14
A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and Yu Shu’s foot had finally healed. No longer confined to her room, she decided to go out for a walk.
As before, she changed into the attire of the Daxia dynasty, donning a veiled hat. Her maid, Qingli, and the guards accompanying her also dressed as ordinary citizens of Daxia to blend in.
As Yu Shu led Qingli outside, they passed by the front courtyard, where she noticed a young maid sweeping fallen leaves. The girl was unfamiliar, someone Yu Shu had never seen before. She paused, curiosity piqued.
“Why haven’t I seen this maid before?” Yu Shu asked Qingli. “What happened to the one who used to handle the cleaning?”
Qingli hadn’t expected Yu Shu to notice such a minor detail. She quickly explained, “The previous maid fell ill a couple of days ago and was reassigned. The guesthouse sent someone new to take over her duties.”
Yu Shu nodded and said nothing more.
What Qingli didn’t realize was that Yu Shu had been confined to her room for the past few days, seeing only a handful of people each day. Apart from the four maids she had brought from Xijiang, the only others she encountered were the attendants from the guesthouse. These maids were responsible for cleaning outside her quarters, so Yu Shu had naturally taken note of them. After seeing them repeatedly, she had come to recognize their faces.
Moreover, Yu Shu had an exceptional memory—especially for faces. She never forgot one once she had seen it, which was why she immediately noticed the unfamiliar maid.
“You, come here,” Yu Shu called out, gesturing toward the new maid.
The maid tensed for a moment, then set down her broom and stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “Your Highness, how may I serve you?”
“What’s your name?” Yu Shu asked, studying the maid’s face.
“Xiangling,” the girl replied.
“Where are you from?”
Xiangling shook her head slightly. “Xizhou—the province next to Xijiang.”
Yu Shu smiled at that. “No wonder you look like someone from Xijiang. Xizhou is close by, and the people there do resemble those from Xijiang.”
“You’re right, Your Highness,” Xiangling responded politely.
“So how did you end up working here?” Yu Shu asked again.
Xiangling answered honestly, “When I was little, my mother brought me to the capital while fleeing from hardship. After my father passed away, she struggled to provide for my younger siblings. I wanted to enter the palace as a maid, but since I looked too much like a Xijiang native, they assigned me here instead.”
“Not serving in the palace might actually be a good thing,” Yu Shu remarked. She knew all too well what life in the palace was like, not everyone could survive there. It was a place that devoured people whole, leaving nothing behind. Very few low-ranking palace maids ever managed to rise in status.
The guesthouse, on the other hand, was a quiet and uneventful place. There weren’t many people to serve, which meant fewer chances of getting caught up in trouble. It was a far safer and more peaceful position.
“You may go back to your work,” Yu Shu said, dismissing Xiangling after a brief conversation.
Xiangling bowed and stepped back, returning to her task. She picked up the broom and resumed sweeping the fallen leaves in the courtyard, but she kept an ear out for Yu Shu and her entourage. Only when Yu Shu, Qingli, and the guards had walked far enough away did she finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
That was close!
Wiping her forehead, Xiangling reassured herself. Fortunately, the Xijiang princess had only asked a few casual questions, and she had answered them smoothly. There shouldn’t have been anything suspicious in her response. If she had slipped up, she wouldn’t have known how to explain herself to her master.
She still vividly remembered the instructions she had received before coming to the guesthouse—her master had ordered her to closely observe the Xijiang princess and uncover any useful information about her.
She had only been here for two days. If she got exposed before she could gather anything, it would be disastrous. Being dismissed was one thing, but failing the mission? That could cost her life.
Yu Shu led Qingli and the guards out the door and instructed the coachman to head to Zuixian Pavilion.
“I heard their head chef used to work in the imperial kitchens,” she said. “Their Sichuan-style boiled fish, chopped chili fish head, and spicy fish are supposed to be amazing. I’ve been stuck in the guesthouse for days, eating the same bland food over and over. If I have to eat another meal from their kitchen, I might actually be sick. It’s time for a change.”
Qingli couldn’t agree more. The guesthouse’s chef was truly disappointing. He claimed to know how to cook Xijiang cuisine, but the dishes he made were anything but authentic. They were barely edible. As a maid, she could put up with it, but her poor princess had suffered enough.
Before long, their carriage arrived at Zuixian Pavilion. Qingli stepped down first, then turned back to help Yu Shu out.
Just as Yu Shu stepped out of the carriage, she glanced up and immediately spotted someone stepping down from the carriage across the street.
Her brows knitted together. “Him again?”
Of all the places, at all the times—how did she keep running into this man? It was like fate was deliberately messing with her.
As Yu Shu scowled and muttered complaints under her breath, Xiao Jingyao also caught sight of her.
Ha! News really does travel fast.
Xiao Jingyao let out a cold scoff in his heart, his gaze toward Yu Shu equally icy. He had only just stepped out of the palace, and yet she had already caught wind of it?
If not for the veil obscuring her face, their eyes would have clashed like flint striking steel.
Xiao Jingyao had come to Zuixian Pavilion for a meeting, he had business to attend to and no time to waste on people he had no interest in seeing. With a subtle glance at Wei Zhuo, he signaled him to keep an eye on Yu Shu before turning on his heel and striding inside.
Yu Shu stepped down from the carriage just in time to see Xiao Jingyao disappear into the restaurant. She hesitated for a brief moment, remembering how he had warned her at Fahua Temple not to follow him again.
Would he think she had come here because of him?
Knowing Xiao Jingyao, he probably would!
But the thought annoyed her even more. She had come all this way for the famed fish dishes at Zuixian Pavilion, why should she turn back just because he happened to be here?
Leaving now would only make her look guilty.
With that thought, Yu Shu felt at ease and confidently walked into Zuixian Pavilion with Qingli.
The restaurant was a three-story building. The first floor housed the main dining hall, while the second and third floors were reserved for private rooms. The second-floor rooms faced the bustling street, offering a view of the lively city below. However, the third floor was different—it overlooked Ying Mountain Lake, providing a far more picturesque and serene view. Naturally, the third floor offered the best dining experience.
Yu Shu led Qingli up to the second floor and was about to continue to the third when Wei Zhuo and a group of guards suddenly blocked her path.
“The third floor is off-limits.”
Wei Zhuo extended an arm to stop her, his expression unreadable. “You are not permitted to trespass.”
“This is a restaurant. We came here to eat—how is that trespassing?” Qingli frowned, clearly annoyed. She didn’t recognize Wei Zhuo, nor did she know who Xiao Jingyao really was. All she knew was that they were suddenly being stopped for no reason. “This is a business open to the public. Why are you acting like you own the place?”
“There are important guests on the third floor,” Wei Zhuo stated flatly. “If you wish to dine, the second floor is available.”
“How unreasonable!” Qingli huffed, planting her hands on her hips in frustration.
“Forget it,” Yu Shu said calmly, pulling Qingli aside. “We’ll just eat on the second floor.”
With that, she turned toward one of the private rooms.
“Miss, didn’t you just say you wanted to see Ying Mountain Lake from the third floor?” Qingli mumbled as Yu Shu pulled her away.
“It’s fine. If we can’t go up, we’ll just take a boat ride on the lake after we eat,” Yu Shu said casually. She wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Missing out on the third floor wasn’t a big deal—she hadn’t come here for Xiao Jingyao anyway. Her main goal was to enjoy good food and have a good time.
But clearly, Xiao Jingyao didn’t see it that way.
As soon as Wei Zhuo saw Yu Shu enter a private room on the second floor, he turned and headed upstairs to report to Xiao Jingyao.
“She’s on the second floor?” Xiao Jingyao tapped a finger against the floor beneath his feet.
Wei Zhuo nodded. “Yes.”
Perfect.
Xiao Jingyao shot him a look, and Wei Zhuo immediately understood. Without hesitation, he strode to the window, pressed a hand against the ledge, and vaulted out.
Xiao Jingyao followed, stepping to the window. His gaze drifted over the lake and mountains beyond, but his thoughts were entirely focused on the private room below.
**