"Does my nephew have any relatives in Jingzhou?"
Jing Zhe thought for a moment, then shook his head.
His second sister was in Jingzhou, but he didn't want to go see her now, so he couldn't say that.
"Nephew, have you decided where you'd like to stay?"
Jing Zhe continued to shake his head, "We just entered the city and haven't had time to look yet. We'll find an inn when we go out later!"
"Oh, why are you still looking? That's too formal."
Madam Zhang clapped her hands and pointed to the back room, "Although the winery has been sold, our house is very large, and we have plenty of rooms! Since you call me Aunt, then don't go outside, stay here!"
Zhang Xiaoyu, her face flushed, was about to speak up to stop them when she froze on the spot.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Auntie!"
"Oh, it's no trouble at all! You two chat first, I'll go tidy up a room and make your bed!"
When the Zhang family's winery was still open, the Zhang family was well-off and had quite a few servants. But since the family had an accident some time ago and the winery was sold, the servants were naturally dismissed. Now, they have to do things like cleaning rooms and making beds themselves.
"Mother, I'll go!"
"No need, didn't I ask you to stay and chat with Ah Kun?"
As he spoke, he winked at her, the meaning of which was self-evident, leaving Zhang Xiaoyu extremely embarrassed.
After Madam Zhang left, Zhang Xiaoyu calmed herself down and looked at Jing Zhe, asking, "Why did you stay?"
Why can't I stay?
I mean—
Zhang Xiaoyu thought for a long time but couldn't find a suitable reason to kick him out.
He saved me and is here to help them. He has nowhere to stay right now, so it would be strange not to let him stay.
Forget it, as long as it can help the Zhang family revive, what's wrong with living in her house?
Having figured all this out, Zhang Xiaoyu was about to invite Jing Zhe into the front hall to sit down, have a drink of water, and rest when, before she could even speak, the door was pushed open from the outside, and the bustling sounds of passersby talking on the street drifted in.
...
Jing Zhe turned around and saw a short, stout man wearing a bright black silk brocade robe walk in.
The man was extremely ugly, but he had a smile in his eyes, as if he had an air of superiority. Although it was only their first meeting, Jing Zhe did not have a good impression of him and felt uncomfortable just looking at him.
After entering, the man closed the door, shutting out all the noise and commotion.
Turning around, he saw Jing Zhe standing next to Zhang Xiaoyu. His eyes turned cold, and his brows furrowed.
"Xiaoyu, who is this?"
Jing Zhe's appearance made him feel a sense of crisis.
"Your Highness, this doesn't seem to have anything to do with you, does it?"
Upon hearing Zhang Xiaoyu's cold voice, the man's identity became obvious: Su Xinping, the heir apparent to the Prince of Jin.
"Xiaoyu, why be so cold?"
Su Xinping smiled and said, "I really don't understand. So many women are desperate to enter the Prince of Jin's mansion, and I haven't given them a chance. Why do you insist on not giving them a chance?"
"They are them, and I am me. If the young master likes them, he may marry them!"
Zhang Xiaoyu didn't even want to look at him, and her attitude remained indifferent.
"Xiaoyu, why don't you understand my feelings?"
As he spoke, Su Xinping stepped forward quickly, making a move as if to grab Zhang Xiaoyu's hand.
Because her head was tilted, Zhang Xiaoyu didn't react at all. Just as her hand was about to be grabbed by him, a slender figure suddenly stood in front of her, like a mountain, sheltering her from the wind and rain.
Her eyes were moist, her lips were pursed, and she tilted her head back gently.
With a "smack," Jing Zhe slapped away the groping hand. He used a lot of force, and Su Xinping's hand instantly turned red.
"Who—are you?"
Su Xinping roared.
Who I am is none of your business.
Offending the Prince of Jin's heir at this time would not be a wise move, but for some reason, seeing him made me feel angry, and I felt suffocated if I didn't vent it.
"You, you, you—do you even know who I am?"
Su Xinping's face became somewhat distorted with anger.
“I know,” Jing Zhe clapped his hands. “It’s just a persimmon.”
She glanced at him and said disdainfully, "Let me tell you, I usually just slap a persimmon flat with one hand. You're already very lucky!"
"You're asking for it!"
Su Xinping roared.
At this moment, Zhang Xiaoyu, just like Jing Zhe had done earlier, stepped in front of him and said nervously, "Your Highness, this is my distant cousin. He just arrived in Jingzhou today. If he has offended you, please forgive him!"
The voice was no longer as cold as before, but carried a hint of pleading. Jing Zhe was somewhat moved by it, and at the same time, he secretly thought that he had been too impulsive.
"Oh, it's my cousin!"
Su Xinping chuckled twice. "If it were anyone else, I would only need to shout and they wouldn't be leaving this room today! But since Xiaoyu has pleaded for them, I won't stoop to their level today!"
After saying that, he didn't forget to look at Zhang Xiaoyu with deep affection: "Xiaoyu, this is how I feel about you!"
Zhang Xiaoyu looked away, ignoring what she was hearing.
Su Xinping was furious at her actions and lost all his previous patience. He narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Since you don't want to talk about private matters, then I, the young master, will talk to you about business! To tell you the truth, the fact that your Zhang family winery is where it is today is all thanks to me. Does your father still want to lower the price and lose money to get rid of the wine?"
"Hehe, let me tell you, as long as I keep this winery open, who do you think would dare to buy from you? Without my help, how long can you last?"
This is a blatant threat.
"That's a family matter, so there's no need for you to worry about it, Your Highness! If you have nothing else to say, please leave!"
Zhang Xiaoyu walked to the door, opened it, and prepared to see the guest off.
"Hmph, I'll see if you'll be begging me in the future!"
Even with his thick skin, Su Xinping had no face to stay any longer. He snorted coldly and strode out.
Before leaving, she gave Jing Zhe a hateful look, clearly indicating that he was already being resented.
Jing Zhe shrugged, indicating that he didn't care, since he had come to the Zhang family to cause trouble.
After he left, Zhang Xiaoyu quickly closed the door, leaning her back against it and panting heavily.
Have I caused you any trouble?
Jing Zhe stepped forward and apologized.
Zhang Xiaoyu shook her head with a smile, "You said what I wanted to say but didn't dare to. It was very satisfying to hear! Besides, even if you hadn't said it, he might not have been kind to our family!"
Jing Zhe thought about it and agreed, then comforted him, "Don't worry, since I said I'd help you, I certainly won't let you down!"
Zhang Xiaoyu nodded, but was still very curious: "How exactly are you going to help us? Is this what you told Dad? He was very happy after hearing it!"
————
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