Xu Jinxin thought about it for a moment, but she couldn't remember.
She shook her head and decided not to dwell on it.
She would deal with it after she finished what she was doing.
At the Prince of Pingyang's residence, Xiao Yi sat with his brows tightly furrowed as he looked at the person before him.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Nina.” Nina gave him a charming smile.
“My master fell ill, so he sent me in his place.”
“Rest assured, Your Highness. I'm no worse than my master!”
Xiao Yi glanced at Yunxiao.
“Send her back.”
The smile on Nina's face immediately froze.
“Hey, what kind of man are you? Why are you so petty?”
“You were the one who sent someone to invite me!”
“Let me tell you, I'm even better at raising gu than my master!”
Nina lifted her chin proudly.
“I don't mind telling you that my master lost a gu battle to me and was injured by the backlash. That's why he couldn't come himself.”
Xiao Yi's eyes narrowed.
“Yunxiao, see her out!” His voice was sharp.
Yunxiao walked over to Nina. “Please.”
“Give her a hundred taels of silver as compensation for her trouble,” Xiao Yi added coldly.
Nina's eyes shifted.
“You're quite generous, aren't you?”
“Fine. Since you're so generous, I'll let you off.”
As she spoke, Nina extended a hand toward Xiao Yi.
A bug flew down from the top of Xiao Yi's head.
It landed on Nina's hand and lay there motionless.
Xiao Yi's hands instinctively gripped the arms of his chair.
When had that bug flown onto his head?
He hadn't sensed it at all!
Nina placed the bug into a small pouch she carried with her, then followed Yunxiao out.
Xiao Yi watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.
The girl wasn't very old, but she clearly had plenty of tricks up her sleeve.
He grew wary of this woman named Nina.
“Guards!”
A guard entered and bowed to Xiao Yi.
“Your Highness.”
“Go and investigate this Nina. Find out who she is.”
The guard acknowledged the order and left.
Nina's actions had also put Yunxiao on guard.
This woman appeared harmless, yet she had secretly planted a gu on His Highness?
Yunxiao kept a wide distance from Nina and walked as quickly as possible, wishing he could send her out of the residence immediately.
Halfway there, Nina suddenly stopped.
She sniffed the air.
“What smells so good?”
As she spoke, she headed toward the source of the fragrance.
Yunxiao had gone quite a distance before realizing that Nina hadn't followed him.
He hurried back in a panic.
“Hey! That's not the way out!”
When Yunxiao saw Nina heading toward the rear courtyard, he was terrified and quickly called out to stop her.
Nina not only failed to stop, but broke into a run.
Yunxiao hurried after her.
Nina was astonishingly fast. Yunxiao soon realized he couldn't catch up.
Before long, Nina stopped outside the kitchen.
“The smell is coming from here.”
When Yunxiao caught up and saw that Nina had gone to the main kitchen, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He could smell the delicious aroma too.
It seemed Nina was simply hungry!
Nina took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen.
Duoduo, Lüdou, and Yingniang were all staring at the pot on the stove.
“What is that? It smells so good!”
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice sounded beside Duoduo.
Duoduo turned her head curiously.
“Hmm? Who are you?”
Duoduo knew all the servants in the Prince of Pingyang's residence.
The woman standing before her was dressed in an exotic style, with colorful ribbons tied around her hands and feet.
Nina's gaze fell on the pot on the stove.
She swallowed.
“Just passing by!” she answered casually.
Passing by?
Confusion appeared in Duoduo's eyes.
Lüdou immediately stepped in front of Duoduo.
Yingniang hurriedly pulled Duoduo behind her as well.
When Lüdou saw Yunxiao coming in after Nina, she asked, “Yunxiao, is she a guest of the residence?”
Yunxiao looked troubled.
He had assumed the kitchen would be occupied by the cooks.
He hadn't expected the commandery princess to be there.
How was he supposed to answer?
When Duoduo saw Yunxiao, she immediately understood that the woman who had just entered must be a guest of the residence.
Duoduo stepped out from behind Yingniang.
“Lüdou, she must be a guest Father invited.”
“Yunxiao, right?”
Yunxiao forced a pained smile. “Princess, you are absolutely right.”
Nina licked her lips and reached out to lift the lid.
At once, an intense fragrance filled the kitchen.
“Careful!”
Duoduo, Lüdou, and Yingniang cried out at the same time.
“Wow! It's hot!”
“It smells so good!”
Nina dropped the lid and grabbed her earlobes, hopping from foot to foot after burning herself.
Duoduo and the others burst out laughing.
“There’s steam inside. You can't lift the lid with your bare hands, or you'll get burned!”
As she spoke, Lüdou picked up a cloth from the side, wrapped it around her hand, and carefully lifted the lid a crack.
Steam immediately poured out of the pot again.
Nina took several deep sniffs.
“What is this delicious thing? It smells so creamy!”
Duoduo pulled Nina a little farther away.
“This is a new kind of yogurt cake Lüdou came up with.”
“Wait until she takes it out before you eat it!”
Yunxiao scratched his head.
He stepped forward and helped Lüdou lift the lid.
Inside the steamer sat more than a dozen white cakes.
They gave off a rich, fragrant aroma.
Yunxiao suddenly realized that he was hungry too.
Lüdou used chopsticks to take the cakes out.
After letting them cool slightly, she placed one on a small plate.
“Princess, try it.”
Duoduo took the plate and handed it to Nina.
“Try it!”
Nina accepted it without the slightest hesitation.
She picked up the cake and took a bite.
“So... good!”
Nina spoke with her mouth full.
She swallowed the piece in just a few bites, then stuffed the remaining portion into her mouth.
Duoduo had been watching Nina eat with a beaming smile, but her expression suddenly changed.
“Careful, it's hot!”
Nina opened her mouth and repeatedly blew air to cool it down.
But she couldn't bear to spit it out. She simply kept chewing while puffing out little breaths.
Watching Nina eat, Duoduo smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.
Lüdou and Yingniang, meanwhile, stared at the unfamiliar woman with undisguised curiosity.
When had His Highness acquired a guest like this?
Lüdou walked over to Yunxiao.
“How did this woman end up in the kitchen?”
Yunxiao didn't dare say anything carelessly, so he changed the subject.
“Lüdou, what kind of cake is this? It smells wonderful!”
“Give me a piece too, will you?”
Lüdou could tell that Yunxiao didn't want to answer. She glared at him.
“No.”
“Lüdou, put some on a separate plate and send it to Father as well.”
Duoduo gave the order.
Yunxiao's expression changed immediately.
If His Highness found out that he hadn't sent Nina out and that she had instead run into the princess, His Highness would skin him alive!
Yunxiao bowed deeply to Nina.
“Miss Nina, you've had your cake. Why don't you come with me now?”
“I've already accepted the apprentice-taking gifts. Why would I leave?”
