Granny Yu took out a sealed letter from her sleeve and handed it over, saying, "Burn it right after you've read it."
Caoyu didn't care about the pain in her hands and tore open the letter with trembling fingers.
When the familiar and somewhat childish handwriting on the paper came into view one by one, her excited heart finally calmed down.
Granny Yu was worried that someone might come in, so she kept urging Caoyu to hurry up.
Caoyu looked at the handwriting on the letter reluctantly, rubbing the paper over and over again. Finally, she gritted her teeth, turned around, and stuffed the envelope and the letter into the stove.
A cluster of flames sprang up in the furnace and then gradually died out, just like her empty mood.
Caoyu forced back the tears in her eyes and said to Granny Yu, "The Prince of Yan is very deep - minded. He has tested me several times. I hope Granny can put in a good word for me in front of our master. Give me some time, and I will surely make him let go of his doubts and accept me."
Granny Yu said, "I've heard about what happened to you after you entered the Lotus Sound Pavilion, Miss Caoyu. The stronger the wood, the easier it is to break. You've made too many enemies in the Lotus Sound Pavilion. You need to readjust your strategy. Use more conciliatory measures and avoid conflicts with others. Winning people's hearts and making them work for you is the best policy!"
"Moreover, the Prince of Yan is a man of firm will and extremely vigilant. Mere beauty may not be able to subdue him. You need to take your time. First make him fall for you, and then everything will come naturally. You can make him willingly kneel at your feet..."
After Granny Yu left, Caoyu was still pondering over her advice.
Win people's hearts?
While Caoyu was deep in thought in the kitchen, Song Yinghuai returned to his bedroom in black clothes.
His clothes still carried the fresh smell of dew and soil.
When passing by the side hall, he paused for a moment, his eyes fixed on a far - off place inside the hall, and then he frowned slightly.
Where had that girl gone?
As his chief maid, she should have been waiting for her master in the hall, but instead, she had disappeared without a trace.
Song Yinghuai changed his clothes by himself. After sitting down, he poured himself a cup of cold tea and sipped it slowly.
The tea in Song Yinghuai's hand seemed to get colder and colder, almost freezing.
After drinking a small pot of ginger soup with Chinese prickly ash and red dates, Caoyu finally felt a bit more comfortable and slowly walked back to the side hall.
Her side hall was in front of the bedroom, so she didn't notice that Song Yinghuai had already returned. Moreover, she was still thinking about Granny Yu's advice all the way. When she reached the round arch of the side hall and was face - to - face with Song Yinghuai sitting at the table in the distance, she didn't react.
When the familiar figure finally appeared in front of him, Song Yinghuai stared at her coldly.
The next second, a look of surprise flashed across Song Yinghuai's face.
She didn't even see him?
A surge of anger welled up in Song Yinghuai's belly. He slammed the cold tea in his hand on the table with a loud "bang".
The noise startled Caoyu. She then raised her eyes and was shocked to find Song Yinghuai sitting opposite her across the round arch.
"My Lord!" Caoyu blurted out. "Why are you back?"
Song Yinghuai tightened his jaw. "How dare you! This is my bedroom. I can come back whenever I want!"
Only then did Caoyu realize that she had said the wrong thing. She quickly walked through the arch into the bedroom and knelt down in front of Song Yinghuai. "This maid has made a mistake."
Song Yinghuai snorted. "Where have you been?"
Caoyu didn't know how to answer Song Yinghuai. It was inappropriate for a girl to tell her male master about her menstruation, right?
"This maid just went to the kitchen to make herself some hot tea." Caoyu answered carefully.
Anyway, she was on her period, and seduction was useless. So she lost the interest in being ingratiating with him.
Moreover, after Song Yinghuai's outburst last night, she didn't dare to act coquettishly as boldly as before.
After all, her whole body ached. If she offended him again at this time and was punished once more, not to mention seducing him, she might even lose her life.
Noticing Caoyu's unfamiliar distance, Song Yinghuai felt a strange sense of uneasiness and irritation in his heart, which made his face even gloomier.
"You let your master drink cold tea while you, a maid, go to drink hot tea. It seems you haven't learned your lesson yesterday."
Caoyu inwardly groaned. She thought this master was like a powder keg today.
He usually seemed so easy - going. Why had his temper become so bad recently?
It was as if the Buddha he was supposed to be cultivating had turned into a Thunderbolt Bodhisattva recently.
Caoyu carefully raised her head and flattered him, "This maid has never done maid's work before... I've served you poorly. I'll go and make some hot tea for you right away."
Song Yinghuai snorted.
Seeing that he didn't object, Caoyu quickly got up, picked up the tea tray, and rushed off to make hot tea.
A little later, Caoyu brought up a pot of hot tea.
Song Yinghuai stretched out his hand, naturally expecting to take the teacup, but Caoyu rushed back again, leaving his hand hanging in the air.
Song Yinghuai was stunned for a while, and then saw her bring up a basin of hot water.
Because her hands were injured, Song Yinghuai saw that she was struggling to carry the wooden basin by clamping it with the insides of her wrists.
Song Yinghuai's expression softened a bit, and his mood inexplicably calmed down.
He poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly, watching Caoyu stretch out two fingers to carefully fish out the handkerchief from the boiling hot water.
Her fingers were white and tender. After being heated by the water, they were tinged with a rosy glow, just like the tips of spring bamboo shoots dyed with the red of azaleas, extremely beautiful.
Suddenly, Song Yinghuai felt his throat tighten. It was these ten fingers that had once gently lingered on his back and softly pressed against his chest.
It was like the willow branches gently brushing against his heart, extremely gentle, causing a tingling sensation.
Caoyu was now struggling with the hot water. Her hands hurt, and all her energy was focused on wringing out the handkerchief. She didn't notice that the man's gaze on her was gradually darkening.
When the temperature of the handkerchief was just right, she wrung it out, unfolded it, and held it in front of Song Yinghuai.
"My Lord, wipe your face first."
The haze in Song Yinghuai's eyes dissipated. He put down the teacup, took the handkerchief, wiped his face, and asked casually,
"It's afternoon. Why are you serving me to wash my face?"
Caoyu lowered her eyes. "There's a thin layer of dust in your bedroom, and there's a look of tiredness in your eyes. I guess you went out last night and didn't sleep all night... This maid thought that a hot - water face wash could refresh you."
Song Yinghuai suddenly tightened his grip on the handkerchief in his hand. His gaze was cold and menacing. "You observe very carefully!"
A deadly killing intent suddenly appeared in his eyes.
Caoyu quickly knelt down. "My Lord, please rest assured. This maid is your maid. No matter where you go or what you do, this maid will keep it a secret and never tell anyone else!"
The killing intent in Song Yinghuai's eyes didn't diminish. "Only the dead can keep a secret."
"My Lord can treat this maid as dead." Caoyu replied calmly.
Song Yinghuai stared at her for a while. Finally, the killing intent in his eyes gradually faded. He threw the handkerchief back into the basin. "Go down. Don't be smart in the future."
Caoyu always felt that his words had a double meaning, but she couldn't figure out whether he was referring to her deliberately showing off her cleverness just now to gain his trust or her deliberate seduction of him a few days ago.
She answered vaguely and left with the basin.
After that, she busily served Song Yinghuai for the afternoon tea.
A table was filled with lotus flower pastries, tuckahoe cakes, yellow pea cakes, dragon's whisker candies, and jujube flower cakes.
This popular afternoon tea in Daye could be found in every household, but the pastries and tea prepared by the poor were not as delicate as those of the aristocratic families.
Caoyu brewed a pot of dark tea, slowly skimmed off the foam, and handed it to Song Yinghuai.
"The first bowl moistens the throat; the second dispels loneliness. The third searches the empty intestines; the fourth makes one break out in a light sweat. The fifth refreshes the muscles and bones; the sixth connects one with the immortals; the seventh cannot be drunk.
"All the grievances in life are dissipated through the pores. My Lord, please enjoy your tea slowly."