“Who is outside?”

“It’s the Young Master.” Rong Rong heard Xie Yuanchu calling and hurried inside.

Seeing that he had already tidied his clothes, she stepped forward to help him put on his jade crown and drape his black cloak.

They walked out together. As they walked, she reported, “The four carriages are all ready; we can depart at any time.”

“Hmm.” Xie Yuanchu nodded, noticing that Rong Rong was holding a food box.

He reached out to take it from her. “Earlier, you didn’t even have the strength to tie your belt. Is your health still not good?”

Rong Rong was surprised that he reached out to help with the food box and quickly blocked his hand.

Her small hand was caught by Xie Yuanchu, making her feel quite awkward.

“Young Master, I’ve recovered significantly and can carry the food box myself. It’s not proper for you to carry it.”

Xie Yuanchu smiled lightly. “It’s fine; no one will see us when we leave the mansion.”

“It’s not acceptable,” Rong Rong insisted, tightly holding onto the food box and not letting him take it. “This time, I swore an oath in front of the Madam and the Young Master’s wife to follow the rules and always remember my duties as a servant.”

Xie Yuanchu, who usually disliked the “rules” and “duties” from the Wang family, felt annoyed when he saw Rong Rong reciting her oaths so submissively.

He strode ahead.

Outside the Hou Mansion’s main gate, four tall carriages were waiting.

The carriage curtains were embroidered with golden patterns and decorated with colorful tassels, looking both luxurious and auspicious.

Zhenzhen was already waiting in front of the carriages.

When she saw Xie Yuanchu coming out, she quickly approached him.

“Get on and attend to the Young Master,” Xie Yuanchu said, then jumped into the carriage.

Zhenzhen noticed his unhappy expression and looked at Rong Rong with a questioning glance.

Rongrong shook her head lightly, handed the food box to Zhenzhen, and helped her onto Xie Yuanchu’s carriage.

She then boarded the second carriage.

For this trip, Xie Yuanchu brought only one regular attendant and two maidservants, with thirty more guards riding alongside.

Rongrong enjoyed the solitude of her carriage.

However, she wondered if anything might happen with Zhenzhen and Xie Yuanchu alone in the same carriage.

Since Xie Yuanchu wasn’t someone who forced others, whatever happened would be Zhenzhen’s choice, and she couldn’t interfere.

As they passed through the bustling streets of the capital, Rongrong lifted the carriage curtain and curiously observed the people outside.

She watched diners enjoying their meals in the restaurants and shoppers going in and out of the stores, all with lively expressions.

People in the palace lived behind masks, never daring to laugh or cry openly, always cautious and restrained.

Seeing the vibrant faces and hearing the lively chatter outside, Rongrong’s determination to redeem herself grew stronger.

Since she had a chance to live again, she wanted to try a different way of life, one where she didn’t have to hide her emotions or constantly read others.

The carriage soon left the capital and traveled south along the official road.

It was mid-winter, and the trees along the way were bare, but the distant mountains were capped with unmelted snow.

The palace’s gardens were meticulously designed, but compared to the endless sky, they seemed too trivial.

After ten miles out of the city, they reached a resting place. The carriages slowed down, as if they were going to stop here.

Since Xie Yuanchu got off his carriage, Rongrong had to immediately get out to serve him.

Zhenzhen offered Xie Yuanchu hot tea and noticed Rongrong’s cheeks were red.

She couldn’t help but touch them and said, “Why are you so cold?”

Xie Yuanchu, while drinking tea, looked up and saw Rongrong’s cheeks and nose were indeed a bit red. “Didn’t you bring a hand warmer?”

Rongrong looked down. “I did, but I was distracted by the scenery and the wind.”

“Here.” Xie Yuanchu handed his own hand warmer to Rongrong.

Seeing her hesitation, he walked back to the carriage and said, “I don’t need it. Don’t delay. Let’s keep going.”

Xie Yuanchu’s hand warmer was much better than the ones used by the maidservants.

Holding it, Rongrong immediately felt her hands warm up.

She returned to the carriage and pulled the curtains tight, no longer tempted to look at the scenery.

Holding the delicate small heater in her hands, Rong Rong felt that Xie Yuanchu was truly a good master.

At least the Crown Prince would never be so considerate of his maid.

Thinking about it made her feel emotional.

Not only did the Crown Prince never offer her a hand heater or even a gentle glance, but even when she woke up in the Hou Mansion, she felt her life was unfortunate.

She had suffered a tragic death in her past life and was now a servant again.

Comparing her current situation, with good friends like Zhenzhen and a considerate master like Xie Yuanchu, she realized her life was much better.

No wonder she was so naive.

After resting for a while, they continued for four more hours until they arrived at the hot spring villa at the foot of Yanxing Mountain.

The villa itself was not very large, but it had a natural hot spring pool in the front and a large hunting ground in the back, making it a pleasant place to visit.

This time, Rong Rong got off the carriage first and went to greet Xie Yuanchu as he got out.

Seeing her expression as usual, Xie Yuanchu nodded slightly and approached the villa’s steward to ask some questions.

Rong Rong and Zhenzhen directed the servants to unload the luggage and moved the carriages to the stables.

After finishing these tasks, they stood in front of the villa with Xie Yuanchu and the steward.

Since she had gotten out of the carriage, Rong Rong’s legs had been trembling slightly.

At first, the activity masked it, but now standing still, she noticed her trembling was quite pronounced.

Xie Yuanchu, who was standing in front, did not notice, but Zhenzhen, standing beside Rong Rong, saw and thought she might be unwell.

Zhenzhen reached out to pull her, looking worried.

Rong Rong tried to calm herself, repeatedly telling herself it was okay.

Even though she knew he would not recognize her, she just wanted to see the little prince from afar.

Her heart was pounding, almost as if it would jump out of her body.

“Do you want to go inside and rest?” Zhenzhen asked quietly.

Rong Rong shook her head firmly.

However, in her effort to control her emotions, she became quite stiff.

After standing for a while, three carriages appeared on the official road.

These carriages were clearly more grand than those of the Hou Mansion.

Rong Rong’s heart raced, feeling as though something was about to happen.

In a daze, Rongrong watched as the carriages and ceremonial retinue arrived at the hot spring villa.

Moments later, the divine-looking man gracefully stepped out of his carriage.

He was exceptionally tall, with a cold and stern demeanor.

His calm gaze seemed to carry a hint of ice and snow, giving a chilling effect.

His clothing was simple, consisting of dark garments and a dark cloak, with only a touch of gold and amber belt at his waist as a highlight.

Though Rongrong wasn’t far from him, it felt like they were worlds apart.

Despite her exhaustion from rushing here, meeting him felt surreal.

She was momentarily confused, unsure if she was Jing Rong or Rongrong.

She remembered sketching his outline while he was asleep, and once recklessly biting his shoulder, but it all seemed like a dream.

Now he was so close, yet seemed so distant.

“Your Highness.” Xie Yuanchu stepped forward and performed a standard salute.

“Welcome, Crown Prince. Welcome, Royal Grandson.” Everyone behind Xie Yuanchu knelt and performed a grand bow, except for one person—Rongrong.

The Crown Prince got down from the carriage and picked up a delicate little boy, who looked about three or four years old, dressed in a white fox fur coat.

The child resembled a fluffy white cat.

Rongrong stared at the child, trying to make out his features, but her vision blurred with tears.

Xie Yuanchu’s bow was perfunctory.

Before the Crown Prince could offer an exemption from the bow, Xie Yuanchu stepped forward and patted the little prince’s cheek. “Little Yuanbao, do you want to see Uncle Yuanchu?”

“No,” the little prince mischievously smiled at Xie Yuanchu.

After laughing, he turned his head to look elsewhere, avoiding Xie Yuanchu’s touch.

His gaze landed on Rongrong, who was the only one not bowing. “Father, why isn’t that auntie bowing?”

Everyone’s gaze shifted to Rongrong, who stood frozen in place.

Zhenzhen tugged at Rongrong’s sleeve, prompting her to hurriedly kneel and wipe away her tears with her sleeve.

“Your Highness, Rongrong is weak and must not be fully recovered yet,” Xie Yuanchu quickly explained to the Crown Prince, seeing Rongrong’s lapse in etiquette.

The Crown Prince merely glanced over, his expression unchanged, and didn’t pay any attention to the rude maid.

Instead, he adjusted the hat on the child in his arms to cover his forehead. “It’s cold, let’s go inside and talk.”

“Alright, everything is ready inside. Yuanbao, come to your uncle.” Xie Yuanchu, knowing the Crown Prince was relaxed and wouldn’t mind much outside the palace, carried the child on his shoulder and headed towards the villa, despite the child’s protests.

Once the distinguished guests were inside the villa, Zhenzhen helped Rong Rong stand up and asked with concern, “You were shaking earlier. Did you catch a chill?”

Rong Rong, still in shock, turned her head to look at Zhenzhen in confusion when she heard her voice.

“Feeling unwell again?” Zhenzhen noticed Rong Rong’s pale face and quickly supported her.

The intense pain from her past life seemed to resurface as Rong Rong’s previous anxiety caught up with her.

“I’ll go serve the Young Master. You should go rest in your room. I’ll come to see you once I’m done.”

After speaking, Zhenzhen called over the steward and instructed, “She’s weak, so find a careful maid to take her back to her room and take care of her.”

The steward immediately agreed and arranged for a maid to escort Rong Rong back to her room.

As Zhenzhen and Rong Rong were both important maids to Xie Yuanchu, they were treated almost like mistresses here, and the staff didn’t dare be negligent.

The villa only had five or six maids, not as well-trained or as good-looking as those in the Hou Mansion, but they were diligent.

The villa was large, and with so few people around, the rooms assigned to Zhenzhen and Rong Rong were much more spacious than those in the Hou Mansion.

Once Rong Rong entered her room and drank five or six cups of cold tea, her turbulent emotions began to settle a bit.

Earlier at the villa entrance, she had been so anxious that she hadn’t seen the appearance of the child in the Crown Prince’s arms clearly.

She wasn’t sure if, after her lapse in etiquette, Xie Yuanchu would still let her serve closely.