Chapter 1021: I Am Still a Child

The screen shattered, and a small figure was already clutched by the neck.

Zu An frowned, completely surprised to find a young girl hiding there. His voice turned cold: “Who are you?”

The young girl’s face flushed red as she desperately patted his hand, indicating he was holding her too tightly.

Zu An didn’t sense any elemental energy fluctuations from her, assuming she was an ordinary person. Still, he remained cautious, merely loosening his grip slightly. “Speak!”

“I… I’m Hong Zao,” the young girl stammered tearfully.

“Hong Zao?” Zu An frowned. “What kind of name is that?”

Seeing his frown, the young girl immediately panicked and quickly explained, “I… I’m the Young Miss’s maid.”

Zu An paused, then recalled Pei Mianman mentioning a young maid. He snorted, “Then why were you hiding here so furtively?”

The young girl sobbed, “I… I wasn’t hiding. I was just helping Young Miss clean her room, and then waiting… waiting for her to come back. But she didn’t, and I must have drifted off to sleep. Later… later…”

Her voice trailed off, and she stammered, unable to finish her sentence for a long time.

“So, when you saw your Young Miss and I return, you didn’t dare to come out?” Zu An, with his perceptive mind, quickly guessed what had happened.

She had likely seen Pei Mianman return with a strange man, and their intimacy had frightened her into not revealing herself.

He realized he had been careless, so engrossed in his romantic moment with Pei Mianman that he hadn’t considered anyone else might be in her private chambers.

“I didn’t see anything, I didn’t hear anything, please don’t kill me…” Hong Zao burst into tears as she spoke.

Zu An was speechless. This foolish girl, didn’t she realize saying that would only confirm she’d seen and heard everything?

Now, things were genuinely problematic. If it had been a man, he could have used Daji to alter his memories. But with a young girl, there was truly no way.

While he personally didn’t mind, this concerned Pei Mianman’s reputation. Though this world was more progressive than ancient times, there were still limits.

If a noble young lady like Pei Mianman were caught secretly consorting with an outsider, it would be a massive scandal if word got out.

Furthermore, marriage negotiations were currently underway with the Crown Prince of Qi. To prevent disgrace to the family, the Pei clan might even go so far as to drown her.

Just as he hesitated, a tense voice called out, “She’s one of us, Azu, let her go.”

Footsteps approached, and Pei Mianman jogged up the stairs.

“But she was hiding here just now, and she saw and heard everything,” Zu An said, concerned.

“Wuwu…” Hong Zao felt incredibly wronged. *Was my lie really that easy to see through?*

Despite his words, Zu An released his grip. Hong Zao immediately scurried behind Pei Mianman, clutching her neck and coughing, while secretly casting fearful glances at him.

Pei Mianman supported her, gently patting her back and offering a few comforting words. Then she turned to Zu An, saying, “Hong Zao and I have relied on each other since we were children. She would never do anything to betray me; I trust her completely.”

Though nominally master and servant, they were like sisters.

Zu An smiled. “That’s perfect. I was just wondering what to do.”

“Look how you scared her,” Pei Mianman chided, casting him a playful glance.

Seeing the young maid didn’t even dare to look at him, Zu An felt a pang of embarrassment. He thought for a moment, then took out a hairpin from his Glazed Pearl and offered it to her. “I’m truly sorry I frightened you. Please accept this as a token of apology.”

“This is too valuable, I can’t accept it…” Hong Zao quickly waved her hands, shaking her head like a rattle-drum.

“Who gives a girl a hairpin the moment they meet?” Pei Mianman retorted, giving Zu An an exasperated look, but then she reassured Hong Zao, “Since he’s offering it, just accept it.”

Hearing her Young Miss’s words, Hong Zao tremblingly accepted the golden hairpin, never once daring to meet Zu An’s gaze.

But as she held the hairpin in her hand and saw its exquisite, magnificent craftsmanship, she suddenly froze. *Was such a beautiful golden hairpin really meant for me?*

*I’m just a maid.*

*Could something so valuable be… a betrothal gift for me?*

It wasn’t unusual for her to think this, as she was the Young Miss’s dowry maid, expected to accompany her mistress when she married and serve the husband, potentially as a concubine.

Ordinarily, she would not only serve her Young Miss but also stand in for her in serving the young master-in-law if her mistress were indisposed. She would also help her mistress compete for favor with the other women in the household.

At this thought, she couldn’t help but raise her head for a furtive glance at Zu An.

After all, this man would most likely be her future master and her Young Miss’s husband. A maiden’s instinct compelled her to at least get a clear look at his appearance.

Dressed in clothes as white as snow, with eyebrows like sharp ink strokes, and eyes more beautiful than any gem…

As she looked, Hong Zao’s face flushed. She thought he was even handsomer than the Crown Prince of Qi, especially noting his inexplicable calm and dashing demeanor. He seemed more mature and reassuring than the Crown Prince.

“Hong Zao, what’s wrong?” Pei Mianman noticed her maid’s unusual behavior and asked curiously.

“Ah? No, nothing…” Hong Zao stammered frantically. She lowered her head, trying to look at her toes, but it seemed she’d gained a bit of weight recently and couldn’t see them.

Pei Mianman simply assumed she was still frightened and didn’t give it much thought. “Go prepare some hot water. Soon I’ll… *cough*… I need to bathe and change.”

“Yes!” Hong Zao hurried away, sneaking a glance back as she descended the stairs. Seeing the man seemingly smiling at her, her heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned her head and continued downstairs, but her foot slipped, and she nearly tumbled down the entire flight.

“You, flirting with my personal maid the moment you arrive,” Pei Mianman said with feigned annoyance. She wasn’t truly angry, as Hong Zao was her dowry maid, so there was no reason to be jealous. “Is a hairpin, a girl’s personal item, something you can just give away so casually?”

“I couldn’t find any other gift on such short notice,” Zu An explained. “I just frightened her, so I did this to improve our relationship and avoid leaving a bad impression.”

“She and I are like sisters. You don’t need to give her gifts to win her over,” Pei Mianman scoffed.

“You don’t understand this,” Zu An replied. “It’s true she has a good relationship with you, but she didn’t know me before. What if I offended her, and then she badmouthed me to you every day? You know what they say: ‘Many mouths can melt gold, and accumulated slander can destroy bones.’”

Zu An recalled how in his previous life, many of his friends trying to win over girls often failed if the girl’s closest friends disliked him and constantly badmouthed him behind his back. Even if there was mutual affection, such relationships often fell apart. With so many prior examples, he naturally didn’t want to make the same mistake.

“You’re overthinking it,” Pei Mianman declared, raising a fist. “If she dares to speak ill of you, I’ll punch her.”

Zu An chuckled, pulling her into his arms. “My Manman is truly the best.”

Pei Mianman nestled pliantly in his embrace. Lovers, after all, long to be together every moment.

“Young Miss…” Hong Zao’s timid voice broke the silence. She glanced at Zu An, unsure how to address him.

Pei Mianman smiled. “From now on, you can simply call him Young Master-in-Law.”

“Yes, Young Master-in-Law… Young Master-in-Law,” Hong Zao stammered, secretly clicking her tongue. *Surely Master and Madam don’t know yet,* she thought. *The Young Miss is truly bold. From the looks of it, they seem to have secretly pledged their lives to each other.*

“The hot water is ready. I’ll help Young Miss with her bath.”

“No need for that. Just prepare the clothes, then you can go rest,” Pei Mianman said, her face flushing.

“Ah? Oh…” Hong Zao eyed them with a strange expression. *Were they planning to bathe together?*

After she left, Zu An let out an amused chuckle. “Your maid seems a bit scatterbrained.”

“She’s naturally timid and a bit soft-tempered, otherwise she wouldn’t have been assigned to me in the first place,” Pei Mianman said, a hint of pity in her eyes. “You’re not allowed to bully her from now on.”

“Am I the kind of guy who likes to bully people?”

“Don’t touch me. Go wash up first.”

“You just came from digging up a grave in the cemetery. You can’t come near me until you’ve washed.”

“But I already washed in the river earlier.”

“Your body isn’t clean yet.”

Seeing Pei Mianman head downstairs first, Zu An suddenly had an epiphany: *Wouldn’t a ‘mandarin duck bath’ be delightful? Why was he holding back?*

Soon, the water rippled and mist filled the air, like a spring breeze caressing willows, or heads disappearing into a misty haze…

Hong Zao didn’t go to rest; instead, she stood guard by the door. As the Young Miss’s personal attendant, it was her duty to consider every detail for her mistress’s well-being.

If anyone from the manor were to come by and witness this, the Young Miss would be ruined.

So she remained highly vigilant, her eyes and ears attuned to every sound and movement.

However, with heavy snow falling and it being late at night, it was unlikely anyone from the manor would come by.

The surroundings were very quiet; one could even hear the sound of the falling snow.

However, what she heard more clearly now were the sounds of joyful laughter and the waves of intimate murmuring emanating from behind the screen, making her face flush crimson.

“Young Miss… how can Young Miss be like this…” She instinctively wanted to cover her ears, but feared she wouldn’t hear anyone approaching from outside. So, she gritted her teeth and endured.

“I’m still a child,” Hong Zao mumbled to herself. Though she was already of marriageable age, her mindset hadn’t fully shifted yet.

She silently took out the golden hairpin Zu An had just given her. Her pretty face gradually grew redder and redder, and she felt as if she had been drenched by a gentle spring rain.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she suddenly remembered something. She rushed to her room and retrieved a large food box.

Lately, the Crown Prince of Qi had been sending various pastries to the Young Miss almost every day. The Young Miss, however, wouldn’t even glance at them, always passing them directly to Hong Zao.

Naturally, Hong Zao ate them with great delight, as she rarely had the chance to enjoy such expensive treats.

Over these past few days, she felt she had gained a noticeable amount of weight; her clothes were even starting to feel a bit tight across the front.

But just now, the Young Miss confirmed her future husband-to-be, and he even gave Hong Zao such a precious gift. He was handsome, and his stamina was good…

Bah, bah, bah, what am I thinking?

Now that the young master-in-law was confirmed, she couldn’t accept gifts from other men.

Gazing at the dazzling array of pastries inside, she couldn’t help but swallow, a hint of reluctance in her eyes. But finally, biting her lip, she emptied all the pastries from the food box.

Returning to the room, she looked towards the screen behind her and pouted. *Still not finished?* she thought.

*I really want a bath too…*