Xiao Qingwan pushed the door open with a creak and whispered, "Brother?"
The room was dimly lit. A figure was facing away from her, holding a newly lit candle and placing it on the table.
Hearing the sound, the man put down the candle. In the dim yellow light, his handsome face appeared even more angular. He turned around and said with a smile, "You've come?"
Xiao Qingwan couldn't help but smile as she gracefully stepped into the house: "Brother, I've come to bring you your meal."
Xiao Lingchen frowned slightly.
They were so intimate and natural before, how come she became so obsequious and distant in just a short while?
"Put your things down. There's no one else here tonight. Have dinner with me."
Xiao Qingwan was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage.
Sure enough, that bitch Xiao Baishu hooked up with Xiao Lingchen again without my knowledge!
But she dared not show it. Her eyes flickered, but she quickly calmed down and smiled in agreement: "Brother's request is my duty. Please sit down, and I will serve you some soup."
Xiao Lingchen stared at her coldly, his anger growing stronger.
That child would never say "I dare not disobey".
She's very bold, always telling him to go to bed early and eat more. She's always the one making the demands, so when has she ever been so submissive and accommodating?
He didn't know when it started, but his expectations of her vanished when the girl in front of him pretended to flatter and fawn.
He felt no affection for the girl whatsoever, only disgust.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
Xiao Qingwan's heart pounded, and she felt a chill run down her spine. Her expression was apprehensive and uneasy. Not knowing what was wrong, she could only carefully take out the soup bowl, scoop out a bowl, and gently place it in front of Xiao Lingchen.
"Would you like to try it and see if it suits your taste?"
Xiao Lingchen didn't move.
Xiao Qingwan was close by, and a strong fragrance of perfume wafted over, making Xiao Lingchen's nose itch, and he frowned even more.
No, she wouldn't be the kind of person who likes perfume and powder. He clearly remembered that she was often accompanied by a warm, homey scent, not this kind of deliberate, artificial fragrance!
Xiao Lingchen suddenly waved his hand.
"Alright, you may leave now. I'll drink it myself. It's getting late, you should go home and rest."
Xiao Qingwan's expression suddenly changed drastically, and she cried out like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "Brother, what did I do wrong?"
Xiao Lingchen's face turned cold, and she immediately shuddered, forced a smile, and lowered her head to reply, "...Yes."
Regardless of whether she had slipped up somewhere, she couldn't question Xiao Lingchen. He was the master of the Grand Tutor's mansion, someone she absolutely couldn't afford to offend at the moment.
Leaving Xiao Lingchen's main courtyard, Xiao Qingwan was furious and gritted her teeth as she walked back.
Guards passed by frequently along the way, greeting her with smiles. Xiao Qingwan, afraid of being noticed as different from others, deliberately greeted them in a friendly manner: "It's so cold, please keep warm. Everyone has worked hard!"
She thought she had shown her considerate side to the servants, but little did she know that behind her back, the guards were filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
"What's going on, young lady? It's giving me goosebumps..."
Whether it's genuine or just a perfunctory act, others can see it clearly.
If someone truly cared, even something as simple as having the housekeeper put an extra charcoal brazier in the room or provide an extra cotton coat would be a heartwarming gesture, far more sincere than this cold, awkward, and casual expression of concern.
Like her now, the more she deliberately tries to appear kind, the more it makes people feel...
affected and pretentious.
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