The maid's thoughts were practically written all over her face.
Shen Qing's lips twitched, and a trace of mockery and irritation flashed through her eyes.
What she didn't know was that after she'd walked some distance, Aunt Kang remained where she was, gazing thoughtfully at her back. She said faintly, "Who is that maid? She looks unfamiliar."
'Most importantly, for Yu Zihan, who had grown more eccentric and willful over the years, to actually approach a maid on his own... that was truly bizarre.'
A maid beside her whispered with a hint of disdain, "I've never seen this maid either. I heard Steward Su hired a few new maids recently, so she must be one of them. She's got some looks. Though the young master is still young, he's old enough to know a thing or two. Don't tell me he's been bewitched by her."
Aunt Kang said faintly, "The young master is not yet old enough to clearly read people's hearts. With his mother gone, he ultimately lacks a guiding figure. Chun Xiao, have someone keep a close eye on that maid."
The maid called Chun Xiao immediately replied, "Yes.
Mistress, you're so good to the young master, but he just doesn't know how to appreciate a kind heart. Who knows where his own mother ran off to, abandoning him like that, yet he's still hung up on her.
Thankfully, the Lord saw that woman's true colors long ago. All these years, he's not only locked away all her portraits, but he also forbids the staff from even mentioning her name. If her whereabouts weren't still unknown, the Lord would have divorced her ages ago. Then you, Mistress, wouldn't be stuck in the humble position of a mere concubine..."
In the first few years, I heard some people even deliberately sought out women who resembled her to present to the Lord. But because of his reaction, everyone eventually figured he must hate her to the bone. Never mind finding lookalikes—anyone with any sense just pretended the former Prime Minister's wife never existed.
Heh. After all, a woman disappears for ten years without a trace or reason. Who's to say she didn't just run off with some other man?
'The Lord's current disdain for the young master is probably because of that woman, too. And for my mistress, that's actually a very good thing.'
Aunt Kang shot a glance at the maid beside her and said coolly, "Chun Xiao, mind your words."
Chun Xiao instantly realized she'd gotten carried away. She quickly shut her mouth, lowered her gaze, and apologized to her mistress.
Aunt Kang gave Chun Xiao a cold look before turning to head back. A smile played on her lips as she walked, and she added casually, "Speaking of which, the Lord's first wife was once a renowned figure, famous throughout Da Qi. If I had the chance, I'd really love to see what she looked like."
Meanwhile, Shen Qing followed Yu Zihan to the front of an elegant and secluded courtyard. From a distance, she spotted Zhou Hui, whom she'd only met the day before, standing by the gate with another man. Both men were obviously surprised to see her.
Zhou Hui's expression immediately darkened. He had a naturally rough-hewn look, and his scowl made him seem even more intimidating.
Yu Zihan immediately put himself between Shen Qing and the guard, his expression wary. He said in a low voice, "I'm the one who called her here."
The man beside Zhou Hui grinned, trying to smooth things over. "Young master, relax. Guard Zhou might be short-tempered, but he's not an unreasonable man. Right?"
Zhou Hui, however, was clearly ungrateful. His face remained stern as he said, "As long as the young master isn't constantly trying to escape the mansion, I have no right to interfere with his actions. I only hope the young master recognizes his own position and isn't easily swayed by deceitful people.
"I don't know about being reasonable or not. What I do know is that I have already reported yesterday's incident to Chief Chen. As for how to handle this woman, the Lord will be the one to pass judgment."
The other man shook his head, his expression one of complete exasperation, as if he was utterly at a loss with this blockhead.
Shen Qing watched Zhou Hui glare at her, a faint, unreadable smile on her face. 'I can't tell,' she thought, 'if all this hostility is genuinely for Zihan's safety, or just a personal grudge because I made a fool of him yesterday.'
Yu Zihan seemed to have no interest in arguing further. He shot Zhou Hui a disdainful look before leading Shen Qing into the courtyard. He took her straight to the small sitting area in his room, cleared his throat, and said with some awkwardness, "You can sit wherever. I called you here to tell you not to worry about yesterday. I've already handled it."
Shen Qing froze for a moment. She wanted to ask how he had handled it but didn't know how to broach the subject.
Yu Zihan, however, simply continued, "I also wanted to ask you... that thing Zao Sheng mentioned to you yesterday. What have you decided?"
Shen Qing was still mulling over Yu Zihan's previous words, and her mind blanked for a second. "What thing?" she asked.
Yu Zihan shot her a quick look, then immediately lowered his gaze as if trying to hide. His right index finger began to unconsciously trace patterns on the tabletop. "It's about... about you leaving here to work somewhere else.
"I've already found a place for you. The Wei Qi Marquis Mansion—you know it, right? The work there won't be any worse than here. And... and I know the master of the house. I'll ask him to look out for you.
"As long as you're willing, I'll find an opportunity in a few days to get you out of this place."
Shen Qing froze.
'So the kid actually went to Jiang Chengyi for help.'
'The Wei Qi Marquis Mansion... of course she knew it. In fact, she knew it very well.'
'But her purpose for entering the Prime Minister's Mansion was not yet fulfilled. She certainly wasn't going to leave now.'
'Besides, she was also very curious why the kid was so desperate for her to leave.'
Shen Qing looked at Yu Zihan, who was pointedly avoiding her gaze. Her own expression softened without her realizing it. "Before I answer," she said, "may I ask the young master why you're so insistent that I leave?"
Yu Zihan was speechless.
'How could he tell her? That she couldn't let his father see her, or a catastrophe would follow?'
'Besides, he... he didn't know how to act around her either.'
Just then, a loud CRASH of shattering porcelain echoed from the doorway. Startled, Shen Qing and Yu Zihan instinctively turned to look. They saw Xiang Qiao standing at the entrance, her expression dazed. A mess of ceramic shards and freshly picked flowers lay on the floor at her feet.
But she clearly had no mind for the mess on the floor. She simply stared blankly at Shen Qing. After a long moment, she stammered in a choked, tearful voice, "Madam..."