Seeing the amused smile on her face and that she was in a good mood, Cheng Xiran also smiled and said, "Then I'll accompany you, Grandmother, for my whole life. How about that?"
The old lady gently took her hand, stroking it repeatedly. Her eyes were filled with affection as she said, "That won't do. In a few years, our Xiran will get married, support her husband, raise her children, and lead a happy life. How could you waste your time with an old woman like me?"
As she said this, her eyes casually glanced at Helian Duo.
Cheng Xiran acted coyly. "I don't want to get married. I just want to accompany Grandmother until she's old. Even if I become a hag that no one wants in the end, I'm willing."
"Alright, alright. I've felt much better since you came back. You don't need to accompany me anymore. I have Nanny Jin with me..." The old lady turned to Helian Duo with a smile and continued, "You should quickly accompany the prince to attend to your important matters."
Seeing Helian Duo's calm expression, the old lady frowned slightly. "Prince, it's not that I've been hiding things from you. Lately, I've had no energy to manage the affairs of the Cheng Mansion. I'm not sure if Xiran's father has become a part of the Empress Dowager's faction. Of course, everything you do is for the peace of the court. So, no matter what you find out in the end and what you decide to do to our Cheng Mansion, I have no objections."
Why did Cheng Xiran suddenly feel that something serious was about to happen when she heard Grandmother say this?
At the same time, she felt a strange sense of unease in her heart. She looked at Helian Duo and heard him comfortingly say, "You're being too serious, Old Lady. Prime Minister Cheng has made contributions to the court after all, and we can't jump to conclusions about this matter for now. I've also had someone secretly check the accounts of the Cheng Mansion, and there are no problems. So, I guess that as of now, the Cheng Mansion hasn't defected to the Empress Dowager."
Unable to hold back, Cheng Xiran cautiously probed with a glimmer of hope, "If it's found that Prime Minister Cheng is related to the relief funds, what will happen?"
Helian Duo's face froze, and he didn't reply.
The old lady quickly gave Cheng Xiran a look, signaling her not to ask anymore. Then she instructed Nanny Jin, "Tell the kitchen staff that the prince will dine in the mansion tonight. Ask them to prepare more local specialties. I think the prince will like them."
Nanny Jin took the order and left, but the atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
It wasn't until the old lady asked them when they were planning to set off and if they had prepared enough dry rations for the journey.
No one brought up that embarrassing question again.
To be honest, Cheng Xiran had never tasted the local specialties of Chuzhou before. She really enjoyed the dinner that night.
Seeing her enjoying the food so much, neither the old lady nor Helian Duo told her to mind her table manners, which made Cheng Xiran quite pleased.
"After eating dry rations for two days, I feel like I've lost my sense of taste. The roasted lamb tonight tastes the best!"
As she said this, she couldn't help but take another mouthful of rice, and a few grains of rice fell from the corner of her mouth.
The old lady kindly took out a silk handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth. While wiping, she smiled and said, "If you finish your business early, come back early. Stay in the ancestral mansion for a few days before going back together. How about that?"
Before Cheng Xiran could reply, Helian Duo spoke first, "Sure, Grandmother."
When he called her Grandmother, the other two people present were both stunned, but Helian Duo continued eating as if nothing had happened.
The maids nearby didn't find it strange either, since his current identity was He Shu instead of Helian Duo.
Soon, the old lady got used to it and nodded at him, saying, "Xiao Shu, have some dishes."
After dinner, Cheng Xiran accompanied the old lady for a while under the moonlight. The two of them drank half a pot of hot tea and ate half a plate of candied fruits. Since the old lady was feeling sleepy, Cheng Xiran personally helped Nanny Jin to settle her down.
To make it convenient for their early departure the next morning, the old lady had someone prepare a separate side room for Helian Duo.
As for Cheng Xiran, although everyone in the ancestral mansion was the old lady's trusted servant, she didn't know any of them. Without Zhuque, Yun'er, and Mu Li by her side, she found that the only thing she could do was to read a book by candlelight.
After reading for about half an hour, she still wasn't sleepy. Besides, she had eaten a bit too much for dinner, so she got up and went to the yard. It was too cold to sit, so she could only pace back and forth. As she paced, she ended up in front of the side room where Helian Duo was staying.