Ji Yan’an suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him and lost the desire to speak further.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he said, “Uncle Li, you ask her.”
Uncle Li stepped forward. “We are speaking of the two women you encountered earlier. Were the things you said truly what they spoke?”
Jiang Yun Sui’s mind finally caught up. She nodded. “Yes, they were.”
Ji Yan’an tapped his fingers rhythmically against the tabletop. His dark, deep eyes fixed steadily on her as he asked in a calm, even tone.
“Can you make anyone overlook your presence?”
Even without her telling him, he already knew everything about those two women; he had never intended to keep them around for long anyway.
But now, he had stumbled upon something far more interesting.
Jiang Yun Sui rubbed her eyes and yawned, her head drooping sleepily. “Mm-hmm.”
“Have you had this ability since you were little?”
She blinked, looking utterly innocent. “I suppose so?”
Ji Yan’an held her gaze for a long time, until Jiang Yun Sui grew so uncomfortable she wanted to burrow straight into the ground and vanish.
But that was impossible right now QAQ.
“Would you like to stay here?”
At last, he shifted his gaze away casually and picked up his teacup to take a sip.
Jiang Yun Sui’s eyes instantly lit up. “Yes!”
She had no home anymore. If she left, she could retreat deep into the mountains and survive well enough, but there would be no more delicious food, and she would still be bound by that strange karmic tie.
Of everyone she had met so far, Young Master Ji seemed the most powerful. She decided it was worth trying to latch onto such a strong protector.
Ji Yan’an toyed with the teacup in his hand, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Would you like me to help you get even?”
Her eyes grew even brighter, and she nodded eagerly like a little pecking chick.
She looked like a trusting little white rabbit, while across from her sat a cunning, scheming black wolf.
“I can do that but remember, the Ji household does not support idle hands.”
Jiang Yun Sui stared back at him, wide-eyed and utterly confused.
“Since those two maids have proven disloyal, I am now short of someone to attend to me. Starting today, you shall serve as my personal maid.”
Jiang Yun Sui blinked. Me?
What exactly did a maid do?
“Alright!”
She decided not to overthink it first priority was to stay.
Her reply was loud and clear.
Then she yawned again. “Can I go back to sleep now?”
Ji Yan’an said, “Sleep? As my maid, your duty is to stay awake and watch over me while I sleep.”
If he could not rest properly himself, the sight of someone else sleeping soundly made him feel even more restless.
Jiang Yun Sui felt as though the sky had just fallen.
“But I ”
“Come inside and stand guard by my bed.”
Ji Yan’an admitted to himself that he was doing this partly out of mischief; he found it amusing to tease this soft, easily flustered little fool.
As soon as he turned his back, Jiang Yun Sui waved her small fists wildly in the air, her cheeks puffed out in anger.
The little mushroom felt terribly wronged, yet dared not actually strike him.
It was so frustrating she simply was not strong enough to win a fight.
Behind them, Uncle Li watched silently: ……………
This child truly did not seem to mind his presence at all.
In the end, Jiang Yun Sui could only swallow her frustration and follow him into the inner chambers.
Once inside, her eyes went wide in wonder. Wow… such a big room, and such a beautiful bed.
Her curiosity was written all over her face.
Seeing this, Ji Yan’an’s mood inexplicably lifted.
If her background checked out and proved harmless, it might not be so bad to keep this little fool nearby and tease her now and then.
At the very least, he did not have to be constantly on guard or calculate every word in front of her. Whatever she thought was displayed plainly on her face.
“Young Master, your medicine is ready.”
An elderly matron entered carrying a bowl of bitter herbal brew.
The moment Jiang Yun Sui caught the scent, she took quick little steps backward, putting some distance between herself and the bowl.
Since she was deliberately making herself less noticeable, the others in the room paid no mind to her movements.
She hid behind Uncle Li, peeking out cautiously from around his back.
Then she watched as Ji Yan’an picked up that dark, foul-smelling brew and drank it down without so much as a change in expression.
Jiang Yun Sui’s eyes went wide.
Her look of shock suggested he had just swallowed poison rather than medicine.
“You may leave, and make sure the windows are closed,” Ji Yan’an instructed.
In truth, he disliked having people standing watch while he slept; what he had said earlier to Jiang Yun Sui had only been a tease.
Once Uncle Li and the old matron had left, Ji Yan’an sat on the edge of the bed and felt as though he had forgotten something.
“Was that drink any good?”
The soft, childish voice right beside his ear made him jump. Looking down, he found the little girl had somehow crept back and was now squatting nearby.
Ji Yan’an fell silent: ……………
That was what he had forgotten.
“What does it taste like?”
Receiving no answer, Jiang Yun Sui did not feel awkward in the least and simply asked again.
Ji Yan’an gave her a faint, amused look. “Would you like to try it yourself?”
Jiang Yun Sui recalled the sharp, bitter odor she had smelled, suppressed her curiosity, and shook her head firmly.
Leaning back against the headboard, Ji Yan’an said, “Once I am asleep, you may go.”
He knew his own condition well enough: even with medicine, he could only doze fitfully and woke at the slightest sound. Having someone nearby would only make it impossible to rest.
This arrangement was merely a small test. He wanted to see what Jiang Yun Sui would do when she thought he was asleep.
Jiang Yun Sui suspected nothing and simply nodded obediently.
Then she sat cross-legged right beside the bed, rested her chin in her hands, and fixed her large, glistening eyes on the young man.
Ji Yan’an gritted his teeth behind closed eyelids. I told you to stand guard, not stare at me!
He tried to relax his body, keeping half his attention on the girl while his mind turned over the many difficulties facing him.
The Ji family’s army was vast. Though most of the soldiers recognized his authority through the legacy of his grandfather, father, and uncles, there were inevitably spies and agents planted by rival factions within the ranks.
They sowed discord and doubt. For now, the men trusted him, but the military was a place where strength and results spoke louder than name or bloodline. He could not be naive enough to think that loyalty would last forever based only on past favors.
He would have to lead them to victory in battle yet his own body…
Lost in thought, Ji Yan’an’s consciousness slowly drifted into sleep.
What he did not see was that the small figure watching over him had nodded off long ago. With every breath she took, invisible motes of gentle energy drifted out, settling into his body and being absorbed.
It was the deepest, most restful sleep Ji Yan’an had enjoyed in years.
When Uncle Li arrived before dawn to begin his duties, he found the Young Master still fast asleep and his face lit up with pure delight.
“Keep your voices down,” he whispered sharply to the servants waiting outside to help Ji Yan’an wash and dress. “Go back for now and have everything ready. I will call you when he wakes.”
“Understood.”
Uncle Li paced happily back and forth outside the door. After so long, the Young Master had finally slept well he would not let anything disturb him.
Another hour passed before movement was heard inside the room.
Ji Yan’an woke feeling unusually clear-headed and refreshed, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his limbs.
He felt surprised. Could it be that yesterday’s medicine had finally begun to work?
“Uncle Li.”
As he swung his legs over the bed, his foot stepped on something soft and squishy.
Glancing down, his eyelids twitched in astonishment.
At that moment, Uncle Li, hearing his voice, stepped inside, his face beaming with obvious joy.
“Young Master, you are awake…”