On the way back, Xuanyuan Jue couldn't stop smiling. Xuan Shu knew what he was laughing about but didn't say much. He just accompanied him.
Xuan Shu was in a complete mess inside. Shen Li actually agreed to let Xuanyuan Jue come to see her every day? What on earth was going on? Wasn't today the first time they met? He had been busy dealing with matters in the Xuanyuan Pavilion at noon. What had he missed?
Xuan Shu was really exhausted. It seemed that he had to follow this young master of the estate step by step from now on.
On this side, Shen Li and Jiaoyue returned to the prince's mansion. Jiaoyue also couldn't hold back her curiosity and bombarded Shen Li with questions.
"Miss, what's your relationship with the young master of the estate? Why is the young master so close to you? What happened between you and the young master at noon today?"
"Hey hey hey, stop right there!" Seeing Jiaoyue getting more and more out of hand, Shen Li quickly covered her mouth.
After seeing Jiaoyue shut up, Shen Li then explained, "There's nothing between Xuanyuan Jue and me. We just met today. I don't know why the young master... sigh..."
Actually, Shen Li was still worried inside. If Xuanyuan Jue was really killed by someone, her elder brother would also be implicated because of her.
She then thought for a while. If someone really killed the entire Xuanyuan family, they must be trying to eliminate a major political faction in the court. Even if she kept a distance from Xuanyuan Jue and tried to stay out of trouble, the chance of being targeted would still be high.
It had only been a day since she returned to this life. It was worth it to have a friend like Xuanyuan Jue. It had just been such a tiring day.
She had just taken the first step. Now, she had to get enough rest and then fight with Shen Miao properly.
Shen Li leaned against the bathtub, her mind wandering aimlessly.
"Miss? Miss?"
Seeing that Shen Li still didn't come out, Jiaoyue got a bit worried. She walked behind the screen and was immediately shocked.
She didn't know if it was because the hot water prepared by Jiaoyue was at just the right temperature or because Shen Li was really too tired, but she had actually dozed off in the bathtub.
Jiaoyue sighed, shook her head, and whispered, "Miss must be really exhausted today."
"Um... Why did I fall asleep here? Jiaoyue?" Shen Li didn't know when she woke up. Seeing Jiaoyue waiting beside her, she had no idea what had happened.
"I was worried when I saw that miss didn't come out, so I came in to check. Who would have thought that you had fallen asleep. I was afraid of waking you up and also afraid that you would slip into the water, so I just waited here."
Jiaoyue picked up the bath towel and was about to put it on Shen Li.
After Shen Li got dressed, she said with concern, "Next time if you see me asleep, just wake me up. You don't have to wait like this. You could have slept during this time."
Jiaoyue had always taken such meticulous care of her, just like an older sister.
"It's okay. I can wait, Miss."
Jiaoyue helped Shen Li get everything in order, blew out the lamp for her, and then returned to her own room to sleep.
The next day, Shen Li slept until Chenshi. It had been a long time since she had had such a good sleep.
When she woke up, Shen Li rubbed her eyes. Seeing the room she was in clearly, she felt a sense of reality.
She had thought that yesterday was just a dream.
"Phew..." Shen Li let out a breath. Looking at the clothes Jiaoyue had prepared for her on the couch, she put them on.
"Jiaoyue."
Jiaoyue immediately pushed the door open and came in. "Miss."
Everything was just like in the previous life. Jiaoyue would wait outside her room every morning, waiting for her orders.
But some things were different from the previous life. For example, she was no longer the good-for-nothing who could be easily bullied.
Shen Li affectionately pinched Jiaoyue's face. "Come and help me do my hair."
"Yes, Miss!"
In the previous life, because Shen Li was distant from Jiaoyue, she had rarely let her do her hair.
Shen Li was unfamiliar with Jiaoyue's skills, but she never expected that Jiaoyue was so good at doing hair!
"Jiaoyue! You're really amazing!" Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, Shen Li sincerely admired Jiaoyue's skills.
Yesterday's hairstyle and makeup had been done by another maid. It wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't ugly either. Jiaoyue's hairstyle and makeup really suited Shen Li.
"Miss, to be honest, Jiaoyue thinks that you're much prettier than the second young lady!"
Shen Li looked at herself carefully in the bronze mirror but didn't say a word.
Jiaoyue thought that Shen Li was angry and immediately didn't dare to make a sound.
"Jiaoyue." After a while, Shen Li finally spoke.
"What's wrong, Miss?" Jiaoyue quickly replied. Maybe Miss was going to scold her for speaking ill of the second young lady again. She felt a bit uneasy.
"Let me tell you, your young lady loves to hear this the most! Say it more often in the future!"
"Ah?"
This sentence left Jiaoyue stunned. What was going on? Shouldn't Miss scold her?
"Ah what? Isn't your young lady the prettiest daughter?" Shen Li pretended to be angry, but her tone couldn't deceive anyone.
The rising tone made it sound like she was happy no matter how you listened.
It took Jiaoyue a while to figure out what was going on, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Okay, then Jiaoyue will tell miss more often in the future!"
Seeing the two of them like this, the servants in the West Courtyard were shocked. What was wrong with the eldest young lady today? They had never heard Shen Li laugh on normal days. Suddenly laughing so loudly today really made them feel uncomfortable.
After breakfast, Shen Li was looking at the busy servants outside the window when she suddenly asked, "Jiaoyue, do you think there are too few servants in my West Courtyard?"
Jiaoyue quickly replied, "Why did miss suddenly say this?"
Shen Li shook her head and then curled her lips. "I just think that the servants in the West Courtyard are too tired. Come on, Jiaoyue, let's go to the slave market."
She jumped off the couch and pulled Jiaoyue out.
"Miss, what are we going to do at the slave market?"
"What else? Of course, it's to find some more servants." Looking at Jiaoyue's cute and innocent look, Shen Li thought it was funny.
The two quickly walked to the gate of the prince's mansion and ran into Xuanyuan Jue and Xuan Shu head-on.
"Little thing, where are you going?"
As soon as Xuanyuan Jue saw Shen Li, the smile on his face couldn't be contained.
No matter how many times he looked at this little girl, he just couldn't get enough. He didn't know why. It was only the second day since he had known her.
"Hey?" Shen Li looked at Xuanyuan Jue walking towards her and felt a jolt in her heart.
She always felt that she had forgotten something just now. Now seeing Xuanyuan Jue, she finally remembered. What she had forgotten today was that Xuanyuan Jue was going to come and play with her!
Thinking like this, Shen Li first curtsied to Xuanyuan Jue.
"Your Highness. I'm going to take Jiaoyue to the slave market. There are too few servants in my courtyard, so I want to go and have a look. Do you want to come with us?"
Originally, Shen Li was full of expectations, but a single sentence from Xuanyuan Jue wiped out all her expectations.
"The New Year hasn't passed yet, and the slave market isn't open."
He looked helpless. How could this little thing have no common sense at all?
"Moreover, even after the New Year, the slave market only opens on the first and fifteenth days of each month. It's only the eleventh day of the first lunar month. The Lantern Festival hasn't passed yet. The slave market won't open until the first day of the second lunar month."
In the end, Shen Li pouted and no longer wanted to go to the slave market.
Xuanyuan Jue seemed to be able to see through her. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Little thing, do you want to go out and play?"