The next day.
Biyu had been waiting for Yuanbao to bring the pastries. However, after waiting for a long time and still not seeing him, she couldn't help but wonder, "Why haven't the pastries been brought today? Could it be that Yuanbao is being lazy again?"
Cuihuan, however, had a hunch. She looked at Fu Zhen and said, "Miss..."
Fu Zhen was reading a book. Hearing this, she looked up at the two maids and smiled faintly. "I suppose I offended him yesterday, so there won't be any pastries."
"Come on, don't look so glum. Isn't it just as well that he doesn't send them? I've noticed that your faces have gotten a bit rounder these days."
Biyu carefully observed Fu Zhen's expression. "Aren't you angry, Miss?"
"Why would I be angry?" Fu Zhen looked a bit puzzled. "It's not the first time he's done such a senseless thing. Just ignore it."
Biyu bit her lip, hesitating to speak. She glanced at Fu Zhen and then at Cuihuan, and finally lowered her head without saying a word.
After lunch, when she had served Fu Zhen to take a noon break, she anxiously pulled Cuihuan back to their own room.
Cuihuan wondered, "What's wrong with you? Is there something you can't say outside?"
Biyu hesitated for a long time. Her expression was conflicted, looking a bit panicked and self - reproachful. Since the incident with Hemiao, she rarely made mistakes, and Cuihuan hadn't seen such an expression on her face for a long time.
Cuihuan's expression tightened. She grabbed Biyu's wrist and asked in a low voice, "Tell me quickly. Have you done something wrong again?"
She truly regarded Biyu as her own sister. When something went wrong, she was even more anxious than Biyu herself. "Hurry up and tell me!"
Biyu finally seemed to make up her mind. She led Cuihuan to the bedside and pulled open the drawer.
Inside, there lay a brightly - shining silver hairpin with exquisite craftsmanship. The peach petals on it trembled slightly due to the movement just now, looking extremely lifelike.
"This is the hairpin the Second Prince gave to the miss." Biyu only said this, but Cuihuan immediately widened her eyes in shock. Her deliberately lowered voice couldn't hide the shock in her words. "You've kept this hairpin for yourself? Are you crazy?!"
Cuihuan held onto Biyu tightly. Her eyes were like knives as she stared at Biyu fiercely. "Don't tell me you have improper feelings for the Second Prince!"
Biyu immediately said anxiously, "I don't have such feelings!"
Seeing Cuihuan looking at her suspiciously, Biyu was so anxious that she stamped her feet. She raised her hand and was about to swear, "If I have such improper feelings, may I never have a good end in this life!"
Cuihuan quickly covered her mouth. Her eyebrows were full of anxiety and pain. "Spit, spit, spit! Who told you to swear such a poisonous oath? Are you trying to kill yourself! Quick, spit, spit, spit. These are just childish words. May all the gods not take them seriously!"
"Spit, spit, spit," seeing Cuihuan so anxious, Biyu felt more at ease. She relaxed and showed a faint smile on her face. She pulled Cuihuan coquettishly. "Sister Cuihuan, don't be angry. Just listen to me finish."
Then, she told the whole story of meeting the Second Prince that night. "The miss trusts you and me. She has never hidden her feelings from us. But the more so, the more afraid I am.
"He's the Second Prince! We may be ignorant, but we've grown up in the Marquis's Mansion. Our horizons are different from others'. The heir has played with the Second Prince since childhood. Forgive me for saying something disrespectful, but the Second Prince is the most likely to inherit the throne. The more so, the more worried I am about the miss. The miss is kind - hearted. Even when Hemiao mocked her, she just drove her out of the mansion; even when Miss Chen Huanyun tried to harm her several times, she never thought of harming anyone's life. With such a gentle nature, how can she survive in the palace? Don't you think so too?"
Cuihuan was silent for a while. She naturally knew that the Second Miss's feelings were rather bold. But for now, she and the Second Prince had no improper relationship. Everything was just an innocent affection that had not crossed the line. As long as the Second Miss didn't act like Chen Huanyun, what could she say?
Moreover, although the Second Miss was kind - hearted, she was not the kind of person who would return good for evil. She was gentle but not weak. She would surely avenge any wrong done to her and was very intelligent. Although she might suffer a bit at first if she entered the palace, she might not be unable to gain a foothold.
"The miss has suffered a lot before. We've all seen it. When she first entered the mansion, she was restless day and night and often had nightmares. She finally recovered, but then she was heart - broken because of the heir's attitude," Cuihuan sighed. "But after she developed feelings for the Second Prince, she has been eager to improve herself. She either learns to write or study calligraphy and painting. Now, whenever she goes out, everyone praises her as a worthy noble lady of the Marquis's Mansion."
"Moreover, the Second Prince is not indifferent to the miss. Isn't this hairpin enough to show his feelings?"
If someone said that Xie Yan had no feelings for Fu Zhen, she would never believe it.
Take what happened in the pavilion yesterday for example. As soon as Fu Zhen started to speak, Xie Yan's eyes were always fixed on her. There was no hint of frivolity in his eyes, only respect and admiration.
In matters between men and women, respect is the most important thing, even more important than whether there are feelings or not.
Just based on this, she thought that Fu Zhen's feelings might come true one day.
"Biyu, now that the days are peaceful, have you forgotten the lessons from before?" Cuihuan frowned at her seriously. "As a maid, the most important thing is to serve your master well and follow your master's wishes. Now that you've hidden this hairpin, on the one hand, you may think you're doing it for the master's good, but on the other hand, it's an overstep! If the madam found out, do you still want to stay in the Marquis's Mansion?"
Biyu was silent. How could she not have thought of this? These days, she always tossed and turned at night. This hairpin was like a huge stone, pressing firmly on her heart and making it hard for her to breathe.
But the example of Chen Huanyun really scared her.
Once this hairpin got into Fu Zhen's hands, it would be solid evidence of an improper gift! The miss was already living under someone else's roof and was not in the heir's good graces. If this incident were exposed and the other party was the Second Prince, a member of the royal family, it would be as easy as crushing an ant to get rid of her. How could she feel at ease?
Cuihuan saw that Biyu was stubbornly silent and knew that she still didn't understand. She couldn't help but sigh deeply. "We each have our own opinions, and both make some sense. I can't convince you. How about we go and explain it clearly in front of the Second Miss? Whether she beats or punishes us, I'll be with you."
Biyu's tears immediately fell. "Who wants you to be with me? I'll take responsibility for my own actions. Even if the miss wants to drive me out of the mansion, I'll accept it!"
Saying this, she turned around, picked up the hairpin, held it tightly in her palm, and quickly walked towards Fu Zhen's room past Cuihuan.
Cuihuan couldn't stop her in time and quickly chased after her. "Are you crazy! The Second Miss is still sleeping. If you want to act crazy, you have to wait until she wakes up!"
But Biyu quickly reached the door. Before she could catch her breath, she bit her lip and listened to the sounds inside.
The noise they made during the chase was quite loud, and the little maids in the yard all looked over.
Cuihuan chased them away with a cold face. Then she grabbed Biyu's hand and wanted to take her away first, but suddenly heard Fu Zhen's voice from inside. "I'm awake. Come in and tell me what's going on."
Biyu's hand immediately trembled.