Chapter 29: Grandfather Agreed!

  "Me? Give you a foot wash? Are you kidding?"

  Xia Zhong Qi almost bit his tongue when he spoke.

  What sin did she commit in her past life? She even pinched his foot, if she didn't break his neck it's already a blessing.

  He clapped the book shut and Zhao Zhuo gave him a cold glance, "Scared?"

  He knew that this guy was destined to be at odds with himself, and the words of refusal on July 7th were stuck in his throat. Whether he responded or not, it wasn't right, and for a moment, he was frozen there.

  "Grandpa!" A soft and gentle voice called out, Yuè Rù stepped forward, pulled Xiā Chū Qī over, and said with a smile, "Chǔ Qī has just arrived and doesn't understand the rules yet. I'll make sure to teach her well these two days. Today, let me do the washing instead. I'm used to doing this kind of thing, so she won't mess it up or serve you poorly."

  On the seventh day of summer, Zhao Zun was taken aback for a moment, his expression uncertain. "Oh? You're here?"

  Yuè Yù smiled lightly and exchanged a glance with the maids in the house.

  "It's getting late, Grandfather should also rest, all of you go down."

  "Yes."

  At the beginning of summer, Qi just wanted to leave after taking a breath, but when he raised his head, he saw a pair of slightly drunken eyes with an unreadable expression.

  "When did it become your turn to take charge of Grandpa's affairs?"

  Whoosh!

  The icy voice pierced their ears, and the maids who were familiar with his temperament immediately knelt down in unison.

  "Father, calm down!"

  Zhao Zhu slowly stood up, staring at the slightly bowed head of Yuè Yù. The rolled-up book on her head knocked gently, and in the low hum, there was an inexplicable chill.

  "Get out!"

  Yuè Yù's head suddenly jerked up, his face turning deathly pale.

  Immediately, his ears were scorching hot with shame, embarrassment and humiliation.

  She had served Zhao Zun for over a decade, and they had grown up together. Although he was cold and eccentric, he rarely lost his temper, and when she did something wrong, she was seldom severely punished, let alone scolded in front of everyone like today. Biting her lip, she followed the crowd out of the Jade Emperor's Pavilion with her head hung low. As soon as they stepped out, she stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud, her skirt tangled around her legs.

  Mei Zi hastily supported her, "Yue Yu sister, you..."

  She knelt on the ground with big tears falling onto the muddy soil.

  "Yu'e sister..." Mei Zi pulled her sleeve to wipe away her tears, "Don't be sad, Grandfather is in a bad mood today, you..."

  "Plum blossom." Yueru interrupted her, sniffed back tears, wiped away the tears on her face, and put on that unchanged smile of all seasons, "Go to the kitchen to help Chuqi prepare water, she is not familiar with your habits, afraid of doing poorly, and offending you again."

  "Oh!"

  Plum watched her back disappear in the distance, pouted, and walked towards the kitchen.

  She brought in the basin of warm water to wash her feet, and Xiaoyi was still drumming in her heart. She had known Zhao Zhu for a short time, but his emotions were mostly calm, even when he was collecting debts, he seemed willing to use that method that made people dumb and bitter, like today's show of authority was the first time. Thinking of Meizi's reminder in the kitchen just now, she broke out in cold sweat on her back.

  Got it.

  She is a prime minister who can hold a boat in her belly and would be better off not having anything to do with that King Yan.

  It's just washing his feet, what's the big deal? To save the feudal lord's face, she did it for him.

  "Father, the water has arrived."

  Leaning on the carved rosewood soft couch, Zhao Zun still had a cold and arrogant face, but his expression was obviously not as violent as before.

  "Did you know it was wrong?"

  His voice was low and sounded like he was blaming her, but not really intending to take it out on her. Xia Chunqi stole a glance at him and suddenly understood that he still needed to use her and wouldn't really do anything to her, only needing an excuse to save face for offending his lordship's dignity.

  "Grandpa, isn't this me making amends? Come, let's wash feet."

  Her face, which had long since lost all vestiges of fear, was now a mask of false smiles.

  He looked over, his face changing from sunny to cloudy.

  "I can tell you, in this life of mine, not even my own father has had me wash his feet. You, on the other hand, are a lucky one, the first since the beginning of time. Enjoy it quietly." She gently removed his black leather boots and white silk socks. Xia Chunqiu was secretly humiliated, repairing her severely damaged self-esteem, but she didn't say that in her past life, she actually had no father to wash feet for.

  She went on and on, but Zhao Zhu didn't respond.

  When she saw him dipping his feet into the warm water and then lifting his head, he found that his expression was a bit off.

  "Hey, have you got bugs in your eyes or flowers on my face?"

  "Go. Bring me the wine from behind the screen." He said calmly.

  She hummed a tune in an ill-tempered tone and turned to leave, but her mind was already thinking of how to reveal her clever plan and persuade him.

  "Here, it's yours."

  She handed him a wine jug made of white jade.

  Soon, a faint scent of wine wafted out of the house.

  "What's the name of this wine? It smells so good."

  He didn't answer, his voice low, "Alright, you didn't put arsenic."

  She rolled her eyes, Xia Chuqi hugged her arms and said, "Don't always suspect my character, I'm the so-called Jade-faced Divine Doctor Xiao Zhuge in Jianghu, would I do something as despicable as this?"

  Zhao Zun gave her a cold stare, saying "you're just like that", and poured wine into his mouth in big gulps. As the wine went down his throat, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, making her feel inexplicably hot-faced and heart-racing.

  "Hey, what's wrong, feeling lonely and cold?"

  "What's with all the nonsense?" He gave her a cold glance, suddenly lifted his shiny foot from the water and splashed her face with the foot-washing water, once again revealing his overbearing nature, "Wash my feet!"

  The voice with a hint of alcohol became increasingly hoarse, losing some of its coldness and gaining more sensuality.

  What the heck, is that foot bath water or what?

  He cursed at her, but she tolerated it because he was so handsome, and just pretended that she had been served a plate of his "white tofu".

  As she thought about it, she squatted down and lowered her head, somewhat unprofessionally splashing water to wash his feet, occasionally glancing at him and secretly guessing the reason for his unusual behavior today.

  Is it because of Dongfang Qingyun's appearance?

  The first possibility, it reminded him of the younger sister from the Dongfang family. The pain of being abandoned by his first love was even more heart-wrenching. Memories of past events under the moonlight before flowers bloomed resurfaced in his mind, and he couldn't help but drown his sorrows with wine, while also taking it out on this poor little servant girl.

  The second possibility is that Dongfang Qingxuan was the commander of the Brocade Guard, and he only took orders from the current old emperor, who was also the father of the nineteenth prince. If Dongfang Qingxuan didn't have a ghost, then the person who would secretly stab him in the back with those "crimes" might be... his own father?

  She shivered and looked up in surprise.

  Unexpectedly, he was met with a pair of cold eyes looking down on him from above.

  "Lazy again?"

  A large hand reached out and grabbed her collar, lifting her up.

  Unexpectedly, Xia Zhi's body suddenly leaned against his, the familiar yet strange scent of the man rushing into her nostrils, almost choking her.

  "Hey, hey, a gentleman uses his mouth, not his fists! Believe it or not, I'll get you bandaged up all over your head!"

  In the flickering firelight, his icy face had a strange red glow. With the autumn dew white fragrance on him, it was both alluring and eerie, making people want to indulge in it, yet feeling chilled to the bone.

  "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

  He said suddenly.

  At the beginning of summer, Qī's eyes were wide open, and he tried his best to rescue the collar from his hand.

  "Do you know my plan? Humph, don't try to fool me. Haven't I already said that?"

  He tossed her aside, let out a cold snort, and lay down on the soft couch, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.

  "Go ahead, grandpa has agreed."

  Digression

  Thank you dear [Mò ji] auntie, promoted to Yuanjie! Mua mua da.

  Also, I was playing "Guess who she is" with a girl called [Dream lover is Jin Yao], and no matter how many times I guessed, I couldn't get it right. In her anger, she threw 500 diamonds at me... but I still couldn't guess, who can save me?

  Haha, the poseur has stepped down, now please let Zhao Nineteen come on stage to share his ideas.

  Interviewer: Does your mother know about your cold and dark personality as a playful little seventh-grader?

  Nineteen Master: Someone's here, take this author away and behead him.

  Two brocades (reveal their true form): Save me——