Chapter 30
"Of course, Third Miss Zhou, you may not know this, but the young lord is quite fond of the new princess consort," Liu Ming said with a smile.
"Is... that so?" Zhou Yuying still found it hard to believe. How could the child she had doted on for so long suddenly take a liking to someone else?
"Third Miss Zhou, this way, please." Liu Ming naturally noticed the discomfort on Zhou Yuying's face.
But what did it matter to him? As long as the prince was happy, the princess consort was happy, the dowager princess was happy, and the young lord was happy—he was happy too.
This Third Miss Zhou before him had never stood a chance of becoming his new mistress.
Liu Ming knew his place very well.
Zhou Yuying couldn’t care less about anything else at the moment. She just wanted to see Xu Qingshi quickly and get her questions answered.
Meanwhile, Xu Qingshi was throwing a tantrum in Liangxi Courtyard, demanding to eat double-layer milk pudding.
"Young lord, the cooks don’t know how to make this... this milk thing. They’ve prepared several bowls, but you said none of them are right." Moyu pointed helplessly at the table, where multiple bowls of so-called double-layer milk pudding had been placed, yet the young lord insisted none were what he wanted.
"No, no! These all taste awful! Tell them to make it again!" Xu Qingshi grumbled unhappily.
He refused to believe that the vast An Manor didn’t have a single cook capable of making the delicacies Li Zhiwei could prepare.
"My lord, perhaps... perhaps I should go and ask the new princess consort to make it for you?" Moyu suggested hesitantly.
"No! Humph, this lord will not beg that woman!" Xu Qingshi pouted in dissatisfaction.
He absolutely wouldn’t lower himself to ask that wicked woman.
Otherwise, why had she only given him a tiny bowl yesterday instead of making more? Clearly, she was just teasing him.
The thought made him even angrier.
"Young lord, Third Miss Zhou has come to see you," Liu Ming’s voice called from outside the courtyard.
"Why is she here?" Xu Qingshi felt a pang of irritation at the mention of Zhou Yuying. This woman always seemed to be probing for information about his father in her words.
But he didn’t want her as his stepmother—not one bit. She was too scheming, putting on one face in public and another behind closed doors.
He had overheard her telling her maid that once she married his father, she would "get rid of this nuisance"—meaning him.
At the time, he hadn’t understood and had even asked his grandmother, "Am I not good-looking? Why would Third Aunt find me a nuisance?"
The dowager princess had been furious upon hearing this and had since refused to see Zhou Yuying.
"My lord, should I... take these away?" Moyu gestured at the untouched bowls, thinking they might as well be cleared since the young lord disliked them.
"Leave them." Xu Qingshi’s eyes gleamed with mischief.
He had a use for these things.
Since Zhou Yuying was here, he might as well collect a little "interest."
"Qingshi, your auntie has come to see you!" Zhou Yuying quickly put on a bright smile and called out warmly.
"Third Aunt, it’s been so long! You’ve grown even prettier!" Xu Qingshi feigned excitement.
But anyone who knew him well could tell his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
"Ah, you sweet talker." Zhou Yuying’s mood improved at the compliment. After all, what woman didn’t enjoy being praised for her looks?
"Third Aunt, what brings you here today?" Xu Qingshi asked, sounding like a little adult.
"You ungrateful child! If I don’t come to see you, you never visit the Zhou Family either!" Zhou Yuying lightly pinched his nose.
"Quick, serve tea for my Third Aunt!" Xu Qingshi ordered Moyu.
"Miss Zhou, please have some tea." Moyu hastily rearranged the bowls on the table before placing a teacup in front of Zhou Yuying.
"Qingshi, what are all these?" Zhou Yuying frowned at the assortment of bowls, puzzled.
The faintly unpleasant smell of poorly processed milk didn’t help.
"Third Auntie, these... these are all things Father made me eat. I’ve already had several bowls and can’t finish them. Father said he’d come play with me if I finished them all." Xu Qingshi looked pitifully at the bowls, as if at a loss.
"So... if you finish these, your father will really come to see you?" Zhou Yuying’s eyes sparkled with calculation. If Xu Heming came to spend time with Xu Qingshi, she could seize the opportunity to speak with him properly.
"Yes, Third Aunt. But look at me—how can I possibly eat so much? My stomach’s about to burst!" Xu Qingshi clutched his belly, on the verge of tears.
"Qingshi, do you really want your father to come see you?" Zhou Yuying’s heart raced. After so many visits to An Manor, was she finally making progress?
"Father hasn’t spent time with me in so long," Xu Qingshi said, half-truthfully.
"Well then, today your auntie will help you finish these. But you mustn’t tell anyone I ate them, all right?" Zhou Yuying thought this was her chance to see Xu Heming.
"Miss Zhou, but these were specially prepared by His Highness for the young lord," Moyu interjected disapprovingly.
"If you don’t tell, and I don’t tell, everyone will think Qingshi ate them." With that, Zhou Yuying picked up a bowl and began eating.
The first bowl tasted somewhat sweet, but by the second, the flavor turned odd. By the third, she nearly gagged.
"Third Aunt, what’s wrong?" Xu Qingshi asked innocently, watching her strained expression.
Zhou Yuying forced herself to shake her head, not daring to speak.
The unprocessed milk’s pungency grew worse with each bite, bringing tears to her eyes.
"My lord, the princess consort is here," a servant announced just as Zhou Yuying choked down the last mouthful.
"Who said I wanted to see her? No!" Xu Qingshi huffed, still sulking over the missing double-layer milk pudding.
"Qingshi, what’s the matter?" Li Zhiwei had heard that Xu Qingshi had been pestering the cooks all morning for the pudding, but none had managed to satisfy him. She had brought a small cake instead, hoping he’d enjoy it while they waited for fresh milk to make the pudding properly.
"I said I don’t want to see you!" Xu Qingshi crossed his arms, his little eyes red, clearly in a huff.
"If Qingshi doesn’t want to see me, I suppose he won’t want this cake either. I’ll just take it back then." Li Zhiwei sighed dramatically.
"What cake?" Xu Qingshi’s ears perked up at the mention of something new and delicious.
"And this lady is...?" Li Zhiwei began, only now noticing Zhou Yuying.
