C13 His Weight Isn't Even as Heavy as a Plate of Dishes

Leh Jiu clearly didn't buy the ghost story she had been told, yet she chose not to call it out.

"Thank you."

Whether it was found or purchased, she treasured it all the same.

Outside, Qiao Lan was already out of sight.

"Nanzhi, is she your fiancée?"

Leh Jiu popped a piece of candy into her mouth.

Si Nanzhi was taken aback. "Who told you she's my fiancée?"

Leh Jiu replied, "She did."

Qiao Lan had marked her territory around him much like a little dog would.

A flash of disgust and severity crossed Si Nanzhi's eyes.

His gaze landed on her soft, fair face, and a smile played on his lips as he felt a surge of pleasure. "I have a fiancée. Are you jealous?"

Jealous?

Leh Jiu looked puzzled. "Why would I be jealous?"

Yet, if he had a fiancée, why was he sleeping with her?

Was she the other woman?

"…"

Seeing her so nonchalant and utterly unbothered, Si Nanzhi couldn't help but laugh at his own irritation.

If she wasn't jealous, then she must not like him!

And if she didn't like him, why should he be kind to her?

Si Nanzhi's gaze turned dark, fixating on the candy in her hand. "Is the candy good?" he asked icily.

Leh Jiu, oblivious to Si Nanzhi's mood shift and lost in her own thoughts, smiled and nodded.

"It's tasty."

Suddenly, the candy vanished from her palm, now in Si Nanzhi's possession.

Leh Jiu's eyes widened in surprise. "Why did you take my candy?"

Si Nanzhi clenched his jaw. "To feed the dog!"

The dogs in the backyard knew who their master was. She was like a stray that couldn't be tamed!

Leh Jiu was stunned.

Had she misspoken again?

Si Nanzhi's face darkened as he commanded coldly, "Get rid of all these clothes!"

She didn't like him, yet she wanted his candy and to wear the clothes he bought?

Dream on!

Just then, lunch was announced as ready.

The maid mentioned it was time to eat, but Leh Jiu remained silent.

Si Nanzhi spoke with an icy tone, "Clear away all the food. And make sure she gets none. If anyone dares to feed her, I'll chop off their hands!"

"…"

Leh Jiu felt a crack in her heart as if it had shattered.

Tears welled in her eyes as she watched Si Nanzhi walk away, feeling utterly wronged.

Both he and his supposed fiancée were not only masters of deceit but clearly troubled as well!

The maid looked at Leh Jiu with eyes full of sympathy.

The manager was flustered, concerned about his job performance.

Without her clothes, would she still be able to get paid?

Lu Xing was at his wit's end.

Master, your talent for staying single is truly unmatched.

He gestured for the maids and manager to get back to work.

Determined to secure the Young Master's happiness, he, the ever-attentive assistant, had to safeguard his emotions.

Lu Xing offered a reassuring smile as he clarified, "Miss Leh, the Young Master has neither a fiancée nor a girlfriend."

Leh Jiu was skeptical. No fiancée? Then who was Qiao Lan?

Lu Xing, perceptive as ever, continued, "Miss Qiao is merely a younger acquaintance favored by the Young Master's grandmother."

Ah, so she was an imposter.

"But why is he so furious if that's the case?"

And to cut off her food supply!

Why?

Because you don't reciprocate the Young Master's feelings, and he feels slighted!

Two fools trying to fall in love, only to torment each other.

Especially when the prince is smitten, and the goddess is indifferent.

Who else to torment but the Young Master himself?

He couldn't possibly reveal the Young Master's secrets. For someone who values face so highly, losing face would be akin to losing life.

Lu Xing chuckled, "The Young Master isn't upset with you. He's in a foul mood because of Miss Qiao. He doesn't like her, yet she keeps showing up."

Leh Jiu thought to herself, "I'm not blind. Can't I see that Si Nanzhi is taking his frustration out on me?"

For the sake of the Young Master's happiness, Lu Xing continued to sweet-talk the young lady.

"I'm not deceiving you. This isn't the first time the Young Master has been irate because of Miss Qiao."

Leh Jiu wore a look of confusion as she questioned, "This is his home. If he doesn't like her, why doesn't he just refuse to let her come?"

It was like the way he treated her.

He would turn cold in an instant, and if he decided not to feed her, that was that!

So authoritarian!

So assertive!

Lu Xing let out a knowing sigh and added, "The young master's grandmother is fond of Miss Qiao. The young master doesn't want to upset his grandmother, so he tolerates Miss Qiao's presence."

So it wasn't that Si Nanzhi had poor taste; the issue was with his grandmother's judgment.

Lu Xing pressed on while the iron was hot.

"Miss Leh, the young master went out of his way to buy that candy for you. We ran up and down several streets to find it, and we came straight home afterward. We haven't even had lunch yet. The young master has a stomach condition; he can't skip meals without feeling pain."

Sometimes, one must swallow their pride and play the part of the pitiful.

Upon learning that Si Nanzhi had skipped a meal to buy her candy, Leh Jiu was immediately wracked with guilt.

"What should we do?"

Lu Xing coaxed her, "Go up and cheer him up. Once the young master is in better spirits, you'll get to eat too. Today's drunken crab looks exceptionally plump."

At that last remark, Leh Jiu's eyes sparkled.

Tsk, after all that, it seemed the young master ranked lower than a dish in Miss Leh's eyes!