Goodness! I was already trying my best not to dwell on my age!
“What else can you do?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. His words caught me off guard. What else could I do? I hesitated, pointing a finger at my head. “Swordsmanship… I know a little. But I’m not fast, and I don’t have much strength. But I do enjoy sparring.”
“What else can you do?” he repeated, his gaze as sharp as ever.
“Well,” I said, grasping at straws, “I can cook. Stir-fry, roast, steam, boil, braise, grill…”
“Good,” Zijing interrupted, nodding as he stood up. “From now on, you’re responsible for all my meals. You can do as you please with everything else, but don’t neglect my food.”
“Master!” I cried out, realizing he had twisted my words. “I didn’t mean—! I just wanted to…”
Zijing ignored my protests and waved dismissively. “That’s enough,” he said loudly. Then, calling out as he walked away, he added, “Master, are you going to eat lunch later?”
I watched him leave, feeling utterly helpless. He didn’t even look back.
“Just mind your own business,” he said, ending the conversation.
In truth, the slight movement of his lips couldn’t even be considered a smile, but it was the first time I had ever seen such a relaxed and calm expression on Zijing’s face. I was momentarily stunned, as if caught in his rare display of tranquility.
I had prepared a simple lunch: a plate of freshly steamed fish. Before bringing it upstairs, I noticed the young girl from before sneaking around again. “Miss, you shouldn’t stay here,” I said softly. “You know the consequences of being followed, don’t you? If they catch you again, even I won’t be able to save you! Those men seem quite persistent…”
“Ah!” The sound of a door opening interrupted us, and the young lady hurriedly ducked behind a column, clutching her belongings. It seemed she had overheard every word.
Zijing stepped out and glanced at me. His sharp gaze swept over the food in my hands before he said with a hint of disapproval, “What’s taking so long? Waiting for the fish to steam itself again?”
“Ah… sorry,” I stammered, quickly heading upstairs to his room.
He immediately closed the door behind me, taking the plate of fish and placing it on the table.
I could hear the young girl’s whispering voice outside. Although she kept her tone low, her words reached me: “Master, that man is from the Long family. They’ve already informed their elders…”
“What does it have to do with me?” Zijing’s voice interrupted, calm and unbothered. He looked directly at me, seemingly unaffected by the world outside, and said with an almost teasing tone, “You? Do you really think you can stay here for three months? If you don’t stay in this inn, the elders will surely give you a hard time.”
“I… I can stay,” I responded, feeling uneasy under his questioning.
“Don’t burden yourself,” Zijing said dismissively, his tone indifferent. “You can’t rely on others.”
I froze for a moment, suddenly struck by the weight of his words. Turning back to look at him, I realized that his seemingly casual remark carried an unexpected depth that made my heart tremble.
He didn’t stop me. “See? You talk so much but actually know how to act with poise! I admire people like that!” I eagerly scooped some fish soup into Zijing’s bowl and added, “Master, the fish soup is light, the meat is tender, the broth is refreshing, and the flavor is mild. Please try it.”
Zijing paused for a moment but didn’t say anything. He simply picked up his chopsticks and started eating. Seeing him take a bite of the fish, I felt oddly proud, as if I were back in the old days, watching over my younger sisters.
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