Upon hearing this, the Prince of Jin froze, subconsciously lowering his gaze to his bare chest, then seeing the tightly closed eyes of the young woman in his palm. He fell silent.
He felt a bit like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"You foolish servant."
The Prince of Jin now truly knew this servant had no intention of seducing him. Originally, he had considered sending her away, but remembering her previous behavior, he held back from doing so immediately. He thought he would put on a show first, to see if the wealth and prosperity she had gained would reveal her true colors.
However, this test made him genuinely like the servant's clumsiness.
If Shui Rou were like this...
The Prince of Jin's face darkened again. He released his hand, letting A Rao fall to the ground. He said coldly, "Go to the couch yourself."
A Rao nodded obediently, got up, and pulled down the bed curtains. "Good dreams, Master."
Through the hazy bed curtains, the Prince of Jin saw the young woman straighten the quilt, then crawl in. Not long after, steady breathing could be heard.
He scoffed lightly, yet also felt a faint envy for A Rao's good sleep. Ever since he grew up, he had been plagued by worries. Now, caught between his beloved mother and his cherished wife, he had a splitting headache.
Looking at A Rao, who quickly fell asleep, besides envy, he also felt a hint of a petty temper that he himself wasn't aware of.
He got out of bed and walked to the couch. By the moonlight, he looked at A Rao's soft sleeping face and slowly curved his lips.
"Hey, foolish servant, this Prince is thirsty."
A Rao was woken up and stared blankly at the Prince of Jin. After confirming what she had heard, she blinked in disbelief, "Your Highness, aren't you asleep yet?"
"This Prince is thirsty, and a little hungry. This Prince wants pastries."
At this moment, he was truly a mischievous child!
A Rao gritted her teeth and had no choice but to get up and make pastries for this master.
She was busy until the third watch. When she finished making the pastries and returned to the room, she found that the master who had been bothering her was already lying in bed, breathing evenly.
"............"
Bastard.
Such torment had not ended since it began. The man seemed to dislike A Rao, always finding ways to make things difficult for a young servant.
"Grind the ink."
A Rao had just brought the pastries. Seeing Chang Qing waiting nearby, she gestured for him to grind the ink. Unexpectedly, he looked up and then walked out.
"You come. Chang Qing is a rough man; he doesn't grind ink well."
"Yes."
The Prince of Jin looked at the young servant silently grinding ink beside him. He handed over the brush. "Clean the brush."
"Yes."
"Brew tea."
"Yes."
"Pour tea."
"Yes."
............
In the Main Courtyard, the Prince of Jin hadn't visited for three consecutive days, and Ruyan began to worry, thinking that His Highness was angry.
Gu Shui Rou, however, was not worried at all. Instead, she was trying on jewelry newly delivered from the Zhenbaoge in front of her dressing mirror. Ruyan saw her mistress in high spirits and quickly took out an exquisite pearl hairpin, saying, "The jewelry from Zhenbaoge is hard to come by. His Highness knows mistress loves jewelry, and specially ordered new designs to be fetched every month. When mistress attends the banquet in half a month, won't she amaze everyone?"
"Banquets are so boring. I haven't wanted to attend them for a long time."
Every month, it was the same people sitting together discussing how much their respective princes doted on them, and their anger and helplessness towards the concubines in the back courtyard.
Only Gu Shui Rou never had these troubles, and instead had to listen to those resentful women talk about such news. It was utterly boring.
What supported her in going was nothing more than the envious gazes of those people when they saw her new jewelry, and their admiring and jealous looks and praises upon learning that the Prince of Jin treated her like a precious gem.
"Mistress is speaking in anger again. In the past, His Highness would pick you up after banquets, which made countless people envious. You and His Highness are affectionate; those people are all green with envy. If you don't go, they might laugh at you for being out of favor."
Ruyan was filled with righteous indignation.
Gu Shui Rou frowned upon hearing this. "Those gossips. If I hadn't become the Princess, I wouldn't have known that this nobility is no different from commoners; there's nothing noble about them. Alright, I know you're speaking well of His Highness. How about this, send someone to Front Yard and tell them I want to have dinner with His Highness, and ask him to come early."
Gu Shui Rou had adapted to this commanding tone with ease. After all, she had always known that men would be eager to come and would never think she was ill-mannered.
Indeed, upon hearing the message from the servant, the Prince of Jin's eyes showed a hint of a smile. He asked again, somewhat incredulously, "Did the Princess truly invite this Prince to dine in the Main Courtyard?"
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, the Prince of Jin waved his hand, giving everyone in Front Yard an extra month's silver.
A Rao looked at the man's happy expression and muttered inwardly, 'Going so eagerly this time, he'll probably come back in a rage again.'
After all, Her Royal Highness, the Princess, was quite proud.
After the messenger left, the Prince of Jin's face could not hide his smile. He closed his book and looked at the sky outside, somewhat eagerly.
A Rao stepped forward lightly to pour tea for him. "Master, please have some tea."
"No need to pour tea. You don't need to serve in Study tonight."
A Rao nodded obediently. "Yes."
Hearing A Rao respond so quickly, the Prince of Jin frowned slightly, but with Gu Shui Rou in mind, the man was not as concerned about this slightly interesting young servant.
When night fell, the Prince of Jin took Chang Qing to the Main Courtyard.
A Rao watched from afar in the corridor, her expression indifferent.
Late at night, A Rao got up to drink water and found a dark figure standing by the window. She was startled, and the figure was also alarmed.
"A'rao, Master is calling for you."
It was Chang Qing's voice.
A Rao put on her outer garment. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Chang Qing's face, almost indistinguishable in the dark. Perhaps due to working together for a few days, some camaraderie had formed, and Chang Qing uncharacteristically reminded her, "Master is in a bad mood. Do not mention the Main Courtyard."
A Rao was startled and said softly, "Thank you, Big Brother Chang Qing, for the reminder."
However, she did not go into Study immediately, but instead went to Chufang (Kitchen).
Study was a mess.
The Prince of Jin sat in a round chair, his head bowed, lost in thought.
Hearing the movement at the door, his sharp, deep gaze, like that of a hawk, instantly shot over. Seeing that it was A Rao, his brows relaxed slightly, but his face remained cold and grim.
"Get out."
A Rao had just stepped one foot in. Upon hearing this, she immediately retreated.
Chang Qing: ???
A Rao looked at the tall Chang Qing with lingering fear, stuffing the pastries in her hand into his. "His Highness doesn't want this servant to wait on him. I'll leave this place to Big Brother Chang Qing."
Just as she was about to leave, the man's cold voice suddenly came from inside the room, "Come here."
The Prince of Jin had not intended to have anyone serve him, but his hearing was exceptional. When he heard that foolish servant was afraid and unwilling to come in, he was in a bad mood and couldn't let others be in a good mood either.
The young girl in green tentatively walked in with small steps, holding a plate of pastries. The aroma instantly spread through the room, stimulating the Prince of Jin's hunger, as he had not yet eaten.
His pair of aggressive eyes openly scrutinized A Rao. Seeing her eight zhang away, he impatiently said again, "Come closer."