With Fourth Master present, the capable Su Peisheng could handle anything, and even if something couldn’t be done, he would create the conditions to make it happen.
In the end, Lin Mingyan and Fourth Master sat in the courtyard, with a charcoal stove half a person high, on top of which rested an iron pot.
Bubbling inside the iron pot was grilled fish, growing more fragrant as it cooked.
She had specifically asked the kitchen to add a bit of chili, giving it a hint of spiciness.
At this time, chili peppers were not yet widely used, with Sichuan peppercorns and dogwood often serving as seasonings instead.
However, she loved this flavor and had specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare it, which they did.
Now was the perfect time to use it.
Though it couldn’t replicate the taste of modern times, it could still satisfy her cravings.
Fourth Master rarely ate spicy or stimulating foods, but the fish he had caught and grilled himself was so enjoyable that he ended up eating a few extra bites.
His face flushed red from the spiciness, and on this golden autumn night, he broke into a sweat.
“Refreshing~” he exclaimed, putting down his chopsticks, his lips already red from the heat.
Lin Mingyan’s lips were even redder, as she had devoured most of the fish.
When she set down her chopsticks, Fourth Master was still staring at her mouth.
It looked like a small cherry, tempting to kiss.
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he acted on it immediately.
Su Peisheng and the others tactfully withdrew, leaving Lin Mingyan stunned.
She whispered a reminder, “Ye, this… this is in the courtyard~”
She may not have understood this master’s temperament completely, but she had at least grasped seventy to eighty percent of it.
He was quite traditional, so how could he start something like this in an open garden without any cover?
Originally, Fourth Master hadn’t intended to do this in the courtyard, but seeing Lin Mingyan’s nervousness, he couldn’t resist teasing her.
He ended up teasing her a bit too much, and in the end, they had to retreat to the room…
Fortunately, the courtyard was already quiet and empty, or else Lin Mingyan would have wanted to bury her head in her chest.
This unusual experience brought tears to Lin Mingyan’s eyes.
But… it was indeed thrilling~
The next day, Lin Mingyan rubbed her sore waist.
She thought to herself: Thrilling or not, it’s better for him to seek excitement here than elsewhere.
Since there was no morning greeting today, she could finish breakfast and go back to sleep until noon.
But before she could finish her breakfast, Du Juan came to report that Lady Zhang had arrived.
Lin Mingyan’s crystal shrimp dumpling fell back onto the plate: “What is she here for?”
However, she couldn’t continue with breakfast now.
After all, she was only a Gege and couldn’t very well leave someone waiting.
After tidying up, she went to the reception hall, where Lady Zhang waited with a sorrowful expression and greeted her with a bow.
Lin Mingyan sidestepped to avoid accepting the full gesture, returned the courtesy, and then asked, “Is there something you need, Sister Zhang?”
Although they had entered the residence at the same time, there was no friendship between them.
Anyone with eyes could see why Lady Zhang had come to her.
Lady Zhang hadn’t expected her to skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point.
Her face paled slightly as she said, “It’s been so long since I entered the residence, and I haven’t had anyone to talk to. I thought I’d come and chat with Sister Lin.”
She was truly at her wit’s end.
Looking across the entire Prince’s Residence, and even the entire capital,
there was no concubine who hadn’t been served tea after four months of entering the household.
But the Princess Consort paid no attention, and Fourth Master never visited. In her desperation, she was grasping at straws.
At the very least, Lin Shi wouldn’t drive her away. By waiting here, she might just run into Fourth Master.
It was a way to seek an opportunity for herself.
Hearing this, Lin Mingyan couldn’t very well refuse her request to talk.
She could only instruct Du Juan to bring tea and brace herself to exchange a few words with her.
But this person kept rambling on and on, showing no signs of leaving.
Poor Lin Mingyan had been thoroughly exhausted yesterday. Even sitting felt tiring, and she was so drowsy she nearly dozed off.
Du Juan watched her own Gege’s pitiful, sleep-deprived state and wished she could tell Lady Zhang to shut up.
However, after hinting twice, Lady Zhang remained firmly planted on her chair, not even shifting an inch.
In the end, they had to wait until just before lunch for Fourth Master to arrive.
Fourth Master was on Mu Rest today and didn’t need to attend school. He had finished his tasks early in the morning and headed straight to Linfeng Residence.
He planned to have lunch, take a nap, and then take Lin Mingyan fishing again in the afternoon.
But as soon as he arrived, he found Lin Mingyan sitting in the side hall, nodding off like a chick pecking at rice.
Suddenly, as if she had already fallen asleep, she toppled from her chair.
Fourth Master’s heart leaped in fright. In one swift stride, he rushed forward and caught her firmly in his arms.
He roared angrily, “What are all of you doing?!”
“Can’t you see your Gege is exhausted like this?”
“And you still let her sit like this?!”
He was genuinely terrified. If he hadn’t arrived just in time, wouldn’t Cha Cha have fallen and ended up with a bloody head?
Only then did Lin Mingyan fully wake up. Afraid he would lash out at Du Juan and the others, she quickly tried to cover for them: “It’s not their fault. I was the one who insisted on sitting…”
She didn’t mention that Lady Zhang refused to leave, only saying she had chosen to sit.
Lady Zhang’s face turned completely pale at this point, and she hurriedly apologized: “It’s all my fault for talking too much and delaying Lin Gege’s rest…”
She hadn’t yet been intimate with Fourth Master and was still a maiden, so she could only refer to herself as “this servant.”
Only then did Fourth Master notice there was an outsider present. Though she kept her head bowed and appeared submissive, she didn’t seem to feel she had done anything wrong.
Recalling that this was Lady Zhang, whom the Princess Consort had sent over, and considering how he had been neglecting the Princess Consort and others lately—which was why he hadn’t visited—he thought to himself:
If she had stayed quietly in Ruixue Pavilion, he wouldn’t have withheld benefits from her in the future.
But this person had actually come to trouble Cha Cha, caused harm, and showed no remorse whatsoever.
Clearly, she was just like the Princess Consort—soft on the outside but treacherous on the inside.
“If you know you talk too much, then shut up,” Fourth Master hadn’t yet developed the composure he would later possess; his temper was still straightforward.
Still unsatisfied, he turned to Du Juan and added, “Don’t let random people in here from now on. Say it’s by my order!”
Lady Zhang’s face turned completely pale. As Su Peisheng escorted her out of Linfeng Residence, she immediately burst into tears.
Her maid, Linglong, was terrified and quickly took her back to Ruixue Pavilion.
She tried to console her: “Miss, please don’t cry. What if someone sees you?”
She had advised her not to go to Lin Gege’s place, but the lady simply wouldn’t listen.
Now, not only had she earned Fourth Master’s displeasure without showing remorse, but she dared to cry in public!
Lady Zhang’s mind was already in a daze, unable to heed any advice.
Returning to Ruixue Pavilion, she threw herself on the bed, weeping as if the sky had fallen.
Before, she had thought Lin Shi was just lucky, favored by the Princess Consort, which was why she had won Fourth Master’s affection.
The Princess Consort, having already secured Lin Shi, had deliberately kept her from meeting Fourth Master and prevented her from rising.
But today, after managing to see Fourth Master, he hadn’t spared her a single glance.
In his eyes, she was no different from Lin Shi’s maid—just another decorative piece in the room.
No, she wasn’t even as good as Du Juan.
Because Fourth Master was willing to speak to Du Juan, even if angrily, while he hadn’t said a single word to her.
How miserable she felt~~
Loud wails echoed from the room, leaving Linglong pacing anxiously.
She had no choice but to order all the doors and windows shut before saying, “Miss, I’ll be honest with you.”
“Master doesn’t favor you precisely because you’re the Princess Consort’s person.”
“If you wish to advance, I can point you to a path!”