Xie Yunjin raised an eyebrow.
“…Are you calling him a dog?”
“A dog of a father can’t breed two different kinds of pups,” Ci’er said.
Xie Yunjin choked on his words.
Had she just cursed the father and both sons?
He let out a low chuckle and released her wrist, though he had no intention of letting her leave.
Taking a half-step back, he leaned against the corridor pillar, perfectly blocking her path.
His posture was as lazy as a cat basking in the sun, but his eyes were deep, cold, and full of amusement.
“What do you make of Lady Li’s words?”
“Baseless claims are just empty talk,” Ci’er said mildly.
“Wei Yinzhao has been dead for five years.
Who would believe that a castrator’s girl from the maid selection office could be the Wei Zhaozhao of the past?”
“Liu Tingyue is suspicious.” Xie Yunjin offered a half-smile.
“She has always been ruthless.
Even the slightest doubt will be enough for her to skin you alive.”
“I’ll make her shut up.” Ci’er’s expression remained unchanged as she gently pushed him aside.
“Second Master can just sit back and watch the show.
I’ll handle the remaining dirty work.”
“HA!
Getting bold, aren’t we?” Xie Yunjin crossed his arms, kicking aside the crushed petals on the ground with the tip of his boot.
“I can’t help but be curious.
Xie Chen has always kept his distance from women.
How did you manage to persuade him?”
Ci’er curved her lips.
“Care to guess, Second Master?”
Xie Yunjin reached out, resting his fingers under her chin.
With slight pressure, he forced her to look up at him.
“Remember this,” he said, enunciating every word.
“You belong to me.
A pawn that catches feelings will meet a bitter end.”
“Then you’ll be disappointed, Second Master.” Ci’er smiled and tilted her head slightly, letting his fingers slip from her chin.
“I don’t have a heart.”
Xie Yunjin stared at her for a moment, then smiled.
His smile held no warmth; it sent a harsher chill down one’s spine than when he didn’t smile at all.
“It is best that you don’t.”
He turned and walked away.
Ci’er smoothed the wrinkles on her collar and lifted her chin toward the direction where Xie Chen had disappeared in the distance.
***
Entering the Heir’s Mansion meant one first had to pay respects to the Steward of the courtyard, receive a token, be assigned a bed, and memorize the rules.
The Nine-Bestowments Royal Mansion had strictly enforced regulations; every word and deed, every movement, and even every brick and tile had its fixed place.
Not a single mistake was tolerated.
Ci’er waited in the back room for a moment before the door curtain was lifted and Qing Tang walked in.
She still wore that same aloof expression, her tone flat.
“The Princely Heir has ordered that you be solely responsible for serving tea in the study.
You will share a side room in the eastern courtyard with A Tao.”
She handed over a pearwood token with smoothly polished edges.
“This is the courtyard gate token.
The gates open at 3 a.m.
and close at 9 p.m.
No one is allowed in or out past the curfew. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Jinglan Residence is the Princely Heir’s private living quarters; unless summoned, you are not to approach it.
The tea room is in the southern corner, where the stove fires burn day and night.
You must present your token to collect hot water.”
Ci’er lowered her eyes, listening and agreeing to every instruction.
Qing Tang nodded, turning to lead her toward the eastern courtyard.
“Report to me for duty every day between 7 a.m.
and 9 a.m.
By 7 p.m., the tea room must be cleaned and the tea sets properly stored away.
Remember, the Princely Heir prefers quiet.
You must keep your voice down when speaking and ensure your skirt does not drag when walking.
When serving tea, you may only use the western steps.
You are forbidden from stepping on the golden bricks on the eastern side.
That path is exclusively for the masters.”
Following behind her, Ci’er replied in a humble tone, “Thank you for the guidance, Sister Qing Tang.
I have memorized it all.”
Qing Tang nodded and said no more.
She walked ahead with a straight back, emanating a demure and composed aura.
However, Ci’er noticed her right hand brush against her waist as she turned.
There was a faint bulge beneath the fabric—clearly concealing a dagger.
The Heir’s Mansion was full of hidden threats.
She would have to be even more careful from now on.
***
The side room was not large, but it was kept neat and tidy.
Two beds sat by the window, layered with freshly washed and starched blue cotton mattresses.
A clothes rack and washbasin were also readily available.
A Tao was already waiting at the door.
Upon seeing her return, her eyes curved into happy crescents as she quickly stepped forward to greet her.
“You’re finally back, Miss,” A Tao said, lowering her voice.
“I saw everything that happened in the corridor just now.
Second Master is far too bold.
Young Master was right nearby…
Isn’t he afraid of causing a scene?”
Ci’er smiled.
She took off her outer robe and casually hung it on the rack.
“Who are you more afraid of?
The Princely Heir, or Second Master?”
A Tao helped make her bed, muttering as she worked.
“I wouldn’t dare gossip about the masters.
But…
even with all of Young Master’s rules, at least there’s a clear standard to follow.
Second Master’s mind…
is murkier than the ancient master stock in the kitchen; you can’t get a read on its flavor at all.
So, I am definitely more afraid of Second Master…”
Ci’er found a handkerchief, dipped it into the cold water in the washbasin, and rubbed it at a leisurely pace.
“Then are you afraid of me, A Tao?” she asked, her tone half-joking.
A Tao froze for a second before breaking into a wide smile.
“Of course I’m not afraid of you, Miss.
You have a kind heart and treat me genuinely.
Why would I be scared of you?”
Ci’er let out a very faint laugh.
“Then you’re mistaken.
I am murkier than that ancient master stock.”
A Tao met her gaze solemnly for a moment before letting out a PFFT and bursting into giggles.
“It’s still early.
You should take a nap and rest up, Miss.
Later, I’ll take you to the tea room to familiarize yourself with the layout, so you aren’t running around like a headless chicken first thing tomorrow morning.”
Ci’er lay down on her bed.
Closing her eyes, her mind filled with the look in Xie Chen’s eyes at the end of the corridor.
That man—the one she once desperately had to have—had always been an unthawable block of ice.
Now that he had become the immensely powerful Heir of Nine-Bestowments Prince, what made Xie Yunjin think that she, a Maid posing as a castrator’s daughter, could ever seduce him?
She rolled over, facing the wall.
Slowly, she began counting her breaths.
One, two, three…
“Miss?” A Tao’s muffled voice called out.
“Can’t you sleep?”
“Mhm.”
“I can’t sleep either.” A Tao sat up with a soft RUSTLE.
“This bed is too soft.
I used to sleep on hard wooden boards, where my bones would CRACK every time I rolled over.
I’m just not used to a bed this squishy.”
Ci’er couldn’t hold back a laugh.
It seemed Xie Yunjin was right about some things; people all had a bit of a masochistic streak in their bones.
Hearing her laugh, A Tao grew bolder.
She fumbled her way out of bed, tiptoed over, and crouched beside Ci’er’s mattress, revealing only her fuzzy head.
“Miss, if you really can’t sleep, should I chat with you for a bit?
I can even tell jokes, though they aren’t very funny…”
“You’re already telling one.”
“Huh?”
“Just look at you.
That’s enough to make me laugh.”
A Tao made a silly face, then quietly crawled back into her own bed.
Soon, the sound of her even breathing filled the room.
The room fell quiet, but Ci’er felt no sleepiness at all.
She lay there, thinking.
Lady Li’s words had surely taken root in Liu Tingyue’s mind.
Given the woman’s personality, she wouldn’t just let the matter drop.
If she started investigating, how long could the fake identity Xie Yunjin had arranged for her hold up?
There was also the Painted Skin Case hanging over her head.
With so many girls possessing An All-Yin Birth Chart, was entering the Prince Mansion really a guarantee of safety?
A fierce storm was undoubtedly waiting for her in the days to come.