Chapter 21 (part 2)

Jin Wang nodded and glanced over her face and then looked at the little princess.

Seeing this, side consort Hu deliberately handed the little princess over and softly said to Jin Wang: “The little princess is very happy today. Perhaps she also knew that her father is coming.”

The little princess is indeed really happy. She slept in the afternoon. After waking up, with so many people accompanying her to play she is still extremely excited. Since her small body is still a little soft, she needs the help of an adult to get up. Side consort Hu hung her up in the air causing her to lose support. Side consort Hu’s movement was too abrupt, propelling the little princess’ upper body to suddenly fall to the side.

Everyone was startled.

They were not afraid of the little princess falling but that the action would hurt her waist.

Yaoniang, standing next to side consort Hu, reacted the fastest. She subconsciously stepped forward and supported the little princess from the side.

Side consort Hu got scared and her face turned pale.

She didn’t expect this to happen. Lacking the experience of taking care of a child and eager to please Jin Wang, she forgot to support the little princess’ body.

Jin Wang’s face immediately stiffened.

Fortunately, the little princess didn’t cry. Such small Baby doesn’t understand yet what it means to be afraid. She thought that the adult was playing with her. Holding Yaoniang’s hand, she made a lovely sound.

Such a lovely little princess naturally pleased Jin Wang. Side consort Hu was relieved. She knew that she was not good at this. She took advantage of the situation and pushed the little princess into Yaoniang’s arms and followed Jin Wang into the house.

After entering the room, side consort Hu first accommodated Jin Wang to sit on the Arhat Bed and then sat opposite him.

The rest all withdrew but Yaoniang could only stay in the room because of the little princess.

Yaoniang is on pins and needles. She feels very weird at this moment.

The man who she served in her previous life is sitting opposite her former enemy, while she is holding their child.

Inexplicably, Yaoniang felt very uncomfortable in her heart.

However, she did not have time to think about anything because Side consort Hu started talking to Jin Wang regarding the little princess. As the person holding the little princess, she has to be attentive.

For example, when side consort Hu said that the little princess is getting fat recently, she has to show the chubby princess to Jin Wang; when side consort Hu said the little princess is now naughty, she has to talk of some naughty things the little princess did.

Probably, due to how deeply affected she was by what transpired in the past life, her expression was extremely reluctant. Meanwhile, the little princess likely got tired and is no longer willing to cooperate. She turned her head and rubbed her face on Yaoniang’s chest more than once.

The act of the little princess made Yaoniang extremely embarrassed. Since everyone’s attention was focused on the little princess, they naturally stared at that place.

Even Jin Wang glanced at her.

Yaoniang blushed rapidly. She could not wait to bury her face in the arms of the little princess in order to deceive herself that this is not a big deal.

For all these things, the little baby girl knew nothing.

Because she couldn’t have breast milk, the little princess was distressed. She struggled in Yaoniang’s arms, rubbing her face on her chest and even crying softly.

Yaoniang’s high-strung nerves, coupled with the suggestive action of the little princess and her crying caused some reaction on Yaoniang. It was just a few moments before all the cloth on her chest were soaked.

All of this seems slow when described but it actually happened instantly.

Yaoniang naturally felt the abnormality of her body. Her mind had gone blank and she was embarrassed. However, she also knew that she couldn’t continue this way any longer, so she hugged the little princess close to block her chest. She muttered, “The little princess seems to be hungry.” Meanwhile, she dare not even look up.

Side consort Hu’s attention has always been on Jin Wang so she did not notice something was going on in Yaoniang’s side. Upon hearing this, she said, “Since she’s hungry, take her out now.”

As if she received amnesty, she held the little princess in her arms and went out immediately.

After she entered the inner room, she could still feel a gaze on her back.

Yaoniang remembered something in her previous life.

Because of this, she was still thinking wildly when she fed the little princess.

Looking at the baby who is sucking happily in her arms, somehow this little baby’s face turned into an adult’s face.

She pondered a lot…

…on a lot of things from her previous life.

Yaoniang felt a special sense of shame. Even if she had been actively climbing the bed to serve Jin Wang in the past, after all, she was born from a respectable family. Even if the experience from her previous life changed her, knew that a woman’s body is actually a tool and also understood the joy between the bed sheets, she did not expect that the harmful influence of her previous life was so deep. Recalling these messy thoughts, she could even …

Yaoniang covered her face with one hand and felt like she was about to burn. Fortunately, there is no one in the room; otherwise she would be so ashamed that she would find an opening to seal.

The little princess has fallen asleep. Yaoniang stood up lightly to put her in a stroller before she sat down on the soft bed next to the window.

It is very quiet in the room, even the whole Liuchun Pavilion is silent.

Yaoniang is familiar with this kind of silence because every time Jin Wang went to the small lateral courtyard in the previous life, it was also this quiet.

What are Jin Wang and side consort Hu doing now?

They’re probably having dinner. After dinner, they naturally have to rest.

Would Jin Wang sleep with side consort Hu? Could side consort Hu bear his passion?

After all–

Yaoniang suddenly felt that she shouldn’t think like this anymore. Leave the past in the past. Since she didn’t plan to go the same route, she shouldn’t think about these dilemmas. What she needs to do is to survive and then go home in two years.

She would stay with Xiaobao and raise him as an adult. Maybe she could open a small grocery store. The shop’s income should be enough for her to support their sustenance… She would send Xiaobao to study. As long as the child wants to study, she would support him. Perhaps one day he could be an official and she can enjoy a happy life relying on her son and daughter-in-law.

After thinking about it, Yaoniang calmed down immediately. Those charming and gentle things are like a small stone that dropped in the lake, it stirred up a ripple and then disappeared.

Yaoniang felt her wet chest but she had no change of clothes. She couldn’t help but regret that she did not bring any clothes when she came over. She was so muddled that she even forgot to put a piece of handkerchief on her chest when she fed the little princess.

She found a piece of handkerchief and wiped the chest area of her clothes. It didn’t help at all. In addition, it’s a little stuffy in the room. Yaoniang opened the window.

The night is charming despite no wind blowing.

The lights in the courtyard are still so bright, the courtyard itself is silent. Although there are no servants, a lot of guards are standing still in the courtyard.

Yaoniang is familiar with these people in uniform. They are the personal guards beside Jin Wang.

She just glanced at them a few times.

She thought the night might be long.

Meanwhile, dinner has been served in the East room.

There are many delicious food but only two people are sitting at the table.

Side consort Hu did not let others serve the meals. She personally served Jin Wang instead.

Although Jin Wang put on a cold face, he did not refuse the food served by Side consort Hu. She became even more attentive. She actively took dishes and poured wine for Jin Wang.

Jin Wang drank two glasses of wine. Seeing that the atmosphere was not bad, Side consort Hu finally dared to boost her courage. She said with some grievances and pout, “Wangye, please don’t blame me. I was stupid that day…”

It can be said that side consort Hu is very good at pleasing people.

Especially a man.

Maybe she is talented or she experienced it. She knew what a woman should do in order to win the love and affection of a man.

She planned well and did a good job. From holding the little princess, to how she dressed and acted, she carefully arranged all things. Unfortunately, she misjudged Jin Wang’s nature.

It was only when Jin Wang saw more of this that he realized how deliberate Side consort Hu’s actions were and for what purpose.

Actually, Jin Wang didn’t care about the purpose but obviously the events of that day influenced him too much. Heaven knows that the reason why he could sit here is more like a kind of self-abuse restraint.

This restraint Jin Wang had since he was a child. He grew up in a cannibalistic palace without any protection from his family. Although he is a prince, he is not qualified to be willful. In order to stand out from all the other princes and to create more opportunities for himself, he must suppress his nature and exercise restraint for a long time. This restraint had become almost his instinct.

Jin Wang did not speak, he held a wine bottle in his hand but did not drink.

Side consort Hu bit her lower lip and sobbed to beg him: “Please think about our daughter, the little princess is so cute…”

Yes, the little princess.

This is why Jin Wang came here tonight.

Everything that Jin Wang did was not for the woman in front of him but for the little princess, his only bloodline.

He could give side consort Hu the fame, his favour and everything that she could rely on to stand up to consort Jin as an equal. Unfortunately, she is more and more disappointing. Maybe he never had hope for her.

Jin Wang looked at side consort Hu.

The woman in front of him who applied light make-up is completely different from the previous side consort Hu. Jin Wang is a person of good memory. The more beautiful and refined side consort Hu is today, the more profound Jin Wang’s memory about how rude and ignorant she is.

Seriously speaking, it had been extremely rare that Jin Wang would tolerate her for more than a year. He never had a disposition where he will waste his energy on irrelevant people.

“Since you understand all this, you should remain in your proper place.” Jin Wang said quietly.

Side consort Hu’s face paled in an instant. Remain in her proper place? What did he mean?

Jin Wang put down the wine cup and stood up, “Remember your station. As for what you should and shouldn’t do, I won’t say it again.”

Then Jin Wang left. Side consort Hu wanted to chase after him but was stopped by Fucheng.

“Side consort, please stay.”

Side consort Hu bit her lower lip tightly and first glared at Fucheng before she looked at the disappearing back of Jin Wang.

Fucheng didn’t care about her. Knowing she had dispelled the idea of chasing after Wangye, he went to the West room. After a while, Yaoniang who is holding the little princess followed him out.

Side consort Hu’s face grew paler but thinking about what Jin Wang just said, she didn’t do anything embarrassing.

It doesn’t matter. As long as Wangye is willing to forgive her, she would always find a chance.

A slow breeze in the night came and revealed a sense of coolness.

The moon hung high in the night sky with a silver glow.

It is very quiet in the courtyard and several guards are standing in the darkness like statues without moving.

Jin Wang walked in front. Yaoniang followed behind while Fucheng walked beside her.

Yaoniang hugged the little princess tightly and looked at the back of the man not far away. Jin Wang’s shadow was stretched so long that he even blocked the light in front of her. She was perplexed and since it’s a little dark, she stumbled.

Why did he come out? Is he going to the small lateral courtyard? Why didn’t he stay? Why was it said that Jin Wang stayed at the Liuchun Pavilion but he kept appearing in the small lateral courtyard?

There was too much bewilderment in Yaoniang’s heart. She found that she did not know the man in front of her even though they had shared the same bed in the previous life and had done the most intimate thing.

She probably never knew him.

Yaoniang just lowered her head and continued walking but she forgot to look ahead and bumped into Jin Wang’s body. Fortunately, Jin Wang quickly responded and immediately turned around to hold her. Otherwise, no one knows what would happen to her. Especially since Yaoniang was also holding the little princess.

Yaoniang was startled. Fortunately, the little princess is sound asleep. Protected in her arms, the little princess was fine. She is still sleeping sweetly.

The opposite eyes were cold like ice. Yaoniang has not been glared by Jin Wang this way before.

She always saw his indifferent countenance. She often had no time to notice what he usually looked like. Usually after waking up, the room will be quiet except for his usual incense, there were nothing else.

In addition to having sex, they don’t talk much.

“It was this servant’s fault…” Yaoniang said apologetically.

Jin Wang looked down at her.

Her eyes are very dark, which make people feel uncertain, as if she would cry at any time. Her small red mouth trembled, making her seem scared. When Jin Wang looked down, he naturally saw how damp Yaoniang’s chest is. Yaoniang’s clothes were not dry but still stuck to her body, obviously revealing the white towering roundness.

Jin Wang didn’t know why he suddenly remembered that the little princess had rubbed her face on that chest. At the same time, a tender scent mixed with a slight milky aroma drifted into his nose. Immediately, the familiar heat rose in the air.

Jin Wang couldn’t help but frown and look up at the sky.

The moon is bright and stars are few. It is only the latter half of April.

Jin Wang lowered his head to glance at Yaoniang’s face again. Then he turned his head and walked forward without saying anything.

Fucheng whispered to Yaoniang next to him: “Wet nurse Su, watch your steps.”

Yaoniang nodded.

They entered the small lateral courtyard through an obscure corner door, which led to the side of the west chamber.

Their return did not wake anyone up. There were no light in the small building. Fucheng first went to the west chamber to call people. Yuyan and Yucui greeted them shortly afterwards. Both of their hairs are messy, apparently they have just gotten up.

They didn’t say anything. They advanced into the small building and lit a candle.

Jin Wang went up to the second floor, and Fucheng followed behind.

Yaoniang suddenly could not understand Jin Wang.

Inexplicably, she had the impression that perhaps side consort Hu’s so-called favors from Jin Wang are all fabricated. All of those deliberately created by Jin Wang.

But why did Jin Wang do this?

No one could answer her.

The little princess is fatter than before and she smiles a lot instead of being sickly and dispirited.

Mammy Mu said that Yaoniang made great contribution, therefore she is respected by people in the small lateral courtyard and even wet nurse Qian and Wang have to show her respect.

It’s true that Yaoniang has always been gentle. She couldn’t bully people and didn’t take the opportunity to go against wet nurse Qian and Wang. But she also didn’t talk to them much either.

After that, wet nurse Qian and Wang also knew that Yaoniang has a good temper, unlike some people who will be proud as soon as they have some achievements. No matter what they think in their mind, on the surface they treat Yaoniang well.

Life became smoother in the lateral courtyard for Yaoniang. However, there were frequent incidents happening to Cuizhu in the Liuchun Pavilion.

In fact, it is not a big deal. Most of them are small things, but if it is related to the master it is no longer a trivial matter.

For example, Cuizhu accidentally hurt side consort Hu while combing her hair. Of course, side consort Hu would punish her but she just let her stand outside. A stumble may prevent a fall.

The “outside” doesn’t refer to the corridor or the shade, but under the sun. She would have her stand still for one or two hours. Although it’s not too hot in the early summer, the sunshine is very strong. Standing outside for an hour or two is enough to stun a person and make her feel distressed but not take her life.

What’s more, when Cuizhu brought a cup of tea to side consort Hu, if the water was too hot or too cold, there is only dissatisfaction. Generally, Side consort Hu would scold her directly to her face.

Could you say side consort Hu is wrong? After all, she is the master and you are just a servant. When the master wants to pick on servants, they can always find various reasons.

Cuizhu is like a drowned mouse. The people in Liuchun Pavilion and the small lateral courtyard all knew what happened to her.

No one helped Cuizhu, instead everyone said she deserved it.

It is clear why people said so.

Yaoniang finally understood why she has been troubled by side consort Hu in her previous life no one was willing to help her.

She asked for it. No one sympathized with Cuizhu; naturally, no one would pity her.

The only difference is that Cuizhu’s purpose may be impure because her situation was consort Jin’s arrangement. Even if she claims she knew nothing that time, nobody would believe her.

So, who made you stupid? You deserve it all!

Even Yaoniang herself who had suffered the same situation in her previous life did not sympathize with Cuizhu at all. It is strange and weird.

Jin Wang was not in the mansion these days. It was said that something happened in his Estate and Jin Wang took someone to deal with it.

It’s extremely quiet and peaceful in the mansion during this time. And side consort Hu didn’t torment Cuizhu too much. Everyone got along well.

In a blink of an eye, it’s already the Dragon Boat Festival. People in the mansion started to sweep the dust, spray pesticides and placed aromatic plants on the doors and windows. Maidservants who are good with needles and threads made sachets. Those who doen’t know how bought a few colored silk threads and wore them on their wrists.

Of course, it is necessary to eat rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival and they have to prepare in advance for thousands of people in the mansion. It’s impossible to complete it in one day.

This kind of rice dumplings refers to those prepared in a large cauldron. The dumplings are also done separately for the small lateral courtyard.

Because of its special status, people in the mansion paid more attention in the preparation. The food supplies in the small kitchen are adequate. There are five to six kinds of rice dumplings including sweet, salty, red dates, pork, shrimp, and egg yolk.

Others in the small lateral courtyard are busy making rice dumplings, while Yaoniang is busy embroidering sachets.

Yaoniang is good at needlework. The five poisonous creatures on the sachet are all vivid and the pattern of the five-color silk knitted on it is also beautiful. She was going to embroider one for Mammy Mu as a present and another one for the little princess for her duty. Everyone thought that she embroiders well and wanted her to make sachets for them.

She couldn’t reject. After all, people in the lateral courtyard respects and treated her well. So she made five or six sachets, as well as colorful bracelets, silk buns and other things.

Yuyan finally told everyone to stop asking Yaoniang to make things for them.

In fact, making these things didn’t take much effort. She could make them during leisure time. It took five days for Yaoniang to finish these things. In addition, she made one for herself. In fact, there’s two. After the things were done, Yaoniang remembered that she is no longer the concubine of Jin Wang.

In the previous life, she also made a sachet embroidered with the five poisonous creatures for Jin Wang. Jin Wang didn’t say anything but hung it around his waist. This was an incredible reaction from Jin Wang who was inherently introverted and indifferent, so Yaoniang always remembered and had always wanted to make another one for him.

Unfortunately, she died in March.

Yaoniang looked at the extra sachet. After thinking about it, she didn’t put it away but tied both of them around her waist.

These butterfly-shaped sachets are not big but very delicate. So even if she wears two on her waist, people will think it’s proper and suitable.

Yaoniang thought that since she made one more she shouldn’t waste it. She’ll wait for the following days when she can send something back home; she will ask someone to take it back for Xiaobao as a toy.