Chapter 9: There’s Not Even Plain Porridge Left!

Jiang Qingqing felt guilty because she was worried that the god might see her as someone who just lazed around and indulged in food.

After all, all she had given him was a painting and a bracelet—without even knowing whether he liked them.

And here she was, asking for food and drink again.

Fu Zhengnan, however, didn’t seem to mind. It was just a matter of lifting a finger and spending a little money. Besides, he was willing to spend it of his own accord.

Glancing at the dining table, he selected the “one-click cleanup” option and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

His tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion.

But Jiang Qingqing still felt a little embarrassed. She pursed her lips and whispered, “I’ll just have plain porridge today.”

Fu Zhengnan: “……”

He glanced meaningfully at the menu he had ordered for Jiang Qingqing from the in-game store yesterday.

Plain porridge?

Perhaps he had guessed her intentions. Fu Zhengnan found it somewhat amusing—so, this game company did follow a humanitarian approach, not forcing players to spend excessively.

But he didn’t need to worry about that.

Fu Zhengnan said, “There’s no plain porridge.”

Jiang Qingqing: “???”

No plain porridge! Not even plain porridge! Was this a sign that he didn’t want to take care of her anymore?

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Jiang Qingqing felt miserable…

She took a deep breath and said, “Then… I’ll just drink water?”

Having water was fine too. It was still better than drinking muddy rainwater.

Oh well, if nothing else, even rainwater would do!

Come on! Let it rain!

Pour down a little more!

The little figure in Jiang Qingqing’s mind was going wild.

In just a few minutes, Fu Zhengnan had seen countless expressions flash across Jiang Qingqing’s face.

He suddenly felt like teasing her. “Why drink water? Is it because you don’t like Dongpo pork and osmanthus shark fin?”

Jiang Qingqing: “?”

Huh?

What kind of statement was that? Was it even polite?

Fu Zhengnan curled his lips slightly and comforted the little angry kitten. “There’s no need to save money for me. Supporting you is well within my means.”

Jiang Qingqing’s expression instantly changed from hesitation to delight.

Since he had put it that way, there was no need to hold back. She quickly corrected herself, “Then I want Dongpo pork! But I’ll skip the osmanthus shark fin and switch it to roasted duck instead.”

Fu Zhengnan nodded. “Mm, anything else?”

Since he was being so generous, Jiang Qingqing no longer hesitated. She eagerly listed a few more of her favorite dishes. Back in the palace, she used to eat like this all the time.

“I’ll also have egg soup and rice flower cake!”

“Oh, and I want honeydew melon too.”

“A little bit of dates as well.”

“……”

Fu Zhengnan listened and gestured for her to continue ordering. “What else do you want?”

Hearing that, Jiang Qingqing, who had intended to stop, swallowed.

This… might be a bit much.

She didn’t actually have such a big appetite.

She had just been starving for the past few days…

Playing with a strand of hair that had fallen to her chest, Jiang Qingqing said awkwardly, “Actually, this should be enough for me…”

Fu Zhengnan responded with a faint “Oh.”

Whether he believed her or not was unclear.

But Jiang Qingqing felt certain that the god absolutely didn’t believe her. Her cheeks flushed even redder, and after a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Have you eaten yet, my lord? Why don’t we eat together?”

If they ate together, it wouldn’t make her seem like such a big eater.

Fu Zhengnan found it amusing once again.

At that moment, Assistant Zhang’s voice came from outside the office.

After ordering Jiang Qingqing’s requested dishes—and adding a few more snacks—Fu Zhengnan briefly exchanged a few words with her before logging out of the game.

“Take your time and enjoy.”

“And don’t forget to apply medicine to the wound on your cheek. The ointment is on the bed.”

He seemed to have spent a bit too much time in the game today.

Jiang Qingqing, holding a piece of honeydew melon, nodded absentmindedly.

Go, go, as long as she had food, that was all that mattered.

Inside a carriage bound for the capital.

Liu Mei, who had been knocked unconscious by Jiang Qingqing’s slap, slowly regained consciousness. The pain on her face reminded her of everything that had just happened.

Her swollen apricot eyes were filled with resentment toward Jiang Qingqing.

“You all better remember what to say and what not to say. Once we return to the Prime Minister’s Manor, keep your mouths shut.”

Liu Mei glanced at the injured old maidservants and young maids beside her, feeling not the slightest bit of sympathy.

Instead, she warned them coldly.

“Just say that Jiang Qingqing invited me to meet her, and then she severely injured me. Do you understand?”

Liu Mei was already scheming in her mind, planning to use her injuries to make an issue out of it—so that her father, Prime Minister Liu, would punish Jiang Qingqing. Ideally, he would even send people to secretly have her executed.

After all, her injuries would heal in less than half a month. That was a small price to pay for getting rid of Jiang Qingqing.

But things did not go as she had hoped.

While traveling along a mountainous path that was unavoidable on the way back, their carriage was ambushed by a group of bandits.

Liu Mei struggled desperately, trying to escape from the filthy hands that were grabbing at her, but no matter how she fought, she couldn’t break free.

The old maidservants and young maids had already been taken back to the bandits’ lair, leaving Liu Mei alone in the carriage.

She cursed loudly, “How dare you! You lowly peasants, do you know who I am? How dare you lay hands on me!”

The bandits ignored her shouts and continued looting the gold ornaments on her body.

Their filthy hands didn’t stop roaming over her, and Liu Mei could no longer tolerate it. “My father is the Prime Minister! If you dare touch me, your entire families will be executed!”

Originally, the bandits had only intended to rob them. But at her words, their fury erupted.

They despised arrogant noble brats the most—especially those from the Prime Minister’s Manor.

Half a month ago, after the Great Liang Kingdom was defeated in war, they had barely managed to escape from the ruined city where people struggled to survive. Hoping to enter the capital to make a living, they had been forcefully blocked by the city guards—who claimed they were following the Prime Minister’s orders:

No outsiders were allowed to enter the capital.

Left with no choice, they had been struggling to survive outside the city gates, barely clinging to life.

Now, at last, they had found an opportunity for revenge.

The bandit leader raised his hand and delivered a heavy slap. “You wretched woman! Even if you were the Emperor himself, you wouldn’t be walking out of here alive today!”

“Take her away! Tonight, share her with the brothers!”

Liu Mei still hadn’t realized the severity of her situation and continued to scream and curse.

That night.

Her naked body, covered in filth, was dumped at the gates of the Prime Minister’s Manor.

Not a single piece of cloth covered her. Every passerby had a clear view of her disgrace.

The crowd buzzed with whispers:

“Why does she look so familiar? Isn’t she the Third Young Miss of the Prime Minister’s Manor?”

“What a tragedy… How did she end up in such a miserable state?”

“If she really is the Third Young Miss, then the Prime Minister’s Manor’s reputation will be utterly ruined. Who would dare to propose marriage to their family after this?”

“……”

At first, the gatekeeper wasn’t sure if the woman lying on the ground was really Liu Mei. But as the commotion grew louder, he had no choice but to rush inside to report the matter.

Upon receiving the news, people from the manor hurried to the scene.

Leading them was the eldest young master of the Prime Minister’s Manor—Liu Mei’s biological elder brother.

Liu Xubai.

Dressed in a sky-blue brocade robe, he looked as refined as jade.

But the moment he saw Liu Mei, a dark, dangerous glint flashed across his handsome face.

He removed his outer robe and wrapped it around Liu Mei before carrying her back into the Prime Minister’s Manor.

This action left the onlookers stunned.

“So, she really is the Third Young Miss of the Prime Minister’s Manor?”

“Seems like it. Didn’t you see how the young master reacted? If she weren’t from the Prime Minister’s Manor, why would he take her back?”

One of Liu Xubai’s subordinates seemed confused by his actions.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Young Master, why did you…?