Jiang Luoluo blushed with embarrassment at the teasing, and quickly turned her head away, picking up a cup of tea and taking a sip to hide her awkwardness.
The aroma of tea wafted through the air, and her lowered eyes resembled blooming petals, exuding a touch of innocent charm.
Xie Yizhi looked at her; her beautiful cheeks were now as red as ripe apples, and an uncontrollable joy welled up in his heart.
Seeing her so shy, he couldn't bear to tease her any longer. He changed his tone and asked directly, "Luo Luo, has your mother made things difficult for you?"
Jiang Luoluo gently put down her teacup, raised her eyes and smiled calmly: "No, it was just that I stood in the scorching sun for a while."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yizhi frowned slightly, his eyes filled with remorse: "I was late, Luo Luo, I'm sorry."
Jiang Luoluo shook her head generously, a reassuring smile on her lips: "What wrong has Your Highness done? You only stood there for a while. I'm not made of clay; such a small trick is not enough to stump me."
Xie Yizhi's brows furrowed with worry, and he said with a slightly grave expression, "Based on my understanding of her, her methods are probably not limited to this..."
Jiang Luoluo nodded with a faint smile, her tone relaxed yet tinged with cunning: "Indeed, it's not just these little tricks."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yizhi's heart tightened. He was about to ask for details when Jiang Luoluo said lightly, "Empress Dowager Du asked me to be her spy by your side."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yizhi's expression froze, and the words he was about to say stuck in his throat.
He stared straight at Jiang Luoluo, speechless for a long time, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"So... Luo Luo, how did you reject her?" he asked in a low voice, his tone subtly revealing a hint of probing and worry.
Jiang Luoluo sat up straight, her expression serious: "Of course I agreed to her request."
Xie Yizhi froze, his pupils contracted slightly, and a moment of disbelief appeared on his face.
But before he could speak, Jiang Luoluo added in a calm tone: "In a few days, the Empress Dowager will go to Yuanhua Temple to offer incense. She invited me to go with her and asked me to tell her everything about His Highness's movements these days."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yizhi was speechless. His brows furrowed slightly, his gaze deep, as if her words were stuck in his throat.
His indulgence of her may have truly reached a point where even he himself could no longer control it.
After all, no informant could survive unscathed by his side.
Over the years, both Empress Dowager Du and Prince Yan have sent many spies to infiltrate his inner circle.
He has never shown any mercy; once he senses something amiss, he will find various reasons to eliminate the threat completely.
For this reason, Empress Dowager Du and Prince Yan repeatedly used this opportunity to promote his ruthlessness and even fabricated the name of Prince Yi as cruel and bloodthirsty.
Yet at this moment, Jiang Luoluo spoke of eyeliner with such a pure and innocent grace.
Xie Yizhi's expression gradually became serious. He remained silent, staring intently at Jiang Luoluo.
Jiang Luoluo noticed a fleeting hint of murderous intent and distrust in his eyes.
She felt a pang of pain in her heart and quickly put down her chopsticks.
She herself didn't understand why his gaze caused her a subtle sting.
What is she expecting?
Their relationship is nothing more than mutual exploitation, each taking what they need, and being allies.
Jiang Luoluo composed herself, gently stood up, took the teapot from the table, and poured Xie Yizhi a cup of tea.
She presented the cup to him with both hands, her tone calm yet resolute: "Your Highness, this is actually a suggestion I made to the Empress Dowager after much deliberation."
As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Only the faint sizzling sound of the hot food on the earthen stove broke the oppressive silence.
Jiang Luoluo didn't say anything more, sitting quietly with clear and calm eyes, as if waiting for Xie Yizhi's next reaction.
Xie Yizhi picked up the teacup, but did not drink a drop. He simply stared at the tea leaves floating in the cup, his gaze deep and complex.
He lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently tracing the rim of the teacup, his thoughts as complex as a bottomless pool.
He had to admit that, over this period of time, his rationality had been gradually eroded by Jiang Luoluo's presence.
He had thought he was only attracted to her beautiful appearance, but now he realized that his heart had been captured by her little by little.
Like a gambler who has gone all in, she stakes her life to find a way to survive in the treacherous capital.
By agreeing to act as an informant for Empress Dowager Du, she was walking on a knife's edge. A slight misstep could lead to utter ruin, or even death.
Her frankness left him speechless for a moment, but her undisguised openness also set off alarm bells in his heart.
After all, who can guarantee that she won't one day sell him all to Empress Dowager Du in exchange for a chance to survive?
Xie Yizhi frowned involuntarily, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.
On the one hand, he was worried about her betrayal and could never fully trust her; on the other hand, he felt deeply sorry for her situation.
Caught between Empress Dowager Du and him, she felt as if she were walking on thin ice, and had to be extremely cautious with every step she took.
This task was even more difficult than that of soldiers going into battle, and Xie Yi felt a wave of helplessness and bitterness rising in his heart.
His gaze fell on Jiang Luoluo, complex and profound, the emotions in his eyes as dark as ink.
He asked in a low voice, his tone unconsciously soft and concerned: "Lolo, aren't you afraid that if you make one wrong move, you might lose your life?"
Jiang Luoluo pretended not to care, a nonchalant smile playing on her lips, "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub."
She raised her teacup and gently touched it to Xie Yizhi's, the crisp sound echoing in the private room. Then, with a firm gaze and a frank tone, she said, "Agreeing to be an informant was merely a temporary measure."
After saying that, she picked up her teacup and drank the tea in one gulp, her movements swift and decisive, as if she had no burden at all.
However, as the tea slid down her throat, she suppressed all the bitterness in her heart, and her face remained calm and composed.
Jiang Luoluo raised her head, a bright and beautiful smile blooming on her lips, "Your Highness, remember, no matter what, I will always stand by your side."
After saying that, she didn't say anything more. Instead, she picked up her chopsticks again and began to eat heartily, as if the delicious food in front of her was the only thing she cared about.
She picked up a piece of Dongpo pork and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing it fiercely, while secretly thinking to herself.
Bah! Xie Yizhi, you don't trust me? I don't trust you either!
She ate with such focus and concentration, as if every bite of food was far more reliable than the man himself.
Her movements were graceful and free, but there was an elusive emotion hidden in her eyes, like self-mockery or stubbornness.
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