Even without turning around, she knew it was Ms.
Cui.
“Ci’er!” Ms.
Cui hurried over.
An awkward smile was plastered on her face, her wrinkles heavily lined with a desperate need to flatter.
“Just now in the hall, my words were a bit harsh.
Please don’t take it to heart.
With the concubine present, if I didn’t put on a full act, it would be hard for either of us to maintain our footing in the future.
We are under someone else’s roof, and I had no choice…”
Ci’er stepped half a pace out of the way, smiling gently.
“You were only trying to protect me.
I understand, and I don’t blame you.”
“Ah, what a sensible girl!
I knew you were sensible.” Ms.
Cui breathed a sigh of relief.
She hastily fished a silver hairpin out of her sleeve and forcefully stuffed it into Ci’er’s hand.
“This is a little token of my sincerity.
From now on in the Heir’s Mansion, don’t forget how well I’ve treated you…”
Ci’er smiled, smoothly pushing the silver hairpin back into Ms.
Cui’s palm.
“I appreciate your kindness, but this hairpin is too eye-catching.
If the concubine sees it and rewards me with another fifty slaps across the face, will you take them for me?”
Ms.
Cui’s face stiffened, and she sheepishly withdrew her hand.
“Yes, yes, you’re right.
I was being foolish.”
“You are too harsh on yourself,” Ci’er replied.
She bent her knees in a slight curtsy, fulfilling all proper etiquette, and turned straight around to leave.
She walked a dozen steps along the covered corridor.
As she turned the corner, before she even saw anyone, a faint plum blossom fragrance drifted into her nose.
Xie Yunjin was leaning lazily against a pillar.
He was twirling a plum blossom branch in his hand.
The daylight washed over his cold, pale profile.
In the instant he looked over, his gaze was aloof, yet inexplicably alluring.
“Nice act,” he said in a languid tone, unable to hide the unruly arrogance rolling off his body.
“Even a spectator like me almost bought it.”
Ci’er lowered her eyes and bowed respectfully, acting like a true Maid.
“I wouldn’t dare be careless with the task Second Master assigned me.”
Xie Yunjin let out a low chuckle, not replying.
Slowly, he straightened up from the pillar and walked toward her.
He unhurriedly tucked that cold plum blossom into the hair at her temple…
“Just now in the Plum Garden…” He leaned in, his cool breath falling on the crown of her head.
He kept his voice extremely low, carrying a hint of a dangerous smile.
“Did he touch you?”
Ci’er instinctively backed away, but her back hit the freezing corridor pillar.
The flower at her temple lost its hold and fell onto the blue bricks with a soft PLOP.
Xie Yunjin carelessly stepped on it, crushing the petals.
“Where did he touch you?” Xie Yunjin raised his hand, his fingertips tracing from her earlobe to her jawbone.
His movements were slow, like he was tracing a painting.
The touch was as light as a feather, sending a fine shiver across Ci’er’s skin.
However, she didn’t dodge.
She merely stared into his eyes, inwardly cursing his deliberately flirtatious, dog-like behavior over and over.
“Your cheeks?
Your hands?
Or—” Xie Yunjin’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly pinched her waistline through her clothes.
“Here?”
A tingling itch spread from her waist.
Ci’er rolled her eyes to the heavens on the spot.
“Don’t overact, Second Master.
I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back…”
A remarkably low chuckle escaped Xie Yunjin’s throat.
“Won’t be able to hold back what?”
“Won’t be able to hold back from laughing at you.” Ci’er didn’t give him an ounce of face.
“You’re acting like the green-eyed monster itself.”
PFFT!
Xie Yunjin slightly raised an eyebrow.
He planted his other hand behind her ear and leaned down, his posture arrogant and roguish.
Ci’er struggled, her wrist bones aching from his iron grip.
She immediately drove her knee up toward his vital spot.
He had long been prepared.
Dodging with his knee, he pinned that leg against the pillar as well.
“Don’t move, the Princely Heir is watching.” Xie Yunjin’s breath brushed past her temple.
His nose was almost touching hers, a smile hanging in the corners of his eyes.
“Playing the predatory scoundrel—that’s right up my alley.”
Ci’er shot a sidelong glance.
A figure stood there quietly.
It was Xie Chen.
There was no telling how long he had been standing there.
He still wore his usual unruffled expression, but his cold, abyssal eyes were currently as dark and heavy as unyielding ink.
The air seemed to freeze.
Ci’er gave Xie Yunjin a shove.
Xie Yunjin let out a low chuckle.
“What, afraid he’ll see?”
Xie Chen furrowed his brow slightly.
He didn’t utter a word of reprimand, nor did he even show any anger.
He simply withdrew his gaze, turned around, and disappeared into the depths of the winding corridor.
“You did that on purpose?” Ci’er looked up, a trace of coldness in her eyes.
Xie Yunjin didn’t deny it, laughing carelessly.
“My dear elder brother has been the golden child since youth.
Whatever he wants, others always offer it up with both hands,” he said.
“But men can be despicable creatures sometimes—what is hand-fed to them has no flavor, yet a bone snatched away by another suddenly seems mouth-watering.
The more out of reach something is, the more it scratches at their hearts until they simply must have it.”
Ci’er scoffed coldly.
“Got it.
I’m that dog bone.”