Chapter 6

“Does Officer Zhang dislike Lu Cha?”

Xu Lu Cha bit his lower lip, looking vulnerable. He lowered his head, on the verge of tears.

However, after waiting for a long time without receiving a response, he looked up only to find that the person had already walked far away.

Xu Lu Cha kicked the table leg in embarrassment and anger, but it wasn’t enough to relieve his resentment. He swept the food box off the table, sending it crashing to the ground.

Zi Yi was startled and quickly stood up, “Young Master, mind your image.”

Xu Lu Cha looked around and saw that people were starting to pay attention to them. He forcibly suppressed his anger and put on a face full of grievance.

He wiped his tears with a handkerchief, his teary eyes scanning the surrounding pedestrians, then stood up, covered his face, and ran off in tears.

Zhang Meng returned to the yamen and immediately rushed to the kitchen to cook.

As usual, Jin Yue came to her side to help her scoop water and wash vegetables.

“Zhang Meng, the boss is in a bad mood today.”

“Oh.” Zhang Meng was cutting meat and casually responded.

“I heard it’s because the boss’s elder sister is coming to Yun City. It’s said she’s coming to force the boss to get married. You know, the boss has a fiancé in Yan City who she’s already engaged to.”

“Getting married is a good thing. Why is the boss unhappy? Could it be that the boss doesn’t like her fiancé?” Zhang Meng threw the meat into the pot and covered the lid.

Jin Yue shook her head, “I don’t know about that.”

After finishing the meal preparations, Zhang Meng rang the dinner bell, and the people of the yamen hurried to the kitchen.

“Zhang Meng, when the boss comes later, be careful not to anger her again. She’s like a bomb today, easily set off.” Jin Yue said while serving the rice.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Meng also felt a bit uneasy, “Should I just take my meal back to my room to eat? The boss has always disliked me. No matter how careful I am, I can never please her.”

“Don’t do that. If you take your meal back to your room, the boss will definitely say your behavior is terrible and not conducive to creating a harmonious yamen. When the time comes, just eat quietly without saying a word.”

Zhang Meng took it to heart. So, at mealtime, she sat with Jin Yue in the corner of the dining table, not saying a word.

During the meal, the boss’s gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept over to Zhang Meng’s side. Zhang Meng kept her eyes down, letting her look without paying any attention to her.

After finishing the meal, just as Zhang Meng was about to get water to wash the dishes, Zhong Huo called out to her.

“Zhang Meng, come with me for a moment.”

What was bound to come would come, no matter how much one tried to avoid it.

Jin Yue looked at Zhang Meng with sympathetic eyes. Zhang Meng made a heartbroken gesture to her, then obediently followed Zhong Huo out of the kitchen.

“Boss, what did you call me for?”

Zhang Meng followed Zhong Huo to the backyard. Seeing Zhong Huo keep her head down without saying a word, Zhang Meng couldn’t help but ask.

Zhong Huo clenched her fists, looking a bit nervous as she spoke, “Zhang Meng, what do you think about my marriage?”

“It’s a good thing. Remember to invite us for the wedding feast when the time comes.”

Zhong Huo’s face darkened, and she gritted her teeth, “This official will invite anyone but you, Zhang Meng!”

Zhang Meng: “Boss…”

Zhong Huo turned around, unwilling to look at her, “Zhang Meng, I really do dislike you. Forget it, you may go.”

Zhang Meng was basically immune to Zhong Huo’s erratic moods, but she was still hurt a little by the word “dislike.” She nodded aggrievedly and replied, “Then I’ll leave first.”

Zhong Huo didn’t respond. Zhang Meng turned to leave.

After walking quite a distance, she suddenly remembered the sachet in her sleeve and turned around, “By the way, Boss! Young Master Xu…”

Zhong Huo hurriedly shifted her gaze that had been fixed on Zhang Meng, “What are you doing!” Her voice carried a hint of embarrassment and anger.

Zhang Meng quickly took out the sachet from her sleeve, walked up to her, and handed it to her, “This is from Young Master Xu. He asked me to give it to you.”

“This official doesn’t want it!” Zhong Huo knocked the sachet to the ground.

Zhang Meng paused for a moment, then squatted down to pick up the sachet, “If the boss doesn’t want it, I’ll return it to Young Master Xu.” She put the sachet back into her sleeve, “Then I’ll leave first.”

Zhong Huo stood there for a while, but in the end, she couldn’t suppress her emotions, “Just go if you’re going to go. There’s no need to specifically mention it. Who do you think you are? Do you think this official cares?”

“B-Boss…” Zhang Meng was startled.

Zhong Huo turned her head, “If you’re going to go, then go. This official doesn’t care!”

“Oh.” Just as Zhang Meng was about to leave, Zhong Huo grabbed her arm.

“Boss?”

She really didn’t care about her at all. Zhong Huo stared at her with a taut face for a good while, then dejectedly let go of her hand.

“I’m getting married. It’s a marriage bestowed by the empress.”

Zhang Meng said, “Congratulations! The boss will definitely be happy.”

Zhong Huo raised her hand and patted Zhang Meng’s head, wanting to be angry but unable to, “Why are you always so foolish.”

“Ah?”

“When I tell you to cook, you cook. When I tell you to clean the toilets, you clean… Even when I don’t let you take leave, you silently accept it… Don’t you know how to refuse?”

“Boss…” I have refused before…

“It’s been like this since before. Whatever I tell you to do, you do it without even thinking. You shield me from blades, test for poison, promote new policies for me, and stay up for days and nights.”

“When the yamen was dirt poor, you even went out to do manual labor to earn money every day, giving me all the good things…”

“Boss, I did this because…”

“If you could think a little more for yourself, this official wouldn’t have…”

“Boss!” Zhong Huo kept rambling on and on, and Zhang Meng wanted to interject but couldn’t find a chance. She had to raise her voice. Seeing Zhong Huo finally stop talking, she spoke, “What’s wrong with doing things for the boss? Isn’t it only natural to do things for the boss? The boss is a good official. I feel that everything I’ve done is worthwhile. It’s not just me. Everyone in the yamen is willing to go through fire and water for the boss.”

Zhong Huo looked at Zhang Meng, her lips moving as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she said nothing and only sighed.

She felt like a fool, constantly performing a one-person show, while the other person had no such feelings at all.

“Zhang Meng, I really do dislike you.” Zhong Huo said in a low voice.

“Zhang Meng, what did the boss say to you again?”

Seeing Zhang Meng return to the kitchen listlessly, Jin Yue hurried over and asked.

“Just emphasizing once again that she dislikes me.”

Jin Yue sympathetically patted her shoulder.

Two days later, Zhong Huo’s elder sister, Zhong Ling, arrived at the yamen. She also brought along a man with a beautiful appearance and an elegant and gentle demeanor. Zhang Meng, who had been busy in the kitchen, heard Jin Yue gossiping that this man was none other than Zhong Huo’s fiancé, named Ji Ming.

“The boss is really lucky. That Ji Ming is very good-looking. I think he’s even more handsome than Xu Lu Cha.” Jin Yue squatted beside Zhang Meng and said.

Zhang Meng was washing vegetables. Upon hearing this, she replied, “Then the boss must be overjoyed to see her fiancé.”

“Not at all.” Jin Yue shook her head, “The boss’s face was as ugly as can be, as if Ji Ming was some kind of plague.”

“The boss is always strange. Maybe she’s just shy.” Zhang Meng guessed.

“Who knows.” Jin Yue shrugged, “From now on, Ji Ming will be staying here. I heard that Ji Ming is delicate and has some picky eating habits. When you cook, you should prepare his meals separately.”

“Separately?”

“Of course. With the boss’s character, she will definitely mistreat Ji Ming. As subordinates, we must relieve the burdens of our superiors. Alright, don’t look at me like that. It was Miss Zhong Ling who instructed me to tell you to do this.”

Actually, Zhang Meng’s cooking skills were quite good. In modern times, when she lived alone, she often cooked for herself. And when she lived with Yang Qing here, Zhang Meng was also the one who cooked.

Therefore, even if Ji Ming was a bit picky, Zhang Meng was still confident in preparing good meals.

This morning, after finishing her street patrol, she went to the west of the city. Although she still didn’t see Yang Qing, she picked some fresh mushrooms on the mountain. She had a way with cooking mushrooms, so she thought mushrooms would be part of Ji Ming’s diet.

After preparing the meal, Jin Yue helped ring the dinner bell, and people began flocking to the kitchen.

Zhang Meng specifically portioned out Ji Ming’s meal and handed it to Jin Yue, “Take this to Ji Ming. I have to go out on patrol later.”

Zhang Meng took a few steamed buns, put on her sword, and went out.

“Young Master, why haven’t you gone to find Officer Zhang these past two days?”

Zi Yi sat on a stool, boredly arranging the white pieces on the chessboard into a wall.

Xu Lu Cha wore a loose green robe, his beautiful collarbones exposed, the red buds on his chest peeking out from beneath. He sat on a soft rug at the foot of the bed, leaning against the bed, one of his long legs stretched out, the other bent, one hand holding a teacup, the other resting on his bent knee. His posture was charming and uninhibited.

“Why should I look for her?” Xu Lu Cha asked disdainfully, the little mole at the corner of his eyes playful and enchanting.

Zi Yi knocked down the wall of white pieces in his hand, “Didn’t Young Master say you wanted to use her to get close to Lord Zhong? Besides, there’s no news at all from Lord Zhong’s side. We don’t even know if she gave the sachet to Lord Zhong.”

Xu Lu Cha tossed the teacup onto the soft rug, “Zi Yi, I’m not in a hurry, so what are you anxious about?”

“Young Master… Zi Yi is only thinking of you.”

Xu Lu Cha’s slender fingers hooked the silky hair hanging in front of his chest, “Let’s wait a couple more days. How could I, Xu Lu Cha, take the initiative to curry favor with someone?”

But thinking of how Zhang Meng repeatedly ignored his goodwill, Xu Lu Cha slightly tightened his fingers.

Once he took care of Zhong Huo, he would definitely make Zhang Meng pay.

Suddenly, a burst of talking could be heard from outside. Xu Lu Cha gestured for Zi Yi to go out and take a look.

Soon, Zi Yi quickly walked back in.

“Young Master, the Old Master and the others are coming. Hurry and put on your clothes properly, or the Old Master will scold you again.”

Xu Lu Cha sat up straight impatiently and adjusted his robe.

Zi Yi quickly helped Xu Lu Cha tidy his hair and clothes. By the time Xu Lu Cha was seated at the table, the Old Master of the Xu family had already arrived at the door.

This Old Master of the Xu family, named Chen Yue, was Xu Hong’s principal husband. Ever since Xu Hong had that scandalous affair with a male entertainer eight years ago and gave birth to Xu Lu Cha, Xu Lu Cha and his father, Gong Mi, had been thorns in Chen Yue’s side.

Although under Xu Hong’s warning, he didn’t dare to do anything to Xu Lu Cha directly, he secretly set many obstacles for Xu Lu Cha.

Moreover, a man’s marriage was generally decided by his father. Xu Lu Cha couldn’t possibly not know what kind of woman Chen Yue would betroth him to.

Xu Lu Cha’s active search for a backer was largely due to this reason.

Chen Yue walked into the room with a blank expression, “Sure enough, as soon as I enter here, I feel disgusted. That flirtatious smell on you is just like your shameless father.”

Xu Lu Cha sneered, “But women love this flirtatious smell. An old and ugly man like you, lifeless and dull, even if you were thrown on the street, even beggars wouldn’t spare you a glance.”

Chen Yue clenched his fists, “You only know how to use your filthy body to seduce men. Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to lately. But there’s no way Lord Zhong Huo would ever take a liking to a bastard like you.”

“That’s not for certain. When the time comes, I’m afraid you’ll be the one kneeling before this bastard, trying to curry favor in every way. Ah, just the thought of being kneeled to by someone like you makes me feel sick.”

Chen Yue laughed coldly, “Don’t be delusional. Lord Zhong Huo already has a fiancé. Her fiancé is the adopted son of the current Prime Minister, of noble status and handsome appearance. How can a bastard like you compare?”

Xu Lu Cha suddenly clenched his fists tightly, but his face showed no fluctuation.

Zi Yi’s eyes widened in surprise. So Lord Zhong already had a fiancé.

Seeing that he couldn’t elicit a look of distress from Xu Lu Cha, Chen Yue felt irritated, “In ten days, you will reach your eighteenth birthday. As the principal husband of the Xu family, I should find you a good wife-master. Rest assured, I will certainly find you a good one.” He said through gritted teeth.

With that, Chen Yue left in a huff.

“Young Master…” Zi Yi looked at Xu Lu Cha’s icy countenance helplessly.

Xu Lu Cha raised his hand and poured himself a cup of tea, “Specially telling me about Zhong Huo’s matter, coming to see me make a fool of myself, this is really that old bastard’s style.”

“Young Master, aren’t you anxious? Now Lord Zhong can’t be relied on. In ten days, the Old Master will arrange a match for you.”

Xu Lu Cha said coldly, “Zi Yi, what is there to be anxious about? Don’t we still have ten days?”

☆、