Hongli was still expecting her to scold him, but Su Yushan remained silent. "Your hand is injured, so don't get involved. Go inside and wait. The dishes will be ready soon."
While waiting inside would be leisurely, he refused to go, saying, "If I can't help, I'll just watch from the sidelines."
Su Yushan, who was chopping vegetables, didn't have time to look at him. Without raising her head, she said, "Fourth Master, there's no need for you to learn cooking. Cooking is a leisurely activity, and what you lack most is free time."
He was indeed very busy. Emperor Yongzheng intended to train him, so he had to handle government affairs every day. He could only come to Huatang Pavilion in his spare time, and he had to make up for it during his lunch break. Although he couldn't take a lunch break, he was happy to do so.
Gazing at her profile, Hongli smiled and said, "I don't steal teachers, I steal people."
Su Yushan slowly turned her head, her bright eyes fixed on him. Hongli understood and immediately changed his words, "Peeping at people."
Just a few days ago he was very serious, sighing and complaining, but today he's acting strangely, talking nonsense. Su Yushan was busy cooking and didn't bother to pay attention, so she simply didn't respond.
Seeing this from a distance, Demin frowned even more deeply, his face filled with disbelief. He suddenly realized that there was a reason why Li Yu was favored. This kid was not only eloquent but also very perceptive, always able to understand his master's intentions. No wonder his master appreciated him so much.
The two were extremely worried about their master's affairs. Hongli leaned against the door, leisurely watching Su Yushan bustling about, and sighed inwardly that cooking was indeed a meticulous job. It seemed simple, but in fact, there were many steps involved.
At this moment, she was removing the fish bones and slicing the fish. Slicing fish requires skillful knife work and patience. Su Yushan focused intently on the fish and knife on the cutting board, completely ignoring Hongli's gaze.
Hongli noticed that when she was cooking or painting, she would unconsciously clench her chin tightly, concentrating intently, as if her teeth were also working hard.
This scene inexplicably exuded a warm and beautiful feeling. As he watched, the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up, and he felt a sweet warmth in his heart.
After an hour of work, four dishes and a soup were ready.
About a year later, Yu Chan tasted her sister's cooking again and was extremely satisfied, praising her sister's increasingly refined culinary skills.
Su Yushan didn't know how good the original owner's cooking skills were. Her skills were indeed just average. It was only because there was no tomato fish in the Qing Dynasty that they praised it so highly because it was a novelty for them.
Hongli had a very discerning palate; he rarely remembered ordinary dishes, but Su Yushan's cooking always managed to win over his taste buds and leave him with unforgettable memories.
The fish, infused with the tangy flavor of tomatoes, was exceptionally tender and smooth. The tomato soup was also refreshing and appetizing. Before he knew it, he had already drunk three bowls of soup.
Yu Chan joked, "Sister, next time you don't need to cook too many dishes for Fourth Master. Just make tomato fish. I think Fourth Master loves it!"
Hongli loved it for two reasons: first, because it was truly delicious, and second, because of the person who cooked it. "Only your sister can make this unique tomato fish," he said.
His gaze naturally fell on her face, his doting and admiration evident. Hongli expected her to respond, but Su Yushan did not react much, only replying perfunctorily, "Fourth Master is too kind."
As an observer, Yu Chan could see that there was a light in the Fourth Prince's eyes when he looked at his sister, gentle yet resolute. However, his sister was very polite to the Fourth Prince, so polite that they didn't seem like family.
She dared not ask further, and Hongli remained silent. In his view, it was already a rare privilege for Su Yushan to cook for him; he didn't ask for too much, and would take it slow.
After lunch, Hongli went to attend to his business, leaving only the two sisters in the room. Yu Chan tentatively asked a question...
"Sister, didn't you say before that Fourth Master treated you very well, and that you liked him a lot? What happened recently? Why did things turn out like this?"
Why? It's a long story, and even if I told her, Yu Chan might not understand her feelings, so Su Yu Shan didn't say much, forcing a smile and saying, "It's fine! Am I not good to him?"
Shaking her head, Yu Chan truthfully said, "You two are neither warm nor cold, this is not normal. You must have had some kind of conflict, but is it because of the Fourth Prince's marriage to his wife?"
Feeling touched on, Su Yushan's eyes narrowed slightly. Instead of answering, she asked, "What did he say to you?"
"Fourth Master didn't say anything, only that you've been in a bad mood lately. I was just guessing," Yu Chan sighed softly, taking a sip of her flower tea.
“I know that you, sister, have always been very affectionate and longed for a devoted love. It’s just a pity that by some twist of fate, you entered the Fourth Prince’s mansion as a maid. He already had many women, so how could he possibly be devoted to one person?”
Perhaps he will dote on you exclusively, but as time goes on, he will eventually have other women, whether out of necessity or for novelty. In short, he can't have only you, which is why you're so upset, right?
Although Su Yushan was not the original owner, Yu Chan's guess was exactly what she was thinking. She couldn't help but sigh, "Women really do understand women!"
With a wry smile, Su Yushan said noncommittally, "I'm just a maid, yet I'm saddened by the Fourth Prince's marriage to a princess. Isn't that a bit dramatic?"
Yu Chan was also a thoughtful person, so she could consider things from her sister's perspective, "That's because you really fell in love with the Fourth Master. If you didn't care about him, why would you care whether he consummated his marriage with someone else?"
Yes! When Su Yushan first came here, Hongli also stayed with other maids. At that time, she didn't mind at all and just thought that it was peaceful when he didn't come. But later, after her heart wall was breached, she began to overthink and couldn't sleep at night.
Ultimately, it's all because of that heart that shouldn't have been moved; it just let itself be moved!
During this time, she had been forcing herself to accept and get along peacefully with Hongli. However, her deliberate calmness turned into indifference, and she could no longer return to the comfortable and relaxed state she had when she was with him.
She didn't want to endure this any longer, but she felt lost and helpless, as if trapped in a dead end with no way out. It was rare to find someone willing to listen to her. She wanted to ask someone a question...
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
