Chapter 60

"Little vixen."

He speculated in a serious tone, which made Jiang He unable to suppress a smile, and for a moment she couldn't think of how to answer him.

Jiang He tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow to signal Xue Lingyu:

"Where did you get that idea? Why don't you explain it in detail?"

After Jiang He finished speaking, she sat up straight, tidied her messy cuffs, and looked at Xue Lingyu's mouth with a smile, wanting to hear what he had to say.

Xue Lingyu dared not repeat what happened that night. What respectable young man would spread such a thing after being taken advantage of? He wasn't really stupid; he still had to get married in the future.

Xue Lingyu's eyes flickered, not daring to let Jiang He see that she was lying, so she turned away in a huff and stammered, "I don't know, I was just guessing. If you don't admit it, then it's not true. I'm not curious."

He wasn't curious at all, not even a little bit, Xue Lingyu repeated to herself.

He made it so obvious that Jiang He could easily see through his insincerity. Her smile widened, and she stood up from her desk, ran behind Xue Lingyu, and deliberately blew on his reddened earlobe, "So, how do you explain the fact that your money ended up in my room?"

Xue Lingyu was startled by the sudden sound in his ear. He moved slightly and felt a cold sensation on his earlobe, as if he had touched something soft. His face flushed red instantly, and he didn't care about anything else. He rushed out the door and fled in panic.

Although Xue Lingyu was her person, he had been missing for so long, and now she could only look at him but couldn't have him. Jiang He was also very eager to have him.

Jiang He stared blankly at the doorway for a long time. Now, even the person in front of her was gone. Xue Lingyu's neck was still as white as a layer of snow, and he exuded a sweet fragrance. His earlobes were also pink and cute. She wished she could swallow him whole.

Jiang He closed her eyes to suppress the heat surging within her body, comforting herself, "Just wait a little longer, and I'll be able to eat it soon."

Getting the silver back should have been a good thing, but Xue Lingyu was both angry and ashamed because of the accident. Moreover, the memory of the woman's voice and the two times he was harassed were still vivid in his mind. He simply vowed never to go to Liushui Xiaozhu again.

He finally managed to steady his breathing, looked at his face in the lake, and seeing that there was nothing wrong, returned to his lodgings.

On his way back, he happened to run into the outer courtyard maids who had entered the manor with him. These three women used to ignore him and even seemed to dislike him. Xue Lingyu knew this, but there was nothing he could do. He could only stay away, work hard by himself, and avoid provoking others.

They were all acquaintances who had only exchanged a few words, but when they saw him coming out from the direction of Liushui Xiaozhu, they became curious and took the initiative to stop him and start a conversation.

"Chunxiao, no, it's Chunyu now. I heard that Steward Qiao has allowed you to change your name back. Did you just come out of Miss's courtyard?"

Liushui Xiaozhu is located in the inner courtyard, which is still the young lady's courtyard. Ordinary maids are not allowed to step into it without permission. In the eyes of outsiders, Xue Lingyu is just a lowly maid who has gained a powerful backer. Even though she is learning from Fang Xiulang, it is only because of her connections.

Xue Lingyu nodded: "Yes, I'll go and deliver the clothes to Miss."

Upon hearing the affirmative answer, those people were even more surprised: "Miss's clothes? How do you have the right to send clothes to Miss?"

In the eyes of these lowly servants, their mistress was the highest and most unattainable being. The servants around her were all handpicked, pure and respectable. How could a lowly servant be worthy to serve her? Even delivering clothes was beneath her.

"Chunyu, tell us the truth, besides Xinyan, who else do you have backers in the manor? You're not the son of some steward, are you?"

They had long suspected that someone of unknown origin, with a veiled face and not very agile hands and feet, could be favored by the manager and given easy tasks.

If Xue Lingyu really is the son of some steward, and has relatives in the household to look after him, then everything makes sense.

Xue Lingyu didn't even remember who she was, so how could she answer their questions? "I'm not her, I forgot."

"I don't believe you. Otherwise, let me see your face. Do you resemble any of the stewards in the manor? Or do you look down on us and simply refuse to tell us the truth?"

This man was very eloquent; with just a few words, he left Xue Lingyu speechless.

Xin Yan had repeatedly warned him that he must never let anyone see his face, or else something terrible would happen. Xue Lingyu kept this in mind. Apart from Xin Yan and the female steward in the young lady's courtyard, no one in the mansion had ever seen his true face.

The more it is concealed, the more it arouses other people's curiosity.

These people all came from the same place and had a very good relationship with Qiu Yu. When they saw that he had been kicked out of the mansion, they blamed Xue Lingyu for it and wanted to take their anger out on him.

Sensing that these people had no good intentions, Xue Lingyu bit her lip and replied, "No."

"You claim to have injuries on your face, but no one has ever seen them. Just how serious are they that you can't even show your true face? Or are you hiding something? Let us see for ourselves."

The speaker was named Dongshuang, and he was usually very close to Qiuyu. Qiuyu cried and said that she was kicked out because she had offended Xue Lingyu. He was determined to find out who this person was. Could he be a confidant of the young lady and be able to run rampant in the mansion?

Xue Lingyu insisted, "You can't look."

He wanted to get back to work as soon as possible, but these people wouldn't let him leave and blocked his way completely.

If you walk forward, you'll reach the outer courtyard; if you step back a few steps, you'll reach the inner courtyard. But there's no one passing by, and you can't ask for help. Xue Lingyu is so anxious that she's almost crying.

Relying on her superior numbers, Dong Shuang sneered, "You really have something to hide. You're not some fugitive who infiltrated the Jiang residence on purpose, are you?"

He was impatient, and as soon as he finished speaking, he tried to pull off Xue Lingyu's veil, but Xue Lingyu dodged it. The other two immediately stepped forward and held Xue Lingyu down, making him unable to move.

Just as Dongshuang was about to pull off Xue Lingyu's veil, her fingertips had already touched it.

"stop."

An angry voice rang out.

Dong Shuang turned around and was immediately startled. The other two also quickly released Xue Lingyu and lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Manager Qiao, leaning on his cane, walked over step by step. Upon seeing the three of them, he immediately began to berate them: "How dare you people cause trouble in the inner courtyard? Are your assigned tasks too easy, or do you want to be kicked out like Qiu Yu?"

Manager Qiao was so angry that his face turned purple. He had just finished dealing with one of them, and these three were already coming to cause trouble. They really couldn't stand not causing trouble for a day!

Five people were brought in through his hands this time. These three cannot afford to have any more problems, otherwise he will lose the last bit of face he has left in the management, and his master will doubt his competence.

When Manager Qiao saw Xue Lingyu, his feelings were extremely complicated. This was not someone to be trifled with, and she had caused him to be punished repeatedly.

Since Qiu Yu was mentioned, Dong Shuang couldn't help but retort, "Manager Qiao, what exactly did Qiu Yu do wrong? He only said a few words to Chun Yu, so why was he kicked out? Is Chun Yu so precious that she can't even be spoken to?"

Ti Qiuyu wanted to give these three a heads-up, but they actually refuted him. Manager Qiao was so angry that he kept hitting his cane.

"The three of you are not allowed to eat tonight, and your monthly wages will be reduced by two months. Now get back to your homes right now. If you do it again, I won't let Qiu Yu stay one more night like I did with him. I will kick you out immediately!"

The three knew that Manager Qiao was truly angry, and even if they were resentful, they could only obey. Before leaving, Dong Shuang glared at Xue Lingyu.

Only Manager Qiao and Xue Lingyu remained. Xue Lingyu's clothes were all dirty from what the other two had done, and she watched silently as Manager Qiao finished punishing her.

Manager Qiao sighed, "You've been wronged."

Xue Lingyu remained silent, secretly wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes. He didn't know what he had done wrong to incur the hatred of so many people.

Manager Qiao was not good at comforting people, and he was afraid that Xue Lingyu would complain. After thinking it over, he came up with a solution: "When you go back, tell Fang Xiulang that he will come with me to go out of the manor to make purchases tomorrow. I happen to be short of manpower."

Xue Lingyu stopped wiping away her tears, blinked, and looked at Steward Qiao.

Purchasing means being able to leave the mansion and buy things with one's own money.

Ordinary servants were not allowed to leave the mansion at will, which was considered a form of compensation for Xue Lingyu.

That night, in the quiet stillness, the lights of the small house by the flowing water shone brightly. The account book on the desk in the main room was one book less than during the day, but there were still many left. Jiang He's right hand fingers were sore from exhaustion that she had to switch to her left hand.

In her youth, in order to show off in front of her friends, she even learned to do accounting with both hands at the same time, multitasking.

Seeing that the candles in the room were almost burned out, Yuange replaced them with new ones while advising, "Miss, you've been doing accounts all day, you should rest."

Yuan Ge knew that Jiang He wouldn't listen at this time, but she still had to try to persuade her.

Unexpectedly, Jiang He stood up, stretched, and simply said, "Okay."

She was indeed tired today, especially after Xue Lingyu left. Her mind seemed unable to focus, and she kept getting distracted when looking at the account book. She kept thinking about Xue Lingyu's face and even had the idea of ​​getting closer to him.

"It's probably because I haven't been with a man in too long," Jiang He muttered to herself.

Yuange made up the bed for her, leaving only a candle that was about to burn out, and then went to rest.

Jiang He took off her outer clothes and let her long hair down. Just as she sat down on the bed, she saw a sneaky figure flash by outside. As a martial artist, her hearing was sharp, and she easily determined that it was a man.

It was a young man, who seemed to be there for her.

For a moment, Jiang He guessed it was Xue Lingyu, but he had just escaped during the day, so he certainly wouldn't have the guts to be alone with her at night.

Who on earth is so audacious? Jiang He waited for them to make their move.

As the door slowly opened, Jiang He saw a deliberately dressed face. The person was wearing a red gauze dress, which looked quite refreshing despite the cold weather. It was obvious what their purpose was.

Qiu Yu didn't want to be kicked out, so he was going all out. He was quite handsome, and if he became the young lady's concubine, he would enjoy endless wealth and honor in the future, and he would definitely be able to trample Chun Xiao under his feet.

This was the first time he had seen the young lady, and his heart pounded in his chest. He had never imagined that she would be so beautiful.

He said softly, full of hope, "Miss..."

"Get out."

Without Jiang He saying another word, Yuan Ge heard the commotion inside the house and knew what had happened as soon as she saw the person. She immediately ordered someone to drag the ungrateful wretch out.

To prevent him from shouting, they even gagged him with a rag. Qiu Yu's fate was to be sold to the salt field to do hard labor overnight, never to be released again.

Yuange was already very skilled at dealing with these maids who tried to climb into her bed. Want to climb into her bed? They weren't even worthy of entering the young lady's room.

Jiang He's mood became even more irritable. She wished Xue Lingyu would go to great lengths to seduce her.

Xue Lingyu had already fallen asleep early, preparing herself for her shopping trip the next day.

He was completely unaware that someone else had entered his room. He slept in his usual single layer of clothing, his long hair cascading down his back like a waterfall, his slender fingers peeking out from under the covers, his distinct knuckles both abstinent and alluring.

Xue Lingyu had a lot of hair, with a tuft covering his face. Jiang He gently moved the tuft of hair that was obscuring his face, revealing a delicate face to her eyes. His lips were as red as cherries, making one want to taste them. Even without any expression, he looked fragile and pitiful, making one want to cherish him.

This was originally hers, but now she can only look at it, not touch it.

Jiang He stood by the bed, staring at his sleeping face, and after a long while, she finally uttered a sentence:

"Little vixen."

"..." Xue Lingyu puffed out her cheeks, swallowed innocently, and drifted off to sleep.

The next day he got up very early and went to the outer courtyard to wait for Steward Qiao before dawn.

He slept exceptionally well that night. Except for his hands being a little cold outside the blanket, everything else was perfect, especially his stomach, which felt warm when he woke up.

Steward Qiao's injuries have healed by half, so he decided to take the manor's carriage on this trip.

The Jiang family was wealthy and powerful, and even the steward was provided with a carriage. Going out was not considered a disgrace to the Jiang family. As a result, many people were eager to work as servants in the Jiang family. As for the monthly salary, the Jiang family had never been stingy.

The carriages were all parked on the outskirts, and they had to wait for the drivers to arrive before they could set off. Xue Lingyu waited with Steward Qiao while looking around at the carriages.

The place was filled with carriages, at least a dozen or so, and Xue Lingyu had never been here before.

“That carriage at the very back is so beautiful. I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before. There’s a Jiang character on it…” Xue Lingyu pointed to the most magnificent carriage, squinting as she tried to see it clearly. After taking a few steps forward, she found it looked very familiar.

If he remembered correctly, this was the carriage he had almost accidentally bumped into the day he woke up. The young lady sitting inside not only didn't blame him, but also gave him ten taels of silver.

If it weren't for that young lady, he probably wouldn't have survived.

After many twists and turns, it turns out that his savior is none other than the young lady of the Jiang family!

Manager Qiao nodded: "This is Miss's carriage. No one else is even qualified to touch it. You have a good eye. The character 'Jiang' on it represents Miss's status."

Manager Qiao wasn't surprised that Xue Lingyu had seen the carriage before. After all, since the young lady treated him so well, it wasn't unusual. It was just that Xue Lingyu's reaction was a bit excessive.

"Is Miss very rich?"

Xue Lingyu's question left Steward Qiao speechless. The Jiang family were imperial merchants, owning two major districts in the capital. Not to mention gold and silver, they could buy several of them if the young lady was happy.

Even if you grabbed anyone off the street, they would know that the Jiang family has no shortage of money.

Manager Qiao couldn't help but roll his eyes. "That goes without saying. Miss used to spend money like water when she was young."

Hearing this, Xue Lingyu felt a little disappointed. His young mistress was not short of money and had probably forgotten when she gave him ten taels of silver. She might not even remember that he existed. He had no way to repay her.

With a mournful face, he asked, "What is the young lady most lacking right now?"

"If you don't lack money, you should lack nothing, right?" Xue Lingyu asked without much hope.

Manager Qiao lowered his voice, "What Miss needs most right now is a confidant. Ever since that Young Master Xue disappeared, Miss has had no one to serve her. She is at the prime of her life, and while other young ladies have taken four or five concubines, Miss's room is still empty. It's quite pitiful."

Xue Lingyu's eyes widened. Didn't this mean that what Miss lacked most was a concubine?

The coachman arrived, said he had overslept, apologized a few times, and then helped Steward Qiao into the carriage. Xue Lingyu followed him in, looking preoccupied.

Xue Lingyu lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at the driver. Her heart sank to the bottom.

The coachman was the same one who had scolded him for being blind that night. When he saw him lift the curtain, the coachman's face was very kind. He even asked if there was anything he wanted to buy along the way. He shook his head and lowered the curtain.

In other words, the young lady is indeed his savior, and there is no mistake about that.

Xue Lingyu was absent-minded the whole way. He only bought Xinyan the peach blossom pastry he had promised to bring him, as well as a plain hairpin. The shopkeeper had persuaded him for a long time before he bought it in order to get away.

Manager Qiao was in charge of all the purchasing; his trip was purely to see the scenery outside the manor.

On his way back, he happened to pass the road where he first met the young lady. The sight of the road stirred up his memories, and Xue Lingyu's mood worsened. Manager Qiao assumed that he hadn't had enough fun yet, so he didn't say anything.

After returning home, he locked himself in his room again, not wanting to see any outsiders. Only when Xin Yan came to find him did Xue Lingyu open the door with red eyes.

Xin Yan's first thought was that he had been bullied, and she asked with concern, "What's wrong? Were you unhappy when you went shopping today, or did Manager Qiao bully you?"

He seemed to be ready to fight Manager Qiao to the death if Xue Lingyu said yes.

Xue Lingyu denied it: "None of those are true..."

He gave the peach blossom pastries he brought back to Xinyan, but Xinyan wasn't in a hurry to leave; she was determined to get to the bottom of things.

Seeing that Xue Lingyu was holding a hairpin, Xin Yan guessed that it was bought outside, so she took it and compared it with Xue Lingyu's hairpin, and said with a smile: "Why did you only buy such a plain hairpin? But you are beautiful, you look good in anything."

Xue Lingyu asked timidly, "Am I really that good-looking?"

Xin Yan nodded vigorously: "Of course, you are the most handsome man I have ever seen. If you were outside, there wouldn't be many women who wouldn't like you."

Xue Lingyu was still in a bad mood, and he was so aggrieved that he was about to cry. "Is that young lady really that ugly?"

The young lady only lacks a concubine. If he were to... if he were to offer himself as a substitute to repay her kindness...

Xue Lingyu was afraid that she would be frightened and cry if she were in front of the young lady.

A note from the author:

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-02-10 23:58:08 and 2022-02-11 20:38:27!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Qianyuzhanshang (25 bottles);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!

◎Latest Comments:

[Drink this nutrient solution, and you'll be ready to fight another 33,000 tomorrow!]

Is there still a runningaway with the baby? Surely the storyline and plot will continue?

[Oh, so there were two runs? Hahaha]

[Jiang He: What a great thing!]

【!! I saw the flag!!!】

[If you don't update, how am I supposed to buy your content? If I don't buy your content, how will I get any nutrient solution? What do you suggest we do?]

[You ask when the update will be released? The nutrient solution in Bashan is overflowing! A good story is unforgettable, so I'm chugging nutrient solution! With nutrient solution in hand, will there be more updates?! If you don't update, how will I buy your stories? If I don't buy your stories, how will I get nutrient solution? What do you say we do?! Giving the author nutrient solution will result in a 10,000-word epic update?! Hmph!! Look, considering how hard you've worked to update, I'll give you more nutrient solution! Keep it up!!! Giving the author nutrient solution will result in a 10,000-word epic update?! Hmph!! Look, considering how hard you've worked to update, I'll give you more nutrient solution! Keep it up!!!]

[I think I mixed up the description of peach blossom pastry and rose pastry.]

Sigh, I couldn't resist coming back to watch it again.

-over-