“Miss, the foot warmer is filled. Is there anything else you need?” The steward’s assigned maid, named Chunxing, lived nearby and came to work at the villa during the farming off-season.

Chunxing was small and thin, with a slightly sallow complexion, but her big eyes looked quite clever.

“You can go ahead with your work. I don’t need anything here,” Rong Rong said as she took the foot warmer and placed it on the couch.

She waved at Chunxing, adding, “You’re just a servant; there’s nothing to attend to.”

Chunxing stood by without moving and muttered softly, “The steward sent me here, and I finally don’t have to work, so I…” Seeing Rong Rong look at her, Chunxing blinked her shrewd eyes and said, “I’ll wait outside. Just call me if you need anything.” Then she ran towards the door.

Rong Rong understood that the maid thought serving her was an easy job and didn’t want to go back to hard work.

She found it amusing and, seeing how young Chunxing was, didn’t have the heart to let her stand outside in the cold. “You’d better stay inside. It’s windy outside.”

Hearing this, Chunxing turned back from the door and smiled, “I’m not afraid. I usually work in the garden, so it’s not as good as being a young lady.”

“Precious?”

Rong Rong found Chunxing’s words both amusing and somewhat sad.

Reflecting on her life, she felt her fate was pitiable.

Despite the hardships of her past and present life as a maid or concubine, Chunxing’s lowly position was still considered ‘precious’ compared to enduring the cold wind outside.

No matter how, it was better to have more than less.

“How old are you this year, Chunxing?” Rong Rong asked.

“Twelve.”

“Do you have any family?”

“Both my parents are alive, and I have three older sisters and one younger brother.” Chunxing was quite open and answered all of Rong Rong’s questions straightforwardly. “Miss, is the Hou Mansion more affluent than our villa?”

Seeing Chunxing’s curiosity, Rong Rong smiled and nodded. “The Hou Mansion is much bigger than here, but I actually find the villa more comfortable.”

Chunxing blinked, clearly not believing Rong Rong’s words.

“I’ll lie down for a while. If you don’t have any other tasks, just wait outside. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

“Yes, miss.” Chunxing closed the door with a smile and went to sit on the bench in the corridor.

After Chunxing left, Rongrong poured herself another cup of cold tea and sat in silence for a while before taking off her shoes and socks and sitting on the couch with a hot water bottle.

Her feelings were a bit complicated at the moment.

She had risked her life to make it to the hot spring villa to see the four-year-old little prince.

Despite her denial, she secretly hoped to see the Crown Prince.

Late at night, she often wondered if he would think of Jing Rong.

What would he feel when he remembered Jing Rong? But now, having seen him today, she felt disheartened.

At the villa’s entrance earlier, despite causing a commotion, the Crown Prince only glanced over when the little prince spoke.

His distant, aloof demeanor was just as it had been before.

Whether she was Rongrong or Jing Rong, he wouldn’t give her more attention.

While she was lost in thought, she dozed off until a knock on the door woke her up.

“Miss.” It was Chunxing calling from outside.

Rongrong snapped back to attention, quickly tidied herself up, and noticed her eyes were still moist.

She gently wiped them with a handkerchief and went to open the door.

Outside, Chunxing and the villa’s steward were waiting.

The steward smiled apologetically, saying, “The young master has instructed you to go to the dining hall to serve the distinguished guest.”

“Serve the meal?” Rongrong was puzzled.

Given her previous lapse in manners, Xie Yuanchu shouldn’t be asking her to serve. However, she felt a bit excited.

This time, she would make sure to observe the little prince closely.

The steward looked embarrassed. “The maidservants here are clumsy…”

Rongrong understood immediately.

The maidservants at the villa, like Chunxing, were mostly peasant girls bought from the countryside and hadn’t been properly trained.

Since Xie Yuanchu and the Crown Prince had come with a minimal entourage, there weren’t enough trained servants to attend to them.

Having shed a tear earlier, Rongrong’s emotions had calmed down. Those from the palace were adept at concealing their feelings.

Reflecting on her behavior at the villa entrance, she thought that in the palace, she might have been severely punished.

One embarrassment was acceptable, but two was not.

Since she had to serve in the presence of the royal guest, Rongrong changed into a different outfit and tidied up her hair and makeup before following the steward.

It was very cold, so Xie Yuanchu had arranged a banquet in a pavilion next to the hot spring.

The hot spring’s warmth filled the air, making the pavilion cozy without needing a charcoal stove.

To keep out the steam, they had creatively placed low silk screens on three sides of the pavilion near the hot spring.

When Rong Rong arrived, all the dishes were already served, but she was disappointed to find that only the Crown Prince and Xie Yuanchu were seated in the pavilion.

Zhenzhen was serving dishes to the Crown Prince, and an older maid from the villa was serving Xie Yuanchu.

The older maid’s face was tense, clearly nervous, possibly because she had made a mistake earlier.

The Crown Prince and Xie Yuanchu were chatting, and Rong Rong quietly approached, lightly tapping the maid on the shoulder.

When the maid saw it was Rong Rong, her expression relaxed with relief.

She happily handed the chopsticks to Rong Rong and bowed before stepping back.

Seeing Rong Rong, Xie Yuanchu’s smile grew warmer.

He was a refined person who, besides Zhenzhen and Rong Rong, usually didn’t allow others to be close.

“The Hou Mansion is so large, and yet it’s still short of people,” the Crown Prince said nonchalantly, raising his cup and taking a sip after shaking it towards Xie Yuanchu.

Xie Yuanchu raised his cup and smiled. “I didn’t expect you to come without your own people and use mine instead.”

“What’s wrong with using your people? Are you reluctant?”

Xie Yuanchu was momentarily taken aback, unsure of the Crown Prince’s meaning.

For some reason, he instinctively thought the Crown Prince might be asking for Zhenzhen and Rong Rong, but he quickly shook off that thought.

He wouldn’t allow it, of course.

However, if the Crown Prince was serious, it would fulfill the task assigned by the Empress.

After this moment of hesitation, Xie Yuanchu’s playful expression didn’t change. “If you want them, naturally you can have them. If you want anyone…”

Before Xie Yuanchu could finish, Zhenzhen’s chopsticks fell to the ground.

Xie Yuanchu’s attention immediately shifted to her.

The Crown Prince, however, remained unfazed, not even blinking an eye, maintaining his relaxed demeanor.

Rong Rong quietly moved closer with the wine jug and filled the Crown Prince’s empty cup with wine.

Zhenzhen, kneeling on the ground, picked up her chopsticks without daring to look up.

The Crown Prince wouldn’t comment on such a trivial matter.

Xie Yuanchu, feeling helpless, said, “Just go.”

Zhenzhen bowed to both the Crown Prince and Xie Yuanchu, lowered her head, and left the pavilion.

With only the Crown Prince, Rong Rong, and Xie Yuanchu remaining in the pavilion, Rong Rong understood from Xie Yuanchu’s slight nod that she should focus on serving the Crown Prince and not worry about Xie Yuanchu.

“You truly have leisure. Your maids have become so unruly under your indulgence. Doesn’t the Madam of the Hou Mansion manage you?” The Crown Prince’s playful remarks made Rong Rong feel a bit dazed.

Because he and Xie Yuanchu had a close brotherly relationship, he was showing such a relaxed attitude in front of Xie Yuanchu.

Although Rong Rong had been around the Crown Prince before, she had never seen him like this.

He was usually distant and aloof, almost completely shut off from others.

Feeling embarrassed today, Xie Yuanchu was dismayed by the repeated disrespect from his maids in front of the Crown Prince.

However, he thought that Rong Rong’s weakness and Zhenzhen’s nervousness must have stemmed from his earlier teasing.

Reflecting on this, he felt a pang of sympathy.

The Crown Prince was not a stranger, and some teasing was acceptable.

Xie Yuanchu didn’t mind the Crown Prince’s remarks and replied, “The Hou Mansion can’t compare to the Eastern Palace. With fewer people, there’s no need for strict rules. Dropping chopsticks is nothing. Even if a dish were broken, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”

Dropping a Dish?

Rongrong’s gaze shifted as she suddenly remembered that during her previous life, when she first served the Crown Prince, her nervousness had led her to accidentally knock over a dish.

She recalled how the porcelain plate had shattered loudly on the golden bricks of the floor, causing all the palace servants to kneel in alarm.

The Crown Prince had merely glanced at the mess on the floor, his expression softening slightly as he said, “Come here.”

It was that “come here” that had kept her by his side for ten months until her death.

Looking back, if he hadn’t said “come here,” she might have been sent back to the palace with the other palace maids, albeit to the laundry bureau, but at least she would have survived.

Rongrong’s eyes moved as she noticed that the dish placed in front of the Crown Prince was the same Eight-Treasure Tofu that she had knocked over in her previous life. How could there be such a coincidence?

As she reached for the Eight-Treasure Tofu, her hand instead inexplicably moved to pick up the Braised Venison.

For Rongrong, avoiding that Eight-Treasure Tofu was like steering clear of a nightmare from her past life.

“Won’t you take Yuanbao to the hot spring today?” Xie Yuanchu asked.

“The imperial physician specifically advised against it before leaving the palace, saying that the hot spring here is too strong for him. We’ll have to send someone to fetch some well water to dilute it before he can bathe,” replied the Crown Prince.

“You’re very considerate,” Xie Yuanchu said.

He set down his chopsticks, stood up, and continued, “Let’s go and change. I’ve arranged for some tea and snacks. We’ll eat and bathe in the hot spring.”

“Sure,” the Crown Prince responded with a slight nod.

Rongrong set aside her chopsticks and stepped to the side, bowing her head in silence.

Outside the pavilion, the Crown Prince’s personal attendants were present, so she was not needed to assist with changing clothes.

The Crown Prince, having lived in the temple for many years, was accustomed to not having maidservants attend him closely.

The attendant still accompanying the Crown Prince was Fuhuan, who had been with him since his time in the East Palace.

Fuhuan, now in his thirties, had been a minor eunuch in Kunning Palace and was chosen by the Empress to accompany the Crown Prince to Daxiangguo Temple.

Over the years, he had become the chief eunuch of the East Palace.

Seeing the Crown Prince preparing to bathe, Fuhuan prepared to attend to him in the pavilion.

The Crown Prince, still seated in the pavilion, casually asked, “What’s your name?”

Since only Xie Yuanchu and Rong Rong were in the pavilion, the Crown Prince was clearly asking Rong Rong.

Rong Rong didn’t understand why she had caught his attention, but since he had asked, she had no choice but to kneel and respond, “I’m Xue Rong Rong.”

The Crown Prince’s gaze flickered slightly, but since Xie Yuanchu was sitting beside him and Rong Rong was kneeling on the ground, neither Xie Yuanchu nor the others outside the pavilion noticed his brief pause.

“Go change,” the Crown Prince said with these brief words and then stood up, walking towards the pavilion exit.

Rong Rong hesitated for a moment, glanced at Xie Yuanchu, who nodded slightly, and followed the Crown Prince to the changing area.

As she descended the steps of the pavilion, Rong Rong’s eyes met with Fu Quan’s.

Fu Quan’s face looked much older than four years ago, with more fine lines at the corners of his eyes.

His gaze towards Rong Rong was curious, with a hint of amusement.

Despite his curiosity, his demeanor remained kind.

As Rong Rong passed by, she heard Fu Quan whisper, “Be quiet and don’t make a fuss.”

The Crown Prince preferred quiet, so as long as there was no disturbance, he wouldn’t get upset.

Rong Rong smiled gratefully at Fu Quan and followed the Crown Prince behind a large screen next to the hot spring pool.

There wasn’t a designated changing room; instead, a huge screen had been set up to create a changing area.

Given that there were over ten hot spring pools here, constructing any building would make the area too stuffy.

The screen was a more suitable choice.

Xie Yuanchu glanced at the figure revealed behind the screen, then walked down the steps of the pavilion and asked Fu Quan softly, “What’s this all about?”

“Master, like you, I’m in the dark,” Fu Quan replied, staring at the screen.

Hearing Xie Yuanchu’s question, he gave a meaningful smile.

“Do you think he’s interested in her?” Xie Yuanchu asked, not fully believing it himself, and looked at Fu Quan in confusion.

Fu Quan remained calm, “Who knows? Even gods have their moments of human weakness.”

Xie Yuanchu was surprised by Fu Quan’s response.

Was the Crown Prince truly interested?

He found it hard to believe.

Rong Rong and Zhenzhen were his carefully selected beautiful maids in the Hou Mansion, especially Rong Rong, who was exceptionally lovely and ethereal.

Even Xie Yuanchu, who had seen many women, found her enchanting.

But… this was the Crown Prince.

What kind of beauty had he not seen before? Could he really be interested in Rong Rong?

Fu Quan’s expression was neutral, but internally he was as unsettled as Xie Yuanchu.

Though he was known as the Crown Prince’s confidant, he couldn’t be certain about the Crown Prince’s thoughts.

It was widely known that the Crown Prince had little interest in women.

The attendants left from the Eastern Palace were typically those who served the young prince.

Today, however, the Crown Prince had remarkably allowed Xie Yuanchu’s maid to assist with changing.

Fu Quan had his suspicions, though they seemed far-fetched and he deemed it unnecessary to discuss them.