Chapter 75
After a relaxing bath, Jiang Pengji recovered from her exhaustion .
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She wore her plain house clothes and was sitting in front of a bronze mirror as Xunmei and Taxue combed her hair . She noticed that Xunmei was occupied by her own thoughts . Jiang Pengj asked gently, "Xunmei, what is the matter?"
Xunmei was looking at her loose collar where the strips used to flatten her breasts were . Jiang Pengji's inquiry brought blushes to her cheeks, and she bit her lips as she hesitated .
At last, she replied in a voice that was as weak as the buzzing of mosquitoes . "Second Langjun, Xu Ke is still kneeling in the corridor . Would you please…"
Before she could complete her sentence, Taxue glared at her, and Xunmei immediately stopped . Yet Xunmei's worry and fear were still evident in her face .
"Why is he still there?" Jiang Pengji frowned . That meant Xu Ke had knelt outside for more than four hours .
Taxue was not so empathetic toward the servant . She swiftly combed Jiang Pengji's long hair into a basic male hairstyle . It was loose and added a sense of freedom and indolence to the langjun .
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"Xunmei is too kind . Xu Ke should kneel for the entire day as a punishment for his deed . Besides, no one asked him to stay . We should just leave him there as long as he likes . " The attendant spoke with discontent and anger as if she were an exploding bomb .
"Taxue, you have a warm heart for me, eh? I thought you were as cold as ice and snow . I know why you are mad at Xu Ke, but for me, he is not an ordinary servant . "
Jiang Pengji's teasing turned the attendant's face red . Taxue chided, "Now that Langjun has grown up, he can hold his tongue no more! If I were an ignorant girl, I would have let you steal my heart!" Since Jiang Pengji was not really a man, she had better mind her words with the ladies .
"Oh, do not worry about your heart! I will be careful of what I say next time . "
Jiang Pengji told Xunmei, "Tell Xu Ke to take a rest . I will take him to the farmhouse tomorrow to meet the new servants . The chilly and humid weather will harm his knees . Seek prescription from a physician to make him warmer . "
Xunmei's face had been pale with nervousness until Jiang Pengji allowed Xu Ke to leave . She should have known that her Langjun's kind heart had never changed!
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Taxue, however, mumbled with disapproval . "She is losing her mind!"
Her voice was too soft for others to hear, but Jiang Pengji had exceptional hearing . She looked at the attendant and asked, "What has she done? I thought you were close friends . "
Taxue stopped for a moment and was silent with embarrassment .
She hesitated but decided to tell Jiang Pengji everything . She bit her lips as her hands rubbed her handkerchief . "Langjun, you are so kind, and you were raised as a boy . It is understandable why you could not guess what was on Xunmei's mind… She is finding another person to follow . "
"Is that so?" Jiang Pengji was curious, and she lowered her voice . "Is she in love with Xu Ke?"
The servant was 17, which was considered an appropriate age to start a family in ancient times . The tattoo on his face had not spoiled his pleasant appearance; instead, it made him look more mature in Jiang Pengji's eyes .
Taxue was stunned by Jiang Pengji's response . She searched her face for any clues of her real feelings, but she quickly gave up .
"It is not love, my Langjun! She merely finds Xu Ke special because of the attention that you and the master give him . Xunmei and I have been the closest attendants to you, and our position has always been the highest among the servants . Later, when you become 20 years old, our responsibilities will be different . "
Her response began with anger but ended with shyness . She left some details out .
She and Xunmei were among the few servants who knew about Liu Lanting's gender . They had been selected by Liu She and the stepmother, and they were treated like daughters from well-off families . As the girls grew up, they gradually understood their ultimate mission .
Liu Lanting would most likely continue her disguise after she became an adult . To help conceal the truth, the masters had decided that the attendants would become Liu Lanting's concubines after she became 20 years old .
Such an arrangement was a golden opportunity for the servants because it would grant them higher statuses in the house . Additionally, Liu Lanting was considerate and would protect them even if the proper wife mistreated them .
If the Langjun were a man, the days of serving him as attendants would have helped them secure his care and love . However, they had been informed at an early age that Liu Lanting was a female . It was therefore not surprising that Xunmei longed for a happier marriage .
Jiang Pengji was unfamiliar with the customs of ancient times, but she could understand Xunmei's attitude .
She chuckled and intimately touched Taxue's hair, who looked puzzled and indignant . Jiang Pengji teased her . "Don't you want Xunmei to leave? You will become my one and only then . "
"…"
The color on Taxue's face changed from pink to white . As soon as she realized Jiang Pengji was joking, she became further incensed . "How could you tease me so? Do you think I'm a selfish person?"
The silhouette of the angry girl under candlelight was lively and enchanting .