A strange feeling stirred in his heart.
The door opened and a gust of fine snow and a biting wind blew in first, then a pair of familiar, clear, bright eyes appeared, and a sweet smile appeared on her face.
"Ah Chou!" Xiao Le's eyes lit up, her dejected look vanished, and she grabbed his arm excitedly, "Why are you back? I thought I'd never see you again!"
Xiao Le's voice wasn't quiet, and the people inside couldn't help but crane their necks to look outside, their minds racing with calculations.
Xiao Le glanced sideways, not caring whether it was cold outside or not, and pulled Ah Chou aside, deliberately raising her voice, "Let's not talk here, lest someone overhear us."
Unaware of what was going on, Ah Chou was led by Xiao Le through a maze of twists and turns, braving the wind and snow, until they arrived at a small pavilion surrounded by curtains on all four sides.
Xiao Le breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed his hands to cool them down, and while pulling the curtain closed tightly, explained to the hesitant A Chou, "Don't worry, the pavilion is located in a remote area, so the King has never been here before. We'll be fine staying here for a while."
After confirming that no cold wind would get in, Xiao Le smiled and pulled A Chou to sit down. She had a lot of questions to ask, but all that came to her lips was, "How is it going for you to serve Wang Zun?"
A warm feeling welled up in Ah Chou's heart, and she nodded with her lips pursed.
"I was terrified when I came back and you were gone. I asked around and found out that you were chosen by the King to serve him. You're so lucky!" Xiao Le pouted and lowered her eyes. "Now that you're gone, I'm all alone."
Ah Chou's heart clenched. He knew the personalities of the other people in the dormitory; they liked to make sarcastic remarks from time to time and play pranks on others for their own amusement.
When there were two of them, they could keep each other company and didn't dare to target each other too much. Now that Xiao Le is left alone, she doesn't know how she will be bullied.
A faint sadness enveloped Ah Chou, but Xiao Le was the first to pull herself out of her gloomy mood, raising a bright smile again. She took Ah Chou's hand and shook it to comfort him, "But I'll just ignore them. As my good friend, and serving by the King's side, I don't think they'll dare to go too far with me."
He asked疑惑地, "What are you carrying in that bulging chest?"
Ah Chou suddenly remembered the food he had hidden in his clothes, which eased his guilt somewhat. He sniffed his reddened nose, took out the pastries neatly wrapped in oil paper, and stuffed them into Xiao Le's hand.
"For me?" Xiao Le was stunned, holding the pastry. She took a deep sniff of the sweet aroma wafting from the seams of the oil paper, swallowed twice, and then asked to confirm, "You gave me the King's food. Won't I be punished if you find out?"
Ah Chou shook his head decisively.
Everything Jiang Yanhui gave Xiao Le was a casual gift; once it was given to him, it naturally became his, just like the cloak Jiang Yanhui had given him.
Having received a definite answer, Xiao Le could no longer resist her craving. She opened the oil paper and was greeted by a fragrant aroma, her mouth watering.
"Rose Milk Pastry!" Xiao Le's smile never faded as she carefully held the delicate pastry. "I used to work in the kitchen and saw the chef make this pastry. The milk and cheese in it are all high-quality ingredients."
Xiao Le took a big bite, her cheeks bulging, the rich milky aroma and sweet taste exploding on her tongue, and tiny tears welled up in her eyes.
She choked up as she said, "I want to eat all the delicious pastries so they won't miss them if I take them back."
Two helpless people sought temporary warmth in an abandoned pavilion. Deep-rooted class consciousness prevented them from sitting on the stone bench reserved for masters, even though they knew no one would come.
They sat shoulder to shoulder on the cold, hard ground, stealing a half-day of leisure.
Xiao Le licked the crumbs from the corner of her mouth and nudged A Chou's shoulder lightly. "I heard from the servants at the front that the man who came back with Wang Zun yesterday was General Dou Yao's son. Have you seen him?"
Ah Chou nodded, remembering the young master who had asked him a series of questions.
"Hey! What's he like? He said he grew up in the capital. Is he just a spoiled young master who's hard to please?" Xiao Le pressed down on his crossed legs, feeling quite eager to try. "I guess he'll be staying here for a while. Uncle Ban is picking people to serve him. If I can be chosen, I can temporarily escape this misery."
Ah Chou had a good impression of Dou Yu, after all, he was the first person to apologize to him, even though Ah Chou felt that his behavior was nothing at all.
If Xiao Le could serve Dou Yu personally, he might be able to have a separate room to live in, warm clothes to wear, and wouldn't have to compete with other servants for food in the canteen, just like Dou Yu.
Just thinking about Ah Chou made her happy. She excitedly tugged at Xiao Le's sleeve and pointed to herself.
Xiao Le immediately understood what Ah Chou was trying to say, and waved his hand dismissively, "I don't need your help. If I'm capable, I'll definitely be selected. If I'm not capable, I'll just be looked down upon if I'm transferred there."
"Besides, you've just been serving by the King's side. How many eyes are watching you in the mansion! Don't give others cause for gossip." Looking at Ah Chou's silly smile, Xiao Le sighed and poked his head with exasperation. "Can't you be a little more careful?"
Turning around, Xiao Le lifted the curtain and glanced at the sky. She quickly stuffed the last bite into her mouth, patted her round belly with satisfaction, and said, "I have to go, or it'll be terrible if they can't find me."
Before leaving, the elder, still worried, reminded Ah Chou again, "You should go back quickly too, or you'll get scolded if you're caught leaving your workstation without permission."
She smiled playfully, "But bring me more delicious pastries in the future, my palate is getting picky."
Watching Xiao Le's hurried departure, the smile on Ah Chou's face dissipated with the cold wind, and a faint sorrow appeared between his brows.
Jiang Yanhui was able to come to see Xiao Le when she was in her study handling official business and didn't need anyone to wait on her, so A Chou took the opportunity to sneak out.
He figured it was time to go back, but Ah Chou preferred to stay with Xiao Le. The time he spent with Xiao Le was a rare moment of relaxation for him.
It's not that working for Jiang Yanhui is bad, it's just that sometimes Jiang Yanhui's gaze is too direct, leaving A Chou with nowhere to hide, and he's always on edge, both physically and mentally.
With mixed feelings, Ah Chou slowly returned to the main courtyard. His hands and feet were so cold that they had lost all warmth, and he even had the urge to hurry inside.
Hearing hearty laughter coming from inside the house through the door, Ah Chou paused in his act of lifting his foot.
Judging from the voice, it seems to be the man I saw yesterday—Dou Yu.
Since entering the Prince's mansion, A Chou has only seen two outsiders enter the mansion: one is the former military officer, who seems to have a very close relationship with Jiang Yan Hui, and the other is Dou Yu.
Ah Chou couldn't help but wonder what funny thing Jiang Yan Hui, who usually acted nonchalant and teased people in front of him, had said that could make Dou Yu laugh so hard.
As soon as curiosity was piqued, Ah Chou pinched his face between his hands, leaving faint red marks on his fair cheeks.
Why be curious about things that have nothing to do with his life! It's none of his business what the masters do! As a lowly servant, it's a blessing if he can do his job well.
After repeating Ah Chou's name several times, he finally suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, composed himself, and stepped into the house with his head down.
A note from the author:
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Ah Chou is so sincere to her friends!
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