"Where are you going, Third Cousin?" Jiang Yunting's cousin seemed to have ignored Su Yuanyuan's words entirely. His gaze had locked onto the two maids beside Su Yiyi, and he immediately sensed that something was off.
That hand was still resting on Su Yiyi's waist.
She couldn't help but cough twice, "Ahem, how long are you planning to hold me like this?"
Jiang Yunting let go as if burned, his delicate face flushing red as he fumbled away, clearly embarrassed.
"..." Su Yiyi never imagined someone could blush in front of a face like hers! This boy… was too cute.
Su Yuanyuan had seen everything and was fuming inside. How dare she seduce her own cousin with that ugly face of hers!
"Cousin, don't you know?" she blurted. "She went to the red-light district last night and came back with men's undergarments. Completely immoral!"
Su Yuanyuan hoped to expose Su Yiyi's disgraceful behavior. That kind of woman didn't deserve someone like Jiang Yunting!
Unexpectedly, Jiang Yunting's expression darkened and he spoke firmly, "That's impossible. Third Cousin would never do such a thing!"
Su Yiyi turned her head in surprise. The young man seemed to notice her gaze, and quickly looked away, as if still shy from earlier.
"Young Miss, let's go, please don't embarrass yourself further," the maid behind her whispered. Su Yiyi waved her sleeve gracefully and walked off without another word. Behind her, Jiang Yunting watched anxiously, completely ignoring Su Yuanyuan, who was blushing furiously.
Night fell. From the Siguo courtyard came the sound of dripping water.
"Is anyone there?! We have no food or water!" a girl's desperate voice cried out in the cold, quiet house. But no one answered. What kind of bias is this? she thought bitterly. Is the prime minister trying to starve me to death in secret? Should I just roll up my pants and run?
Click, click.
A noise came from above, and moonlight streamed in through the roof. Su Yiyi looked up and saw a handsome face peering down.
Jiang Yunting pressed a finger to his lips, signaling silence, and gently removed a few tiles before jumping down softly.
He had imagined Su Yiyi might be afraid, locked alone in the dark. But seeing her eyes light up at the sight of him, he relaxed. From his sleeves, he pulled out a paper bundle. A delicious aroma wafted through the air.
Food! Su Yiyi's eyes sparkled. He brought her a whole roast chicken!
In the corner of the room, the hungry girl munched away gleefully. Jiang Yunting sat beside her, looking troubled. "The Prime Minister's wife didn't even send food to you. That's too much."
"Clearly not my real mother," Su Yiyi replied between bites. The chicken was plump but not greasy — even a picky foodie like her had to give twelve thumbs up.
"Cousin… slow down…" Under the moonlight, Jiang Yunting noticed oil at the corner of her mouth. Without thinking, he reached out and gently wiped it with his sleeve.
The image of hugging her earlier flashed in his mind. He suddenly realized — they were alone. In the same room. Together.
His whole body tensed. The dim room hid the flush on his cheeks, and he stole another glance at the woman eating like it was her last meal.
Everyone said she was ugly, but to Jiang Yunting, she was sweet, sincere, and refreshingly genuine.
"Do you… want some?" Su Yiyi offered him a chicken leg without a second thought.
Jiang Yunting, thinking he'd been caught staring, immediately shook his head, eyes wide. "N-No…"
"..." Su Yiyi watched his flustered expression, and a glimmer of amusement flashed in her eyes. Wait a second… does this boy like me?
But she quickly dismissed the idea. Could someone really fall for me just because of my unrivaled charm?
Hehe…
After finishing the entire chicken, Su Yiyi stretched lazily, looking very satisfied. The boy beside her, however, seemed completely dazed.
She caught him staring and smirked, "Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you hated me."
"Hate?" Jiang Yunting's eyes widened. "How could I hate you?"
His face turned pink as he added softly, "You once saved my life… I know you're not the kind of person they say you are. You're just not good with words, that's all."
He knows me that well? Su Yiyi's eyes narrowed slightly, and she put on a sad expression. "I was kidnapped… got hurt… now I barely remember anything. I don't even know why my mother hates me so much…"
Jiang Yunting immediately reached out and grabbed her shoulders nervously. "You were hurt? Where? Why didn't the Prime Minister send for a doctor?!"
"...Internal injury. It's an internal injury. Hehe."
Jiang Yunting, sweet and naive as ever, didn't question her and instead began to explain her situation in detail.
Liu wasn't her real mother. Su Yiyi's birth mother, the Prime Minister's second concubine, was a famously beautiful woman. She died during childbirth, before even getting to hold her daughter. Su Yiyi, weak and sickly since birth, had not inherited her mother's beauty and was mocked for her looks.
Because of this, she had become more sensible. But recently, rumors in the capital painted her as a lovesick fool.
So the third daughter of Xiangfu really has had it tough, Su Yiyi thought, rubbing her still-swollen cheek. Dystocia? No, I bet it's poison running through this body!
Jiang Yunting noticed her troubled expression and reached for her wrist. "Everyone says you're ugly… but to me, you're the most beautiful woman in the world. So, so—"
"Ah! I just remembered! I think I have an appointment with the Prince!"
Su Yiyi immediately cut him off. Jiang Yunting's face fell, but he snorted, "That prince doesn't care about you. The Prime Minister's doing will only ruin your life. Something's definitely not right."
"Not right?" Su Yiyi recalled the man she met at the brothel. The more she thought about it, the more her gut told her something was off.
"Actually…" Jiang Yunting murmured, "you once told me… that you admired Prince Xiao. But somehow, you were promised to the Crown Prince instead…"
Everyone said the Crown Prince was talented and handsome, but Jiang Yunting didn't think so. The man had humiliated him publicly and had no class!
Prince Xiao, on the other hand, had won countless battles and was calm and collected. Naturally, many women admired him. But Jiang Yunting had never seen him pay any attention to Su Yiyi.
So the one I admired was Prince Xiao? Su Yiyi's expression froze. Wait — isn't he the guy I bumped into at the brothel?!
Ahem… He was indeed hotter than the Crown Prince. But… was Su Yiyi that shallow?
Showing up in a place like that… his character can't be that great…!