"Su Xiaoyu! You lazy girl, hiding again!"
The moment Su Xiaoyu transmigrated into the book, she was immediately dragged out from under the kitchen stove by her mother, who pulled her ear while lecturing her sternly.
Su Xiaoyu, who had been secretly eating Steamed Su Cheese, jolted in surprise, nearly dropping the plate on her own face.
Su Xiaoyu?
Wasn't she the gluttonous maid from the novel "Power Over the Realm" that she had stayed up all night reading?
Because her father was the head guard of the Marquis's estate and her mother was the head maid serving the Lady, the original host had been living quite comfortably in the estate.
Her biggest daily worry was what to eat that day.
In less than a second, Su Xiaoyu sorted out her current situation.
Well, transmigrating into a household servant with parents to rely on, a stable job, and no worries about food and drink—this was practically the golden rice bowl of the transmigration world!
In her modern life, she had struggled relentlessly, her ox-horse existence escalating from the "blessing" of 996 to 007, until she finally collapsed at her workstation—memories that were still vivid.
In this life, no matter what, she would completely loosen the tightly wound strings. No one would make her strive again!
As long as she could hold out until the future wife of the heir entered the household and firmly clung to that thick thigh, she would never have to worry about food and drink in this lifetime.
Su Xiaoyu was ecstatic inside!
"What are you grinning about!" Zhao Yueru poked her forehead in annoyance. "The Lady has an important guest. The heir has just returned from the Court of Judicial Review and is speaking with her. Hurry up and bring the su cheese over. Don't embarrass yourself in front of the masters!"
"The heir?"
That overachiever Xiao Jingheng?
The male lead in the original book?
As she picked up the tray, Su Xiaoyu couldn't help but complain inwardly.
The original book described him as aloof, self-disciplined, wielding immense power in the court, and eventually becoming a powerful minister.
In plain terms, he was a workaholic!
What a pity!
The book said he always wore a stern expression and was utterly intolerant of flaws in others.
Drawing on the original host's memories, Su Xiaoyu quickly arrived at the Marquis's wife, Liu Shi's, Yilan Courtyard. With downcast eyes and a submissive demeanor, she placed the su cheese on the small table beside the heir and the Lady, then skillfully retreated behind her mother to act as part of the background.
[Perfect! The food delivery mission is complete! Now, just hold out until the end of the workday… Hehe, Aunt Wang saved half a roast goose for me! Slurp!]
In the hall, incense smoke curled upward.
The Marquis's wife was discussing her worries with her son, who sat below: "Jingheng, your father is also troubled by this matter. In the case of the Ministry of Revenue's Vice Minister's embezzlement, the clue leads to the Cao Gang leader Li Mang and then goes cold. That man is as slippery as an eel, and evidence is hard to come by…"
Xiao Jingheng held a teacup, his slender fingers resting against it, and pondered, "Mother, don't worry. I've already dispatched more people to secretly keep an eye on Vice Minister Zhou. It's just this Li Mang…"
Before he could finish, a clear and somewhat cheerful voice abruptly invaded Xiao Jingheng's mind—
[Li Mang? Isn't he that super henpecked husband in the book who's terrified of his wife? He's also secretly keeping a Lean Horse mistress in the southern part of the city, treasuring her like the apple of his eye. The account books and such must be hidden there! In the original book, the heir still needed half a month to figure this out. Efficiency, people, efficiency!]
Xiao Jingheng's tea-drinking motion halted abruptly!
Who was speaking?
He sharply looked up, his keen eyes scanning the hall like a hawk's.
Besides his mother seated at the head and Mama Zhao standing nearby, there was only the little maid who had just delivered the snacks.
Xiao Jingheng looked over and saw the little maid's eyes still glued to the su cheese in front of him, her face full of craving.
Su Xiaoyu
Xiao Jingheng was certain that the voice he had just heard did not come from anyone present.
Was it an auditory hallucination?
He subtly withdrew his gaze, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and decided to test it once more.
He looked at his mother and continued in a calm tone, "It's just that Li Mang is extremely cautious. The location where he's hidden the evidence is likely exceptionally well-concealed."
[Concealed my foot! It's in the innermost house of Osmanthus Lane in the southern city! There's a hidden compartment under the bed in the bedroom. Can't you even find that? Where's the efficiency, Young Master?]
That voice again! And it carried a hint of smug superiority, as if only the speaker possessed clarity.
It even dared to criticize his investigative speed?
This time, Xiao Jingheng heard it clearly and unmistakably!
The source of the voice was none other than that seemingly simple-minded girl who only ever thought about food and slacking off—Su Xiaoyu!
He could hear her inner thoughts!
This realization made his heart skip a beat.
He looked at Su Xiaoyu again, his gaze deepening considerably.
It was as if he were trying to see through her obedient facade to discern what kind of soul truly lay within.
Su Xiaoyu was staring at the untouched plate of cheese pastry, lamenting inwardly:
[What a waste! If you're not going to eat it, just give it to me…]
Suddenly! She felt an intensely palpable gaze fixed upon her.
Su Xiaoyu instinctively looked up and directly met Xiao Jingheng's profound, unfathomable phoenix eyes.
Su Xiaoyu: …
[Why is he looking at me? Is there something on my face? Or did he find out I stole some cheese pastry?]
[That shouldn't be possible…?]
Panic surged within Su Xiaoyu, but she forced an even more docile and harmless smile onto her face.
Xiao Jingheng watched her nearly frozen fake smile while listening to her audacious, borderline disrespectful inner monologue. The corner of his lips lifted in an almost imperceptible curve.
The Marchioness, noticing her son staring intently at a young maid, asked with some confusion, "Jingheng?"
Xiao Jingheng withdrew his gaze, resuming his usual aloof demeanor, and replied to his mother, "It's nothing. I just recalled an unverified lead and need to dispatch someone to investigate immediately. I must take my leave."
His decisive and efficient nature was something Liu Shi was long accustomed to. She simply advised:
"Go ahead, official duties come first!"
Xiao Jingheng bowed and withdrew. As he passed by Su Xiaoyu, his steps didn't falter in the slightest, making that meaningful glance from earlier seem like nothing more than her imagination.
[That scared me to death… I thought he'd found out about the stealing.]
Su Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief. [But the Young Master's efficiency is truly impressive. So dedicated, no wonder he's the future powerful minister and the top investigator of the Court of Judicial Review.]
Xiao Jingheng, who had already reached the doorway, paused almost imperceptibly before quickening his pace and leaving.
…
The next day, Xiao Jingheng entered Liu Shi's courtyard again to pay his respects.
Su Xiaoyu was, as usual, attending to her duties alongside her mother.
When Marchioness Liu Shi saw her eldest son arrive, she promptly inquired, "Jingheng, about the investigation in the southern city yesterday—were you successful?"
Xiao Jingheng cast a subtle glance in a certain direction and answered:
"Mission accomplished. We found Li Mang's mistress in Osmanthus Lane in the southern city and seized the account books documenting his embezzlement of public funds on the spot. With both witnesses and physical evidence secured, the case is closed."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shi's face lit up with joy: "Amitabha! Heaven has truly shown its justice! This lead came at just the right time."
[Holy crap! As expected of the male lead of this book! He actually found it? This speed, this efficiency—absolutely incredible!]
[Looks like my golden rice bowl in the Marquis' estate is secure again, hehe!]
Su Xiaoyu was inwardly leaping with joy, her little tail practically wagging up to the sky.
Xiao Jingheng listened to these utterly immodest inner thoughts, a faint trace of amusement flickering in his eyes.
He cast a discreet glance toward the door, and his personal attendant Changfeng immediately entered carrying a red sandalwood tray.
"Mother, as this case has been solved, His Majesty bestowed some rewards. Since I have no use for these items, I brought them for you to manage—whether to distribute them or store them in the treasury is entirely your decision."
Xiao Jingheng's tone was placid, as if the tray contained ordinary objects rather than imperial gifts.
Liu Shi looked over curiously and saw two gleaming government-minted gold ingots on the tray, alongside a roll of tribute Sky Blue Cloud Brocade that shimmered with iridescent hues, clearly indicating its immense value.
Su Xiaoyu also craned her neck to look, her eyes instantly drawn to an ornate rosewood food box at the front.
Changfeng lifted the lid, revealing six exquisitely crafted pastries arranged in neat rows. Shaped like blooming lotuses with distinct layered petals, they had a lustrous white hue adorned with delicate gold leaf at the centers.
"These are the newly created Gold Thread Lotus Seed Cakes from the imperial kitchen. His Majesty specially bestowed them for the Young Master to sample," Changfeng explained promptly.
[From the imperial kitchen? Gold Thread Lotus Seed Cakes! I heard they only make twelve boxes a day—even the imperial consorts might not get to taste them!]
[They look so delicious… If I could just have one bite in this lifetime, I'd die without regrets!]
"Gulp!"
Su Xiaoyu heard her own swallowing sound. Her eyes, as if magnetized, remained fixed on that box of pastries, drool nearly trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Xiao Jingheng took in her covetous expression but pretended not to notice. Turning back to Liu Shi, he said, "Although Li Mang's case is closed, another puzzling matter in the capital has been troubling me recently. The silk merchant Zhang Bing from the West Market has been missing for half a month under mysterious circumstances—no trace of him alive or dead. His family pleads daily, and even the Capital Prefecture is at a loss."
As he spoke, he monitored Su Xiaoyu's reactions, waiting to hear her 'all-knowing' inner voice resurface once more.
However, after waiting for some time, only his mother's concerned inquiries reached his ears.
Xiao Jingheng's brow furrowed slightly as he glanced sideways.
There stood Su Xiaoyu, still maintaining her attendant's posture, but her eyes remained glued to that plate of pastries—clearly, she hadn't absorbed a single word!