Xu Yu looked over blankly, catching only a glimpse of his back. She lowered her head at once in acknowledgment and hurried after him, stepping softly into the study.
Nie Huiming sat down at the desk and said quietly, "Grind the ink."
Xu Yu's eyes flickered as she picked up the ink stick and began grinding it gently.
The study was silent, with only the soft scraping of the ink grinding. Suddenly, Nie Huiming spoke: "You haven't had breakfast yet?"
"Huh?" Xu Yu, still drowsy, nodded vaguely. "No, I haven't."
Nie Huiming called toward the door, "Someone come."
"This servant Ruyi—what are your orders, my lord?"
"Bring a bowl of soup and a baked flatbread."
Xu Yu looked at him in surprise.
His gaze stayed on the documents, and he did not look up. Only after Ruyi brought the food did he speak again: "Eat."
Ruyi had already left, and only the two of them remained in the room. So Lord Nie's words had been meant for her? Xu Yu hesitated, uncertain.
Nie Huiming raised his eyes to look at her. "You haven't eaten all morning—aren't you hungry?"
Only then did Xu Yu confirm it. She gently picked up the bowl and said softly, "Thank you, my lord."
"Eat. Grind the ink after you're done." Nie Huiming went back to reading, adding casually, "Last night was your first time keeping night watch, wasn't it?"
The flatbread was still slightly warm, baked crisp and flaky, and a sip of the savory, rich soup made with minced meat settled warmly in her stomach, sweeping all her tangled thoughts away to the clouds.
In high spirits, she chewed her food and answered brightly, "Yes, it was this servant's first time keeping night watch—and also this servant's first time helping someone undress and wash up."
Nie Huiming gave a soft laugh. "I could tell."
Xu Yu's cheeks warmed slightly at that. She swallowed her food and asked quietly, "Then why did you still have me help you undress and attend to you? I can't do anything but make a mess."
"If you hadn't gone, the only ones left in the room would have been me and that maid surnamed Qin. She was sent by someone else—would I not be afraid?"
"Cough, cough!" Xu Yu choked on her own saliva, coughing violently.
Nie Huiming poured her a bowl of clear water. "Take it slowly."
She gulped it down and her throat felt much better. She asked in a small voice, "My lord, are you joking with me?"
"Is it that funny?" Nie Huiming chuckled a few times, then explained, "Isn't the whole purpose of her coming here to get close to me? If I don't give her a chance, how else would I make the people lurking behind her lower their guard? And if they don't lower their guard, how will they ever show their hand? Eat."
Xu Yu took a bite of the flatbread and murmured, "So that's how it is."
Nie Huiming continued, "Did you sleep well last night?"
"This servant was supposed to watch the second half of the night, but since you had no orders, my lord, this servant took the liberty of dozing off."
"It doesn't matter. Sleep as much as you like—I don't need anyone keeping watch anyway. It's all just to expose their weaknesses. It's freezing cold here. Isn't it cold sleeping in the main hall?"
Xu Yu shook her head lightly. "There's a stove, and the bedding is thick. It's not cold—it's actually warmer than where I used to sleep by the kitchen."
"Good. Tonight you can go back and rest properly."
"Will you have Ruyi and Fen'er keep watch tonight, my lord?"
"Naturally. If we're putting on an act, we must play it to the full."
Xu Yu nodded and finished the flatbread and soup, then said softly, "My lord, I've finished eating."
"Finished? How was the soup? Would you like more?"
"No—no, thank you, my lord."
Nie Huiming drew a handkerchief from his sleeve and held it out to her. "Wipe your mouth."
Xu Yu's eyes flickered as she received it with both hands, feeling the warmth of the handkerchief. She suddenly remembered that the day she had broken the inkstone, she had already ruined one of the young master's handkerchiefs.
She wiped the corner of her mouth and said softly, "This servant will wash it clean and return it to you, my lord."
"It's just a handkerchief. Keep it and use it—there's no need to return it."
"Yes…" She lowered her eyes, her heart unsettled.
What did the young master mean by this? Did he find it distasteful that she had already used it, and was thus politely declining? Then why not tell her to throw it away, and instead insist she keep it?