Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 15

Jun Chiqiang forced a smile and said, "Mother... Mother... told me... that a man like me... doesn't easily shed tears."

Zi Jin muttered to herself, "A man doesn't easily shed tears, unless he's truly heartbroken. How could no one care when a prince has been beaten like this?"

Zi Jin suddenly remembered Jun Chi's identity and turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.

happy Bao hurriedly explained, "Third Prince, the master asked who beat you like this."

Jun Chi lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes obscuring his clear pupils: "No...no...it was...it was me...I did it myself."

Zi Jin's eyes revealed great dissatisfaction, so Jun Chi simply closed his eyes.

Zi Jin gave happy Bao a wink.

happy Bao added, "Your Highness says it's clear someone hit you. If Your Highness refuses to speak, Your Highness will go to the Emperor to seek justice for you."

Zi Jin pinched happy Bao's delicate pink face with a smug look, thinking to herself: Damn it, you're getting better and better at guessing the emperor's intentions.

"No...no, Mother...Mother was practicing...practicing the whip...and accidentally...accidentally injured herself..." Jun Chi was anxious, and his stuttering became even more severe.

Just then, Yu Luo came in carrying dinner and said, "Your Highness and Master have not eaten yet, have you? It's already dark, so please have dinner first."

Yu Luo placed the liniment she had brought in into happy Bao's hands. happy Bao walked to the foot of Jun Chi's bed and carefully lifted his injured foot to massage it.

Yu Luo placed the food on the table next to the bed and stood aside. Zi Jin picked up the food and fed it to Jun Chi.

"I...I'll do it myself..."

Zi Jin wouldn't let go, holding the spoon to Jun Chi's lips, leaving Jun Chi no choice but to eat it.

Zi Jin smiled broadly and forcefully fed Jun Chi until he frowned and finished the whole bowl of rice before she stopped.

After the meal, Zi Jin stared at Yu Luo with expectant eyes, but Yu Luo remained unmoved with a straight face, and tears welled up in Zi Jin's eyes.

"Why...why are you crying?" Jun Chi was stunned.

Looking at Zi Jin's pitiful expression, Yu Luo sighed helplessly: "Xi Bao, go and tell Consort Lin that the Third Prince has sprained his ankle and will be resting at Taiping Pavilion today."

"Master, is it..." happy Bao's words were cut off by Zi Jin's glare, and happy Bao had no choice but to obey and leave.

“Actually…actually there’s no need…” Jun Chi wanted to say that he could go back on his own, but he shut his mouth under Zi Jin’s murderous gaze.

When it was time for bed, Yu Luo was in a dilemma. She wanted Zi Jin to sleep with her, but happy Bao refused, saying that her mistress was still young and how could she share a bed with a woman so early?

Zi Jin didn't want to sleep with Xi Bao, and even if Zi Jin were willing, Yu Luo wouldn't just stand by and watch Zi Jin share a bed with a eunuch. After much discussion, Xi Bao and Zi Jin agreed to sleep with the Third Prince.

Yu Luo was absolutely unwilling, but couldn't think of a reason to convince everyone. She couldn't reveal Zi Jin's gender because of this, and secretly blamed Zi Jin for not being aware of her gender.

Just before going to sleep, Yu Luo pulled Zi Jin aside and said, "It wouldn't be impossible for you to like the Third Prince, but his mother is not favored and was treated as an abandoned child by her family. She was only made a concubine because she gave birth to the Third Prince, and she's not even a Noble Consort now. The Third Prince is also disabled, and he has no ability to ascend the throne in the future. But if you were to be with the Third Prince, things would be different..."

"Haha...haha..." Zi Jin almost laughed herself silly at Yu Luo's words. She thought to herself: I'm an adult, after all. If I had married early in my previous life, my child would be several years old by now. How could I be attracted to a ten-year-old kid? At most, I just wanted to hug him because he was handsome, sweet, soft, obedient, and well-behaved.

Yu Luo was so embarrassed and angry by Zi Jin's laughter that she refused to say another word to Zi Jin.

Zi Jin didn't mind and happily ran back to her bedroom, snuggling into the warm bed that Jun Chi had already prepared.

Jun Chi quickly made way for Zi Jin, who was in a good mood and gently hugged Jun Chi, laughing out loud.

Jun Chi didn't know what Zi Jin was laughing at, but from the moment Zi Jin carried him back to treat his injuries and feed him, a small flutter stirred in Jun Chi's heart. How many people had scorned and bullied him and his mother since childhood? When his father still favored his mother, the palace servants were relatively kind to them. But ever since his father stopped visiting them four years ago, even the slightly more powerful palace maids and eunuchs would give them the cold shoulder. He didn't know when it started, but his mother also fell ill, so ill that she didn't even recognize herself. Sometimes, when she saw him, it was as if she saw an enemy, and she would pick up a whip and lash out madly.

From the mother's crazed eyes, one could see that she hated him... He could hate his mother, but with so many people, who could he hate? Who should he hate?

Jun Chi, still half asleep, snuggled closer to Zi Jin's arms: finally, it was warm.

"Master, it's time for you to get up." Yu Luo's voice rang in Zi Jin's ears.

Zi Jin rolled over and buried her head directly in the arms of the person next to her.

"Master! If you don't get up, the Third Prince will get up too."

Zi Jin vaguely remembered that there was someone else beside her, but why was she up so early today when there was no class?

Zi Jin opened her eyes groggily, looked at Jun Chi who was already awake beside her, and helplessly let go of his hand.

Jun Chi sat up, and happy Bao hurriedly went to get him dressed. After everything was ready, happy Bao carried Jun Chi to a chair opposite the bed and helped him wash up.

Seeing that Zi Jin still hadn't moved, Yu Luo angrily called out, "Master!"

Zi Jin immediately opened her eyes, looking at Yu Luo warily. Her face, which wasn't so swollen but still looked terrible, revealed a roguish smile as she sat up.

Yu Luo remained silent, his face tense.

Zi Jin immediately pulled Yu Luo to sit on her bed in a fawning manner and shook her arm obsequiously.

The fish remained unmoved.

Zi Jin suddenly hugged Yu Luo's waist, gave her a quick kiss on the tense side of her face, and then burst into laughter.

Yu Luo was so embarrassed that she burst out laughing.

While things were getting interesting on one side, the other side was dumbfounded. Jun Chi had never seen anyone openly flirt with a palace maid, especially since the maid seemed to enjoy it. He was immediately stunned. Xi Bao, thinking that the Third Prince was still alive, and that her master could still be so immoral, was also dumbfounded.

Yu Luo only then remembered that there were outsiders present, and immediately pretended to be nonchalant as she helped Zi Jin get dressed.

Zi Jin appeared nonchalant, but secretly she felt extremely guilty: it wouldn't be good if she corrupted the children.

“Your Majesty, breakfast is finished. Do you think we should have Xibao escort the Third Prince back to Su Ran Palace?” Yu Luo said to Zi Jin and Jun Chi, who were curled up on the floor reading a book.

Zi Jin frowned, looking rather displeased.