When the old nanny heard Zhu Qingyu's question, she felt like dropping to her knees and weeping with relief.
As a servant, she wasn't even free in her own person—her life wasn't her own, and every bit of her future depended on her master.
And yet, before she could even enter the Duke's estate, the mistress she was supposed to serve had run away.
Even as a top-ranked head nanny in wealthy households, armed with all the skills to secure her mistress's favor and scheme in the inner chambers, now that she had entered the Duke's mansion, her talents were utterly wasted. She was assigned to a meaningless job, paid a pittance in silver, fed plain meals, and spent every day worrying whether the steward would send her off to manual labor, or worse—whether the lady of the house would sell her off for eating without earning her keep.
Finally, she had managed to land a proper assignment. The young master, the heir, had ordered her to prepare a residence. Just moments ago, she had been wondering what beauty the heir had brought in this time. After all, with a pearl like Zhu Qingyu setting such a high standard, finding someone of equal beauty seemed impossible. And then she turned around and saw the very beauty herself.
The old nanny stepped forward:
"Good, good. Thank you for your concern, Lady Zhu. They say good things come to those who wait—I'm glad you're back."
Zhu Qingyu instantly understood the misunderstanding. She was about to correct her, to explain that she wasn't returning—she lived right next door.
Just then, Old Madam Wang came out:
"Madam, the morning meal is ready. The master asks if you'd like to eat now?"
Madam? Master?
There was a master now?
The mistress of another household?!
The old nanny was a seasoned professional from high-ranking families. She had seen it all, and under these circumstances, she still kept her composure, her smile rock-steady as she asked:
"Lady Zhu, who is this?"
Old Madam Wang looked over curiously:
"Madam? You know this woman?"
Zhu Qingyu wanted to introduce them:
"Ah, yes—this is..."
But then she awkwardly trailed off.
Back on the boat, perhaps because she was emotionally closed off, she hadn't even bothered to ask the names of the people close to Gu Zhao. Maybe someone had said them, but she hadn't bothered to remember. Now, she didn't even know the old nanny's surname.
The old nanny smoothly saved the situation:
"This old servant's surname is Qin."
Zhu Qingyu nodded:
"Nanny Qin, this is my housekeeper, Old Madam Wang. I see you're busy moving today—let's catch up another day."
After Zhu Qingyu and Old Madam Wang returned next door, Nanny Qin took a deep breath. Oh my. The heir of the Duke's mansion—who always seemed upright and proper—had actually snuck a mistress right into the house next door. What sort of mess was this?!
Back in the main room, Zhang Shen, disturbed by the noise from next door, had already gotten up. The two sat across from each other, eating a meal that was neither breakfast nor lunch.
Zhang Shen was making small talk:
"The Yangzhou estate and its staff have been bought and then returned to me by Brother Xue. In a couple of days, the head steward will return to Yangzhou to reorganize everything. For the Jiangning post, we'll mostly use the old staff from that estate. Here in the capital, we'll stay a few more months. Just Old Madam Wang and Uncle Lu aren't enough. I'll call an official agent and hire some servants here in the capital. Tell me—what kind of attendants do you want? Also, are you still going to Sichuan in the spring? If so, we need to bring more people and prepare early. I'll arrange it."
Zhu Qingyu had never been particular about personal attendants—she hardly needed them. So whenever Zhang Shen asked, she just said, "That's fine," "Okay," "You handle it."
As for going to Sichuan, if she needed to prepare guards, now was the time.
But she was worried. Given the situation, Gu Zhao might force her to stay in the capital come spring, preventing her from going to either Sichuan or Jiangning.
If she tried to run, and he grew desperate—knowing his past actions and his influence over the emperor—he might actually go so far as to petition for an imperial edict to force a marriage and then arrange a match for Zhang Shen.
Zhu Qingyu thought it best to prepare Zhang Shen in advance, so he wouldn't be caught off guard. She said:
"The neighbors are moving in. I went to see them—it's someone from the Dingguo Duke's estate."
Zhang Shen's hand paused mid-meal, but he said nothing.
Zhu Qingyu continued:
"So, the people for Sichuan probably won't be needed. And Jiangning—I probably won't go either. Don't worry about me for now; just arrange things for yourself."
Zhang Shen hummed in acknowledgment and continued eating silently. After a long while, he said:
"Qingyu, wait for me."
He didn't say what he meant by that, but Zhu Qingyu could tell his state of mind was off. She reached out and pressed his hand:
"Jingyan, what are you asking me to wait for? Promise me one thing—never again do something like forging accounts. If you ever do, even if it's for my sake, I will divorce you. Do you understand?"
Zhang Shen, who had been looking down at his meal, raised his head. The corners of his eyes were red:
"You want to divorce me?"
This was the first time Zhu Qingyu had voluntarily brought up divorce. Even though he looked about to cry, she hardened her heart, determined not to let him repeat his mistakes:
"If you ever put yourself in danger again, I will divorce you. You know me—I mean what I say. You're now a director at the Jiangning Textile Bureau, more than just the head of the Zhang family. Broaden your horizons. You oversee tens of thousands of weavers; hundreds of thousands of people depend on you for their livelihood. Don't let them live like the salt workers under Yan Qizhong. That's your true responsibility. As for my problems, I'll handle them. Can you promise me that?"
Zhang Shen nodded:
"Yes."
Zhu Qingyu wasn't sure if he had truly taken it to heart, but his attitude stirred her into action. She turned things over and over in her mind. The path Gu Zhao had pointed out—though it seemed absurd—was, upon reflection, the only path that might work.
If she didn't establish herself, the people around her would always suffer.
With that motivation, she suddenly developed an interest in memorizing official memorials. For several days straight, she adopted the intensity of preparing for high-stakes exams, studying day and night, even while eating and sleeping.
Once again, her poverty limited her imagination. She had thought Gu Zhao bought the house to hole up in. But in those days of memorizing, he never showed up. Clearly, the lord had bought the place just so he could drop in occasionally to check on her homework.
When a rest day came—since she had an appointment at Lord Zhuang's house—Zhu Qingyu worried that after dining at the Zhuang residence, she would forget everything she had memorized. So at the crack of dawn, she knocked on the door next door.
The old nanny was a bit dazed when she opened it:
"Lady Zhu?"
Zhu Qingyu hurriedly asked:
"Is Lord Gu here yet?"
The nanny nodded, hesitated slightly, but then figured that given Lady Zhu's relationship with Gu Zhao, there was no need to stop her. She replied:
"Lord Gu is in the main room. He just arrived."
Just arrived? Perfect. The layout was identical—same street, same house. Finding the main room was child's play.
Zhu Qingyu was in a hurry, frantic with worry that she’d forget everything if she waited any longer, so she rushed straight in:
“Master Gu, quick, quick, I’m here to turn in my homework.”
Inside the room stood a bathing tub, and Gu Zhao, in the middle of undressing, was halfway covered and halfway exposed, staring at her in astonishment.
Zhu Qingyu immediately spun around, mentally venting like crazy:
Bathing in broad daylight!
Was he a bath demon reincarnated?
This was the third time!
Ahhhh!
