A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 27

At the Xiangyang Courtyard in the Qi Manor, “I heard that the marriage between the Liang and Chu families isn’t just back on; they’ve even set a date,” Chen Yue said, eating a pastry while sharing the latest gossip from the capital.

She had arrived not long after lunch. A’Zhi had told Chao Mu, “Miss Chen is here.” Chao Mu was still groggy, her mind hazy as she got up and looked at the girl who had come into the courtyard.

Chen Yue was smarter today. She wore a goose-yellow dress, hoping to match Chao Mu. Unfortunately, A’Zhi had chosen a peach-pink outfit for Chao Mu today, a color that was completely unrelated to goose yellow.

Chen Yue’s face fell as she looked down at her own clothes, a little crestfallen.

Chao Mu looked down at her clothes, too, then turned and smiled at A’Zhi.

A’Zhi blinked.

Chao Mu slowly blinked and looked at Chen Yue. “Is there something you need, Miss Chen?”

Chen Yue took the food box from her maid and held it with both hands. She seemed a little flustered, but her eyes were bright, full of anticipation and joy. “Didn’t you say yesterday that you would invite me over for a visit? I didn’t get your invitation today, so I came myself.”

A’Zhi recalled that the little princess had indeed said “come over another day” at the manor’s entrance yesterday. But she had said it to Liang Youyun on purpose, and no one there would have taken it seriously.

… Oh, Chen Yue did. Not only did she take it seriously, she followed through and even brought pastries.

Chen Yue held up the food box. “I stood in line at the Fuyu Tower to buy these. There are a lot of new ones I haven’t tried yet.” So she sat down and began to eat the pastries she had brought.

After swallowing a bite, Chen Yue looked surprised and disappointed, as if she had just realized something. “When I was in line, I found out that A’yun didn’t even wait in line herself yesterday.”

That afternoon, Chen Yue, the daughter of a high official, and her maid had stood honestly in line, waiting for their turn. The waiter at the teahouse was sharp-eyed. When he saw Chen Yue, he looked surprised. “Miss Chen, what are you doing standing here? Even if you want to stand in line yourself, you can let your servant do it for you while you wait in your carriage. That’s still ‘standing in line yourself.'”

Chen Yue was stubborn. “A’yun did it yesterday, so I have to do it myself, too.”

The waiter smiled. “The Duke’s daughter waited in her carriage while her maid stood in line. Everyone does it that way.”

Chen Yue suddenly felt a little silly. Her face turned red, but she kept her composure. “That’s fine. It shows I’m more sincere! The pastries will taste sweeter, too!”

The waiter thought to himself that all the pastries came from the same batch, so what did that have to do with how sweet they were? But he didn’t dare say it. He only praised her. “Miss Chen is truly a sincere friend.”

Honest, sincere. When she said she’d stand in line herself, she really did it herself.

Carrying the pastries back to the carriage, Chen Yue sat stunned for a while before she came back to her senses. Then she remembered something and asked her maid, “Zhu Zhu, does ‘cooking it yourself’ also not mean actually cooking it yourself?”

Zhu Zhu didn’t want to hurt her mistress’s feelings, but after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded honestly. “Yes.”

Usually, a noble would just stand in a smokeless area and tell the chef what to do, which was considered “cooking it yourself.” It was rare for anyone to roll up their sleeves and actually use a wok and spatula, as the kitchen was smoky and the smells were overpowering.

Chen Yue’s mouth drooped, and she was on the verge of tears. “But every time I cook for my father, I always do it myself.” She was this old and was only just now finding out that “doing it yourself” could be done this way. No wonder the servants in the kitchen always looked at her strangely. At the time, Chen Yue had thought they didn’t believe in her cooking skills and had vowed to prove herself. Now she realized they simply couldn’t understand why she was doing it herself.

Zhu Zhu patted Chen Yue’s hand and said gently, “That’s why the Prime Minister loves you so much, and why he loves eating your cooking the most.”

That was true. No matter how bad the food was, the Prime Minister would eat every bite, even if he had to cry. Afterward, he would write an essay just to praise Chen Yue. And there were countless verbal and material rewards, too. If the Prime Minister hadn’t been so lavish with his praise, her mistress wouldn’t have been so driven to “do it herself.”

Zhu Zhu had been with her mistress since childhood and knew her well. Her mistress was a bit too pretty, which made it hard for her to make friends. She also came from a good family, so the few friends she had always went along with her and showered her with praise. Because of this, her mistress was a little too blunt in her social interactions and didn’t understand the nuance of conversation.

For example, this afternoon was not a good time to visit. For people who weren’t close, a sudden afternoon visit was very rude and disrespectful. But since the young mistress wanted to go, the Prime Minister indulged her, and no one dared to say anything.

Fortunately, Princess Fu Jia was kind. Not only did she not give her mistress a halfhearted response, but she also said seriously, “I forgot to write you an invitation. I’ll remember next time.”

Chen Yue had been feeling a bit awkward standing in the courtyard, but when she heard Chao Mu say that, she relaxed. A smile spread across her face. “Okay.”

Chao Mu invited Chen Yue inside and told Cui Cui to prepare pastries and tea. “I don’t know what you like…”

“I’ll have some melon seeds, the salty kind, and some caramelized ones for the sweet ones. And some chrysanthemum tea. I’ve been feeling a bit hot lately.” Chen Yue didn’t need Chao Mu to guess what she liked; she just told her. She wasn’t shy or reserved at all. She even patted the food box she had brought. “I have pastries here. We can try the new ones.”

“If you’re feeling hot, you shouldn’t eat melon seeds,” Chao Mu advised.

Chen Yue smiled happily. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m already drinking chrysanthemum tea. My father says it helps.”

Whenever Chen Yue got into trouble, the Prime Minister would have a large pot of chrysanthemum tea brewed for her. He would drink it slowly, thinking about how to fix the mess she had made. Over time, Chen Yue didn’t learn about her father’s troubles. Instead, she learned that chrysanthemum tea helped with heat.

After a few brief exchanges, Chen Yue felt completely at home. She started eating the pastries she had brought and gossiping with Chao Mu. “They say the date is set for March 1. They all say March is a good month for weddings.” Chen Yue nodded confidently.

A’Zhi came over with a tea tray and placed it on the small table between Chao Mu and Chen Yue. There was chrysanthemum tea for Chen Yue and warm water for Chao Mu. Seeing her approach, Chao Mu picked up a gold-colored, ingot-shaped pastry and handed it to A’Zhi. “It’s crab roe flavored. It’s savory and delicious.”

A’Zhi bent down to set the tea cup on the table, and Chao Mu lifted her hand to place the pastry at her mouth. A’Zhi instinctively opened her mouth to take a bite. After setting down the tray, she took the pastry in her hand. “Thank you, Princess.”

Chao Mu’s eyes curved in a smile, and she took a piece for herself.

“This one, this one is also good. It’s plum-flavored, and it even has plum bits in it.” Chen Yue copied Chao Mu, picking up two plum blossom-shaped pastries. She gave one to A’Zhi and the other to her maid, Zhu Zhu.

A’Zhi and Zhu Zhu bowed in thanks.

“The Duke’s family’s wedding is going to be so lively,” Chen Yue said. “I want to go.” But she didn’t know if she should go to the groom’s house or the bride’s.

Chen Yue and Chu Qingqiu were only acquaintances. After all, Chu Qingqiu was cold and distant and didn’t make friends easily. And as for the Liang family…

Chen Yue chewed on her pastry, a troubled expression on her face. She had a little argument with Ah Yun yesterday. Usually, she would just send a gift and apologize to make up, but this time, she didn’t want to back down so quickly. It wasn’t that she had a new best friend; she just didn’t feel like Ah Yun treated her like a true friend, and she didn’t know if she should bring a gift to the Liang manor for the wedding.

“I…” Chen Yue wanted to explain what had happened with the dress yesterday, but she didn’t want to talk about others behind their backs, so she took a bite of her pastry and held her tongue. She decided that if she didn’t know how to solve a problem, she would just put it aside for a while. Maybe it would solve itself.

Chen Yue felt much better after coming to this conclusion. In a good mood, she reached out to feed A’Zhi. “A’Zhi, this one is good, too.”

Chao Mu looked at her, then looked at her again, and then looked up at A’Zhi. “A’Zhi, can you go see if Doctor Xu has arrived? I’m feeling a bit thirsty. My illness might be getting worse.”

A’Zhi bowed. “Yes, Princess.”

Why did she leave? Chen Yue was confused, but she didn’t care. She turned and began to feed Zhu Zhu and Cui Cui instead. “Here, try this.”

Chao Mu held her teacup with both hands and took a sip of warm water. She gestured to Cui Cui. “It’s fine. Eat more.”

Cui Cui felt a bit nervous. Was the princess in a fight with A’Zhi? Why wouldn’t she let A’Zhi eat the pastries from Miss Chen, but she told her to eat more? Cui Cui had a bold thought. Was the princess afraid that Miss Chen had taken a liking to A’Zhi… and her abilities, and would try to steal her as a head maid? It was possible. Poaching was common, and few friendships between noble ladies in the capital were sincere. Cui Cui felt she had discovered the truth.

Chao Mu didn’t explain. She just lowered her head and took a small sip of water. Instead, it was Chen Yue, who, after finishing the pastries, began cracking melon seeds and chatting with Chao Mu.

“You’re probably just weak because you don’t exercise enough,” Chen Yue said. “That’s why you caught a cold as soon as you came back to the capital. When you start at the Imperial Academy, I’ll teach you how to play polo and kickball.” Her father and brother had told her the same thing, which was why she had learned archery and horse riding. She couldn’t hit a bullseye every time, but she could hit nine out of ten, and her body felt much better, too. She rarely got sick.

Chao Mu remembered something and suddenly asked Chen Yue, “Do you have a very large bow?”

Chen Yue’s eyes lit up. “How did you know? My father had a custom-made one for me. It’s easy to use. I even used it to hunt a pheasant in the wild.”

Chao Mu’s dimples deepened, and her eyes were moist. She filled half of Chen Yue’s cup with warm chrysanthemum tea, her voice soft. “I heard it from someone.”

“Is my name already that famous?” Chen Yue said, happily cracking melon seeds. “I didn’t even know.”

She didn’t, of course. Chao Mu just vaguely remembered seeing a person in red with a large bow, who had shot a single arrow that knocked Prince Chao Hongji off his horse. Not many people in the capital loved to wear red, but at that time, besides her, there was only Chen Yue. She was as bright and confident as she was ruthless.

“Mu Mu?” Chen Yue leaned in curiously. “The chrysanthemum tea is about to spill… Are you sad?” Was it because Chao Mu had never hunted a pheasant? Or because she didn’t have a large bow? Chen Yue was confused.

Chao Mu came back to her senses and nodded. “Yes, I’m sad. My head hurts just thinking about the Imperial Academy.” Chao Mu’s face scrunched up, and she looked wilted. “Because I haven’t finished memorizing everything yet.” There were only three days left until the exam. She looked at Chen Yue, full of expectation. “How did you get into the Imperial Academy?”

Chen Yue thought about it seriously, her face straight. “My dad dropped me off at the door, and I walked in.”

Zhu Zhu: “…”

Zhu Zhu looked at her mistress and thought, Are you really trying to be friends with the princess?

Chao Mu’s face fell. She, a princess, was doing worse than the prime minister’s daughter.

If Chao Mu had grown up in the capital, she wouldn’t have needed to test into the Imperial Academy. But she had grown up in Jiangnan. A certain noble in the palace had said that Jiangnan’s customs were not as proper as the palace’s etiquette, so it would be better for her to study at the Imperial Academy. Otherwise, she might embarrass the royal family in the future.

The royal family’s reputation.

Chao Mu took a small sip of warm water, her eyelashes lowering to hide the emotions in her eyes. Just then, Doctor Xu arrived. He bowed to both Chao Mu and Chen Yue.

Normally, the diagnosis would happen in an inner room, but Chen Yue was happily cracking melon seeds. Chao Mu didn’t make her move. Instead, she gestured to the physician. “It’s fine. It’s just a pulse diagnosis. It can be done here.”

Chao Mu rolled up her sleeve, revealing her fair, slender wrist. She looked at A’Zhi and slowly blinked. A’Zhi understood and took a step forward, holding out her hands. Chao Mu’s dimples showed as she placed her wrist in A’Zhi’s palm.

A’Zhi understands me, Chao Mu thought, her eyes curving in a smile.

I don’t understand at all, A’Zhi thought, with a faint smile. It’s just part of my job.

Cui Cui watched from the side and thought that she could never have this kind of unspoken understanding with the princess. No wonder the princess was so protective of A’Zhi, afraid that Miss Chen would poach her.

“The princess’s cold is not serious. Just stay warm these two days and take another dose of medicine tonight. If you feel better tomorrow, you won’t need to take any more.” Doctor Xu took his hand back.

A’Zhi supported Chao Mu’s wrist with one hand and used her other hand to pull down Chao Mu’s sleeve. The little princess was soft and her wrist was soft in her palm. A’Zhi couldn’t help but want to give it a little pinch. It was like seeing a soft, fluffy pastry—you just wanted to poke it to see what it felt like.

But A’Zhi didn’t dare.

“Miss A’Zhi, let me look at the wound on your forehead.” Doctor Xu washed his hands, intending to unwrap the bandage on A’Zhi’s head. A’Zhi hadn’t been able to get her hair wet, so Cui Cui had helped her wash it these past few days.

Chao Mu got up and had A’Zhi sit in her chair. She stood at the side. “It’s brighter here, so the physician can see better.” Chao Mu gently pushed A’Zhi down.

Chen Yue stopped cracking melon seeds and stood up, too. The two of them stood on either side of A’Zhi, watching as Doctor Xu unwrapped the bandage. A’Zhi felt like complaining. You two are blocking all the light. She felt so honored. A princess and a prime minister’s daughter were guarding her as she got her bandage changed.

Doctor Xu said to A’Zhi, “The medicine powder has stuck to the bandage because of the bl00d. I’ll go slowly. Tell me if it hurts.”

“Okay,” A’Zhi replied. She wasn’t afraid of pain. Perhaps she had suffered so much in the past that she was numb to it. She sat quietly, her hands on her lap, letting the physician unwrap the bandage.

As the bandage was unwound, a faint trace of bl00d could be seen on the inner layers. By the time the last layer was left, Chen Yue was so scared she grabbed Zhu Zhu’s hand and looked away. She only dared to glance at it out of the corner of her eye, muttering, “That must hurt so much.”

Cui Cui felt a little pang of sympathy, too. She looked and then looked away, feeling a phantom chill on her own forehead. She had gotten so used to the bandage on A’Zhi’s head that she had almost forgotten there was a wound underneath.

Chao Mu didn’t say a word. She just stood at the side, her sleeves held, watching the whole process.

The bandage, along with the medicine powder and scab, was finally removed. Doctor Xu used a piece of cotton to gently dab the area around the wound with medicine, wiping away the remaining powder, revealing a thumbnail-sized wound. It had already scabbed over and would heal soon.

Doctor Xu dabbed a clear ointment on the scab. “This medicine will soften the scab so it won’t hurt or leave a scar when it falls off. Remember to apply it three times a day until the hard scab falls off on its own.”

“It’s healing well. It will be completely gone in a few days,” Doctor Xu said, handing the ointment to A’Zhi. He stepped back two paces to wash his hands.

“This medicine is amazing.” A’Zhi leaned in and sniffed it gently. It smelled a little like sesame oil. Where was the herbal scent? All the other ointments had a fresh herbal smell. Why did this one smell like sesame oil?

Doctor Xu explained, “The princess got this medicine from the palace. It’s not sold on the market.”

A’Zhi looked up at Chao Mu, who was leaning in to look at her head. Her long, curly eyelashes fluttered. “A’Zhi, does it hurt?” she asked softly.

A’Zhi shook her head. She was about to say “no,” but she saw the red at the corners of the little princess’s eyes. Her dewy eyes were focused entirely on her. A’Zhi’s fingers, which were holding the ointment on her lap, unconsciously clenched. For some reason, she blurted out, “Just a little.”

It had hurt a little when the bandage was ripped off. And it hurt when the ointment was pressed onto the wound, as the hard scab seemed to poke the tender flesh underneath. After she said it, A’Zhi felt a little embarrassed and lowered her head. She regretted speaking up. Why did she say that? It wasn’t that bad. It wouldn’t hurt that much. It completely ruined her image as a composed head maid.

A’Zhi took a breath, about to lift her head and force a professional smile, when she felt her cheeks being cupped. Her half-formed smile froze. What?!

Oh my god!

Chao Mu looked down at A’Zhi, a smile in her eyes. Her voice was soft and sweet. “Then I’ll blow on it for A’Zhi. My grandmother said that if you blow on it, it won’t hurt anymore.”

Chao Mu gently cupped A’Zhi’s face. Before A’Zhi could react, Chao Mu had already puffed up her cheeks and blown on her forehead twice. She was coaxing her like a child, imitating an elder. “Puff, puff, blow, blow. Bye, bye, boo-boo.”

A’Zhi’s face instantly turned as red as a persimmon in autumn. Her ears and neck were hot. No one had ever blown on a wound for her before. She sat frozen in the chair, feeling disoriented. Her feet didn’t feel like they were on the ground. She was surrounded by the little princess’s warm scent, and her forehead was filled with a gentle breeze.

“Does it still hurt?” Chao Mu asked, blinking.

A’Zhi numbly shook her head. She was so numb she couldn’t feel if it hurt or not.

Chen Yue watched in fascination. “Does that really work? Let me blow on it, too.”

She started to lean in, but Chao Mu’s eyes widened. A’Zhi stood up and shook her head. “No, no, that’s enough. It’s… it’s all better. I can’t feel a thing.” She even remembered to bow. “Thank you for your concern, Princess and Miss Chen. I’ll see Doctor Xu out.”

A’Zhi gestured outside. “Doctor Xu, please.”

Doctor Xu was about to take out his pen and paper to write the instructions. “Oh? Okay, okay. I’ll just tell you the things to remember. You can write them down.” Doctor Xu put his things back in his bag and left with A’Zhi.

After they got outside, the cool breeze finally helped A’Zhi break free from the little princess’s warm scent, and she could breathe again. She suspected her face had turned so red because she had been holding her breath. The little princess had been so, so close to her. She hadn’t dared to breathe on her face.

After the breeze had cooled her face and Doctor Xu had finished giving her instructions, A’Zhi asked him hesitantly, “Do all elders do this for their juniors?”

“Of course. Miss A’Zhi, your elders never blew on your wounds when you were a child?” Doctor Xu smiled. “When my daughter used to fall down, my wife and I would hold her and blow on her wound, while also hitting the ground and blaming it for being uneven. ‘The ground is so mean for making you fall,'” he’d say. “They’re our little darlings. You have to comfort them. Then they stop crying and the pain goes away.” When Doctor Xu talked about his daughter, his kind demeanor became even more gentle.

A’Zhi had never experienced anything like that, but she smiled, too. “Oh, I see.” She touched the area around the wound. “It really doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Doctor Xu had heard about the things going on in the Qi manor recently and knew about A’Zhi’s decisive actions. But seeing her with a blank look on her face, her ears red as she touched her forehead, he thought she seemed completely different from the rumors. But when she lowered her hand and stood in her professional stance, her demeanor changed again.

After seeing Doctor Xu off, A’Zhi stood at the entrance for a moment. She thought about her past. Her birth mother had a low status, and her family had always verbally and physically abused her. It was only after she entered the palace that things got a little better. Because of this, A’Zhi had never been cared for so sincerely, nor had she ever had her face cupped and her forehead blown on with a warm breath. She recalled the moment. When the little princess had held her face with both hands, she felt like a precious pastry, a treasure being carefully cared for in someone’s palms.

A’Zhi took her time, and when the strange feeling in her heart finally faded, she went back to the hall. Before she even entered, she heard the little princess complaining to Chen Yue, “A’Zhi must be shy.”

A’Zhi silently thought, I am not.

Chen Yue was confused. “Huh?”

Chao Mu sighed. “A’Zhi gets shy so easily. She gets shy when I blow on her boo-boos, and she gets shy when I put lip balm on her.”

I’m not! A’Zhi argued in her head. I’m just not used to it. I’ve never seen it before, so it’s new to me. It’s not shyness. She walked into the room.

Chen Yue happened to be asking, “You put lip balm on each other?”

Chao Mu saw A’Zhi enter. Her eyes curved into crescents, and she pointed to her own rosy lips. “Not on each other. I put it on A’Zhi. Her face turned so red.”

Chen Yue’s eyes went back and forth between Chao Mu and A’Zhi. “Ohhh.”

A’Zhi’s face was blank. She tried to appear as if she wasn’t shy at all.

Chao Mu stared at her, her voice low. “A’Zhi, A’Zhi Zhi, you’re not shy, are you?”

A’Zhi shook her head. “No.”

“Exactly,” Chen Yue said to A’Zhi. “There’s nothing to be shy about. It’s perfectly normal. When you’re good friends, putting on lip balm and blowing on a boo-boo is totally normal.”

Chao Mu nodded vigorously beside her. “Exactly!”

A’Zhi took a step back, her face full of doubt. Really? Am I the one who’s not normal? A’Zhi fell into a brief moment of self-doubt. Was the strange feeling in her chest because she had no friends?

“Like Zhu Zhu and me,” Chen Yue said, giving an example. “Sometimes Zhu Zhu helps me bathe, change clothes, and put on lip balm. And Ah Yun and Qingqiu often stay over at each other’s houses. That’s what good friends do.”

The little princess agreed. “That’s right, A’Zhi.” Her eyes pointed at A’Zhi, telling her to learn from this, not to be so shy and distant, and not to hurt people’s feelings.

“Like this,” Chen Yue said, picking up the fattest melon seed and holding it out to A’Zhi. “A’Zhi, say ‘ah.'”

Chao Mu’s eyes widened. O-O?