Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 16 Chicken and Fruit Soup

Under her approaching gaze, Xiao Hengzhi remained calm and composed as he replied, "This morning, I took a stroll through the market. There were all sorts of flowers, birds, fruits, and vegetables, and even the fish on the vendors' stalls were freshly caught, splashing around in their bamboo baskets, jumping and tumbling on the ground, splashing water all over my shoes—it was quite lively."

Having said that, he looked at Jiang Mian with a bright and open gaze: "If Miss is curious, why don't you come with me to take a look tomorrow?"

That explanation makes sense.

Jiang Mian withdrew her gaze and waved her hand: "Never mind, I have something to tell you today, come with me."

She stepped aside and walked forward.

The wind blew his hair past his shoulders, leaving a lingering fragrance.

Xiao Hengzhi followed behind Jiang Mian, his gaze lingering on her back, growing ever more intense.

A faint, sweet fragrance lingered around his nose, seeped into his heart, and disturbed his peace of mind.

His mind involuntarily conjured up beautiful images from his past life.

Jiang Mian was pinned down by him, struggling, then gradually giving in, her stubbornness crumbling little by little.

He watched her gradually lose her focus, slowly breaking down her defenses and swallowing her every breath.

Those scenes were etched into his memory like poison.

Every time I think about it, it's an agonizing mix of heat and longing.

He quickened his pace unconsciously, almost touching her shoulder.

Jiang Mian suddenly stopped and turned back to give him a faint look.

That calm and restrained gaze poured cold water on him.

Xiao Hengzhi paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as he instantly regained his composure.

"You just wait here."

After she finished speaking, she went into the kitchen alone.

A moment later, a bowl of something was brought out... I couldn't tell what it looked like, but a strong fishy smell wafted out, mixed with a hint of rotten fruit.

He frowned: "What's wrong, Second Miss?"

Seeing his expression, Jiang Wan pouted and said, "I ate it."

Xiao Hengzhi opened his eyes wide and asked in confusion, "Could this have been fished out of the swill bucket?"

Jiang Mian pursed her lips and remained silent.

Cong Shuang happened to come over and said with a smile, "This is something that the Second Miss worked hard to make today. It's called Foreign Fruit Chicken Soup, but no one dares to try it. Would Young Master Xiao like to give it a try?"

Several servants gathered around, their eyes filled with curiosity.

Xiao Hengzhi picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks. It was coated with some dark red juice, and upon closer inspection, it seemed to have some burnt black bits mixed in.

He hesitated, wondering what Jiang Wan had put inside.

She had never cooked in her previous life, so what made her so interested in cooking for herself now?

But this was her first time cooking, and she would lose face if she didn't eat it...

Xiao Hengzhi slowly opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and then put it in his mouth.

Cong Shuang's eyes lit up: "How is it? What does it taste like?"

Jiang Mian held her breath, her heart racing, waiting for his evaluation.

However, Xiao Hengzhi chewed slowly and remained silent for a moment before finally speaking slowly: "Second Miss, please don't cook anymore."

Her eyes suddenly turned cold, and she looked very frustrated.

Although Cong Shuang covered her mouth and laughed, she also led a group of servants to disperse, so as not to embarrass her young lady.

Seeing her disappointment, Xiao Hengzhi said gently, "Second Miss doesn't often go to the kitchen, so it's normal to be a little unfamiliar with it. If you want to eat something, you can ask the kitchen to make it. Why bother cooking yourself?"

Jiang Wan glanced at him dismissively: "What do you know? This is His Highness the Crown Prince's favorite dish. I used to..."

I'd always wanted to learn how to do it for him, but I never had the chance. Because the palace and Ningzhi were both destroyed by Xiao Hengzhi.

Jiang Mian stopped herself from saying the second half of her sentence, turned and glared at him, feeling inexplicably angry.

He angrily retorted, "It's all your fault!"

Then, carrying the stewing pot, he turned and walked towards the kitchen.

Xiao Hengzhi stood there, stunned.

Coming to my senses, I saw her busy in the kitchen again, an apron tied around her waist, carefully cutting the fruit with a knife...

She looked every bit the matriarch of the household, her expression focused, even pious.

She did all this simply for a dish that Ning Zhi liked.

What gives him the right? What gives him the right to get everything from her so effortlessly?

Everything she did for Ning Zhi was something he could only dream of.

Xiao Hengzhi clenched his fists, a sour feeling rising in his heart that seemed to burst from his throat, his jealousy driving him almost insane.

In two days, the Empress will issue an imperial decree to hold a banquet, at which time she will definitely go to see Ning Zhi...

No, he has to find a way.

Jiang Mian was still busy in the kitchen and didn't notice that Xiao Hengzhi had quietly left the mansion again.

After a while, Aunt Wan came over and stood outside the kitchen door.

Slightly displeased, she said, "Second Miss, you certainly have a refined taste, playing with the ingredients here. Your eldest sister knelt in the ancestral hall all night yesterday, and now she can barely stand!"

Jiang Wan's face immediately darkened. She stopped what she was doing and threw the knife onto the chopping board.

Turning her head, she replied, "Is Aunt blaming me? If she hadn't framed the Crown Princess, would she have needed to be punished by kneeling?"

When Aunt Wan saw the knife still in front of her, she felt inexplicably afraid.

Suppressing his impatience, he snorted at her and turned to leave.

Disturbed like this, Jiang Mian lost all interest in processing the remaining fruit.

He picked up the bowl of soup and poured it all into the bucket.

Father's favoritism towards Jiang Li is bound to cause trouble sooner or later. Judging from Aunt Wan's attitude, she probably won't bring Jiang Li to apologize in person.

That's it, the Jiang family is truly doomed without her.

Jiang Wan decided to go herself.

……

The residence of the Marquis of Pingnan.

Li Zhijing sat alone in the tea room, thinking about what Jiang Wan had said yesterday.

He wasn't unreasonable, and he knew that Jiang Wan was doing it for his own good, to prevent people from gossiping about him as a dissolute person.

But he still couldn't get over this hurdle.

Jiang Wan knew perfectly well what he cared about most, yet she still hurt him like that.

They pushed him so far away, showing him no mercy whatsoever.

She was completely different from the Jiang Mian he knew in the past.

He held the teacup, feeling extremely distressed.

Just as he was thinking of going out for a stroll to clear his head, the servant came running up to him excitedly, shouting, "Young Master! Your horse has arrived! It's magnificent!"

A clear, crisp neighing of a horse came from outside the courtyard.

Li Zhijing was overjoyed and stood up to walk out, but then slowly stopped.

It was a few months ago that Jiang Mian said she wanted to learn to ride a horse, so he specially asked someone to find a gentle and fine steed.

With all these upsetting things happening now, I guess there's no need to send it anymore.

The servant, unaware of what had happened, noticed his displeasure and asked, "Why does Your Highness look unhappy?"

Li Zhijing shook his head: "It's alright, go and lead that horse to the stable."

"Oh." The servant scratched his head in confusion and carried out the order.

He stood under the veranda, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the side room.

He hasn't visited Wen Qian since returning home yesterday, and he doesn't know how her injuries are.

He had initially thought she was just like the Wen family—hypocritical and cunning, her vulnerability in front of him merely a tactic. But the fact that she was injured so badly by a mere Jiang Li yesterday showed she was truly easy to bully.

Born into such a complicated family as the Wen family, she was completely unskilled in domestic affairs, no wonder even the servants dared to be rude to her.

"It's truly rare to live to this age so well..." he murmured.

As he was thinking, he had already walked to the door of the side room.

Pushing open the door, it was quiet; the only sound was the rustling of fabric coming from the inner bedroom.

He walked slowly, his feet hitting the chairs and stools with a sound.

"Mo Ping? Come in."

Wen Qian's voice came from inside.

Li Zhijing approached and was about to speak when he saw her behind the screen pull her thin shirt down to her waist, letting it hang loosely on her elbows.

He looked embarrassed, looked away, and was about to turn and leave when he saw Mo Ping come in with the ointment.

"Your Highness? What brings you here?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a thud came from behind the screen, followed by Wen Qian's soft voice: "I didn't know it was the young master! I was rude earlier."

Seeing her cautious demeanor, Li Zhijing frowned and said, "Am I that scary? Why are you so nervous?"

Wen Qian: "......"

Mo Ping knelt down and explained, "Since her return, the Crown Princess has said that she embarrassed the Crown Prince at the Jiang residence, causing him to lose face. She feels guilty, which is why she has become even more cautious..."

Li Zhijing lowered his eyes, saw the ointment in her hand, and then glanced at Wen Qian kneeling inside.

He bent down to pick it up and said to Mo Ping, "You can go now."