Chapter 253: Chapter 164: "Beauty Trap
"Thank you."
’Something’s off,’ Zheng Xiu thought. As the saying goes, to be so attentive for no reason means you’re either a thief or a scoundrel. Xiaotao’s voice was sugary sweet, as if she were speaking around a piece of hard candy. It was pleasant to the ear, but Zheng Xiu couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Xiaotao wore a tasteful, pale yellow dress. Her delicate face was adorned with only a touch of subtle makeup, giving Zheng Xiu the distinct impression of a well-bred lady from a prominent family.
As the Richest Person in the Imperial City, Zheng Xiu had encountered countless Royal Princesses and daughters of wealthy merchants. His instincts were rarely wrong.
And that was precisely the problem.
It would have been one thing to run into a well-bred young lady out in the world—nothing strange about that. But this was Yunhe Village, a fortress swarming with bandits. Xiaotao’s refined demeanor and attire were utterly out of place. Set against such a grim backdrop, her presence was like a ray of light, instantly dispelling the gloom of Yunhe Village.
He took another look.
Strange.
He took the basin from Xiaotao’s hands—and Zheng Xiu wasn’t exaggerating when he called it a "basin." It was, in the strictest sense of the word, a pot, the kind one would use to fetch water, complete with a curved handle on the side.
The pot was filled to the brim with steaming white rice, topped with several large chunks of freshly roasted wild boar. A few stiff, black bristles, not yet fully plucked, stood out conspicuously.
’The bandits downstairs must be eating the same thing.’
THUD!
The heavy pot of food landed on the table, and the corner of Zheng Xiu’s eye twitched. So, the food had arrived. But a whole pot of it... Zheng Xiu couldn’t help but feel a little insulted.
But that feeling of humiliation vanished just as quickly.
He watched as Xiaotao offered a faint smile and pulled a small, embroidered pouch from her sleeve, from which she produced a clean blue-and-white porcelain bowl and a spoon.
"Your servant... will help you with your meal, Young Master."
The tips of Xiaotao’s ears turned a faint red. She used the small spoon to scoop up some rice, then carefully tore off a piece of roasted meat with her slender, pale fingers. Placing the meat atop the rice, she slowly brought the spoonful toward Zheng Xiu’s mouth, which had fallen open in shock.
His shock wasn’t because he’d never experienced this kind of "service" before. As the Richest Person, what kind of pampering hadn’t he enjoyed? Everyone was young once, after all.
Zheng Xiu was shocked because of his current circumstances.
’Isn’t this a bandit fortress?!’
’Why is it set up like some kind of theme party?!’
’Xie Luohe, oh, Xie Luohe. I never thought this is what you were like, Feng Bei!’
Xiaotao blushed as she blew on the rice to cool it slightly, then prompted, "Ahh~," gesturing for Zheng Xiu to open his mouth.
"Is it to your liking, Young Master?"
"I don’t think this is appropriate... Mmm, it’s delicious."
’It was all an act.’
’But sometimes, an act isn’t so bad.’
The moment Zheng Xiu reminded himself that he was "Gongsun Mo," not "Zheng Xiu," he began to enjoy Xiaotao’s service with a clear conscience.
’Maybe Gongsun Mo would have enjoyed this?’
’I’m just doing my good deed for the day.’
"Did your master send you?"
Zheng Xiu wasn’t a picky eater, and he was, in fact, quite hungry. So he happily ate his meal while being served by Xiaotao. It was delicious.
He wasn’t worried about the food being poisoned.
With Xie Luohe’s martial prowess, she had no need for such underhanded methods.
But Zheng Xiu didn’t let himself get distracted. As he ate, his mind was racing, and he began to probe for information.
"Yes. Miss said she was worried that a Scholar such as yourself wouldn’t be accustomed to life in the village, so she sent me to personally attend to you."
He could tell that, despite her efforts to hide it, Xiaotao had been nervous when she first came in. But Zheng Xiu’s composure and temperament had unknowingly eased her worries, and the dimpled smile on her face grew more natural.
Zheng Xiu was a little surprised. "Everyone else calls her Big Leader, but you call her Miss?"
Xiaotao nodded slightly. "Yes. Miss told me to address her that way."
"Heh. Does she beat or scold you often?"
"Pfft!" Xiaotao covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "You worry too much, Young Master. Miss... she’s a good person."
Zheng Xiu paused. "You weren’t kidnapped and forced to be a maid?"
Xiaotao quickly waved her hands. "No, no, no! I followed Miss up the mountain willingly. She didn’t force me at all."
"You... came here willingly?"
"You may not know this, Young Master, but while Miss might be a Great Evil Person in the eyes of the world, in my heart, she is the kindest person in the entire world."
"Oh? And why do you say that, Xiaotao?"
Xiaotao seemed to recall something and shook her head forcefully. The smile on her face froze, and a flicker of imperceptible terror appeared in her eyes. "I’ve overstepped," she said hastily. "I shouldn’t speak of Miss’s affairs."
Huh?
Though Zheng Xiu was thoroughly enjoying being fed by Xiaotao, he hadn’t allowed himself to become lost in her gentle charms. If he had, he would have been closing his eyes to savor the moment, not keeping them wide open to observe her every expression.
The look in Xiaotao’s eyes told him that she was both afraid of and grateful to Xie Luohe.
In an instant, Zheng Xiu’s mind filled with the plots of countless classical romance dramas. He had a sudden epiphany, imagining all the ’this and thats’ of her backstory.
Zheng Xiu managed to find out a few more things.
In all of Yunhe Village, she and Xie Luohe were the only two women.
For instance, the room he was staying in had previously been Xiaotao’s. No wonder it was so clean.
Later, as the fortress grew more crowded, the adjacent rooms were filled with boorish male bandits. Knowing this was inconvenient for a young woman, Xie Luohe had Xiaotao move into the room next to her own.
A small path had been carved out, leading from the cliffside caves to the summit of the mountain.
According to Xiaotao, Xie Luohe had built a sturdy little wooden cabin on the summit. That was where Xie Luohe lived, high above everyone else. Besides taking care of Xie Luohe’s daily needs—laundry, cooking—Xiaotao also had to tend a small garden for her.
Then again, for someone as seemingly innocent as Xiaotao to live unharmed in Yunhe Village... Zheng Xiu wasn’t sure if he should praise the bandits for their surprisingly upstanding character or credit Xie Luohe’s terrifyingly effective authority. As a man well-versed in the ways of the world from his years in business, Zheng Xiu knew how to handle people. He peppered the conversation with wide-ranging anecdotes, the occasional dry joke, and remixed versions of old tales. He soon had Xiaotao giggling, her face flushed red as she pressed her legs together beneath her skirt. The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew... delicate.
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