Chapter 109

After finishing their meal, a maidservant came in to clean up.

Shen Yu still remembered Xie Tingzhou’s words about letting her see someone, and she prepared to get up and get dressed.

“No need, just be casual.” Xie Tingzhou turned his head and said to the person outside the door, “Let her in.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a figure bounced into the room, skipping around the screen and rushing towards Shen Yu.

The person was wearing a floral cloth dress and had a cloth wrapped around her head. Shen Yu almost didn’t recognize who it was.

Seeing that the person was about to pounce on Shen Yu on the couch, Xie Tingzhou gave her a cold look, and the person immediately stopped in her tracks, standing by the bed, not daring to move.

Shen Yu finally saw who it was, “Lu Yao!”

Lu Yao burst into tears, “Little… Little Master.”

Xie Tingzhou said, “The escort people sent her to the Prince’s Mansion yesterday. She came to see you once while you were asleep.”

With Xie Tingzhou present, Lu Yao dared not even cry loudly, only daring to wipe her tears secretly.

Lu Yao was darker and thinner. Shen Yu felt heartache and beckoned her to come closer.

Lu Yao walked over, grabbed Shen Yu’s hand, and knelt on the footstool. She started to sob and tell her about what had happened in the past few months.

After Lu Yao left Yanliang Guan last year, she and Hongqiao went their separate ways. Lu Yao wasn’t as quick-witted as Hongqiao, so she was responsible for running errands, while Hongqiao went to Hezhou to help Old Madam Lu and gather information.

Actually, Lu Yao knew why Miss had asked her to deliver the message instead of Hongqiao, because Hongqiao had liked the eldest Master for a long time. The eldest Master’s body was never found, and Miss was worried that Hongqiao would be sad, so she sent her to Hezhou first.

Lu Yao delivered the letter to Shen Yan in Shengjing. She originally thought she would wait for Shen Yan to reply or leave a message.

But after waiting for several days, Shen Yan didn’t reply. Instead, she dodged her, saying that she was busy with the funeral arrangements and asked her to wait.

Lu Yao said indignantly, “She told me to wait. I originally thought she was being kind, but I overheard her talking to Madam about burying Miss. I questioned her why, and she lied to me, saying that the letter said so.”

The letter was sealed with wax, and Shen Yan thought Lu Yao hadn’t seen it. In fact, Shen Yu was worried that Lu Yao was playful and might lose the letter on the way, so she had already given instructions beforehand.

Lu Yao’s knees were tired, so she simply sat down on the footstool and sniffed, “I… Master, you also know I’m not very smart, I don’t understand what it means to wait patiently. I just went off on them.”

“How did you go off?” Shen Yu asked.

Lu Yao gritted her teeth and said, “I said I was going to Yanliang Guan to find you and have you come back to deal with them.”

“Then what?”

“Then they were scared. They kept apologizing and even offered me tea.”

“Then what?” Shen Yu asked again.

Lu Yao blinked, “Then I fainted.”

Shen Yu couldn’t help but laugh. She didn’t know whether to say this child was naive or stupid.

“Why are you wearing a cloth on your head?”

Shen Yu reached out to lift it, but Lu Yao didn’t have time to stop her. She burst into tears.

Under the cloth was a short haircut. How short? It was probably less than an inch.

Shen Yu was stunned and quickly pressed the cloth back down, comforting her, “It’s okay, it’ll grow back.”

“They, they were too much.” Lu Yao cried, “They sent me to a nunnery, not to mention those old nuns shaved my hair. They shaved it twice a month, twice! Woah…”

Xie Tingzhou watched Shen Yu comfort her while trying to hold back her laughter. He reminded her, “Don’t suffocate yourself.”

Shen Yu glared at him. Xie Tingzhou smiled and turned his head away, “I’ll go out first.”

The nunnery where Shen Yan sent Lu Yao had only one mountain gate. There was no way to get down the mountain except by jumping off the cliff. Lu Yao had run away many times, but she couldn’t escape until He Xuehui came with people to pick her up.

After Xie Tingzhou went out, Lu Yao wiped her tears and continued, “I heard Madam and the second Miss arguing. It seems like the second Miss was originally against it, but Madam kept persuading her.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Shen Yu shook her head.

No matter what Shen Yan’s initial intentions were, she ultimately made her choice. It’s just that people with weak willpower choose the wrong path, and the consequences are borne by themselves.

After a spring rain, the weather warmed up. The rain stopped today, the sun set, and the weather was much warmer.

Xie Tingzhou stood under the eaves, with Xifeng and Changliu standing beside him.

Changliu glanced into the room, but he couldn’t see anything.

“How come Shi Yu’s maid is so rustic? I haven’t even seen that floral cloth in the village.”

Xie Tingzhou gave him a sideways glance, and Changliu shrunk his neck.

Xifeng laughed, “That girl knows martial arts, you’re not afraid of being beaten.”

Changliu said, “I know martial arts too, and I have His Highness backing me up. I’m not afraid of a maid, am I?”

Xifeng: “She also has Shi Yu backing her up.”

Changliu thought for a moment and looked at Xie Tingzhou obediently, “Your Highness…”

“I can’t control it.” Xie Tingzhou said, lowered his sleeves, and turned to enter the room.

Zhong Bo happened to be stepping in from the doorway, reaching out to take the tray from the maidservant. It was filled with several plates of snacks.

As he passed by, Changliu casually took one, but Zhong Bo slapped his hand, “This is for Shi Yu.”

Changliu was stunned, “Grandpa, you don’t like Shi Yu the most?”

Zhong Bo said sternly, “That was before, things are different now.”

“How are they different?”

Zhong Bo glanced at him and thought to himself, of course, it’s different for both male and female.

Changliu was still a half-grown child, everyone in the Prince’s Mansion spoiled him, and Zhong Bo was even more fond of him.

It was truly a complete reversal. He squatted down next to a pillar, pouting and looking like he was about to cry, “I’ve fallen out of favor now.”

Zhong Bo scolded, “What are you vying for favor for, you’re a man?”

Changliu was dissatisfied, “Shi Yu is also a man, why can’t he?”

“Shi Yu, she… she…” Zhong Bo choked, unable to find a reason for a long time.

“She’s just fine!” He said, then flicked his sleeve and entered the room with the maidservant.

Zhong Bo was very attentive, asking about her well-being with great enthusiasm.

Finally, when Zhong Bo left, Shen Yu finally caught her breath.

“Did Zhong Bo find out?”

Xie Tingzhou nodded and said, “To arrange for maidservants, it has to go through Zhong Bo’s hands. It’s good that he knows.”

“Actually, there’s no need to arrange for maidservants.” As a guard, she still needs to be served by maidservants. Where in the world is there such a thing?

Xie Tingzhou: “…”

Seeing Xie Tingzhou’s expression, Shen Yu asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Tingzhou smiled faintly, “Zhong Bo also said that there’s no need for maidservants. Do you think he makes sense?”

Shen Yu nodded, not understanding, “Yes.”

Xie Tingzhou said, “Then I understand. Next time I help you bathe, I’ll definitely not let the maidservants do it. From now on, this Crown Prince…”

He paused, staring at her face and leaning closer, saying, “Will personally serve you.”