Caiyu knew she would have to face Jiang Jinyue sooner or later, but she didn't expect the third miss of the Jiang family to come so quickly.
On the second day Caiyu entered the Prince Yan's mansion, Jiang Jinyue appeared in the Pavilion of Lily's Voice.
In front of the cousin, Caiyu knelt on one knee. Jiang Jinyue looked at her with a smile.
Her eyes sized Caiyu up and down. Then she looked at Zhui'er and said,
"Aunt said cousin had hidden a beauty in his pavilion. I didn't believe it. Now that I see you, I know aunt was telling the truth."
She walked around Caiyu slowly. It seemed she really liked Caiyu, "You are so charming and beautiful! You are unrivaled!"
Caiyu's knees were starting to ache. But she didn't hear Jiang Jinyue tell her to get up.
Zhui'er worked with Jiang Jinyue in perfect harmony, "This servant has seen third miss. You are so talented, elegant, and of noble character. Just this aura is beyond us servants."
Zhui'er's words were a hint for Caiyu to know her place. Don't be so arrogant just because she had a beautiful face.
Caiyu twitched at the corner of her mouth.
The moment these mistress and servant came here, they wanted to give her a warning. It was clear they were jealous of her beautiful face!
Jiang Jinyue feigned anger at Zhui'er, "Nonsense! If you talk nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Zhui'er quickly apologized, "This servant knows her mistakes. Please forgive this servant, third miss."
This went on for a while. Caiyu had already kneeled for a while.
Jiang Jinyue waited for a while. She was surprised Caiyu hadn't fallen.
She didn't know Caiyu had grown up in a military family. She knew some martial arts. When she was bored, she would compete with her older brother in standing on one leg. That was much longer than this.
Helpless, Jiang Jinyue had to tell her to get up. She supported Caiyu's hands and said,
"Look at me. I was attracted by your beautiful face. I stared for so long I forgot to tell you to get up."
Jiang Jinyue's hand was as white as snow. It was even softer than her own!
Where did this look like a servant!
This was clearly a mistress cousin had hidden in the pavilion!
A trace of jealousy flashed past Jiang Jinyue's eyes.
Caiyu got up following Jiang Jinyue's force. She said slowly,
"Thank you cousin for your praise. This servant is useless. Only this face can catch the prince's eye. That's why the prince has brought this servant to the Pavilion of Lily's Voice. When he is bored, he can use this servant to amuse himself. I have this advantage over others."
Jiang Jinyue's face stiffened.
She felt Caiyu was mocking her beautiful face wasn't as good as hers. She didn't catch Song Yinghuai's attention?
Fortunately, she was used to acting. Although she was jealous, her face was calm:
"I came here to take a walk. Aunt allows me to walk around in the mansion at will. But the Prince Yan's mansion is too big. I don't know how I walked here."
She showed off Consort Yao's love for her.
The ability to walk around in the mansion at will represented she was at least half a mistress.
Caiyu followed her and listened to her brag. From time to time, she would respond:
"The Prince Yan's mansion is indeed very big. The Pavilion of Lily's Voice is deep in the mansion. It must have been hard for cousin to walk so far from the Fragrant Night Hall to come here. You must be tired. The prince isn't here. This servant will go and make you a pot of tea. Please rest, cousin!"
She led Jiang Jinyue into the pavilion in the back garden to sit down. Then she left to prepare some snacks.
After Jiang Jinyue sat down, Zhui'er angrily said,
"Third miss, did you hear how that fox slut mocked us? She mocked us for coming to the Pavilion of Lily's Voice on purpose!"
"I heard!" Jiang Jinyue said hatefully, "Don't need you to remind me!"
"Then after seeing this bitch, should we go back?"
Jiang Jinyue held the handkerchief in her hand. She frowned. Her words were full of hatred, "Go back? I haven't seen cousin yet! Wait. I want to see what she looks like in front of cousin!"
Caiyu found some sophora flavescens tea in the kitchen and made a pot. She thought for a while and said to Xiangye,
"Let's change. You carry the tea, I carry the snacks."
Xiangye was stunned. She didn't understand. But she still quickly changed.
Jiang Jinyue watched Caiyu carry a tray. Xiangye carried the teapot and tea cup over. Her expression was strange.
She watched Caiyu's hands were so delicate. She was very unhappy. She wanted to take this opportunity to overturn the tea cup and burn her hands...
Caiyu didn't miss the hatred in her eyes. She showed a proper smile:
"Cousin, the prince is used to eating vegetarian food. He doesn't like these things. There isn't any food in the Pavilion of Lily's Voice. Please forgive me and eat some casually."
Xiangye poured a cup of tea and passed it to Jiang Jinyue.
Jiang Jinyue unwillingly took it. She took a big mouthful. The next second -
"Puff!"
A mouthful of tea sprayed out from Jiang Jinyue's mouth. Her face was twisted. She didn't have the elegance of a girl from a noble family. She shouted,
"Bitter, so bitter..."
Zhui'er quickly took a sweet-scented osmanthus cake and gave it to Jiang Jinyue. Then she angrily said to Caiyu,
"What tea did you make for our miss? You did it on purpose, right?"
Caiyu: "I'm wronged. This servant made sophora flavescens tea. Although this tea is bitter, it is effective for those who are impatient and angry. This servant saw cousin walked from the front courtyard for so long. You must be very hot. That's why I specifically made sophora flavescens tea for you to reduce the heat..."
"Nonsense!" Zhui'er angrily scolded, "There isn't any precious tea in the Prince Yan's mansion. But you made a pot of worthless sophora flavescens tea for our miss. You clearly look down on our miss. In your eyes, our miss's status is low, right? You are a lowly servant!"
Jiang Jinyue coughed on purpose. She tried to make things bigger.
But she didn't expect the news she received didn't match the facts.
The other servants in the Pavilion of Lily's Voice weren't touched by her act of selling her misery. No one stepped on Caiyu like she expected.
Jiang Jinyue:...
Didn't Bailu and Granny Li say Caiyu had made enemies everywhere in the Pavilion of Lily's Voice? She was alone and helpless?
"What you said is wrong, miss Zhui'er." Caiyu's eyes suddenly turned cold. She had a certain aura, "This sophora flavescens tea is one of the prince's favorite drinks. Miss Zhui'er said I made sophora flavescens tea to receive cousin. That means I look down on cousin. Does that mean I look down on the prince?"
"I -" Zhui'er's eyes were flustered. How did she know this tea was also drunk by Song Yinghuai?
Caiyu was pressing on, "Does that mean miss Zhui'er feels the prince's status is also low?"
"I didn't!" Zhui'er was completely flustered. She quickly knelt down and cried to Jiang Jinyue, "Miss, this servant didn't mean that. This servant saw you were so bitter you wanted to cry. I was heartache..."
Jiang Jinyue quickly pinched her throat and said softly, "I know you are loyal. But next time, you can't talk nonsense. Otherwise, someone with a heart will pass it to cousin's ears. Cousin will inevitably feel we aren't sensible..."
She looked at Caiyu. Just now, this was a hint for Caiyu. Don't pass Zhui'er's words to Song Yinghuai's ears. If Song Yinghuai had any dissatisfaction with her mistress and servant, she would decide it was Caiyu who did it.
After all, she was Consort Yao's cousin niece. She was half a mistress. As long as Consort Yao supported her, it was very easy for her to deal with a servant.
Caiyu knew this clearly. But she was neither overbearing nor humble, "Please rest assured, cousin. This servant stopped Zhui'er from talking nonsense. It was to seal the matter between us. I won't let Zhui'er have the opportunity to go out and continue talking nonsense."
"That's good." Jiang Jinyue showed a relieved smile, "You are indeed an understanding maid. No wonder cousin likes you."
Caiyu carefully maintained a distance from Song Yinghuai, "Please be careful with your words, cousin. How can the prince like a servant? Entering the Pavilion of Lily's Voice is just this servant's luck. Whether it is to help with the internal and external affairs of the pavilion or to please the master with my appearance, it is this servant's duty."
The moment she finished, she heard someone say, "The prince is back!"