Mingyi's words matched what Shu Zhonglin had said about her background—doing rough work in the countryside would indeed leave calluses on one's hands. Yet, Ji Bozhai couldn't shake the feeling that her actions of waiting for him in the study weren't entirely reasonable.
Though suspicions arose in his heart, he remained composed, gently coaxing the beauty before him. He kissed away her tears one by one and spoke softly, "I'll be quite busy these next couple of days. If you need anything, just tell Granny Xun."
Mingyi's nose was red as she sniffled and asked in a muffled voice, "Won't you come back at night either?"
"Of course I will. How could I not?" He chuckled lowly. "Yi'er is quite formidable."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she let out a soft hum before yawning drowsily, as though exhausted from crying.
He had always been indulgent with beauties, unbothered by formalities. Seeing her like this, he said, "Rest a while longer. When lunch is ready, I'll have the granny bring it to your bedside."
"Okay." She finally managed a teary smile.
Ruffling her hair, Ji Bozhai stood and left the room.
As the heir of Star Yearn City, Gong Wang both feared and relied on him. Sending that wine attendant over was also a test of his attitude. At the moment, Ji Bozhai had no intention of making enemies, so naturally, he accepted the gift.
He just hadn't expected the one at home to be such a little jealous thing.
Well, the novelty hadn't worn off yet—he could indulge her for a couple more days.
"Master," Buxiu followed closely beside him and whispered, "The Adjudicator took some men to the old Meng Family residence."
Ji Bozhai frowned. "Why?"
"Word is that Young Master Yan made quite a scene. The Adjudicator had no choice but to search the old Meng residence for clues."
The Meng Family was once the foremost noble house in Star Yearn City. Their eldest daughter, Meng Xian'an, held the esteemed position of Empress and even bore the heir. They should have enjoyed prosperity for generations. Yet, someone accused Meng Xian'an of adultery, claiming she had defiled the inner court. Enraged, Da Si ordered the Empress's execution and exiled the entire Meng Family.
The old residence, with its emerald-green tiles and vermilion eaves, was far too luxurious. To this day, no one had been granted the privilege of living there, leaving it abandoned.
What could they possibly find by searching it now?
He scoffed dismissively. "Report to me if there are any developments."
"Yes."
As he turned the corridor, he glanced once more toward the courtyard where Mingyi resided.
"When you have time, have someone look into that girl."
After a pause, he added, "Find a few with gentle hands."
If she truly didn’t know martial arts, getting hurt would only lead to more tears—and he’d have to comfort her again.
Buxiu gave his master a slightly surprised look but held his tongue, merely nodding in acknowledgment.
Outside, the sky was overcast, and without any lamps lit, the room was equally dim.
Granny Xun pushed the door open, assuming Mingyi was still asleep. But when she gently lifted the bed curtains, she found the girl sitting there with reddened eyes, looking utterly dejected.
"Granny," Mingyi pouted at the sight of her, tears welling up again.
Granny Xun quickly waved her hands. "Don’t cry at me—I’m no good with words."
Sniffling, Mingyi swallowed half her tears. "Is it time for lunch?"
"The master sent me to ask what you’d like to eat today." Seeing her pitiful state, Granny Xun couldn’t help softening her tone. "The kitchen can make anything you want."
"I don’t have an appetite." She hung her head. "The master doesn’t care about me at all."
How utterly normal. The courtyard housed more women than the granny had grains of rice in her lifetime. She’d long since accepted that this one wouldn’t stay for long either.However, although this little girl was talkative and loved to put on airs, she wasn’t bad at heart. Over time, her appearance grew rather endearing, so Granny Xun couldn’t bring herself to speak harshly and only said, "If the lord didn’t care for you, he wouldn’t have brought you back."
"But he brings others back too, and acts so intimately with them," Mingyi clutched her chest, sniffling. "It hurts so much to watch."
Just two days ago, she had seemed carefree and unbothered. Who would have thought she’d fall into the throes of love so quickly?
Granny Xun sighed and picked up a comb to smooth her long hair. "A young lady must always live for herself. Don’t take it too hard, miss. Eat something—don’t starve yourself."
"Waaah, I’m so sad… Is the chef from the Flying Blossom Cuisine or the Facing Sun Cuisine?"
Granny Xun choked back a laugh. "Though those two cuisines are famous, we’re in Star Yearn City, so naturally, the chef specializes in Star Yearning Cuisine."
The people of Star Yearn City preferred lighter flavors, and Mingyi looked a bit dispirited. "Then I’ll force myself to eat a little."
Granny Xun acknowledged and was about to leave when Mingyi tugged at her sleeve. "Do you have black sugar and preserved plums? For an appetizer."
"We do."
Mingyi nodded, wiping her nose. "And some Single Basket Golden Cream Crisp."
"The Shrimp Sizzle in Star Yearning Cuisine is quite good."
"Mandarin fish without bones, deer tendon stewed soft and sticky, and a bowl of Sweet Snow Noodles."
Granny Xun: ?
You call this "forcing yourself to eat a little"?
She couldn’t help but laugh. "Miss, are you still upset?"
"Of course I am! So, Granny, will you eat with me?" Mingyi blinked at her with teary eyes, pouting. "The lord never keeps me company."
Granny Xun wanted to refuse. There was no such custom in the manor, and since Mingyi wouldn’t be staying long, she didn’t want to grow attached. But the girl was so petite and adorable, and the dishes she ordered happened to be Granny Xun’s favorites.
Fine. She nodded. "This old servant will be right back."
Mingyi waited obediently. Once the food was served, she ate while asking, "What does the lord usually like to do? Is there anything I can learn to please him?"
Granny Xun shook her head. "If he likes you, he’ll be pleased no matter what you do. There’s no need for anything extra."
In other words, once he lost interest, nothing would help.
Mingyi bit the edge of her bowl fretfully. "I learned music, chess, calligraphy, and painting in the inner courtyard, but none of it seems useful."
"The lord is a Fighter, wholly devoted to his training. He only listens to music or watches dances when he has free time."
She nodded, her brows drooping again. "The study is off-limits, right? I won’t go there again."
"The study in this villa isn’t forbidden," Granny Xun said, enjoying the perfectly stewed deer tendon. In her good mood, she added, "If the miss is fortunate enough to enter the main residence in the future, that study must never be approached. Anyone who trespasses will lose their life, no exceptions."
So this place was just his outer residence?
Mingyi’s lips twitched.
The cunning rabbit has three burrows—how true. Such a grand courtyard was merely a villa? How big must his main estate be?
"Oh, the lord instructed me to hand over the storeroom keys to you," Granny Xun added. "From now on, the accounts of this villa will be under your care."
Mingyi had been puzzled earlier. Ji Bozhai was a rising noble with vast wealth—how could he so easily entrust it to a little fox like her? Turns out, it was just the accounts of this villa. So he really was treating her as an unpaid bookkeeper.However, money was something that brought joy just by looking at it, and she didn't mind taking on this task. After all, she had nothing better to do.
After the meal, Mingyi began reviewing the accounts. The old ledgers were piled high, so she could only skim through this year's records first.
Granny Xun lit a lamp for her and was about to sit with her when they heard two strange cuckoo calls from outside.
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