Chapter 40

Chapter 40

News soon spread through the depths of the palace that the Crown Prince’s Secondary Consort had abruptly embraced Buddhism. She had dismissed all her servants, sealed the gates of her residence, and now spent every day before a green lamp in contemplation of the Buddha.

Apart from Shengsheng Zhou, every palace servant who knew the truth had probably already been sent on to their next life.

Meanwhile, our heroine, Miss Shengsheng Zhou, was facing the most unprecedented calamity of her professional career.

“What is the matter? Do you no longer obey your master’s orders?”

The young man reclined against the bed with his clothes in disarray. Though his face was stern, his voice held unmistakable amusement.

Shengsheng forced a smile. “This servant would not dare. It is only that Your Highness’s request is rather…”

“Rather what? I have lost my memories. Did the Crown Prince not tell you to take good care of me before he left? Is this your idea of care?”

Weicen Song’s tone sharpened, impatience gathering between his brows.

“His Highness ordered this servant to attend to your daily needs. He never ordered this servant to… attend to your needs… in bed.”

She forced the final words through gritted teeth.

Weicen looked displeased. “Is pleasure between a man and a woman not part of daily life?”

Shengsheng had no desire to waste another breath arguing with this damned stallion.

“Please conduct yourself with dignity, Your Highness. This servant is unwilling.”

Her own voice turned cold. If he tried to force her, she would simply make him lose his memories a second time.

She was rather skilled at that sort of thing.

Weicen stared at her in disbelief. Then he swept aside his already-loose robe and bared his upper body.

“What is there to be unwilling about? Does this prince not have enough abdominal muscles? Are they not firm enough? Or perhaps…”

His eyes narrowed, and an insinuating smile curled his lips.

Before he could assault her ears with anything filthier, Shengsheng drew a deep breath.

*A-Pang, spray this rutting stallion unconscious!*

***

Shengsheng planted her hands on her hips and grinned wickedly down at Weicen, who now slept like the dead.

Just as she was about to begin, she noticed a pair of tall boots beside the couch.

An idea occurred to her.

Under A-Pang’s dumbfounded stare, Shengsheng gingerly picked up one boot by the sole. With a look of utter disgust, she brought it down hard against the unconscious Weicen’s backside.

A dingy gray footprint immediately appeared across his clothes.

Oh, no. She had forgotten the stallion was wearing pale robes.

Shengsheng pursed her lips and decided she knew nothing about it. She calmly returned the “weapon” to its place and began searching the room.

According to Weiqing’s description, she was looking for a small booklet.

She searched every corner. Apart from several obscene picture books beneath the bed, she found nothing else made of paper.

Exhausted, Shengsheng sprawled across the floor and took several breaths. Her gaze drifted to the rafters overhead, and inspiration suddenly struck.

*A-Pang, fly up there and take a look.*

When the small, bright-yellow booklet finally landed in her hands, Shengsheng gave a low whistle.

*Shengsheng Zhou, you are a goddamned genius.*

How had Weicen even climbed up there? The sly bastard had hidden it absurdly high.

Shengsheng tucked the booklet into her clothes. Without sparing the man on the bed another glance, she walked straight out.

The door clicked softly shut.

Then Weicen, who should have been utterly unconscious, opened his eyes without warning.

***

“You have done very well.”

Weiqing Song closed the booklet and nodded in satisfaction.

Perhaps putting Shengsheng to work for him made far better use of her abilities than worrying about the direction of the plot. Fusheng Duan had truly misjudged her. He had kept such a capable woman at his side and used her as nothing more than an ordinary palace maid.
It had been a shocking waste of talent.

Shengsheng naturally had no idea what Weiqing was thinking. She only knew that the expression on his face was distinctly unnerving.

“Your reward has already been delivered to the courtyard where you stayed before,” Weiqing said. “Rest there for the next few days.”

Shengsheng was delighted enough to sprout wings and fly back at once. Still, she bowed with measured composure before departing in tiny, hurried steps.

Watching her go, Jian Zhang could not help praising her.

“Miss Zhou possesses remarkable self-control.”

Weiqing gave him a disdainful look.

What kind of eyes did this guard have? Had he not heard her thoughts shrieking with impatience to tunnel straight through the ground and escape?

Ah, right.

Jian could not hear them.

Having been glared at by his master for no apparent reason, Jian was utterly confused.

***

Before Shengsheng reached the courtyard gate, she heard laughter inside.

It was Zhiyu Jiang.

The first thing she saw after crossing the threshold was a neat array of wooden chests and rare treasures, prominently arranged in the middle of the courtyard.

One chest had already been opened. At the sound of approaching footsteps, Zhiyu hurriedly scrambled up from where she had been crouching beside it.

“Shengsheng! You are back!” she cried with delight.

Shengsheng burst out laughing.

Zhiyu wore necklaces of every imaginable style piled around her head, while jeweled rings covered all ten fingers.

“Where did this adorable little lady of fortune come from? Come, let this lord take a proper look.”

She put on a lecherous grin, pounced, and mercilessly kneaded Zhiyu’s cheeks.

“Would you look at this? How did this little face grow plumper?”

“The food ish too good!” Zhiyu mumbled through her squashed cheeks.

Shengsheng swept a quick glance over Weiqing’s rewards, and her smile nearly reached her ears.

She had struck it rich this time.

She had not even been in the Zhen Kingdom for long, yet she had earned far more than she ever had serving that bastard Siran Ming.

The comparison made Siran seem all the more hateful.

The thought of him dimmed her good mood.

“Is Pecky inside? Has he grown as fat as you?”

Smiling, Shengsheng set down a length of brocade and walked toward the room.

At the mention of Pecky, Zhiyu’s lovely face fell.

Shengsheng frowned and quickened her pace.

The bird who should have been curled up asleep inside the golden basin was gone.

The little dish of clear water beside it remained full. It looked as though no bird had touched it in a very long time.

“How long?”

When Zhiyu hurried into the room, she found Shengsheng standing with her back to her by the window.

Her voice sounded perfectly calm, yet Zhiyu heard an inexplicable loneliness beneath it.

“The day after you went to the Secondary Consort’s residence, I came to change his water and found him gone. He never came back. I looked for him, but… I could not find him.”

Zhiyu stumbled through the explanation.

She knew that although Shengsheng always complained about the bird’s fussy appetite, she tirelessly searched for the fruit he liked best and the sweetest, freshest water.

Shengsheng adored Pecky.

“It is fine. If he left, then he left. Perhaps he will come back one day.”

Shengsheng turned and smiled as though she had accepted it. The unnatural curve of her lips betrayed how far she was from truly letting go.

“I was going to ask the Crown Prince about you,” Zhiyu said, clumsily changing the subject. “Now that you are back, I do not need to. Hehe.”

Shengsheng nodded absently at the mention of Weiqing. She had just lifted a teacup when something suddenly struck her.

Damn it!

How had she forgotten such an important part of the plot?