Jiang Fei was astonished. No wonder she was always starving at the residence—she could eat enough for four or five people! With such an appetite, in modern times she could definitely make it as a mukbang streamer.
“No meat?” Jiang Fei asked, eyeing the plain flatbread in Jiu Tao’s hand.
Jiu Tao raised another flatbread in her other hand. “These two have meat.”
Jiang Fei looked skeptical. “Why only buy two?”
Jiu Tao swallowed a mouthful and explained, “If I bought only meat flatbreads, I could only get six—not enough to fill me up. One meat flatbread costs as much as three plain ones.”
Jiang Fei: “…”
How pitiful yet amusing.
This was the first time Jiu Tao could eat her fill so freely. Munching away, she remarked, “That person is really good-looking.”
Jiang Fei glanced down at her. “Who are you talking about?”
Jiu Tao mumbled through a mouthful of flatbread, “The one upstairs on the landing earlier. He’s so handsome, Miss. Who is he?”
Watching her eat so heartily, Jiang Fei felt her own appetite stir. She took a flatbread from Jiu Tao’s hand, and the two squatted side by side, munching on their flatbreads.
“Oh, you mean the one upstairs,” Jiang Fei said, taking a bite. “That’s my fiancé, Wei Sanlang Wei Mingzhen.”
Jiu Tao let out an “Oh,” then paused her chewing, looking puzzled. “But, Miss, if the one upstairs is your fiancé, why did the person downstairs ask you to wait for him?”
Jiang Fei glanced around and lowered her voice. “The one downstairs is Pei Jing. Have you heard of him?”
Even if she hadn’t met him, Jiu Tao had certainly heard of him—the name of Prince Zhaoning Pei Jing was legendary.
She nodded fearfully. “I know of him.”
Jiang Fei pointed to her own head. “Let me tell you, he’s not right in the head. You mustn’t provoke him casually, or he might go mad and start killing people.”
“Such a terrifying person,” Jiu Tao said, alarmed. “Why don’t you stay away from him, Miss?”
“You think I don’t want to?” Jiang Fei grumbled, biting into her flatbread as if she were tearing into Pei Jing and Wei Mingzhen’s flesh. “I have no choice. It’s not that I want to provoke him—he’s the one who always bothers me. I’m just playing along to save my life. Do you think it’s easy for me?”
Jiu Tao nodded, only half-understanding. “Oh, you’re so pitiful, Miss.”
“Now you get it,” Jiang Fei said, warning her. “If you ever run into Pei Jing in the future, avoid him if you can. Understand?”
Jiu Tao nodded, her face full of dread. “I—I won’t provoke him.”
Jiang Fei patted her head approvingly, took another bite of her flatbread, and glanced down to see a pair of embroidered shoes partly visible beneath the hem of a brocade robe beside them.
Slowly, she raised her head. The sunlight made her squint, blurring the face of the person standing there.
Clutching her meat flatbread, she stood up gradually. When she finally saw the person’s face clearly, she nearly choked on her bite.
“Why is it you?”
“If not me, who were you expecting?” Pei Jing asked.
Jiang Fei took two cautious steps back. “I already ran out of the room earlier. You can’t go back on your word.”
Pei Jing replied indifferently, “I was just teasing you. What good would killing you do me?”
“So you’re really not going to kill me?” Jiang Fei remained suspicious.
“No, I keep my word.”
Jiang Fei let out a sigh of relief, peeked inside, and patted her chest. “Lucky it’s you who came. If Pei Jing had heard what I just said, I’d be in big trouble.”
A rare smile touched Pei Jing’s lips. “Are you referring to the part where you said he’s not right in the head and goes mad killing people? Or the part where you said he’s always bothering you?”
“Shh.” Jiang Fei pulled him aside and whispered, “Don’t let him hear, or if he comes demanding answers later, I’ll say you taught me.”
Pei Jing studied her for a moment. “What do you think would happen if he found out?”
“He’d probably kill me.” Jiang Fei asked with lingering fear, “If I became your wife, would he still kill me?”
Pei Jing gave a sinister smile but didn’t respond, instead asking, “Where are you going? Shall I escort you?”
Jiang Fei pointed toward the opera house. “He told me to wait for him. Should I still wait?”
“No.”
“What if he tries to kill me?”
Pei Jing glanced at her indifferently. “With me here, he wouldn’t dare.”
Reassured, Jiang Fei said, “Then I’ll be going. No need to see me off.”
With that, she grabbed Jiu Tao and ran off.
After her figure disappeared into the crowd, Pei Jing withdrew his gaze. A guardsman with a sword appeared beside him.
“Your Highness,” Duan Jiu stared intently in the direction the two had vanished, “that girl shows no respect for authority, her behavior is outrageous and truly insolent. Should this subordinate go eliminate her?”
After waiting a long time without a response, Duan Jiu turned his head and met Pei Jing’s cold gaze.
He immediately dropped to his knees, cold sweat instantly soaking through his back. “This subordinate overstepped.”
“What an interesting person,” Pei Jing lowered his eyes slightly, twirling his folding fan, “My fan has yet to be stained with blood. When did it become your place to intervene?”
…
Jiang Fei couldn’t stay out for long. After wandering around for a while, she returned to the Jiang residence.
There was a dog hole in the corner of the Jiang family’s backyard wall, concealed by flowers and plants that the repair servants hadn’t noticed.
Jiu Tao went through the dog hole first. Jiang Fei, still unfamiliar with crawling through it, reached inside. “Pull me through.”
When no one pulled her after speaking, she said again, “Could you pull me through already?”
This time someone grabbed her hand, but the texture felt wrong—the touch was overly aged.
Before Jiang Fei could figure it out, she was yanked inside.
Seeing the situation in the courtyard, Jiang Fei was completely stunned.
Several maids stood in the courtyard. The one who pulled her through was none other than Madam Yao’s attendant, Mama Wang. Jiu Tao stood to the side, already restrained by two maids, looking at her with a tearful face.
Mama Wang clasped her hands over her abdomen, slightly raising her chin. “Since Second Miss has returned, please report to Madam.”
Caught red-handed, there was no escaping.
Jiang Fei brushed the grass scraps from her clothes and said with dignity, “Release her. She’s my maid.”
Mama Wang’s face remained as stiff as plaster, unmoving except for her lips. “Please go to Madam’s courtyard immediately, Miss.”
Jiang Fei stood firm without moving. “Release my maid, and I’ll go with you right now.”
After a brief standoff, Mama Wang finally relented and signaled the two maids to release Jiu Tao.
Jiu Tao hurried to Jiang Fei’s side. Jiang Fei lowered her voice and spoke quickly, “Find somewhere to hide first. Come find me tonight.”
This girl was quite simple-minded, and Jiang Fei liked that. If she followed to Madam Yao’s courtyard, Jiang Fei feared she wouldn’t be able to protect her.
“What about you, Miss?” Jiu Tao asked worriedly.
Jiang Fei felt somewhat comforted. Just a few pastries and pancakes were enough to make this girl worry about her even when she herself was in danger, while Yun Xiang, who had received so many benefits from her, still betrayed her.
“I’ll be fine,” Jiang Fei said. “Did you remember what I just said?”
Jiu Tao nodded, “I remember.”
Jiang Fei gave Jiu Tao a meaningful look, and Jiu Tao immediately bolted. Several maids failed to react in time.
Mammy Wang froze for a moment, then immediately pointed in the direction Jiu Tao had fled. “Quick! Catch her!”
” Mammy Wang,” Jiang Fei said clearly, “Mother is looking for me. Since I am already here, and that girl was only acting under my coercion, you should understand the priorities of the situation.”
Mammy Wang’s cheek finally twitched, though it was more of a convulsion. She shot Jiang Fei a resentful glance, sent the maids to chase Jiu Tao, and personally escorted Jiang Fei to Fusui Court, where Yao Shi resided.
The courtyard was eerily quiet, devoid of any people, with the main door tightly shut.
Mammy Wang stopped in the center of the courtyard, turned around, and said, “Madam is taking a nap. Second Young Lady, kneel here and wait.”