks.
Everything was fine, except for someone's increasingly gloomy eyes.
Finally, in the evening of this day, Chu Yixin set out the meal in the hall as usual, and Jiang Zhuoying also curtsied, preparing to take her leave. She also had to have her meal and feed Zhuozhuo on the way.
She slightly bent her knees and lowered her eyes, saying, "This servant will take her leave now."
"come over."
Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback, and raised her eyes: "Your Highness?"
The man stared intently, not as if he were joking.
She straightened up, slowly walked around the desk, and stood beside the man, kneeling again: "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
The man had already turned his gaze back to the book in his hands, and said in a calm tone, "Clean up the desk."
Jiang Zhuoying was a little confused. The day was almost over, why didn't you say it earlier, why did you have to say it now?
However, she still leaned forward in the direction the man had indicated—
"Hmm..."
With a soft cry, she felt herself stumble and then fell into Qi Fan's arms.
"Your Highness?"
She tried to stand up in a panic, but the tightness around her waist prevented her from moving, leaving her only able to sit sideways on someone's lap.
"Didn't we agree that His Highness would only treat me as a maid?"
Jiang Zhuoying lowered her head, staring only at the folds of her skirt above her knees, and murmured softly.
"Who agreed with you?"
The voice above was gloomy and clearly displeased.
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
That was indeed not agreed upon; it was merely a temporary expedient for her.
Her chin was hooked and a little force was applied, causing her to lift her head uncontrollably.
Meeting those deep, dark eyes, though calm, it wasn't hard to sense the undercurrents beneath the surface.
What else do you want?
Jiang Zhuoying looked away: "Your Highness is joking. How could this servant dare to accept anything?"
"Hiss~" The girl frowned slightly, and the force of her grip on her chin increased, forcing her to look at him again.
Their eyes met, and an undercurrent of tension surged.
"I can grant you anything you want."
The implication was too strong, and the girl's eyes flickered slightly.
She spoke softly, "Your Highness, I am but a maid. Your Highness is a man of great vision and will not stop at the present. How can you make any promises?"
His dark eyes held a cryptic gaze: "You don't believe me?"
Jiang Zhuoying lowered her eyes: "It's not that I don't believe you, but between Your Highness and me, I have no right to talk about belief or disbelief. As long as Your Highness wants it, I will be your bedmate sooner or later, and how can I escape?"
"If you know this, why have you been so slow to respond? Besides, isn't this what you wanted in the first place?"
Her pink, moist lips pursed slightly: "This servant regrets it. When I first learned of Your Highness's situation, I only wanted to curry favor with you to protect myself, but..."
The girl frowned: "But I have seen the filth in the Third Prince's residence. With my petty schemes, I may lose my life at any time."
"If Your Highness has any request, this servant will naturally have one as well."
Qi Fan remained silent for a long time, but she could feel his breathing becoming heavier and the oppressive aura around him growing stronger.
"Sir? When will we have our meal? The food will probably get cold again soon!"
Chu Yixin's light and high-pitched voice came from outside, but suddenly stopped.
Look what he saw.
Chu Yixin's eyelids twitched. When did these two develop into this situation right under his nose?
How did they end up hugging?
Qi Fan's brow twitched, his eyes showing displeasure: "Aren't you going to step back?"
"Yes, yes! This servant will take his leave now. Have the food taken away first? Later..."
Seeing his master's face growing darker and darker, Chu Yixin swung his whisk and rushed out, afraid of being a step too slow.
"I'll serve the meal later, Master! Please take your time..."
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
Even though she didn't turn around at all, she knew what Eunuch Chu was imagining. The color of her ears gradually deepened, turning as red as if they were about to bleed.
She tried to get up, but the strength in her waist did not lessen at all.
"Is this all you wanted?"
Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback. Her thoughts were a bit jumbled after being interrupted by Eunuch Chu, and she couldn't immediately grasp the meaning behind the man's words.
Qi Fan pursed his lips and gently reminded him, "Are you afraid of your third brother?"
The girl paused for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Then?" Jiang Zhuoying raised her eyes slightly and looked into his eyes.
"With me protecting you, you can live in peace forever and will not be affected by any storms."
His tone was slightly somber, and his dark eyes revealed a calm and profound depth.
Jiang Zhuoying's heart trembled slightly, and her voice tightened: "But... as a servant, I can't give Your Highness anything. Even the Third Prince, isn't he going to marry the eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion?"
"I am just a maidservant, a servant."
She nervously twisted her sleeves, stammering as she spoke, unsure of what she was saying.
Originally, the intention was to separate the two of them as much as possible, so why does it seem like a test?
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Author's Note: Qi Gou: What are the worries of a young woman...?
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