"I wonder if Sister Mingzhu will like it?" The young girl holding the tea was gentle yet a bit playful. Her eyes, filled with admiration as if she were looking at her sweetheart, were fixed on Shen Mingzhu.
Shen Mingzhu took the tea and took a sip. She found that Liu Minmin was quite skilled at this. The already high - quality tea tasted even better in her hands.
Xie Lang stood at the door. He took a glance, closed the door, then opened it again. Seeing the harmonious scene inside, he suddenly suspected that he had been away not for half a day but for half a year.
What was going on? How could Shen Mingzhu and that stupid Liu Minmin look so close like sisters?
He stared for several times. Shen Mingzhu didn't even notice that he had returned and was now standing at the door.
"Master Xie!"
It was Chuntao beside them who looked up and suddenly saw Xie Lang standing at the door, his expression unfathomable as he stared inside with cold eyes. She subconsciously let out a scream.
Only then did Shen Mingzhu look up and saw Xie Lang looking at her.
"Back?"
Seeing the sweat on Xie Lang's forehead, Shen Mingzhu motioned for Chuntao to go and fetch a basin of hot water and wring out a hot towel for him to wipe the sweat. After giving the order, she looked up at Xie Lang who was standing there in a daze. "Come and sit. What are you standing there for?"
Xie Lang was even more at a loss for a moment. Especially when he saw Liu Minmin looking up at him, the calculation in her eyes was completely replaced by disgust. He felt a surge of annoyance.
What was going on?
Shen Mingzhu naturally knew what Xie Lang was thinking. But the expression on his face was so cute that she couldn't help but suppress the smile that was about to spread on her lips. She pretended to be puzzled and asked Xie Lang, "Why don't you come?"
Xie Lang: "..." You tell me!
Sitting down, under Liu Minmin's disdainful gaze, Xie Lang consciously sat in the seat closest to Shen Mingzhu. Then he sat there silently, not knowing what to say.
Shen Mingzhu found it even more amusing. She put her teacup in front of Xie Lang and said with a gentle smile, "Come, have a try. Minmin's craftsmanship is really good."
Xie Lang was silent.
When Shen Mingzhu offered the tea and Xie Lang reached out to take it, their fingertips touched. Shen Mingzhu heard the voice in the man's heart.
[What's wrong with Shen Mingzhu? Minmin? Which Minmin? Liu Minmin? She hasn't even called me Langlang!]
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
What was Xie Lang talking about!
She turned her head and saw Xie Lang drinking the tea. After finishing, he was silent for a moment. Then he subconsciously looked at Shen Mingzhu. Seeing her expression, he said with a gloomy face, "It's okay."
Liu Minmin wanted to refute, but when she saw Xie Lang's face, she immediately said nervously, "Could it be... I'm sorry. I don't know your taste, Master Xie. I've made you uncomfortable."
Xie Lang felt another surge of annoyance. He felt as if there were small thorns in his clothes, making him extremely uncomfortable.
He was already uncomfortable seeing Liu Minmin talking. Now that she was targeting him, he felt even worse!
Xie Lang wasn't the type to hold back his anger. He turned to look at Shen Mingzhu and then said, "What's going on?"
"Why are you letting anyone into the yard?"
Shen Mingzhu reached out and took the wrung - out hot towel from Chuntao. She wiped the sweat off Xie Lang's forehead, then the towel moved down from his forehead to his nose bridge, then to his chin, and finally to his neck.
[What is Shen Mingzhu doing! Is she just teasing me?]
Was he finally sober?
Shen Mingzhu let out a soft laugh. She slowly put down the towel and then continued, "You can't say that."
Hearing this, Liu Minmin's face immediately showed joy. She echoed, "Yes, yes. You can't say that!"
Xie Lang's face darkened.
"Minmin is a smart girl. She knows what's good and what's bad. She's willing to work for me, so I naturally won't treat her badly."
Xie Lang curled his lips.
Liu Minmin was indeed a bit smarter than her brother, but in Xie Lang's eyes, the difference between the two was negligible.
However...
If Shen Mingzhu was really interested in Liu Minmin, it might not be a bad thing. But the Liu family might get greedy.
Xie Lang sighed and began to think about how to clean up the mess for Shen Mingzhu and when to get rid of this annoying Liu Minmin.
"Alright." Even without touching Xie Lang, Shen Mingzhu knew what was going on in his mind. So she said with a smile, "From today on, Minmin will live in the yard next to ours. Remember to cover for her then."
"… Okay." Xie Lang quickly agreed.
With Liu Minmin "eyeing" him covetously, Xie Lang always felt that if he didn't agree, she might even move into his yard.
Watching Liu Minmin leave timidly, Xie Lang gritted his teeth. He looked at Shen Mingzhu and said, "What on earth are you planning to do, Your Highness?"
Shen Mingzhu smiled, with a rare sense of relaxation in her eyes. After laughing for a while, she continued, "Xie Lang, there's more to the Liu family than meets the eye."
Saying this, Shen Mingzhu pointed in the direction of the palace and looked at Xie Lang meaningfully.
Xie Lang was slightly stunned. Frowning, he hesitated and said, "Don't worry. I'll go back and search."
...
When Liu Minmin entered the yard, the maids were all blocked outside the house.
When she went out, she saw two maids rushing towards her. Just as they were about to speak, they saw Liu Minmin blinking and timidly saying to them, "Sisters, His Highness said for you to go and pack my things and then move them to the yard next door."
"The yard next door!"
The two maids were stunned at first, and then they reacted and asked, "Which yard?"
Liu Minmin smiled and pointed excitedly at the yard next to Shen Mingzhu's. Then she continued, "It's right there."
The two maids glanced at each other, suppressing the disdain in their eyes. They continued, "Are you sure you heard correctly?"
Liu Minmin nodded. "Go quickly, sisters. His Highness told me to wait here."
The two maids glanced at each other. Surprised and somewhat reluctant, they turned around and left.
Watching them leave, Liu Minmin finally let out a sigh of relief. Turning around, she saw Chuntao looking at her with a knowing look.
"His Highness has prepared everything. There are guards at the door, and two maids will be sent to you later." Chuntao said, her expression unchanged, looking very imposing like a senior maid in the palace.
"Yes." Liu Minmin suspected that Chuntao had seen through her intention to torment those two maids but didn't say anything. Instead, she just said to her, "Miss Minmin, feel free. Just call me if you need anything."
Liu Minmin was grateful that Chuntao didn't expose her thoughts. So she nodded and said goodbye with a smile.
It was so nice.
She entered the room. This room was much better than her own. Aunt Liu had taken her in, but only valued her brother and casually bossed her around. Even the two maids she sent looked down on her. They did dirty things every day and even reached for her belongings.
How could anyone be willing to be inferior forever?
Liu Minmin was silent for a moment. She got up and wrote a letter. After a long time, she said to the maid outside the door, "Come in."
"I'm not feeling well now. Please hand this letter to the mistress for me."
Hearing the angry scolding of the two maids outside the door, Liu Minmin's smile grew wider.