"I don't like soup rice in the morning, so you can take it and have it with your sisters. Just make me a pot of hot tea and a plate of delicious hot snacks."
"Madam, this..."
"Go ahead, I will speak to the Marquis."
Having followed Xie Yuancheng for so long, I can spot even the slightest thing that's amiss. As I asked Yan Yan to take him out to eat, the Second Prince's face flashed through my mind. That damned man, could he really have planted someone in the manor?
Yan Yan brought over tea and snacks every now and then. They were desserts I had seen at Yu Xiang Lou. I tried a piece, and the taste was far inferior. It wasn't made by the chef.
"Which cook made this?" I took one bite and didn't want to eat anymore; the taste was really strange. It must have been made by someone I didn't know well.
"Madam, it's a newcomer, he, she, he." Yan Yan stammered for a long time but couldn't explain why. I told her to go and do her work first and eat slowly.
Once I was alone in the room, I quickly opened the book to look at the pictures, and there was Taotie staring at them again. I'm not greedy at all, so I always find them just so-so.
Xie Yuancheng told me that he felt uneasy every time he saw Taotie. I think he must be overthinking it, that's why he's so afraid of Taotie. I flipped through the book several times, but there was nothing unusual, so I put it away.
Sitting by the window watching the snow, with plum blossoms opposite, the layout here follows the concept of a round heaven and a square earth, but without any added mysteries or secrets.
"Ying'er~" It was Xie Yuancheng calling me. I had actually fallen asleep. I was covered with a blanket, and the room was warm. I didn't feel cold even though I was by the window.
"Why are you back? What time is it?"
"You're not eating properly again, let me warm you up~" That's so mean. I held Xie Yuancheng's hand in my arms and made him sit up properly. "Ying'er~ if I sit on your lap, you won't be able to walk in a while."
"Then sit down, I'll sit on your lap and warm your hands." I took his hands and got up. Xie Yuancheng, that cunning guy, always tries to set traps for me.
"What were you busy with this morning? Master and Mistress are biased; they actually won't agree to us changing partners."
"Of course not, I'm your woman, I'm not going anywhere."
He nodded, then frowned immediately when he saw the snacks on the table that had only been partially eaten and the tea that had only been drunk halfway. "Ying'er! You're not eating breakfast properly again!"
"You're all hungry when you go out, how can I eat?" I'll make up a lie first, so as not to let the maids suffer. They are all children from poor families, and they have no choice but to do this job.
"Ying'er~ You never eat properly. Master and I ate out, and it was past noon. I just brought them back, and you missed two meals!"
"Little Chengcheng~ I'm not hungry~" I leaned against Xie Yuancheng and didn't get up. I've been so sleepy lately. It's easiest to fall asleep in a warm room.
"Is the food here not good? I'll cook for you myself."
"No way~" I saw that he really got up, so I quickly stood up as well. "Let's go to the kitchen and make some braised dishes. I haven't had them in a long time."
"What do you mean by 'haven't eaten it in a long time'? I just ate it a few days ago. These things take a long time to cook, so you can't eat them too often. You should eat them fresh."
"Yes, yes, yes~ Then let's make some hot soup or some snacks, it won't take long."
"You must eat your staple food. You can't be picky. I'm not going. Let the servants do it." Xie Yuancheng went out to make arrangements, and Yan Yan spoke to him. This maid is really dedicated.
"My lord, the meal is ready. The lady is resting, so we can't clear the table. We can only cover her with a light blanket."
"Go and bring it up."
"yes!"
I didn't want to eat; I guessed the cook they hired was a novice and couldn't cook. After the table was all set, Xie Yuancheng came over and fed me himself. I took a bite, and it was barely edible.
"How about it? Do you want me to change the dishes?" He doesn't eat, he just likes to give me the food. There are plenty of meat and vegetable dishes here, and each dish is served in small portions, so it's not too greasy.
"No, it's all your fault. You should have gone to bed earlier last night. Look at what you've done."
"If it weren't so cold, I would definitely have Ying'er dance for me every night, and I would play the zither for you~"
"Yuancheng~ You're always bullying people. You must be tired from going out. Let me feed you something." I picked up a piece of beef and fed it to him. When Xie Yuancheng opened his mouth to eat, I put it directly into his mouth.
"It's good to eat. I'll eat by myself and won't give you any." I turned to look at him. Xie Yuancheng's eyes flickered. I smiled at him, turned my face slightly to the side, and gave him a flirtatious wink.
"Wait a minute!" I quickly stopped Xie Yuancheng when I saw him reach out his hand. "Little Chengcheng, I'm still hungry, how can you bully me~"
"You little devil, you're always teasing me. You're not allowed to eat this time, I need to rest."
"No, we can't. Who said last night that we should go to the palace early so as not to be late?"
"Yes, don't be late. I've prepared some good food for you to eat slowly on the way. Rest for a bit first. Don't even think about escaping. I'm thinking about how to make Ying'er smile at me."
"No, my tummy is hungry, you'll be sad later~" I leaned against Xie Yuancheng's chest, pressing him down so he wouldn't get up. "I'll give you another surprise tonight. You can't sleep anymore since you just fell asleep. You can take a nap."
"What surprise? I need to calculate whether I qualify~"
"That's enough, you'll love it, trust me." I hugged Xie Yuancheng's neck, but he still acted up. I leaned forward a little and massaged his arms, and only then did he let me go.
"Ying'er~ You always push my limits~"
"Yes, I need to give you something new every day. That way, I'll hold a very high place in your heart, definitely higher than all the important things in your life."
"It's already quite high. If Ying'er tries to go any higher, she'll probably fall." Xie Yuancheng patted my waist, and I grabbed his hand to stop him from moving. "Ying'er, get up and eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."
"I want some snacks. You said you'd prepare them for me."
"If you want to go out in the carriage, I'll take you for a walk so we can go to the palace later."
"Alright." I drank the soup and then changed into a very formal outfit. Xie Yuancheng pulled me to the dressing mirror and did my makeup.
"You should really draw him as a black-faced god, so no one can see Ying'er's face." That's what I said, but if you draw me ugly, I'll make him pay.
When I looked in the mirror after it was done, it was really different from usual. The eyeliner was drawn so arrogantly, and the heavy makeup was really unacceptable.
"Isn't this a bit inappropriate? This doesn't look right at all, it's not proper." I was a little worried, and even started to suspect that he had deliberately made up like this.
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