Chapter 24 Ulterior Motives...
In the eastern corner, a wisp of smoke drifted out. Qingzhu stood under a tree not far from the kitchen. The tree had long since lost all its leaves, leaving only bare branches covered with fallen snow, which rustled down when the wind blew.
It was mealtime, and the servants were busy coming and going, having no time to pay attention to him. Qingzhu raised his hand and touched the medicine hidden in his sleeve. The powder was small, a tiny packet, and it felt a little rough to the touch.
He gripped the medicine packet tightly, took a deep breath, and strode toward the kitchen. The busy servants glanced at him casually before quickly looking away, as he was a frequent visitor and they were used to his arrival.
Qingzhu's heart was pounding, and his back was covered in sweat from nervousness, but he remained calm on the surface, showing no sign of anything amiss. He steadied himself and approached the area with practiced ease.
Aunt Yu, who was in charge of the kitchen, turned her head and glanced at him with a frivolous and disdainful look in her eyes. Everyone in the mansion knew that His Highness had not yet consummated his marriage with his official husband. In their eyes, His Highness did not like him because he did not consummate his marriage with his official husband. Of course, they would not care about someone who did not like His Highness, and they would not care about the people serving him either.
Even though they looked down on him, they were still afraid of Yan Yize's authority. They didn't dare to do anything openly, but they dared to do some small things in private. Aunt Yu stared straight at his buttocks, her naked gaze as if he were naked.
"Young Master Qingzhu has arrived. Is His Highness ready for his meal?"
She smiled, speaking respectfully, but her eyes remained unblinking.
Under her blunt gaze, Qingzhu felt embarrassed, but on the surface he showed a shy expression, covering his mouth with a shy smile, which made Aunt Yu, who was staring at him, swallow hard.
"Hmm, I've come over to check on the dishes."
Qingzhu's expression changed repeatedly. He wished he could just walk away, but for the sake of his grand plan, he could only grit his teeth and endure it. He would remember this humiliation and, once his plan succeeded, he would beat this old woman to death with sticks to vent his hatred.
Aunt Yu looked at him lecherously and gestured for him to enter, "Let me lead the way for Young Master Qingzhu."
He was naturally unwilling; how could he drug her if someone was with her? But he couldn't find an excuse to get rid of her, so he had no choice but to nod reluctantly and try to find an opportunity.
Fortunately, he was very lucky. He had only taken a few steps when a person came running over looking anxious. When Aunt Yu saw that her good time had been interrupted, she scolded him in displeasure, "What kind of behavior is this, all in such a hurry!"
The man glanced at Qingzhu, then, disregarding her presence, eagerly leaned close to Aunt Yu's ear and whispered something to her.
Aunt Yu's face gradually turned ugly. She waved for him to leave, glanced at Qingzhu several times with reluctance, and clicked her tongue regretfully. What a pity.
"I have urgent business to attend to, so it's a pity I can't accompany Young Master Qingzhu." As she spoke, she winked at him subtly, her smile ambiguous. "Young Master Qingzhu, you can come to me anytime if you need anything."
After saying that, she looked up at the busy servants around her, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, she quickly added, "You can come if there's nothing wrong."
Qingzhu felt disgusted, but still nodded, feigning embarrassment, "I...I understand."
Once Aunt Yu got what she wanted, she turned and left quickly, her hurried steps clearly indicating that it was no small matter.
He stared hatefully at the woman's retreating figure, his face contorted with malice. He spat forcefully in the direction she had gone, and only then did his anger subside somewhat. He let out a cold laugh, feeling an indescribable sense of triumph. Look, even the heavens are on his side.
Without any obstacles, Qingzhu walked straight into the kitchen and came to the prepared meal. He immediately saw the dish he was looking for—vinegar fish. Everyone in the manor knew that His Highness had a habit of eating this vinegar fish from Liuzhou with every meal. Even when he was in a bad mood, he would still have a few bites.
This gave him a great opportunity to ensure the success of his plan. He glanced back to make sure no one was watching, then quietly took out the packet of medicine, opened it, and quickly poured the powder into the soup. The white powder dissolved instantly in the soup, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was colorless and odorless, so he didn't have to worry about being discovered.
If he were discovered, he wouldn't be afraid. He could simply say that Shang Xu had instructed him, since it was common knowledge that His Highness hadn't consummated his marriage with him. He could then turn the tables and say it was Shang Xu's idea. With the testimony of someone who served by his side, no one would doubt him.
Qingzhu turned and walked out of the kitchen, her eyes filled with undisguised joy. She was beaming with happiness the whole way, already imagining the glory that would follow.
——
Yan Yize sat down, her gaze constantly sweeping towards Shang Xu across from her, seemingly unintentionally. She didn't know what was wrong with her; she was as if possessed, unable to resist looking at him.
I want to see his eyebrows, I want to see his eyes, and I want to see him express different emotions for me.
Her scrutiny was so frequent that Shang Xu couldn't ignore it even if he wanted to. After her gaze swept over his face again, he couldn't help but raise his hand and gently wipe his cheek with the back of his hand. He looked at her suspiciously and asked in a soft voice with a hint of embarrassment, "Your Highness, is there something on my face?"
Unfazed by being caught, Yan Yize glanced at him again with remarkable composure and calmly replied, "No."
It's good that there's nothing on his face, otherwise he would embarrass himself in front of her again. Shang Xu breathed a silent sigh of relief, but in less than a second, he felt her gaze again. Compared to her restraint just now, this time it was much more direct. Perhaps it was a case of "what's the use of being caught?"
For a moment, Shang Xu was restless. Under her gaze, he was so nervous that he didn't know what to do with his hands. Fortunately, soon after, one exquisite dish after another was served. The passing servants briefly interrupted his view, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Qingzhu entered at some point and stood quietly behind Shang Xu, her eyes fixed on the plate of seemingly ordinary vinegar fish on the table. Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, and her heart pounded with nervousness.
Next, every time Yan Yize's chopsticks reached for the vinegar fish, his gaze became more intense. He had been worried that Shang Xu would also eat the vinegar fish, making all his efforts futile, but fortunately, his worries were unnecessary. Until the end, his fears did not come true.
Under his burning gaze, dinner quietly ended. As was the custom of the past few days, His Highness should get up and leave soon. He would then quietly follow him and appear at the opportune moment when the effects of the medicine took hold in His Highness's body. Everything that followed would then proceed naturally.
After this is over, he will rise to prominence and no one will dare to look down on him anymore. If he is lucky enough to conceive a son, his child will be His Highness's first child, and he will once again gain status through his son.
Qingzhu was so excited when she thought about these things that her hands trembled uncontrollably at her sides.
The two, having finished their meal, were chatting casually, mostly in silence, but neither of them found it boring. The scene was surprisingly harmonious, and neither of them noticed that the person standing behind them was plotting against them with ulterior motives.
After sitting for a while, Yan Yize looked towards the door. Seeing that it was getting late, she hesitated for a moment, then stood up. Her deep eyes looked at him, and a hint of reluctance seemed to appear in her usually calm eyes. "It's getting late, I should go back."
I'll come see you again tomorrow.
Shang Xu nodded with a smile, "Okay."
His face remained unchanged, but his heart was stirred by her words. "Tomorrow"—what an exciting word. Was this a promise she left with him?
Qingzhu, who was hiding to the side, also breathed a sigh of relief. He felt confident that he had the game in his grasp. Everything was going according to his plan, and even the heavens were on his side.
His Highness has already taken the medicine, and there is a possibility of it taking effect at any time. He must follow closely and not let others take advantage of him. Qingzhu coughed lightly and came to Shang Xu, pretending to be in pain. "Young Master, I think I am sick."
"I want to go downstairs and rest for a while."
Shang Xu was still immersed in Yan Yize's words when he was suddenly interrupted. He suppressed his smile, looked him up and down, and saw that the discomfort on his face seemed genuine. Although he didn't like him, he wouldn't make things difficult for him, so he nodded and said, "Go."
"Thank you, young master." Qingzhu thanked him and walked quickly outside. Although she was smiling, she was cursing Shang Xu in her heart. She was not grateful for his tolerance. Instead, she thought he was being pretentious and had made her wait so long to answer him.
Qingzhu's eyes were filled with resentment; she had already harbored a grudge against him. Once he succeeded, she would let him know who was the master of the mansion. So what if he was the young master of the Shang family? He wasn't even as well off as her; he was just a useless person who was neither loved by his mother nor his father.
Once outside, he intended to head straight for Yan Yize, but after a few steps, he felt that his attire was inappropriate. Qingzhu was conflicted, fearing that someone would intercept him, yet also disliking that he was dressed too conservatively. After much deliberation, he gritted his teeth and rushed to his room, still feeling that he should change into a nicer outfit before going out.
He quickly changed into the clothes he had prepared, then struck a seductive pose in front of the bronze mirror. Looking at his alluring reflection, Qingzhu nodded in satisfaction before heading straight to the study.
Outside the study, Qingzhu kept rubbing his arms. It was already cold, and he was dressed lightly in order to seduce Nengcheng. The wind was strong, and after standing in the snow for a while, he got goosebumps all over his body.
He glared at Huixue, who was blocking his way, his face stiff with a forced smile. "Miss Huixue, I'm here to deliver pastries to my young master. Please let me in."
Everything was going exceptionally smoothly for him today, as if the heavens were on his side. But now, at the very last step, he was stopped at the door. No matter how much he pleaded, the damned guards wouldn't let him in.
He remembered her; once the deed was done, he would make sure His Highness would be the first to kick her out of the mansion.
Hui Xue remained indifferent and unmoved. "His Highness has ordered that we not see anyone."
"Please leave."
After a long stalemate, the chill kept creeping up on her body. Qingzhu couldn't stand the cold anymore and temporarily gave in, retreating to the side to avoid the wind, but she still didn't give up.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com