Chapter 125: Third Miss Sends a Bed-Warming Young Maid, Cold Senior Sister Follows to Catch an Affair

At midday.

When Luo Zijun woke up, he heard the sound of a young maid humming a tune in the small courtyard outside.

She seemed to be in a good mood.

He got out of bed, changed into new robes, and walked over to push open the window.

The young maid was squatting in the courtyard, scrubbing his clothes.

Hearing the sound, she immediately turned her head to look at him, her eyes curving into crescent moons, and she smiled sweetly: "Young Master is awake."

The first time, this young maid had woken up very late, and she had looked frail and powerless as if she had been ravaged; whenever she saw him, she had a look of fear in her eyes.

But this time, she actually looked radiant and in high spirits, as if a flower had been watered, becoming even more delicate, charming, and full of vitality.

"Xiaohuan, aren't you tired?"

Luo Zijun asked.

Xiaohuan giggled and said: "Not tired, this servant feels full of strength."

Luo Zijun deliberately tried to scare her: "Then we'll continue tonight, three times!"

Who would have thought that as soon as the young maid heard this, her eyes immediately lit up, and she said with a face full of anticipation: "Really? Young Master, you aren't allowed to lie to this servant, okay? Can this servant ask for one more time? Four times?"

Luo Zijun: "..."

Sure enough, there are only tired oxen, no plowed-out fields.

This young maid had already weathered the wind and rain, turning into a tough, indestructible, and increasingly courageous big maid who even he felt afraid of.

Luo Zijun ignored her and went out to wash up.

Seeing that he dared not say anything, the young maid washed the clothes while looking at him and giggling triumphantly.

Before long.

Zhiyuan delivered lunch and told him that the Third Miss would be coming over later.

Luo Zijun nodded, secretly guessing in his heart what that Third Miss wanted to say to him later.

He did not know if she would blame him for what happened last night.

After finishing the meal.

A moment later, footsteps sounded outside.

Then, a knock on the door followed.

Xiaohuan hurried to open the door.

Bai Qingtong appeared outside the door, tall and beautiful in a green dress; she smiled at the young maid and entered.

Luo Zijun hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute: "Third Miss."

Bai Qingtong smiled slightly and said: "Mr. Luo, no need for formalities."

She then glanced at the others and instructed: "You all go out first and wait outside; just let Zhiyuan stay here."

"Yes, Miss."

The maids and nannies immediately turned and left the room.

Xiaohuan also hurried out and closed the courtyard gate.

Zhiyuan walked over to pick up the teapot, poured tea for the two of them, and then stood to the side with her head lowered.

Bai Qingtong walked to the stone table and smiled: "Sir, please sit."

Luo Zijun thanked her and walked to the stone table to sit down.

Bai Qingtong sat down opposite him, picked up her teacup, took a light sip, lowered her head to ponder for a moment, and then asked: "Mr. Luo, may I ask what your relationship is with that Liu?"

Luo Zijun was silent for a moment and said: "A soulmate."

"A soulmate?"

Bai Qingtong was stunned at first, then a smile appeared on her face: "What a good soulmate. Mr. Luo, you risked your life last night to go up on stage to protect her, not hesitating to berate the Young Lady of the Marquis's mansion, and even daring to rebuke that Marquis himself; if you are only soulmates, then Qingtong also hopes that you can consider me a soulmate."

Luo Zijun: "..."

Bai Qingtong smiled and said: "I'm just joking with you, Sir; it's just that your courage last night was truly too great."

Luo Zijun cupped his hands and said: "I haven't thanked you yet for last night, Third Miss. If you hadn't stepped in, I probably wouldn't have been able to walk out of that Marquis's mansion."

Bai Qingtong said: "You shouldn't just thank me; you should be even more grateful for the words Tanchun spoke for you. Those words she said last night were using the reputation of the Jia Family and the reputation of Yingchun to help you. Young Master Luo, you should also understand the weight of those words."

Luo Zijun remained silent.

Bai Qingtong toyed with the teacup in her hand, lowered her head to swirl the tea in the cup, and said with a complex tone: "Some words, once spoken, are very difficult to take back, especially for those of us in these families."

Luo Zijun said: "Third Miss, I already have someone I like."

Bai Qingtong looked at him and said: "That Liu, is that right?"

Luo Zijun nodded.

Bai Qingtong stared at him for a moment longer, then suddenly sighed and said: "Back then, my eldest brother liked her so much that he went to the Liu Mansion in person to propose marriage and even pestered my father to propose, but in the end, she firmly refused him. My eldest brother was heartbroken and went to Yujing. Perhaps it is because of this matter that Qianzi holds a grudge against her. It's just that I didn't expect her to take revenge in that way last night. To be honest, after what happened last night, I'm afraid everyone will stay away from her. Such a person is not worth being friends with. As for your Liu..."

Speaking to this point, she paused and said: "Mr. Luo, are you certain you will marry her in the future?"

Luo Zijun said: "Certain."

Bai Qingtong was silent for a moment and said: "Then what about Yingchun? How will you explain it to her, and how will you explain it to the Jia Family?"

Luo Zijun said: "From beginning to end, I never made any promises. As for Miss Tanchun helping me speak out last night, I am deeply grateful. If she and Miss Yingchun have any requests in the future, I will not hesitate even if it means going through fire and water."

Bai Qingtong stared at him for a few more moments and said: "Tanchun just came to see me and asked me to inquire about your opinion. And she said that even if you like that Liu, it doesn't matter."

Luo Zijun looked at her in confusion.

Bai Qingtong smiled: "What she means is that you can marry both, and she has already asked Yingchun; Yingchun has no objections at all."

Luo Zijun frowned slightly and said: "Third Miss, do you think that is possible?"

Bai Qingtong said: "Why not? With Mr. Luo's talent, your future is boundless; passing the imperial examinations is only a matter of time. Isn't it very normal to take three wives and four concubines?"

Luo Zijun said directly: "However, I have no feelings whatsoever for that Miss Yingchun. And, I..."

He would absolutely never marry a girl from the Jia Family.

It felt as if the entire Jia Mansion was caught in a massive vortex of curses; from the masters down to the maids, there were few in the household who had a good ending.

"Matters of the heart, you know, can be cultivated slowly."

Bai Qingtong said with a light and breezy air: "With the Jia Family's current status, if you were to marry Yingchun and then pass the imperial examination, wouldn't you be rising rapidly in your career?"

Luo Zijun stopped beating around the bush and said directly: "Third Miss, I am still the same as I told you before: I refuse this marriage proposal."

Bai Qingtong looked at the expression on his face and said: "Truly refusing? Without even a moment of consideration?"

Luo Zijun said: "Yes, no consideration needed."

Bai Qingtong pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and said: "Very well, I will reply to Tanchun for you. However, you will likely still need to tell Tanchun yourself. After all, she did indeed risk a great deal to help you last night."

Luo Zijun said: "That is only natural." Bai Qingtong said: "Next month is Jia Xichun's birthday, and Tanchun has invited you; we shall go together then. You had best make things clear to them in person, lest they continue to hold onto hope, especially Yingchun."

Luo Zijun was silent for a moment, then nodded.

He actually did not want to go to the Jia Mansion for the time being, but this matter truly required him to go to the mansion in person to express his gratitude and clarify things.

Bai Qingtong suddenly stared at him again and smiled: "Mr. Luo, you have kept me, Qingtong, in such suspense."

Luo Zijun looked puzzled: "What have I kept from Third Miss?"

Bai Qingtong did not speak, but took three books from her sleeve, placed them on the stone table, and spread them out one by one.

Luo Zijun took a glance.

One was *West Chamber Romance*, one was *Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai*.

The last one was *Qiannu Youhun*.

The air went quiet for an instant.

!

Luo Zijun opened his mouth and said: "I do not understand."

Bai Qingtong smiled slightly, pointed at the names on the books, and said: "Jun Chujian... Luo Zijun, Liu Chujian... is that not so?"

Luo Zijun immediately looked surprised: "Oh, what a coincidence."

Bai Qingtong smiled: "Is it truly a coincidence, or is it the reality? At this point, does Mister still intend to hide it?"

She paused.

She continued: "That Imperial Concubine Jia in the palace read these three books a while ago and praised them endlessly. Once the Old Ancestor of the Jia Family heard, she immediately sent people out to search. By now, they have likely already traced it to your close female friend. Does Mr. Luo think there is still a need to hide it?"

Luo Zijun fell silent.

Zhiyuan, standing to the side, looked at the three books on the table and then at him, her eyes gradually widening.

Bai Qingtong suddenly sighed and said: "Qingtong has long known that Mister is overflowing with talent and peerless in writing, but I truly did not expect that even these three new books, which everyone is chasing after lately, came from Mister's hand. Mister's literary talent is worthy of the title of the number one scholar in Lin'an."

Luo Zijun still did not open his mouth to admit it.

Bai Qingtong's gaze flickered, and she suddenly asked: "What does Mister think of Zhiyuan?"

Zhiyuan, standing to the side, was suddenly startled.

Luo Zijun said: "Zhiyuan is very good, she serves very attentively."

Bai Qingtong smiled slightly and said: "I will gift her to Mister to be a young maid who warms the bed; what does Mister think?"

Zhiyuan's fair face turned bright red, and her watery eyes looked toward the young man before the table.

Luo Zijun was stunned for a moment and said: "Many thanks for Third Miss's kindness, but I already have Xiaohuan."

Bai Qingtong smiled: "How can one be enough? If Mister truly cherishes Xiaohuan, you should take a few more to help her share the household chores. Serving tea and water, washing clothes and folding quilts, and cleaning the house—I see Xiaohuan is still sewing clothes; does Mister think she can handle it all alone? If Mister is writing, you also need someone to grind ink and turn pages; if you are traveling, you also need someone to follow and serve you, do you not?"

Luo Zijun glanced at Zhiyuan beside him, and before he could speak, Bai Qingtong added: "Mister, rest assured, Qingtong can swear on the reputation of the Bai Family that I am gifting Zhiyuan to Mister not to monitor you, and I will never ask Zhiyuan about any matters concerning Mister in the future. Zhiyuan's slave contract can also be handed over to Mister together. From now on, everything about Zhiyuan belongs to Mister, including her life."

While Luo Zijun was still hesitating, Zhiyuan suddenly knelt down, lowered her head, and said: "I beg Young Master to accept this servant. In the future, I am willing to work like an ox or a horse for Young Master, and I am willing to serve Young Master for a lifetime. If I grow old and withered in the future and Young Master finds me undesirable, I will quietly leave on my own and will never pester Young Master. If Young Master is willing to give me a bite to eat then, I will stay far away, and just catching a glimpse of Young Master occasionally will be enough to satisfy me."

After she finished speaking, she began to kowtow with a "thud, thud, thud."

Seeing this, Luo Zijun hurriedly went over to help her up. Looking at her red-rimmed eyes, her reddened forehead, and her pitiful appearance, he couldn't help but reach out to rub her forehead, saying: "Silly girl, why are you kowtowing? I didn't say I didn't want you."

Tears immediately welled up in Zhiyuan's eyes, and she said happily: "Thank you, Young Master."

Bai Qingtong also stood up and smiled: "Since Mister is willing to accept Zhiyuan, I will have someone send over Zhiyuan's slave contract later. As for whether Mister keeps her or sells her in the future, it is entirely up to Mister's own discretion."

Luo Zijun cupped his hands and said: "Many thanks, Third Miss."

Bai Qingtong looked at him again and couldn't help but sigh: "There are not many good people like Mister left now."

She then took her leave: "Then Mister, please be busy; Qingtong still has to go out."

Luo Zijun hurriedly went over to see her out the door.

After a group of maids and nannies surrounded her and left, Xiaohuan entered the room and asked excitedly in a low voice: "Young Master, what did Third Miss say to you? I heard those nannies saying it seemed to be about Young Master's marriage."

Luo Zijun said: "I refused."

"Ah, why did Young Master refuse? I heard the other party is a young lady of the Jia Family, and the Jia Family are imperial relatives."

The little maid did not understand at all.

Luo Zijun rubbed her head and said: "Because Young Master has you... *cough cough*..."

He immediately turned around and looked at the young girl in the courtyard: "Because Young Master has you and Zhiyuan, and that is enough."

Zhiyuan blushed, her face full of smiles.

Xiaohuan blinked, looked at her Young Master, then at her, and then back at her Young Master.

Zhiyuan took the initiative to come over and hold her little hand, saying affectionately: "Xiaohuan, I will move in to live with you later, and we will serve Young Master together."

"Ah..."

"Are you unwilling?"

Zhiyuan smiled.

Xiaohuan was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly shook her head: "No, it's not..."

Luo Zijun explained: "Third Miss has gifted Zhiyuan to me; from now on, just like you, she is my... young maid who warms the bed."

Xiaohuan: "..."

She suddenly blinked her eyes: "Young Master, then tonight, should this servant and Sister Zhiyuan... sleep with you together?"

Luo Zijun's expression changed, and he hurriedly said: "How could that be, the bed is too small."

Seeing the expression on his face, Xiaohuan laughed: "It's not small. This servant has a small body, and Sister Zhiyuan is so slender; sleeping three people is more than enough, Young Master, don't be afraid."

"I still have things to do, I am going out for a while."

Luo Zijun did not chat with her anymore, waved his hand, and went out the door.

He had to go to Chujian Bookstore to see; he did not know if what Third Miss said was true, that people from the Jia Family had already tracked him there.

If they already knew about his relationship with that young girl, then it might be dangerous.

That enemy would naturally not let go of this opportunity.

After leaving the house, he hurried along the way.

He specifically took a detour, came out from the alley behind, and quickly turned into Chujian Bookstore.

And the moment he stepped into the shop, a figure suddenly appeared in the alley behind, following him silently and arriving in front of the shop.

Passersby on the street in front, upon seeing this tall, cold, snow-white figure, all revealed a look of amazement in their eyes.

The young girl raised her head, her cold, beautiful eyes looking at the name on the shop door.

(End of this chapter)