Yao Chengcheng stood inside the room holding the food tray, completely stunned.
Fuman stepped forward to take the tray, smiling as he said, “Chef Yao, why are you standing there in a daze? The Prince is waiting for you inside.”
Yao Chengcheng, utterly confused, slowly walked in the direction Eunuch Fu pointed. Sure enough, Fu Yuanzheng was sitting in the inner chamber, waiting for her.
“Your Highness…?”
Fu Yuanzheng had changed into a light-colored robe today, looking exceptionally handsome.
He slowly raised his eyes and gazed at her for a long moment.
Ever since suspecting that Yao Chengcheng’s inner self might have been replaced by someone else, Fu Yuanzheng’s life seemed to have gained a hint of amusement.
He spoke slowly, “This afternoon, your father and mother will visit the Prince’s residence.”
Yao Chengcheng: “!”
She instantly looked up, and Fu Yuanzheng was very pleased to capture her shock and confusion.
“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy?”
Yao Chengcheng: “Why should this servant be happy… Wait, why are they coming…?”
Fu Yuanzheng: “Because the servants below made a mistake, and because of this prince’s momentary oversight. No matter what, you were a candidate for the imperial harem. Becoming a servant in this prince’s residence without any explanation would be difficult to justify to your parents. So, this prince will give you the title of a consort. How about that?”
How about that?
Not at all!
Yao Chengcheng had never imagined that this identity would bring so much trouble. What’s wrong with being a servant? Couldn’t she just be a servant?
Yao Chengcheng forced out an awkward laugh: “Your Highness must be joking. How could I possibly serve Your Highness… From the very beginning, this servant came here to be your chef. I wouldn’t dare harbor even the slightest thought of disrespecting Your Highness.”
Fu Yuanzheng stared motionlessly at her face, his suspicions growing stronger in his heart.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
“What if this prince insists on giving it to you?”
Yao Chengcheng’s legs went weak, and she immediately knelt before Fu Yuanzheng: “Your Highness, please don’t tease this servant. I truly only wish to make a living with my own skills. Every word I said back then was true—I came to the Prince’s residence to take a chance precisely because I didn’t want to be married off arbitrarily by my father at home. I beg Your Highness…”
Her tone was sincere, and her expression and attitude didn’t seem like lies. Fu Yuanzheng suddenly sneered inwardly. Perhaps her entire person was fake, but these words alone were genuine.
She truly did not want to become his woman.
Or was becoming his woman so unbearable to her?
Fu Yuanzheng suddenly felt a sense of meaninglessness.
“You’re overthinking it. You will remain a chef in the Prince’s residence. It’s just that this prince needs to silence the gossip outside. So, I called you here today to have you send your family away.”
Yao Chengcheng abruptly looked up, huh?
So that’s how it was.
Staring into Fu Yuanzheng’s utterly cold eyes, Yao Chengcheng suddenly felt like slapping her own head—
“This servant is foolish! How could Your Highness possibly have such thoughts? It was this servant who disrespected Your Highness! Your Highness, rest assured, this servant understands. I will send the Yao family away. Whatever Your Highness wants this servant to do, I will do it.”
Fu Yuanzheng nodded: “Fuman will make the arrangements. You may leave.”
Yao Chengcheng breathed a sigh of relief, but she didn’t forget her real business.
“By the way, Your Highness, for breakfast, I prepared soup-filled steamed buns for you. Please have some while they’re hot…”
The Yao family could wait. Right now, she needed Satisfaction Points!
Fu Yuanzheng merely gave a faint “hmm” and said nothing more. Yao Chengcheng had no choice but to withdraw…
“Chef Yao, oh no, Madam Yao, your courtyard is over here, called Baoyue Pavilion. This servant will take you there—”
Aji led Yao Chengcheng on the way, and Yao Chengcheng couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly is going on?”
She had suddenly become a madam, while Chunyan and Xialiu had become maidservants. The two of them followed behind Yao Chengcheng, wide-eyed and bewildered.
Aji also felt a bit awkward and smiled as he explained what had happened when he went to the Yao family.
Yao Chengcheng felt her vision darken: “So it was you!”
Aji looked miserable: “Madam, your status was already set there. There was no other way.”
But no matter what, the Yao family was only a seventh-rank official, unworthy of even tying the Prince’s shoelaces…
Of course, this was what Yao Chengcheng thought to herself and dared not say aloud.
At that moment, Auntie Mu walked over. Yao Chengcheng hurriedly wanted to explain, but Auntie Mu said, “No need to say more. I already know everything. Don’t worry, the Prince has given instructions about today’s matter. Not many people know about it. Just follow what the Prince said, and you needn’t worry about the main kitchen.”
“Yes, Auntie.”
Yao Chengcheng could only accept it for now and followed another auntie to Baoyue Pavilion.
After that, she was dressed up like a puppet—groomed, dressed, and powdered. After all the fuss, Yao Chengcheng felt a bit unfamiliar with herself.
Chunyan, however, was delighted: “Chef Yao is actually this beautiful! Even if someone said you were a real madam, they’d believe it!”
Xialiu also nodded repeatedly.
Yao Chengcheng forced a slight smile and asked, “When will the Yao family arrive?”
Xialiu: “Just now, this servant heard Aunt Liu say they’ll be here in an hour.”
Yao Chengcheng nodded: “You all rest for now. I want some quiet.”
“Alright.”
On her first day of transmigration, Yao Chengcheng had directly landed in a selection ceremony. She was completely unfamiliar with this family!
Now, she desperately dug into the original body’s memories to avoid exposing herself in front of the Yao family later. The original body was a concubine-born daughter in the family. Her birth mother was Du Ping’er, who was practically invisible in the Yao family’s rear courtyard. Yao’s father was a seventh-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel. Yao’s mother, Madam Wu, was her legal mother. The Yao family had an eldest son named Yao Xin, a playboy, and a sister…
Yao Duoduo—this was the person most closely connected to the original body.
Both sisters were concubine-born, but Yao Duoduo’s birth mother had passed away. In recent years, she had been adopted by the legal mother and was considered a legitimate daughter of the Yao family. The two had never gotten along well. If anyone could spot something off about Yao Chengcheng, it would undoubtedly be her.
Yao Chengcheng recalled the way the two sisters had interacted before and fell silent as she thought.
Clearly, neither of them was particularly clever.
After reminiscing in the room for nearly an hour, Yao Chengcheng prepared to get up and go out.
At the same time, Fuman approached Fu Yuanzheng: “Prince, everything is ready.”
Fu Yuanzheng gave a faint “hmm” and said, “Push me over.”
Fuman nodded and, along with Aji and two guards, pushed the Prince’s wheelchair out. They exited through the back door of Qinzhu Garden and made their way to the high ground behind the Prince’s mansion’s garden.
There was a pavilion here where one could overlook the entire rear garden.
Yao Chengcheng had already walked into the garden by then. She wore a light pink short jacket paired with a moon-white long skirt, and the hairpin on her head swayed with her lively steps, suddenly appearing in Fu Yuanzheng’s line of sight.
Bouncing around like that—where did she look like a proper young lady from a respectable family?
Like a wild rabbit from the mountains, she had stumbled into the mundane world by chance.
Yao Chengcheng remained completely unaware of the pair of eyes watching her from above. She looked around the garden and finally settled in the spot with the best view.
Fu Yuanzheng watched for a while before lowering his gaze. Truthfully, he didn’t know why he had gone to such lengths for someone like her. If it were his former temperament, he would have simply thrown her into the prison for rigorous interrogation.
Perhaps it was because his current days truly felt like stagnant water, and Yao Chengcheng’s appearance was like a small stone tossed onto the lake’s surface, stirring ripples in its wake.