Shen Qing stood at the door for a moment.
When she saw no sign that Zhu Yuan intended to enter, she turned back.
She picked up the towel from the water basin and wrung it dry, then glanced at Yu Jiuqing, who was staring at her unblinkingly, like he was guarding a prisoner.
After a quiet moment, she forced a sweet, tender smile.
“Lord, I need to change my clothes.
Surely you don’t intend to stand here and watch the entire time?”
The smile was so fake her own facial muscles were protesting.
For some reason, Yu Jiuqing looked away, a bit flustered.
His handsome face remained as cold as ice as he limped back into the inner room.
“Make me breakfast as soon as you’re changed,” he ordered.
Shen Qing: “…”
She couldn’t help but grind her teeth.
‘This guy,’ she thought.
‘He’s really gotten the hang of ordering me around, hasn’t he?’
‘Even back when they first met, when she was desperately trying to get close to him and pestering him relentlessly, she had never felt so aggrieved!’
Shen Qing indignantly finished washing up, changed her clothes, then pushed open the door and stepped out.
Chen Li was still standing in the courtyard, staring worriedly at Yu Jiuqing’s room.
When he saw Shen Qing swagger out, his face soured.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“You should be asking your master that.
Or is it that the great Prime Minister of the Daqi Dynasty has no one to make him breakfast?”
As she spoke, Shen Qing scanned the courtyard before turning left and heading toward the back.
‘It seems the courtyard’s layout hasn’t changed much from when I lived here.’
‘I used to enjoy making all sorts of food in my spare time, so I had a small kitchen built in the left corner of the back courtyard.
It should still be here.’
The moment Shen Qing rounded the corner into the back courtyard, she saw the familiar small kitchen.
The small kitchen was fully stocked with essentials like firewood, rice, salt, and oil.
There were also fresh ingredients like vegetables, fruit, and eggs.
It seemed the kitchen was still in regular use.
Seeing Shen Qing walk into the small kitchen and start rummaging through things, Chen Li’s expression darkened further.
“You’re not actually going to make breakfast for the Lord, are you?!”
‘And how does she even know there’s a small kitchen here?!’
‘The Lord didn’t tell her, did he?’
Shen Qing had no interest in answering such an obvious question.
After picking out the ingredients she needed, she turned slightly, offered Chen Li a perfunctory smile, and said, “I’m a rather delicate person, you see, not very good at manual labor.
Would you mind lending a hand, Chief Chen?
I need you to start the fire for me.”
Chen Li: “!!!”
‘This woman isn’t just unreasonable, she’s impossibly thick-skinned!’
He gritted his teeth, about to give her a harsh refusal, but Shen Qing spoke nonchalantly as she washed the vibrant green lettuce.
“Your Lord was the one who ordered me to make breakfast.
If Chief Chen is unwilling to help, then I’ll just have to go back and report that breakfast couldn’t be made due to Chief Chen’s lack of cooperation.”
Chen Li: “…”
‘This woman is absolutely black-hearted!’
Though he inwardly wished he could chop her into pieces and toss her in the cooking pot, the thought of his Lord’s current attitude toward her made him pause.
Chen Li took a deep breath and, with a stony face, walked over to start the fire.
Shen Qing watched Chen Li squatting by her feet, his face so sour it could probably frighten small children, and the corners of her lips twitched into a smile.
‘Am I bullying him a little too much?’
‘Well, if he has to blame someone, he can blame his master!’
‘Who asked his master to be such a jerk first thing in the morning?’
The entire time, Chen Li stood to the side, staring at her with his eyes wide as saucers.
Shen Qing had made a simple vegetable and egg congee with some pickled side dishes, along with a few freshly pan-fried egg pancakes.
After arranging it all on a tray, she was about to carry it over.
However, Chen Li strode forward and took the tray himself.
“The Lord is in the study speaking with Marquis Wei Qi,” he said flatly.
“I will take it.”
Shen Qing raised an eyebrow.
‘No wonder I heard a commotion from the front courtyard while I was cooking.
So, Jiang Chengyi is here.’
‘He wouldn’t come this early for a casual visit.
He must have important business with Yu Jiuqing.’
‘It’s probably related to yesterday’s assassination attempt.’
‘But judging by how guarded Chen Li is, there’s no way he’ll let me anywhere near the study.’
Shen Qing wasn’t bothered.
She stepped aside with a beaming smile.
“Very well.
I’ll leave it to you, Chief Chen.
Please tell the Lord to enjoy his meal.”
Chen Li’s eye twitched.
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
‘But I was watching her the whole time.
She couldn’t have had a chance to pull any tricks!’
After a moment’s hesitation, he took the tray and strode away.
However, before taking the breakfast inside, he took the precaution of testing it for poison with a silver needle.
He even scooped up a small bite to taste for himself.
The taste nearly made him spit it right back out.
‘It’s way too salty!’
‘Is that woman trying to kill the Lord by salting him to death?!’
Chen Li was so angry he was about to smash the tray, but his master’s voice suddenly came from inside the study.
“Chen Li, what are you doing out there?”
After agonizing for another long moment, Chen Li finally carried the tray inside.
Jiang Chengyi, who was also inside, immediately caught the enticing aroma.
He craned his neck and said, “This breakfast looks delicious.
Can I get a plate, too?
I rushed over the second I got the intelligence report this morning.
I haven’t even eaten!”
Chen Li’s eyes lit up.
‘If the Marquis wants it, he can have it!’ he desperately wanted to say.
‘He can have the whole thing!’
However, his master, sitting behind the desk, was clearly having one of his episodes again.
His expression darkened as he said with displeasure, “If you want to eat, go back to your Marquis Mansion. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Chen Li, bring the breakfast here.”
Chen Li opened his mouth to say something, but Jiang Chengyi cut in, looking indignant.
“Yu Jiuqing!
Have you no heart?
Who do you think I rushed over for so early in the morning?!
No way, I’m eating this breakfast.
You’ve got to have more anyway…”
Saying this, he looked as if he was about to march over and snatch it.
Yu Jiuqing’s voice dropped.
“Chen Li, bring it here!”
Chen Li: “…”
‘Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were fighting over some priceless treasure.’
In the end, Chen Li was out of options.
He sidestepped Jiang Chengyi and placed the breakfast on his Lord’s desk.
He was just about to expose the black-hearted woman’s scheme when his Lord picked up the spoon, scooped up some congee, and brought it to his lips.
Chen Li felt his heart stop.
However, his Lord only paused for a fraction of a second.
His eyes seemed to flicker, but then he swallowed the lethally salty spoonful of congee as if nothing were wrong.
He then proceeded to eat several more mouthfuls, slowly and elegantly, before saying, “Continue with what you were saying earlier.”
Chen Li: “…”
He carefully watched his Lord’s expression, unable to tell if his own taste buds had failed him, or if his Lord’s had.
Jiang Chengyi shot the heartless man an indignant glare.
‘Fine,’ he thought.
‘I’m a proud man.
I won’t beg for scraps!’
‘Once I’m back at the Marquis Mansion, my Ah Fu can make me any breakfast I want!’
He huffed to himself.
Just as he was about to return to their serious discussion, a clear, pleasant female voice spoke up.
“My Lord, I’ve brought you tea.”
As the voice faded, a woman with a slender, graceful figure walked in carrying a tray.
Jiang Chengyi, somewhat surprised, turned his head to look.
‘Everyone knows that ever since Shen Qing was gone, Yu Jiuqing hasn’t kept a single Maid in his service.
In the entire Qingzhu Courtyard, forget Maids, you’d be lucky to find a female mosquito!’
‘And Yu Jiuqing’s study holds countless secrets.
It’s guarded by Hidden Guards year-round; not just anyone can come and go as they please.’
‘And now, a woman who has no business being in Qingzhu Courtyard has just brazenly walked right in!’
‘Who in the world is she?
Don’t tell me that scoundrel Yu Jiuqing has actually had a change of heart and started keeping a woman in his courtyard?’
Jiang Chengyi frowned and looked over.
When he got a clear view of the newcomer’s face, his eyes flew wide.
He shot to his feet and snarled through gritted teeth, “Yu Jiuqing, have you lost your mind?!”