Please see
Jiang Yi hadn't had time to groom herself or dress up during the days she was bedridden. When she looked in the mirror in the morning, she was shocked to see that her hair was a mess, like a bird's nest. She quickly called Xia Zhi over to help her. After washing and dressing up, she felt much more refreshed and even drank a big bowl of porridge for breakfast.
Seeing her like this, Xia Zhi's mood also lightened.
"Miss, why are you so happy today? Is there something good happening?"
"Hmm, I bought you a red bean hairpin in Furong Town before, but unfortunately the scene was chaotic at the time and I forgot to ask the shopkeeper to give it back. Now I'll give you an even better one."
Xia Zhi smiled and said, "I appreciate your kindness, Miss, but it's not necessary. I'm just a maid and don't need such fine hairpins."
Jiang Yi didn't care and spent a long time browsing in the shop. There were all kinds of hairpins, pearls, and gemstones.
"Hey, boss, could you please bring me that carnelian bracelet so I can take a look?" Then, turning back to Xia Zhi, she said, "How can I do that? I promised to bring you a gift. Losing it is of course my responsibility. Besides, when have I ever treated you like a maid?"
"That's not what I meant, Miss."
"I know, so don't worry about it. I'll pick out a suitable gift for you today."
Xia Zhi was deeply moved. She came from a humble background, but Jiang Yi treated her extremely well, as if she were a friend. Her young lady was originally a very good person.
Jiang Yi examined the carnelian bracelet closely. The bracelet was translucent and bright, as beautiful as red agate.
The boss chimed in with a marketing pitch: "Oh my, young lady, you have excellent taste! This carnelian bracelet is made from the finest jade. It's cool to the touch in summer and warm in winter. Plus, it has a wonderful fragrance. Wearing it on your wrist is not only good for your health, but it also helps you sleep."
"Yeah?"
Jiang Yi leaned closer and smelled it. Sure enough, there was a faint fragrance, which smelled very nice, like some kind of herbal scent. It should be the kind of thing the boss mentioned that helps with sleep.
"Xia Zhi, is it pretty?"
"Yes, it looks beautiful. Miss has excellent taste."
Jiang Yi smiled and took Xia Zhi's hand, putting the hair on her wrist.
"Miss!"
Xia Zhi's wrists were fair and slender, and the carnelian bracelet matched her skin tone perfectly, making her look stunning.
"Okay, then I'll take this one."
The shopkeeper clenched his fist and slapped it open with delight, then held up a five and said with a smile, "Not expensive, five taels of silver."
Upon hearing this, Xia Zhi's expression immediately changed, and she went up to take the bracelet off.
"Miss, this is too expensive. Let's look somewhere else."
The shopkeeper was displeased. He stopped grinning and retorted with a serious expression, "Hey, young lady, you're mistaken. If you two don't believe me, you can go out and ask around about the price of this carnelian. Five taels of silver for a bracelet is already very cheap..."
"Okay, boss, we'll take this one."
Jiang Yi took out a few pieces of silver from her purse and handed them to the shopkeeper. On the other hand, Xia Zhi bit her lip, clearly feeling the pinch of the money.
After leaving the shop, the two walked down the long street. Xia Zhi secretly touched the bracelet on her wrist again and again, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Jiang Yi chuckled when she saw this, and put her arm around Xia Zhi's shoulder to comfort her: "Xia Zhi, don't have such a big psychological burden, okay? I won't go bankrupt for now with just a few coins."
"But Miss's gift is too expensive."
"Is it valuable? It's alright, it's within my means. I can't afford any more. Besides, you've always taken such good care of me, so it's only right that I treat you well. Don't worry about it."
Jiang Yi turned her head and saw a pastry shop, then grabbed Xia Zhi and started running.
"Come on, come on, I'll treat you to something delicious."
"..."
Just a few meters from the pastry shop, several burly men suddenly appeared in the middle of the road and blocked their way. They all looked fierce and menacing.
Jiang Yi was startled. No way, not again! She finally managed to go out shopping, and now she's so unlucky!
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
"Miss Jiang, please come with us."
Jiang Yi scoffed, "I don't know you, why should I go with you?"
The burly men exchanged glances, and one of them said, "Then we have no choice but to offend you."
Jiang Yi reacted quickly. Before they could finish speaking, she grabbed Xia Zhi, turned around, and ran away, using the street vendors to create obstacles for the group behind them as she ran.
For a time, the long street was a scene of chaos and commotion.
"Miss, who are they?"
"How should I know? Never mind that, run!"
"..."
When the two of them finally hid in a small alley, panting heavily, Jiang Yi leaned against the wall, filled with regret. She had just told He Lin before leaving that he didn't need to send anyone to protect her anymore, and He Lin had also withdrawn Shan Yanzhi. Now, look what happened, the slap in the face came so quickly!
【001, what's going on?!】
The system didn't respond at all. Jiang Yi cursed under her breath, "This damn broken system, is it going to disconnect again? It's letting me down at this crucial moment."
"Miss Jiang."
A deep voice came from behind. Jiang Yi turned around and saw two people blocking her way. Just as she was about to turn around and run back to the main street, people also came from the alley entrance.
Holy crap! We're doomed!
"Hahaha, brothers, let's talk this out. I am a member of the General's Mansion. You should think carefully before kidnapping me! If anything happens to me, He Lin will not let you off the hook."
Since these people can call out her surname, they must know who she is. Outnumbered and outgunned, this is clearly not a good time to fight to the death.
“Miss Jiang, you misunderstand. We are not kidnapping you. It’s just that my master wants to see you. Please.”
Huh, it wasn't a kidnapping after all. Jiang Yi was quite surprised by that.
They all look so fierce, but their attitude is very respectful. They certainly don't seem like they're going to kidnap them. So why did they say things like "I'm sorry" just now? It was terrifying.
"Excuse me, may I ask who your owner is? I know him, no, he knows me?"
He offered no further explanation, uttering only one word: "Please."
Jiang Yi: "..."
Jiang Yi looked around. The lively noise in the street was still there. Moreover, so many people had witnessed it. If something really happened to her and Xia Zhiruo, given the strength of He Lin and the General's Mansion, they would find them, right?
So, with the fearless spirit of "I'm the female lead, I'll be fine," she decisively nodded: "Okay, lead the way."
Following these people through a maze of twists and turns, Jiang Yi arrived at a large mansion. The plaque above the main gate prominently displayed the four characters "Zhen'an Prince's Mansion".
Jiang Yi pondered for a moment, "A prince's mansion? Could it be the residence of some prince in the capital?"
Strange, why would this prince seek her out for no reason? It's probably because of He Lin.
"Please wait here for a moment, Miss Jiang, while I go and fetch His Highness."
The two were led into the main hall, where several maids followed, carrying tea and snacks.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Jiang Yi appeared calm on the surface, but was actually startled inside.
Your Highness? As far as she knew, there were only two princes in the palace: one was the Crown Prince, whom she had met at the Eastern Palace, and the other was the Second Prince, whom she had never met before.
Strange, why is he looking for me?
Xia Zhi clearly realized this as well, and called out to her uneasily, "Miss..."
Jiang Yi sat down in a chair and drank tea and ate snacks. She took the time to comfort Xia Zhi, saying indistinctly, "It's okay, Xia Zhi. Don't stand there. Come and try some. It's quite delicious."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a mocking voice came from outside the door: "Zhou's Pastry Shop in the east of the city is a royal supplier of pastries, so the taste is naturally extraordinary. It's perfectly normal for someone as uncultured as you to be ignorant of the world."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi immediately bowed to the rumored Second Prince, intending to see what he looked like, but unexpectedly, it was an old acquaintance who entered.
Jiang Yi's eyes widened in astonishment. "How could it be you?"
Wu Wenpin, fanning himself with one hand, stared at her with a half-smile. The slight upturn of his lips made him appear even more treacherous and unlike a good person.
"It's me, Second Madam He. We meet again."
In the dead of winter, this person didn't seem to mind the cold while fanning himself.
Seeing his attire, Jiang Yi couldn't help but scoff and retorted, "Oh, isn't this the son of the Minister of Revenue? Long time no see! Oh, by the way, were you alright last time He Lin went too far?"
Wu Wenpin felt a sudden, inexplicable twitch at the corner of his mouth and a throbbing sensation on his forehead.
This woman is no match for He Lin; she's just a lowly concubine's daughter who managed to marry into the general's mansion. Does she really think He Lin can protect her? How dare she mock him!
"Whether I am well or not is none of your concern, Madam He. You should worry about yourself instead."
Jiang Yi silently rolled her eyes in her heart, thinking, "Stop being so presumptuous. Who has time to worry about you?"
He chuckled twice: "Young Master Wu really knows how to make a scene."
"..."
The two exchanged "friendly" greetings back and forth until they heard a noise at the door, at which point they stopped.
When Qi Junxu came in, Jiang Yi was leaning back in her chair with a lazy and relaxed posture, glancing at him with her eyes sideways, holding a pastry in her hand and even having pastry crumbs on her lips, showing no trace of the demeanor of a well-bred lady.
Daring to look at someone sideways clearly shows that they don't take him, the Second Prince, seriously.
He had grown up seeing people who followed the rules and regulations, so seeing someone like Jiang Yi for the first time was surprisingly refreshing. It seemed that He Lin's life was not easy!
Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared between Qi Junxu's brows.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
The moment he entered, Wu Wenpin, that lackey, immediately bowed and greeted him obediently, his face plastered with a fawning smile, a stark contrast to his earlier mocking expression towards Jiang Yi.
Qi Junxu walked straight to the chair next to Jiang Yi and sat down, nodding at him with his chin: "Get up."
Jiang Yi turned to look at him, and the more she heard those three words, the more she felt they were being addressed to her.
No way! I'm the leading lady, and I'm not getting up!
Jiang Yi could remain seated, but Xia Zhi could not, so she hurriedly bowed to him and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Qi Junxu didn't even open his mouth, only letting out a soft "hmm" before taking a piece of pastry that was the same as the one in Jiang Yi's hand and eating it.
Seeing this opportunity, Wu Wenping shouted, "You woman, you have quite the nerve! How dare you be so disrespectful to His Highness! Your Highness, she..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Qi Junxu's casual glance startled her back into silence.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
