CHAPTER 368: CHAPTER 370: THE CONSERVATORY (1)

Xing shrank his neck and looked at Xiqiu a bit timidly.

"I wet the bed too." Just when the Grand Dowager and Min thought Xiqiu wouldn’t reply, she smiled, gently touched Xing’s head, and said seriously, "Even your Fourth Aunt wet the bed when she was little."

Xing leaned against Xiqiu’s embrace and giggled.

The Grand Dowager glanced at Xiqiu with some surprise, but a smile appeared in her eyes. Nanny Wu was also full of smiles, "I didn’t expect Young Master Xin to like Fourth Madam so much."

Min sat next to the Grand Dowager, watching Xiqiu and Xing laughing happily, his eyes full of puzzlement.

Just then, the curtain lifted, and Fourth Master Xiao strode in. Seeing the room filled with laughter, with Xiqiu holding Xing, not knowing what she was saying, laughing so merrily, his mood lifted as well, and he asked, "What are you talking about that’s so joyous?"

The Grand Dowager asked Nanny Wu to serve tea to Fourth Master Xiao, and before he could sit down, Xing jumped off Xiqiu’s lap and eagerly said to Fourth Master Xiao, "Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt said she wet the bed when she was little!"

"Xing!" Xiqiu hadn’t expected Xing to say this, especially in front of Fourth Master Xiao, even as a joke, her face couldn’t help but turn red.

Fourth Master Xiao looked at Xiqiu with her cheeks flushed, her face shyly lowered, and his lips curled into a wide smile.

The Grand Dowager noticed this, sighed lightly.

Once Fourth Master Xiao and Xiqiu left, the Grand Dowager spoke to Nanny Wu, "It seems the fourth really has a fondness for her; I’ve never seen him like this with anyone."

"Indeed." Nanny Wu replied with a smile, "See how Fourth Master smiles, the servant has never seen it before."

Coming back in the evening, Fourth Master Xiao had a wide smile on his lips.

Xiqiu helped him freshen up, and with a lamp left on the nightstand, they lay down. After a few trips back and forth today, Xiqiu felt a bit tired, and soon started to feel drowsy.

In her drowsiness, a pair of large hands brushed her hair away from her forehead, gently touching her head.

"Fourth Master!" Xiqiu opened her sleepy eyes to look at Fourth Master Xiao, "You have an early court session tomorrow, shouldn’t you rest early?" Xiqiu didn’t ask how things went in Tongzhou, but presumed it should have been successful since he didn’t mention it.

Fourth Master Xiao leaned against a pillow embroidered with osmanthus, but didn’t immediately respond, his gaze settled on her face.

Xiqiu fought her drowsiness and propped her head up on her elbow, looking at Fourth Master Xiao, "Does Fourth Master have something to say to me?"

"No," Fourth Master Xiao chuckled, "Just seeing you with Xing today, really moved me."

Xiqiu raised her eyebrows. He doesn’t think her kindness to Xing means there’s another layer of relationship between them, while she keeps a cold distance from Min?

"Xing is very naïve and willing to talk to people." Xiqiu replied with a laugh, recalling how he had cried in her arms in the afternoon: "Min acts like a little adult, very sensitive... I, don’t know how to communicate with him."

Fourth Master Xiao wasn’t originally thinking about this, but hearing her candidly mention Min with a somewhat downcast expression, he couldn’t help but pull her into his embrace, letting her lean against his arm, "Then leave him with Mother; he can have company with Xing."

Xiqiu did not nod, after all, Min is a child of the fourth branch and will have to come back eventually!

She thought of another matter, feeling it better to discuss with him, to voice her concerns: "Today, Mother called me over, mentioning a housekeeper from the Shandong estates, requesting Mother to find a maid for his eldest son. Mother then asked my opinion..."

Fourth Master Xiao’s eyes flashed, he raised a brow and looked at her, "How did you reply?" Xiqiu murmured, "I said I don’t have anyone of suitable age here."

"Fourth Master, I want to ask you for a favor!" Xiqiu contemplated and finally revealed her thoughts to him.

Fourth Master Xiao’s eyes lit up, this was the first time Xiqiu had actively sought his help, he seemed quite pleased, asking, "Alright, tell me."

Xiqiu thought of Chunyan, feeling a bit reluctant, "Chunyan is already sixteen this year, I was planning to keep her for another two years, but given the current situation... and Mother mentioned this today, gave me a reminder, I wish to ask Fourth Master to see if there’s someone suitable outside the mansion, since keeping her here would inevitably lead to gossip behind her back, it’s better to let her go, where she might live more freely."

"Okay. I’ll keep an eye out." Fourth Master Xiao sensed her mood was somewhat low, understanding Chunyan had been a maid by her side for many years, they surely shared deep feelings, but now had to let her go, his eyes flickered as he paused the hand resting on Xiqiu’s back.

With Chunyan leaving, Xiqiu would have one less maid around, Xiqiu pondered and looked up to ask Fourth Master Xiao, "Nanny Cen has been following you, what do you think of her as a person?" She seemed alright to Xiqiu, a bit gossipy but very honest, after all, having stayed in the mansion for so many years, she probably wouldn’t still be in the kitchen if she wasn’t honest, besides, being someone longstanding by Fourth Master Xiao, now still in his quarters, she willingly stayed in the kitchen, truly not bad!

"Very sincere, honest!" Fourth Master Xiao replied concisely, "Is there a lack of hands?!" He saw she only brought four maids and two servants, the yard, though not large, surely had numerous trivial matters, and since she considered sending Chunyan away, feared it would exacerbate the shortage of hands, "Should I ask Mother to assign a nanny to you?"

"No need." The yard already had Treasure Bead and Ziyang, although believing the Grand Dowager would not send people to spy on her life, having outsiders in her living space always felt uncomfortable, needing relatively private space, she immediately smiled and waved her hand, "Just felt there were many things and rules in the mansion unclear, want to find an older, steadier nanny for assistance."

She can’t always rely on Biwu to inquire about things!

Fourth Master Xiao thought for a moment then responds with a light ’hmm’, "Decide for yourself with matters in the yard."

Xiqiu nodded with a smile, suddenly feeling there were many benefits to marrying, at least she didn’t feel her destiny was in someone else’s grasp, though cautious, unconnected with life or death, nor her or those around her being arbitrarily sent away or disposed of.

For example, the Grand Dowager today, although she intended to send Chunyan out, hinted subtly and after Xiqiu’s tactful refusal, did not bring it up again, had it been in Tong Mansion, fearing Chunyan couldn’t be saved even if she wanted to!

Xiqiu leaned on Fourth Master Xiao’s shoulder, feeling suddenly very grounded, as if living truly and tangibly.

"What’s up?" Fourth Master Xiao noticed Xiqiu’s mood was more delighted than before, he lowered his head to look at her, seeing her smile slightly, her large eyes reflecting brightly under the candlelight...