Lüdou instinctively wanted to ask, but when she saw Nanny Li behind Duoduo, she swallowed her question.
As a servant, she had no right to inquire into her master’s affairs.
Unless her master wished to tell her.
Even so, concern showed on Lüdou’s face.
Lüdou followed Duoduo into the kitchen and opened the steamer. Using a handkerchief to protect her hands, she took out the steaming-hot pastries.
“Princess, please have a taste and see how they turned out.”
Sweet things could make people happy, and Lüdou hoped that eating them would cheer Duoduo up.
Duoduo nodded. She carried the pastry to a chair and instructed Lüdou, “Give one to Nanny Li as well.”
“Yes!”
Lüdou handed a piece to Nanny Li.
Nanny Li had originally wanted to find an excuse to leave.
She did not know what the prince and the princess had said in the study, but the princess’s expression was dreadful.
Nanny Li also knew that, bound by the rules, she could not ask.
However, Lüdou and Duoduo shared an extraordinary bond. Lüdou would surely be able to comfort Duoduo.
Her presence would only make things inconvenient.
Only then did Nanny Li suddenly realize that, compared with making the princess happy, the rules perhaps were not as important as she had thought.
“Thank you for the reward, Princess!” Nanny Li gave a curtsy.
Duoduo nodded. She put the pastry into her mouth and took a distracted bite.
She was thinking about how to tell Lüdou what would happen next.
This was no small matter.
It was a life-or-death matter!
Duoduo did not want Lüdou to think she was pushing her out as a target.
Lüdou watched Duoduo anxiously and noticed that she seemed to be chewing something tasteless.
“Princess, does this pastry taste bad?”
In the end, Lüdou could not hold back her question.
She had already tasted the pastries when they first came out of the steamer.
Still, she had felt that something was missing from them.
As for what exactly was lacking, she could not say.
“Nanny Li, what do you think?” Duoduo asked. Her mind was occupied with other matters, so she had not noticed the taste.
Nanny Li carefully swallowed the pastry in her mouth before answering.
“Your Highness, this servant feels that it is still slightly inferior to the pastries from the palace.”
Lüdou immediately nodded excitedly.
“Nanny Li, I feel the same way!”
“Do you know what the difference is?” Lüdou asked humbly.
Nanny Li carefully recalled the flavor of the pastry.
After a long while, she shook her head regretfully.
“I couldn’t taste what was missing—or what there was too much of, either.”
“All I know is that the flavor and texture are somewhat different from those of the palace pastries.”
“As for the specifics, you’ll have to keep experimenting on your own.”
The moment Lüdou heard this, she became utterly dejected.
Nanny Li was an old hand from the palace. If even she could not identify the problem, then it would be even harder to find.
Seeing Lüdou’s expression, Duoduo grew curious.
She took another bite of the pastry and savored it carefully.
Hmm?
It really did taste a little different from the pastries Xiao Che had brought over.
The difference was extremely subtle, though.
It would be difficult to notice without paying close attention.
“Lüdou, you’ve actually done a very good job.”
“Perhaps the difference is simply due to the heat of the oven.”
“It’s so slight that ordinary people wouldn’t notice it.”
Duoduo tried to reassure her.
Lüdou’s eyes flickered at Duoduo’s words. Soon, a determined look appeared on her face.
“No!”
“I must find out exactly where the difference lies!”
“I can’t ruin the reputation of ‘Fuduo’!”
As she spoke, Lüdou picked up another pastry and began tasting it carefully.
She was certain she could find the difference.
“Princess, I’ll pour you a cup of water.” Nanny Li noticed that the water in the teapot had already gone cold.
Duoduo waved her hand.
“Nanny Li, go back and rest.”
“Lüdou will probably be at this for a long time.”
When Nanny Li heard this, she bent her knees in a curtsy.
“Yes.”
“I’ll pour you some water first, then I’ll return.”
Nanny Li carried the teapot out. Not long afterward, she came back in with it and poured Duoduo a cup of hot tea.
“Please enjoy it slowly, Princess.”
After giving another curtsy, Nanny Li left.
Duoduo propped her chin in both hands and watched Lüdou, who was completely absorbed in tasting the pastries.
Before long, the pastry in Lüdou’s hand had disappeared into her stomach.
But Lüdou still had not found the difference.
Unwilling to give up, Lüdou reached for another piece.
Duoduo reacted quickly and pressed down on Lüdou’s hand.
“Lüdou, are you planning to eat these for every meal today?”
“Besides, tasting them like this won’t help.”
“Listen to me. You’ve already worked very hard today.”
“Go back and get some proper rest. Perhaps you’ll know the answer tomorrow.”
Lüdou lowered the pastry in her hand, looking thoroughly unwilling to give up.
“Princess, this is the first time I’ve ever been unable to taste where the difference lies!”
“If I don’t find the answer, I absolutely won’t stop.”
Duoduo smiled.
“I understand.”
Lüdou began tidying up the clutter on the worktable. Duoduo tried to help, but Lüdou hurriedly stopped her.
“Princess, let me do this.”
“You can just sit there.” As she spoke, Lüdou glanced around.
“Where’s Nanny Li?”
Seeing the hesitation on Lüdou’s face, Duoduo replied, “Oh, I sent her back.”
The moment Lüdou heard this, she put down what she was holding.
She quickly walked over to Duoduo and asked in a very soft voice, “Princess, did the prince scold you when you went to the study?”
“If the prince doesn’t permit you to leave, I think you should listen to him. He’s only concerned for your safety.”
“You don’t need to pay any attention to that ridiculous Princess Danyang!”
“And you mustn’t quarrel with the prince over someone who has nothing to do with you.”
Lüdou quietly tried to persuade Duoduo.
Duoduo stared at her and blinked.
“Lüdou, if there were something very dangerous that I needed you to do, would you be willing?”
Lüdou did not quite understand what she meant.
But since Duoduo was asking, she naturally considered her answer.
“Princess, if it could help you, this servant would certainly be willing!”
Hearing the answer she had expected, Duoduo let out a sigh.
“Lüdou, why are you so foolish?”
“I already told you—it’s something very dangerous!”
“The kind of danger where you might lose your life if you made even one mistake!”
“Don’t you still want to expand your shop?”
“And don’t you still want to figure out the difference between these pastries?”
“If you lose your life, then all your ambitions and all your unwillingness to give up will come to nothing.”
Duoduo reminded her solemnly.
“If I don’t do it, then you’ll be the one in danger!”
“If something happens to you, then everything you just said will mean nothing to me!”
“I’m willing to go through fire and water for you, even if it costs me my life!”
Duoduo hurriedly raised her hand and covered Lüdou’s mouth.
