The overpowering fishy smell hit Cheng Xiran like a wave, making her retch. She quickly covered her face with her hand and refused, "Take it away. I can't stand the fishy smell of this fish soup. You're just trying to disgust me."
Liu's smile froze on her face instantly. Grinding her silver teeth, she said, "The fish soup is cooked with ginger slices. It's not fishy at all. Have a taste." She said she was disgusting? Well, today she was determined to disgust Cheng Xiran to the core. She didn't believe that Cheng Xiran would dare to show her temper in front of Helian Duo.
Before Cheng Xiran could say anything, Helian Duo reached out and pushed the bowl of fish soup away. He said in a deep voice, "I also find the fishy smell nauseating. Why force others, madam?"
It was rare for Helian Duo to speak up for someone. Liu didn't dare to say more. Reluctantly, she took the fish soup back and whispered in Cheng Zhiyue's ear, "Send a servant to ask the prince what he likes to eat tomorrow. We have to cater to his preferences."
Cheng Zhiyue nodded. She would never let go of the chance to marry into the royal family.
After the meal, Cheng Xiran was so stuffed that her stomach was about to burst. "Father, Grandmother, I'm so full. I'll go back to my room first. Enjoy your meal. I won't keep you company."
Without waiting for others to respond, Cheng Xiran covered her stomach and left the front hall. The atmosphere during the meal was so strange. It was obvious that Father Cheng wanted to use Helian Duo's influence to secure his position in the court. It seemed that she couldn't let Helian Duo come to the Prime Minister's Mansion so ostentatiously in the future.
As she walked along the long corridor, it was already getting dark. Suddenly, Cheng Xiran felt someone following her. She turned around sharply, but saw nothing. A chill ran down her spine.
Oh no, could it be a ghost?
Cheng Xiran was extremely afraid of the dark. At the thought of this, she buried her head and ran as fast as she could.
With a "bang", Cheng Xiran bumped into something soft. She fell backward, but a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She instinctively threw herself into the person's arms.
Vaguely, she felt warm breath on her face.
There was warmth, so it wasn't a ghost, but a person!
Cheng Xiran suddenly looked up and met a pair of cold eyes. The distance between them was only an inch. An ambiguous atmosphere lingered around them.
"Are you done hugging?" Cheng Xiran said coldly.
Only then did Helian Duo come to his senses. He withdrew his hand and looked at Cheng Xiran indifferently. "Why did you run when you saw me? You're not very big, but you can run quite fast."
"Why don't you say you're scaring people at night? What are you doing following me for no reason? Have you eaten too much?" Cheng Xiran retorted.
Helian Duo was so stunned by her retort that he couldn't say a word. After a moment, he snorted and said, "I'm here to warn you. The codes you wrote are about the secrets in the mansion. Be careful someone might do you harm."
"Oh? Are you concerned about me?" Cheng Xiran tilted her head slightly, stood on tiptoe and deliberately got closer to Helian Duo. Her warm and humid breath slowly exhaled. Her voice was soft and charming. "You... Do you have feelings for me?"
Helian Duo swallowed hard at her sudden move, but he still wouldn't give in. "Do you think I'd take a fancy to someone like you? I'm just afraid that if you die, there'll be no one to manage Anecdotes in the Capital. It's late. I'm leaving."
After saying that, Helian Duo only left a fading figure.
Watching him leave, Cheng Xiran pouted and muttered, "Humph, trying to scare me like a ghost. I was just playing with you. Why are you so flustered? Running away so quickly."
Cheng Xiran never expected that the Regent would really have feelings for her. She was just having some fun with her words.