Volume One, Chapter Five: His Regard for Xiang Bamboo Is Unusual

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Zhao Ye thought he had concealed everything perfectly, but Ouyang Yanwan, who had grown up alongside him since childhood, still sensed something unusual.

Ouyang Yanwan quietly tightened her grip on the chopsticks.

Xiang Zhu’s heart tensed—here it comes!

She stepped back a few paces, bowed slightly, and replied, “Miss Ouyang, both Shuangling and Shuangyun were assigned to Fourth Prince by Her Majesty the Empress. They are indeed excellent; as a humble servant, I cannot compare to them.”

“That’s true,” Ouyang Yanwan responded casually, as if her previous question had been no more than idle curiosity.

Her attention was entirely drawn to the dishes on the plate before her. She reached out eagerly to pick up some food, even a trace of urgency showing in her expression.

Just as Xiang Zhu had suspected, she had wanted to taste the dish earlier but had restrained herself out of caution due to the distance.

No, something was wrong!

A bad premonition rose in Xiang Zhu’s mind.

Before she could ponder further, just as Ouyang Yanwan’s chopsticks were about to touch the smoked meat, Xiang Zhu swiftly lifted the plate away.

“Smack!”

Ouyang Yanwan slammed her chopsticks down on the table with a stern face.

“You insolent servant! Who permitted you to stop my lady from eating?”

Cui Zhu quickly stepped forward and grabbed Xiang Zhu’s wrist.

Xiang Zhu’s face paled from the pain, but she gritted her teeth and refused to let go, preventing the delicate porcelain plate from slipping from her grasp.

Cui Zhu thought Xiang Zhu would break the plate with her sudden grip, giving her cause to scold her for disrespecting her mistress.

But to her surprise, Xiang Zhu endured the pain, even sweating from the strain, holding the plate firmly.

Furious, Cui Zhu scowled and threatened harshly, “If you don’t release me, I’ll break your wrist, you lowly servant!”

“I am surprised, Your Highness, that a servant from outside the palace dares to punish a palace maid with official status,” Zhao Ye said quietly, not paying attention to the quarrel between the two servants but instead directing his gaze at Ouyang Yanwan. His gentle tone carried a subtle chill.

He was usually mild-mannered and seldom referred to himself as “Your Highness,” indicating his anger.

Cui Zhu immediately released her grip and knelt in apology. “Forgive me, Fourth Prince.”

Xiang Zhu relaxed slightly, quietly setting the plate aside and massaging her wrist.

Thankfully, the Fourth Prince had intervened, or else Cui Zhu’s strength might have required a trip to the Imperial Medical Office for bone-setting.

Ouyang Yanwan’s eyes darkened. Her intuition had not been wrong.

Aye, Zhao Ye—the palace maid named Xiang Zhu was no ordinary servant.

“All right, stand up. Since you don’t trust others to serve my lady, you shall serve her yourself,” Zhao Ye said coldly.

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“Thank you, Your Highness,” Cui Zhu said as she rose, glaring at Xiang Zhu and daringly asking, “Why do you only reprimand the servant and not her?”

“If she hadn’t been disrespectful to my lady, I wouldn’t have acted impulsively!” Zhao Ye retorted, then looked at Xiang Zhu and asked, “Why did you do that?”

Enduring the pain, Xiang Zhu pointed to the meat on the plate and explained, “Your Highness, Cui Zhu misunderstood me. Since it was my first time serving Miss Ouyang at a meal, I was unaware of her preferences and restrictions. That’s why I wanted to ask Cui Zhu if this dish—the berry smoked meat—is something Miss Ouyang likes.”

Cui Zhu was caught off guard by Xiang Zhu’s words.

She hesitated briefly, her gaze instinctively flickering toward Ouyang Yanwan.

The berry juice used in the smoked meat had caused a rash on Miss Ouyang’s skin when she accidentally consumed it at the age of seven or eight—within less than half a tea cup’s time.

Miss Ouyang must have deliberately wanted Xiang Zhu to pick this dish for her. If Xiang Zhu had served it and Miss Ouyang had a reaction, it would have been an opportunity to punish Xiang Zhu.

Though Cui Zhu did not understand Miss Ouyang’s motives, she was willing to cooperate as long as the lady wished.

Xiang Zhu caught Cui Zhu’s glance toward Ouyang Yanwan and felt a little relieved.

Her intuition was right: if Ouyang Yanwan ate this dish, there would be “problems.”

Xiang Zhu maintained a calm expression and, seeing Cui Zhu silent, helped her save face by saying, “Cui Zhu, you are silent because Miss Ouyang has never eaten this dish before?”

Cui Zhu met Ouyang Yanwan’s gaze and replied smoothly, “Yes. That’s why Miss wanted to taste it.”

Xiang Zhu nodded in understanding and did not retrieve the original plate but instead replaced it with a new one for Ouyang Yanwan.

She gently explained, “Miss Ouyang should not try unfamiliar dishes lightly. Perhaps the discomfort she suffered as a child was caused by this dish, so the chefs at Changyong Marquis’s residence might not even prepare it for her.”

Ouyang Yanwan suddenly smiled, “So you stopped me out of consideration. I misunderstood you just now.”

Xiang Zhu smiled faintly without replying, handing Ouyang Yanwan a fresh pair of chopsticks and helping her pick some dishes.

These were all dishes Ouyang Yanwan had chosen herself since the meal began, except for the berry smoked meat she had strongly desired but Xiang Zhu deliberately ignored.

After this incident, Ouyang Yanwan lost all appetite.

She forced herself to finish the food Xiang Zhu had served and then put down her chopsticks.

Cui Zhu hurried forward to assist her with rinsing her mouth.

Zhao Ye, still somewhat unsatisfied, put down his chopsticks as well, needing to return to the study, and rinsed his mouth under Xiang Zhu’s care.

“Aye, the hour grows late. Come with me,” Ouyang Yanwan said, preparing to leave the palace while Zhao Ye was headed to the study. They would walk together for a while.

Ouyang Yanwan deliberately leaned toward Zhao Ye, closing the distance between them.

“Very well,” Zhao Ye’s gaze was gentle as he consented, his voice equally soft.

If only Zhao Ye had stood at once, breaking the proximity between them, and looked at her with a smiling gaze as if waiting for her to rise and leave with him—that would have been better.

Once suspicion takes root, it swells in the heart until it can no longer be contained.

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“Your humble servant bids farewell to Fourth Prince and Miss Ouyang,” the palace attendants bowed respectfully.

Ouyang Yanwan pretended not to notice Zhao Ye’s discomfort, walking up to him with a bright smile and reaching out to grasp the hem of his robe.

A subtle, sweet fragrance drifted to Zhao Ye’s nose. His lips pressed together faintly, yet he did not pull away from Ouyang Yanwan.

Passing by Xiang Zhu’s side, Ouyang Yanwan did not pause but boldly regarded her with smiling eyes.

Xiang Zhu remained bowed, bidding them farewell without moving.

After withdrawing her gaze, Ouyang Yanwan curved her lips slightly: indeed, Xiang Zhu was very well disciplined.

Very interesting.

Only after the two figures had completely disappeared did Xiang Zhu rise slowly and call the attendants to clear the meal.

Looking at the time, Xiang Zhu decided to visit the Internal Affairs Department.

She could no longer stay at Xiefang Hall; she intended to negotiate with the eunuch Fu Yun in the Internal Affairs Department to transfer her to duty in the Cold Palace.

Upon returning to her small chamber in the rear hall of the central courtyard, Xiang Zhu sensed something was amiss.

Why was no palace maid there to sweep and clean?

As she pushed open the door, she finally found the answer.

In her modest room, Zhao Ye sat on a round wooden stool by the square wooden table.

Xiang Zhu’s gaze briefly landed on the deep blue embroidered robe laid neatly on the tray atop the table before she quickly withdrew her eyes, turned around, closed the door swiftly, then knelt and saluted, “Fourth Prince.”

Seeing Xiang Zhu’s anxious manner as if afraid others would know he was in her room, a faint dissatisfaction stirred within Zhao Ye.

A wicked thought even crossed his mind—to make some noise when he left later, attracting palace attendants to watch.

“I was halfway on my way when I remembered my robe was soiled. Since you live here, I came in to wait for you,” Zhao Ye said softly. “Help me change.”

“...Yes.”

As Xiang Zhu approached, the faint fragrance floated closer. Zhao Ye’s lips curved upward, and a gleam appeared in his eyes.

He was certain now—the scent Xiang Zhu carried was very special to him.

Zhao Ye was not a hesitant man; now that he had an answer, he would act accordingly.