“Young Master, you are awake. How are you feeling?”
Beneath the bandages, Chen Jiayu’s face was flushed. He dared not look at Zhao Jingwan, his speech faltering.
“I’m… much better, thank you, Miss, for saving me. This jade pendant is something I’ve carried since childhood. You can use it to ask me for a wish in the future, no matter what it is, I will fulfill it.”
“You’re a strange person. I don’t even know who you are. How am I supposed to find you in the future? You won’t try to renege on your promise, will you?”
Watching her lively and agile movements, she was the most unrestrained woman Chen Jiayu had ever seen in his life.
Her way of speaking was not like ordinary women, so formal. She was truly interesting, worthy of being his future wife.
“Remember, my surname is Zhu, my name is Chen Jia, and I am your future husband. Miss Zhao the Second, wait for me to marry you.”
Zhao Jingwan’s heart pounded like a wild deer, her cheeks flushed. She shyly lowered her head.
“Who says I’m going to be your wife? How shameless.”
“I’ve seen every inch of you. Besides, we’ve already kissed. If you don’t marry me, who will you marry?”
Chen Jiayu suddenly moved closer to Zhao Jingwan, his voice magnetic and a little hoarse, making Zhao Jingwan’s ears turn red.
“Shy little rabbit, you must wait for me, or I’ll be sad.”
“Mm, I’ll wait for you.”
Chen Jiayu disappeared from Zhao Jingwan’s room. As soon as he left, Zhao Jingwan felt a void in her heart.
As her father, Jun Jiuli naturally would not allow these lovers to be separated. She also believed in helping lovers achieve their unions.
Chen Jiayu discovered he couldn’t leave. The guards in Zhao Jingwan’s courtyard were extremely strict.
He waited for a long time but found no opportunity, and his heart was inevitably filled with anxiety. He was almost discovered, forcing him to retreat back into Zhao Jingwan’s room.
Zhao Jingwan’s face was full of surprise. Did he miss her so much that he had to come back to say goodbye so soon? This was too embarrassing!
“Wanwan, what’s going on? Why does it feel like all the guards in your General’s mansion have gathered around here?”
Zhao Jingwan was dumbfounded, her smile freezing on her face. So, she had been flattering herself; he hadn’t been able to leave.
“I don’t know. I’ll ask Qiu He later.”
“Alright.”
Qiu He arrived on time to deliver the meal. Zhao Jingwan hid Chen Jiayu under the bed. As Qiu He put down the bowls and chopsticks to leave, Zhao Jingwan quickly grabbed her and pressed a purse into her hand.
“Qiu He, why are there so many people outside?”
“This servant doesn’t know. It’s all the General’s orders. Miss, please don’t make things difficult for this servant.”
“Ungrateful wretch, have you forgotten who saved you from a terrible situation? If it weren’t for me, you would have been taken by those ruffians. Can’t you help me find out something now?”
Qiu He thought to herself, where were those ruffians? They were clearly a bald official. Although following him was a bit shabby, at least she was a concubine and lived a good life.
Now she was just an ordinary maid, low in status, subject to bullying. She came here because of the reputation of the General’s mansion, thinking that if she couldn’t attract the young master, the old General wouldn’t be bad either.
She didn’t even get to meet the General’s son, and the General himself was an unromantic blockhead.
Her master was also unpromising. She lived unhappily every day, resenting Zhao Jingwan’s interference back then.
She had only pretended to resist initially, wanting the official to pay more attention to her. With better choices available, it was natural to feign being forced.
She hadn’t expected to overdo it and now had a servant’s status. Running away was difficult, and turning her life around was even harder.
“This servant will never forget Miss’s life-saving kindness. How could this servant dare to accept Miss’s money? This servant will go and inquire right away.”
While her mind was filled with complaints, her outward appearance was flawless.
Zhao Jingwan felt relieved hearing this and, as expected, retracted the purse back into her sleeve.
Qiu He complained inwardly about the stingy girl a million times and swayed her slender waist as she left.
After she left, Chen Jiayu crawled out from under the bed.
“Wanwan, what exactly is going on? Are you under house arrest? Is this how the General’s mansion treats you?”
As he spoke, he affectionately pulled Zhao Jingwan into his arms, resting his chin on her head.
Zhao Jingwan, who had been influenced by romance novels, fell for this act. Her heart was filled with emotion, and tears streamed down her face.
“Brother Jia, it’s so good to have met you.”
Chen Jiayu separated from her slightly and playfully flicked her nose. He carefully wiped away her tears and said with concern:
“Silly girl, don’t cry. I will make them pay for treating you so harshly. Jia Gege will treat you well from now on.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Chen Jiayu’s stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment, and both of them blushed with embarrassment.
The breakfast today consisted of only a small bowl of plain noodles with two pieces of green vegetables. It wasn’t enough for two people to share, and both looked pale from hunger.
Finally, the lunch arrived, but it was only a dry bun. Chen Jiayu’s face was so grim it looked like ink was about to drip. Although he was a hostage, he wasn’t so poor that he couldn’t afford food. Zhao Jingwan was a woman. He couldn’t express himself directly and had to be deferential. He didn’t get a single bite at noon.
Chen Jiayu was so hungry he felt faint and even developed a fever. He wondered if he would be the first prince in history to starve to death.
His great mission was not yet accomplished, and his father had placed his hopes on him. Today, he was going to meet such a tragic end in the General’s mansion of the Chu Kingdom? He was unwilling, so unwilling.
“Brother Jia, your forehead is so hot. What should I do? How can I save you? *Wuwuwu*~”
“Don’t cry, I’ll be fine.”
Zhao Jingwan cried even louder.
The veins on Chen Jiayu’s forehead throbbed. He now felt that this woman was incorrigibly stupid. Did she want to attract people from outside?
“I told you to stop crying.”
Zhao Jingwan stared at him blankly.
“You’re yelling at me? How dare you yell at me.”
She clenched her small fists and began to hit Chen Jiayu without any regard for the consequences.
“I’ve never been yelled at by my parents in my life. What right do you have to yell at me? If I hadn’t saved you, you would have been captured by that old scoundrel Zhao Junqian long ago.”
“You ungrateful thing, do you think I’m some feudal woman? I won’t die or live for a man. Since you dare to yell at me, I can’t have you anymore. Hmph, I’m angry.”
She said this, crossed her arms, and turned her head away, waiting for Chen Jiayu to appease her. Men were indeed cheap. She couldn’t lower herself; girls should be coaxed and doted upon.
She didn’t care about the traditional virtues of obedience and the superiority of men. She had to make this man surnamed Zhu realize his mistake, otherwise, what kind of family status would she have in the future?