Hanrong replied, “Concubine Shen gets up in the morning and first sits at her dressing table for half an hour. Then she washes up, eats breakfast, and goes out for a walk that lasts about one stick of incense. When she comes back, she sits at the dressing table for another hour. After that, she plays cards, enjoys the scenery, and prepares for lunch.
“After lunch, she goes for a half-hour walk, returns for an afternoon nap, and when she wakes up, she sits at the dressing table for another hour. Then she practices embroidery for a while before preparing for dinner.
“After dinner, she takes another walk lasting a stick of incense, comes back and sits at the dressing table for half an hour. Then she bathes, and after bathing, she sits at the dressing table for another hour before going to sleep.”
“…”
Everyone fell silent.
Jiang Yinjin asked in confusion, “She sits at the dressing table?”
“Yes. She just sits at the dressing table.”
“…”
Jiang Yinjin asked again, “Does she do anything while sitting there?”
“Reporting to Young Madam, she does absolutely nothing. She just sits there staring blankly.”
“You didn’t ask her about it?”
“I did. Concubine Shen told me not to worry about it.”
“…”
Even with memories from her previous life, Jiang Yinjin couldn’t make sense of Shen Mianmian’s behavior.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “Very well. I understand. In the future, if anything happens, report it immediately to Chuxue or Chuyu.”
“Yes, Young Madam.”
Just as Hanrong thought she was about to be dismissed, Chuxue stepped forward carrying a pouch.
Jiang Yinjin smiled gently.
“Hanrong, take it.”
The shape of the pouch made it obvious there was silver inside. Hanrong hurriedly knelt down.
“No… I can’t. Young Madam’s kindness is already more than enough! This afternoon, you invited a famous physician for my brother and bought expensive medicine. You’ve already spent so much money. How could I accept more?”
Jiang Yinjin gave Chuxue a look.
Chuxue immediately stuffed the pouch into Hanrong’s hands.
Inside were five taels of silver.
Hanrong’s monthly wages were less than one tael. To her, this was a huge sum.
Jiang Yinjin’s voice grew even gentler.
“Accepting my silver is helping me accumulate virtue. Whenever Chuxue or Chuyu encounter urgent difficulties, I give them silver as well.”
Chuxue immediately chimed in.
“That’s right. Just accept it, Sister Hanrong. Last year when my mother fell ill, Young Madam helped me too.”
Jiang Yinjin smiled.
“In my eyes, you’re no different from Chuxue and Chuyu. Go back now.”
Hanrong’s heart overflowed with gratitude.
At that moment, she would have willingly given her life for the Young Madam.
After all, Chuxue and Chuyu were the Young Madam’s personal dowry maids.
Who was she to deserve such treatment?
In the end, Hanrong kowtowed several more times before leaving with a grateful heart.
…
Bright Moon Courtyard.
Inside her room, Shen Mianmian sat before her dressing table, admiring her peerless beauty.
As she admired herself, she couldn’t help muttering,
“They say flowers look best under moonlight and beauties look best under lamplight. It’s true! This is way too beautiful! How can a person look this gorgeous? People always talk about beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, and I never believed it. I thought beauty was beauty, nothing more. But now… I believe it! This is insanely beautiful! There aren’t even any pores or facial hair on this face. My God! Is this the eighth wonder of the world?”
Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside.
Guessing Hanrong had returned, she quickly shut her mouth.
But the person who entered wasn’t Hanrong.
It was Bai Qingzhou.
Shen Mianmian froze.
Why was he here?
She had assumed that after storming off in anger, he would at least spend a few days giving her the cold shoulder.
The young man wore a stern expression. His clear eyes were filled with seriousness.
“Mianmian, why do I feel like you’ve changed? You weren’t like this before. What happened? Tell me. Otherwise…”
He paused.
“…we can elope.”
Shen Mianmian was stunned.
Wait.
Did he even know what he was saying?
Elope?
With what?
Setting aside whether they could actually escape, or whether the Marquis’s household would search heaven and earth to find them, what would he do for a living afterward?
He had never taken the imperial examinations.
He wasn’t trained in martial arts.
How would they earn money?
How would they stay safe?
And what about their identities?
Without legal registration or household records, if bandits robbed them, who would they report it to?
Especially with her face.
The moment she appeared among commoners, she’d probably be kidnapped.
And Bai Qingzhou wasn’t exactly safe either.
With his red lips, white teeth, and handsome features, someone might abduct him and sell him as a male companion.
Once they left the Marquis’s residence, they would no longer be the idiot dragon and phoenix duo.
They would become two fat little sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
As expected—foolish, naive, simple-minded, and destined to be cannon fodder.
Of course, those thoughts were from Bai Qingzhou’s perspective.
From her own perspective, the answer was simple.
No.
Absolutely not.
She would never leave.
She would never destroy the main storyline.
If the storyline collapsed, the novel would collapse too.
And then how was she supposed to leave it?
Shen Mianmian shook her head.
“Please stop joking, Young Master. I worked so hard to seduce you because I wanted to enjoy a comfortable life in the Marquis’s residence. Why would I ever want to leave?”
“You…”
The young man’s eyes reddened.
“Then… why won’t you keep seducing me?”
Shen Mianmian helplessly tossed him a flirtatious glance.
“But I am seducing you.”
As she spoke, one arm wrapped around his narrow waist while the other slid onto his chest.
To be fair, although Bai Qingzhou looked somewhat delicate and feminine, he wasn’t short.
And he was only nineteen years old.
He would probably grow even taller.
Why was she so certain?
Because boys in growth spurts were always lanky and lean. Only after reaching their full height did they start filling out.
Bai Qingzhou was clearly still in the “growing taller” stage.
A faint fragrance drifted into her nose.
It was his scent.
Different from the sweaty smell of college boys after basketball games.
Different from the greasy cologne of her male coworkers.
It was clean.
The scent of youth.
Just as Shen Mianmian was about to raise her perfectly sculpted nose and take another sniff, she was suddenly pushed away.
“Mianmian, what are you hiding? Can’t you tell me?”
Caught off guard, Shen Mianmian fell backward and landed hard on the floor.
“Ow… that hurts…”
Bai Qingzhou panicked immediately and rushed forward.
“Are you alright? I… I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry…”
Shen Mianmian stretched out an arm as supple as a water snake and wrapped it around his neck.
Bringing her lips close to his ear, she gently blew a breath.
“My poor little bottom hurts so much. Won’t the young master rub it for me?”
Bai Qingzhou shoved her away again.
“You’re doing this on purpose! Shen Mianmian, why can’t you just tell me what’s wrong? How can you change overnight? And why are you deliberately trying to disgust me?”
Shen Mianmian blinked innocently.
“But… wasn’t it you who told me to keep seducing you?”
Bai Qingzhou’s face turned green with anger.
“Fine… Shen Mianmian. You… you think I can’t do anything about you?”
His voice trembled.
“I’ll… I’ll go consummate my marriage with Jiang Yinjin right now.”
Shen Mianmian froze.
Then she shrieked,
“No!”
If this idiot actually slept with the female lead, would the male and female leads still end up together?
What would happen to the novel’s ending?
And how was she supposed to get out of the book then!?