Upon learning of Changqing’s purpose, A'rao hurried into Chufang (Kitchen), and soon emerged with a cup of clear, cool tea.
She placed it on a tray, beside a plate of exquisitely made pastries.
Changqing looked at the thoughtfully prepared items and nodded to A'rao.
After Changqing left, A'rao sat under the tree, continuing to sort and dry chrysanthemums.
She had already made over twenty sachets, which was enough, so she hadn't visited the flower garden these past few days.
As for the mosquito-repellent sachet she had promised to Da Fu, A'rao hadn't given it to him yet, because now was not the most suitable time to give a sachet.
Only at the right time could this sachet exert its maximum effect.
A'rao never made a losing deal.
“Steward Shen, what do you think is the background of A'rao, who suddenly came down from Study? I thought she was abandoned by the Prince, but how come in a blink of an eye, Changqing, the Prince’s favored bodyguard, came to look for her again?”
The man called Steward Shen was a middle-aged man with a somewhat simple and honest appearance, but in reality, how many people who could become a steward in a Prince’s manor were truly simple-minded?
A thin man followed beside him, and both were currently staring at A'rao’s back.
Steward Shen observed A'rao carefully for a few moments, then chuckled, “Who knows? However, since A'rao has come to Chufang (Kitchen), and she was familiar with the master’s habits before, it’s natural to look for her when in Chufang (Kitchen).”
The thin man, Lin Er, chuckled upon hearing this, “Steward Shen still observes things so carefully.”
Steward Shen didn’t take Lin Er’s flattery to heart.
He looked at the youthful A'rao with a hint of infatuation in his eyes, a trace of lust flashing across his face.
An unopened bud of a girl was the most fun to play with.
He eyed A'rao’s graceful figure; if she were in bed…
Steward Shen couldn’t help but rub his hands.
He would first observe the situation; if this A'rao truly couldn't leave, then he could make his move.
In Study, the Prince of Jin looked at the familiar pastries, his eyes pausing slightly.
He picked up the teacup and took a sip; it was still the familiar taste, which made him feel that much of the irritation on his body had dissipated.
The favorability fluctuated up and down, finally stopping at 30.
But A Rao was not complacent.
According to the system, the favorability could drop at any time; until it reached 80, everything was unknown.
At night, the Prince of Jin tossed and turned in bed.
The room was lit with mosquito repellent incense sent by Gu Shui Rou, its scent not strong, but somewhat pungent.
The Prince of Jin felt no drowsiness, only a slight itchiness on his body.
Listening to the buzzing sound in his ears, he closed his eyes again.
After an unknown amount of time, a faint fragrance suddenly filled the room, and the buzzing mosquitoes instantly decreased by more than half.
Without the harassment of mosquitoes, the man on the bed gradually fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, the Prince of Jin dressed and, before heading to court, instructed Changqing to light some of the mosquito repellent incense in Study.
“This mosquito repellent incense works well.
The Princess has been thoughtful.
Order someone to buy all the latest jewelry from the Treasure Pavilion and send them to the Main Courtyard.”
Changqing nodded, “Your subordinate obeys.”
When Gu Shui Rou learned that the Prince of Jin praised the mosquito repellent incense she chose as effective, she was momentarily stunned.
That incense was one she had casually pointed to; she didn't even know how long it had been stored in the storeroom, much less whether it truly had mosquito-repelling properties.
Could it be that her random choice happened to align with the Prince of Jin’s wishes?
Gu Shui Rou lifted her chin slightly, waving her sleeve with a pampered arrogance, “It’s just a small matter.
Ru Yan, go get some more incense and give it to Changqing.”
Ru Yan nodded quickly, her face beaming with joy as she handed the items to him.
After Changqing left, she massaged Gu Shui Rou’s legs, her eyes full of delight as she said, “Our master truly cares for the Prince.
If the Prince knows that our master sent over quite a lot more incense, he will surely be overjoyed.”
Gu Shui Rou glanced at her, “It’s just some trivial matters.”
Although she said this, she was quite pleased with the Prince of Jin’s attentiveness towards her.
Gu Shui Rou picked out a few new styles of pearl hairpins and held them up to her head, comparing them.
“Put all these things away in the storeroom.
I’ll wear them when I attend the banquet in a few days.”
“Master is so intelligent!”
The Prince of Jin went straight to the Main Courtyard after court.
Seeing Gu Shui Rou rise to bow to him, he immediately stepped forward and held her hands, saying gently, “There’s no need for such formalities between us.”
In the past, Gu Shui Rou would always retort whatever the Prince of Jin said, but today, what the Prince of Jin said happened to align with her wishes, so she simply hummed and sat down on her own accord.
Ru Yan quickly brought tea.
Being in the Main Courtyard, the Prince of Jin naturally had to give Gu Shui Rou face.
Therefore, even though Ru Yan served hot tea, he hesitated for a moment but still picked it up and took a sip, though his heart was somewhat longing for the taste of cool tea.
Setting down the teacup, the Prince of Jin looked at Gu Shui Rou with eyes full of tenderness, “Do you like the jewelry sent today?”
Gu Shui Rou nodded, “It’s acceptable.”
Items from the Treasure Pavilion were hard to come by, and the new jewelry released daily caused many noble ladies and young misses in the capital to scramble to buy them.
If it were before, Gu Shui Rou would have been overjoyed to get even one piece, but now that she was a Princess, precious jewelry filled an entire room and still couldn't be fully displayed, so she naturally didn't value these good things as much.
However, whether she liked them or not, wearing them out to attract others’ attention was still possible.
“The incense you sent to Front Yard was very effective.
I slept very well last night.”
Gu Shui Rou curled her lips upon hearing this, “That incense was specially brought by me from Jiangnan; how could it not be good?”
“You are thoughtful.
Today I entered the palace and saw Mother Consort.
Her birthday is in a month and a half, and then you and I will enter the palace together to celebrate Mother Consort’s birthday.”
Gu Shui Rou got a headache hearing De Consort’s name.
She disliked De Consort the most.
Not giving her a good look during the wedding was one thing, but she also frequently ordered people to take her pulse and send her medicine, hoping she would give birth to the eldest legitimate son as soon as possible.
Whether or not to give birth was Gu Shui Rou’s freedom, and even if De Consort was her current Mother Consort, she would never yield.
Moreover, she was not willing to marry the Prince of Jin in the first place, and if De Consort forced her, then she would not let the Prince of Jin off easily either!
“I understand.”
Seeing Gu Shui Rou's cold attitude, the Prince of Jin couldn't help but recall his Mother Consort's constant admonitions about an heir in the palace, and he felt a headache coming on.
“This Prince will stay in the Main Courtyard tonight.”
Gu Shui Rou wanted to refuse as soon as she heard it, but just as she was about to open her mouth, she remembered that the two of them had just had an argument, and declining now might be inappropriate.
Although Gu Shui Rou did not like the Prince of Jin, she was also skilled in the tricks of the inner courtyard.
Why was the Prince of Jin so infatuated with her?
Was it not the result of Gu Shui Rou’s interactions with him?
Initially, she hesitated when she gave the Prince of Jin a cold shoulder, but seeing that the Prince of Jin’s doting on her did not diminish, and he even grew fonder of her, Gu Shui Rou knew she had taken the right path.
As a result, after three years of coldness, she had become accustomed to treating the Prince of Jin as her follower, speaking coldly to him, and never giving him a good look.
Anyway, no matter what she did, the Prince of Jin would not blame her.
“If the Prince wishes to stay, then stay.”
Anyway, she wouldn't let the Prince of Jin get into bed.
She still remembered the horror of their wedding night; the Prince of Jin’s stamina was truly alarming, and the strength with which he held her hand was like a branding iron.
That night was extremely painful, so much so that she was terrified whenever she heard of marital relations.