"Your Highness!" The maid curtsied to Si Hongxi.
Hearing the voice, Si Hongxi and Qin Manman turned around and saw Wan Ruo, who was well - dressed. Even without gold and silver ornaments, her fresh and elegant appearance made her stand out and drew people's eyes.
Wan Ruo felt a bit embarrassed under their intense gazes. She had never worn girls' clothes before and really wasn't used to it. She wondered if she looked strange.
Qin Manman, seeing this, was filled with hatred. She never expected Wan Ruo to be so beautiful when dressed up. She had never taken this tomboy seriously before! It seemed that she couldn't be underestimated!
She glanced at Si Hongxi's look at Wan Ruo. At that moment, it was as if everything in the world faded, and there was only Wan Ruo shining in his eyes. Qin Manman was furious and clenched her fists tightly.
"Am I... not really suitable for this?" Wan Ruo asked awkwardly.
Only then did Si Hongxi come back to his senses. He said gently, "How could that be? It suits you very well! I almost got captivated by your beauty!"
Hearing this, Wan Ruo rolled her eyes mentally. Sure enough, a prince who frequented brothels couldn't have good intentions. Hmph! Men!
"Hehe! Your Highness is really good at joking!" Wan Ruo replied awkwardly.
"Your Highness, the old madam is still waiting!" Steward Li reminded in time.
Si Hongxi glanced at Steward Li and said, "Yes! Miss Ruo Ruo, the princess dowager wants to see you. Let's go!"
Hearing that she was going to see the princess dowager, Wan Ruo felt a bit nervous. She nodded and walked with the prince. Seeing them leave, Qin Manman wanted to follow, but was stopped by Steward Li. "Miss Manman, the old madam only wants to see Miss Ruo Ruo. Please wait here for a while. Or, if you feel bored, I can arrange for someone to take you back first!"
Qin Manman was extremely unwilling. If she went back now, all her efforts would be in vain. "No need. I'll just wait here!" she said resentfully.
On this side, Wan Ruo and Si Hongxi came to the princess dowager's room. Si Hongxi stopped Wan Ruo. He hesitated a bit and comforted her, "You wait here for a while. I'll go in first, and you come in later."
Although Wan Ruo didn't quite understand, she still nodded and patiently waited outside.
Si Hongxi and Steward Li went in first. "Mother, are you feeling unwell? If so, I'll immediately order the imperial physician to come and take your pulse!"
"Xi'er! Has the pastry chef come?" the princess dowager asked anxiously.
Looking at his mother's expectant eyes, Si Hongxi was even more confused. "I wonder if there's something wrong with the pastries or if they don't suit your taste. Why do you want to summon this pastry chef?" Si Hongxi asked curiously.
"There's nothing wrong. It's just that after eating these pastries, I feel much more comfortable. It's quite miraculous! So I want to ask if she has ever made medicinal diets before?" the princess dowager explained.
Hearing the princess dowager's words, Si Hongxi frowned slightly. Oh? So these pastries were helpful for his mother's illness? "She's outside. I'll summon her in now!" Si Hongxi gave Steward Li a look, and Steward Li immediately led Wan Ruo, who had been waiting outside for a long time, in.
As soon as Wan Ruo entered the room, she saw the old woman lying on the bed. Presumably, this was the princess dowager they were talking about. She quickly bowed and greeted, "This commoner girl, Wan Ruo, pays respects to the princess dowager!"
Seeing that Wan Ruo just bowed, Steward Li was extremely nervous. This was so impolite! This was the princess dowager! He whispered a reminder, "Miss Ruo Ruo, you should curtsy when seeing the princess dowager!"
Seeing Wan Ruo's innocent look, Si Hongxi found it quite amusing. He explained lovingly, "Mother, Wan Ruo doesn't understand much about etiquette. Please don't blame her!"
At this time, the princess dowager got out of bed with help. Only then did Wan Ruo see her clearly. She was just a walking skeleton! Besides her bony body, Wan Ruo also saw a dark mass inside the old woman.
The princess dowager sat at the table. She was very surprised when she saw Wan Ruo for the first time. She never expected such delicious pastries to be made by a young girl. "It's okay! Sit down quickly!" the princess dowager said gently.
"I never expected a young girl like you to be so skillful at making delicate pastries. You really have a pair of dexterous hands! I like the pastries you made very much. If I want to eat them sometime in the future, would you be willing to make such delicious pastries for me?"
"Of course. As long as you like them, I'll make different kinds for you. I'm just afraid that you'll get tired of them and be annoyed with me!" Wan Ruo joked.
Although she said so, at this moment, Wan Ruo was actually suppressing her restlessness. Looking at the evil spirit inside the princess dowager, she was afraid that if she acted rashly, it would not only hurt the princess dowager but also that Prince Si, no, the prince, would hardly understand her actions. If she was beheaded as a crazy person, it would be a great loss!
Unexpectedly, this girl had such a sweet mouth, which made the princess dowager very happy! "How could I get tired of them? I wish I could eat them every day! Hahaha..." the princess dowager said happily.
"Okay, I'll make them for you next time!" Wan Ruo replied.
Si Hongxi was quite surprised to see the two getting along so well. He originally thought that the princess dowager's current state would scare Wan Ruo, but unexpectedly, Wan Ruo not only wasn't scared but also made the princess dowager so happy!
When they were about to leave, Wan Ruo hesitated. She wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.
"I'll see you off!" Si Hongxi said gently. The carriage was waiting at the door. Wan Ruo said, "Oh, it's okay. It's still early, and it's close to Shananfang. I can just walk back!"
"Your Highness, there's still a girl in the hall!" Steward Li reminded.
Only then did Si Hongxi seem to remember something. He said, "If you hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten. Well, you arrange for someone to take her back. I'll take Miss Ruo Ruo back myself!"
After saying that, he led Wan Ruo and said, "Let's go!"
"Ah? This... isn't it inappropriate?" Wan Ruo was completely bewildered and was dragged away.
Steward Li came to the hall. Qin Manman, who had been waiting for a long time, seemed to see hope. "Is the prince here?" she asked anxiously.
"Miss Manman, the prince has ordered us to take you back first. He has already taken Miss Wan Ruo back!" Steward Li replied awkwardly.
"What? They left first... together?" Qin Manman got angrier and angrier. She had waited in vain for a whole day. It was all that vixen Wan Ruo's fault. Why did the prince take her back in person!
On the other side, Wan Ruo and Si Hongxi were silent all the way. "Well, Miss Ruo Ruo, I really should thank you. It seems that today is the happiest day for my mother since she fell seriously ill!" Si Hongxi said gratefully.
"It's... nothing!"
"You seem to be preoccupied since we left the prince's mansion. Is there something on your mind?"
Wan Ruo was a bit conflicted. She didn't know how to express herself to make him believe her. Finally, she stopped and looked at Si Hongxi. Summoning up her courage, she said, "I think the princess dowager's illness is not simple!"
Hearing Wan Ruo say this after hesitating for a long time, Si Hongxi was a bit surprised. He also knew that the illness was indeed not simple. It was obvious to everyone. Moreover, he had invited many famous doctors and tried many folk remedies, but none of them had worked. How could he not know? He smiled and said, "I know!"
"I don't mean that the illness is just seriously complicated. It's possible that she's haunted by evil spirits... I know you may not believe me, but the princess dowager's illness, she..." Wan Ruo was so anxious that she scratched her head and gestured.