Chapitre 17: Master, Everything I Do is For You
Éditeur: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jin Mi turned to glance at Ji Yuxian.
As expected, Ji Yuxian looked at the lady who had just entered, an amused glint flashing in his eyes.
"This is my wife's niece," Shopkeeper Wu explained with a smile, glancing at the lady meaningfully. "She has always admired you, Eldest Young Master. She heard that I would be meeting you today and followed me here!"
Ji Yuxian smirked.
"Come here," he said nonchalantly.
"Yes, sir." The lady nodded as she stepped over to the table gracefully. Kneeling down, she leaned on Ji Yuxian slightly as she lifted her head and said shyly, "Hui'er has admired the Young Master for a long time, and I wish to serve you. Please grant my wish!"
Ji Yuxian gripped her by the chin, his fingers trailing over her porcelain-smooth face, close enough to smell her perfume. "Even your fragrance is the same... you do resemble her!"
His glance was somewhat lost, his exquisite features as delicate as the flowers in spring. The beautiful lady's features paled in comparison.
The lady lifted her face as she pursed her lips. Looking at the man's handsome face she could not help but murmur, "Young Master…"
Ji Yuxian's smile slowly faded.
"However," he began coldly, "you are not worthy."
He retracted his hand and no longer looked at the lady. Closing his eyes, he ordered, "I'm tired, Jin Mi, send the guests off!"
"Yes, sir!" Jin Mi said with a smile. "Shopkeeper Wu, Miss Hui'er, if you please!"
The lady's face had gone ashen as if she had not recovered from the man's gentle demeanor turning cold. The warmth from his fingertips still lingered on her face as her heart pounded. But she had already been rejected!
She got up hastily as she glanced at Ji Yuxian. Her expression was sorrowful, as she hoped this would get his attention. However, the man's eyes glinted with that same coldness, his face as flawless as jade, and did not allow anyone to infringe upon his solitude.
Panic bloomed in her heart as she turned to leave in a rush.
"I shall not disturb Young Master any further then," she said. "Farewell!"
Behind her, Shopkeeper Wu was embarrassed, and he bowed and retreated hastily after his niece.
He had heard that Ji Yuxian liked Lan Zhihui, the Mistress of Robes Square. However, Lan Zhihui had another in her heart and had rejected Ji Yuxian multiple times. Thus, he had found someone who resembled Lan Zhihui, to curry favor with Ji Yuxian.
He even spent silver taels to find out more about Lan Zhihui's dressing preferences, to let Hui'er imitate her.
Even if they didn't resemble each other completely, Hui'er was also a beauty and Ji Yuxian who was known for loving beauties ought to have accepted her. Who would have thought that the Young Master would have given her an outright refusal?
This man's thoughts are hard to read indeed, he thought.
----
After the two left, Jin Mi harrumphed in disdain.
If my Young Master was willing to accept any lady who looked like Lan Zhihui, the Ji Manor would have been full long ago.
Ji Yuxian picked up the handkerchief embroidered with lotus patterns, wiped his fingers that had just caressed the woman's cheek, then threw it aside. He stood up and walked out slowly.
Downstairs, Shopkeeper Yuan followed him and whispered, "Young Master, Miss Su has left!"
"Mm," Ji Yuxian replied vaguely.
"Young Master…" Shopkeeper Yuan hesitated before continuing, "Miss Su said… she said…"
Thinking of what the Vice Shopkeeper had told him what Miss Su said, he suddenly couldn't say it.
Ji Yuxian, who had not been very interested, became curious upon seeing Shopkeeper Yuan's stuttering. "What did Miss Su say?"
Shopkeeper Yuan coughed lightly. "Miss Su said to thank you for your treat today, if you need it in the future, she would be willing to brave all dangers for you!"
Ji Yuxian paused and thought of the meek lady in the room he met earlier. His eyebrows raised as he asked, "Did she say this herself?"
"Yes!"
Ji Yuxian smirked amusedly as he walked out of the restaurant.
----
After having dinner, Su Jiu, Qiao An and the gang were chatting as Nanny brewed tea and placed it on the table.
"What happened today is really worthy of our reflection," Qiao An said. "This is not Yuhu Mountain, it is Shengjing City, and we can no longer act like we used to!"
Sitting in a chair, sharpening his broadsword, Ah Shu huffed. "So we can't go out?"
"It's not that we can't go out, but we have to be careful," Qiao An said. "Our Chief is acting as Miss Su now. We are attendants and have to act in accordance with our new identity!"
Hu Dapao gnawed at a chicken leg in his mouth and did not speak, while Chang Huan was happy to concentrate on chewing his melon seeds.
Su Jiu sat cross-legged on the chair, as she supported her forehead, frowning as if thinking of something.
Nanny sat beside Su Jiu and whispered, "That servant girl laughed at us for not having a servant girl. Since this is a suspicious point, we should go out and hire a servant girl tomorrow!"
Qiao An shook his head. "No, someone we hired would be unreliable. What if she knows about us and leaks the news? We will be in deep trouble!"
"What should we do then?" Nanny glanced at Su Jiu.
A young lady has only one nanny by her side, but travelling about with four big men was not appropriate. Even if she travelled a long way and needed to be escorted, there should also be a servant girl with her.
Chang Huan handed over the peeled melon seeds, a sweet smile on his handsome face, "I peeled it nicely!"
Su Jiu took one and chewed on it. Looking at Chang Huan's face, she lifted his chin up and appraised his face from his eyes to his nose, and to his mouth. She grinned.
"Isn't this my servant girl?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned.
Chang Huan fell backwards, sat on the ground with his arms in front of his chest and looked at Su Jiu warily. "Chief, what… what do you mean?"
"Chief, you want to let Chang Huan dress up as the servant girl?" Qiao An asked.
Pu! Hu Dapao spat out the chicken in his mouth.
Ah Shu smirked as he nodded. "I think it would work!"
"I don't wanna!" Chang Huan crawled back in horror. "I don't want to dress up like a woman!"
Su Jiu's expression turned cold. "I dressed up as a woman, why can't you?"
"That's… that's because you are a woman in the first place!" Chang Huan mumbled.
Qiao An appraised Chang Huan too, as he nodded, "Out of all of us, only Chang Huan looks delicate enough, apart from Chief. Nanny, what do you think?"
Qiao An turned to look at Nanny.
At first, Nanny thought Su Jiu was joking. When Qiao An really asked her, she appraised Chang Huan and covered her mouth with a giggle. "It's not impossible. I will dress Master Huan into woman's clothes, and put on some makeup. He's just a little too tall!"
Su Jiu was already considered tall. Chang Huan was a head taller than Su Jiu and to act as a servant girl his stature was truly more than a little too tall.
"No, no way!" Chang Huan turned his head around.
"Why can't you?" Su Jiu jumped out of her chair and grabbed Chang Huan by the ear. "Didn't we say we would bear the burden of humiliation? If I can bear it, why can't you?"
"Chang Huan, you dare disobey Chief?" Ah Shu knocked the chair with his sword.
"If we get the money in the future, I'll give you my share!" Hu Dapao added.
"I don't want money. I just want to follow Chief!" Chang Huan huffed.
"If you dress up as a servant girl, you can follow Chief every day," Qiao An pointed out. "After entering Ji Manor, you can personally protect Chief."
Chang Huan thought about it until he finally made a decision, but still, his face was still full of grievances. He looked at Su Jiu pitifully, "Master, everything I do is for you!"
Su Jiu patted his head. "Good boy, I will remember this!"
Her grin at the rest of the gang said, Let's do it!
Nanny measured the size of the clothes roughly with her hand and went out to buy clothes with Su Jiu before it was dark.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone