XH 76
Feng Jiu smiled as she asked skeptically. "Don't you know your own master's name?"
"My master... the Third Prince! I forgot," Xiao Hua said sheepishly as she lightly scratched her head. She was too used to call him as the Third Prince and with the grogginess, her brain had moved slower than usual.
However, the excessive dejection behind Feng Jiu did not ease down after hearing Xiao Hua's answer.
"Long Zhu should be your lucky star since he had generously allowed me to stay at his Autumn Courtyard, don't you think so?" Feng Jiu did not stop whitewashing Long Zhu.
"...No? You are the one that saved me, not the Third Prince."
Feng Jiu: '...' Little girl, are you doing this on purpose?
The only good thing that resulted from Feng Jiu's attempt was that depressing aura behind her had turned into irritation!
"The Third Prince... is different," Xiao Hua continued. Her head was lowered and the gravity pulled her loose hair down until it forms a thick curtain to hide most of her face from view. But that did not prevent the onlookers to notice her bright-colored cheeks. "He...He is my great benefactor so he's more than a lucky star to me."
Feng Jiu smiled at the adorable girl as well as the warm emotion coming from the person hiding at the corner of the room. She shakes her head inwardly, surprised at how this girl could influence that dark boy's moods to such a great extent.
"Miss Feng Jiu, are you a friend of the Third Prince?" Xiao Hua asked curiously, peeking through the thick curtain of her hair.
"Just call me Feng Jiu," the beautiful lady offered. "You can say I'm a good friend of Long Zhu's."
"Good friend? You know the Third Prince since a long time ago?"
"It's almost nine years now since I first met him."
"That's long ago! How did you meet him?" Xiao Hua suddenly realized how busybody she was. "Sorry! I asked too many questions!"
Feng Jiu laughed, not at all offended by her questions. "It was destiny that wanted us to meet."
"Destiny?"
Feng Jiu picked up a bowl of medicine that was placed on a stool beside the bed. It was still warm as steams still rising from the surface. "The doctor wants you to drink this once you are awake."
Xiao Hua could smell the bitterness of the medicine and wrinkled her nose. "Where is the Third Prince? Did...did he know I'm here?"
Feng Jiu laughed softly and placed the bowl of medicine back onto the stool. "It's good that you remain on guard against strangers." She was a bit worried at how easily Xiao Hua had accepted her explanation without much suspicious than she should.
Xiao Hua felt a bit bad. Honestly, she had asked that question because she wondered where he was and not because she distrusted Feng Jiu. But now that she was reminded of it, Xiao Hua wanted to smack herself.
Just because Feng Jiu had saved her does not mean she was safe. Xiao Hua still does not know who was the one that wanted to kill her and why.
"Feng Jiu can be trusted." Hearing that familiar voice, the worry in her heart immediately dissolved.
"Third Prince!" Xiao Hua called out cheerfully and Feng Jiu tittered silently as she removed herself from the bed after making sure Xiao Hua could remain sitting upright without her assistance.
"Now that your master is here, I will leave the two of you to catch up."
After Feng Jiu left, Xiao Hua turned uncomfortable. But she must do one thing first. "I'm sorry for heading into danger without telling anyone. But I left the arrow and the blackmail letter in the room in case I went miss-"
She abruptly stopped talking when the smell of the forest and mandarin orange filled her nose before noticing that her head was pressed onto a warm, muscular chest. A pair of large hands were rubbing her back, its action was to comfort her, but it was also to reassure Long Zhu that his little flower was still alive.
"What happened?" The Third Prince asked gently and she could feel his chest moved as he speaks since her face was still pressed onto his chest. That question had gotten Xiao Hua to start crying.
The Third Prince did not shy away from her tears or having an intention to leave her to cry alone. Instead, he continues rubbing her back soothingly, allowing her to rub her tears onto his clothes and soaking it. Her narration of the event was a hard task for the listener to understand but he patiently listened to her what she said and did not stop her.
When she was more or less able to stop her crying, she finally asked the important question of the day. "I wonder who is it that wanted to kill me."
"It's the previous maid that I've assigned to serve you."
"You mean Si Si?" Xiao Hua did not doubt his words at all. There was no reason for him to lie and it was not difficult to accept and understand why Si Si would want to kill her.
Le XiaoTing had read a lot of Chinese novels with part-time villains being extremely unreasonable. It would not be a surprise if this world has unreasonable people too. In her original world, there was always news being reported about illogical things that humans were caught doing that she could never understand or relate to.
"What will happen to Si Si?" Xiao Hua asked, feeling strangely indifferent to the matter. Where was the anger that she should feel towards her attempted murderer?
"She will be sent to South Guilin Village." Long Zhu decided not to tell her that Si Si will be sent to South Guilin Village after Da Bei finish breaking all her bones.
He had heard from An Jing how his little maid had broken down after witnessing a servant being killed right in front of her.
"What is South Guilin Village?" Xiao Hua could still remember the two traitorous maids became terrified after knowing they will be sent there. "And why are the cloths tied around their mouth are red and not white?"
That thing had bugged her for quite a while... Ack, why was she asking about that irrelevant stuff?
The Third Prince's body had turned stiff from the moment she asked about the village and Xiao Hua who was still wrapped inside his arms could felt it. "Someone told you about South Guilin Village?"
"It's a secret?" Xiao Hua asked in alarm. Will she be killed for knowing too much? But those people were the ones at fault for speaking about it out loud!
Long Zhu did not let go of Xiao Hua who was struggling to escape from his arms. "Just don't tell it to Liu Chu Chu and Long Shan."
It honestly took her two seconds to recall who Long Shan was.
"I doubt I would get to talk to them anyway. But I won't tell them anything. They are our enemy!"
Long Zhu's smile was wider than he would normally be spotted with but unfortunately, it was not seen by Xiao Hua. "Building South Guilin Village was my idea, disguised as Crown Prince's idea. Father Emperor allowed it to be built three years ago."
The Third Prince changed their position until his back was pressed against the wall inside the bed with Xiao Hua sitting on his lap, directing her to lean her back on the front of his chest. His arms were wrapped around her waist loosely yet she was rather conscious of their weight.
Xiao Hua: '...' This lady does not think her tofu was eaten! Really!
She could hardly resist drooling when she first touched his abs when she accidentally tripped over the door divider and he caught her, breaking her fall. There was too much opportunity for her to eat the Third Prince's delicious tofu when that guy likes to hug her or being her personal carriage.
Le XiaoTing had never thought she would be such a sinful woman for eating an innocent guy's tofu! But she could not stop touching that piece of art! As long as he did not resist, she will continue eating the Third Prince's tofu!
And so Xiao Hua's path to be a sinful person started just like that...
The Third Prince picked up the bowl of medicine and held it up in front of Xiao Hua. "Be good and drink your medicine."
Xiao Hua turned to look at the Third Prince with a pleading gaze. "Can't I eat a pill instead?"
At least with a pill, she can use honey water to help her swallow it, escaping the horrid lingering taste! Le XiaoTing had drunk Chinese medicine before and its bitter taste stayed inside her mouth for quite a long time!
She was not given a choice when the Third Prince shifted until she was seated horizontally on his lap, allowing the Third Prince to monitor her drinking the medicine.
Xiao Hua: '...' Isn't this too much?! This young lady is not happy with this attention!
"If you don't drink, I won't tell you more about South Guilin Village."
Xiao Hua: '...' Blackmailing again? Humph, do you think this young lady doesn't know how to ask around?
"Without my permission, no one can tell you about it."
Xiao Hua: '...' This young lady doesn't believe there's no one that does not dare to disobey you! Heise will tell me!
"The eighth brother does not know about it, and Eunuch Heng obeys my word."
Xiao Hua: '...' Are you reading my mind?!
"No, but I could guess what you are thinking from your face." The Third Prince smiled in such a refreshing way Xiao Hua could not seriously get angry with him.
Darn him and his smile!