The Male Lead's Harem Belongs to Me (GL) - Chapter 20
Stars twinkled in the night sky, and fireflies floating on the ground.
Liu Shuwei felt a heart pounding so violently it was almost unfamiliar. As she gazed at the person before her, their face seemed both real and unreal, a blur of emotions washed over her, leaving her momentarily speechless. She didn’t respond to Jiang Han’s words.
Jiang Han walked slowly towards her, her eyes twinkling as she smiled, “Sister? Are you dazed?”
Liu Shuwei slowly came back to her senses. Even in the darkness, she could see the bright gleam in Jiang Han’s eyes. Her gaze shifted slightly, and she replied softly, using a tone she had never used before, “I like it.”
Jiang Han’s eyes lit up instantly.
Liu Shuwei’s gentle gaze swept across Jiang Han’s face inch by inch. “Sister, you can’t use such an excuse to deceive me again. I was… very worried about you.”
Jiang Han had been closely watching Liu Shuwei’s expression. Seeing that her brows, which had been furrowed for the past few days, had finally relaxed, she breathed a sigh of relief. She replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, Sister, I won’t do it again.”
On a cool summer night, with cicadas chirping incessantly, Jiang Han and Liu Shuwei sat in a pavilion. Jiang Han looked up at the stars, while Liu Shuwei looked at her. They chatted casually about various topics, their laughter occasionally breaking the silence. Everything in this restless summer was unforgettable.
After chatting for a long time, as they were about to leave, Jiang Han took two pieces of paper from her sleeve under the moonlight and handed them to Liu Shuwei. She said softly, “Sister, this is your contract of servitude. Take it back.”
Liu Shuwei stared fixedly at the two thin pieces of paper. After a moment, she gently pushed them back towards Jiang Han. Jiang Han had been observing Liu Shuwei’s expression, and even her words were cautious, afraid of hurting Liu Shuwei’s self-esteem. She had deliberately chatted with Liu Shuwei for a long time about more relaxed topics, hoping she could relax.
However, Liu Shuwei’s actions were beyond her expectations.
Jiang Han looked up and saw Liu Shuwei’s clear, watery eyes fixed on her, then slowly curved into a gentle smile, “No need, Sister. Just keep it.”
Jiang Han was anxious. “Sister, you shouldn’t bear the mistakes of others. I’m good to you because you are you, not because of your status, and certainly not because…”
Jiang Han’s unfinished words were blocked by Liu Shuwei. Jiang Han stared blankly at the two jade fingers placed on her lips, feeling their softness and fragrance.
Liu Shuwei said softly, “Sister, with this contact of servitude in your possession, I am yours. And sister, you are of a noble status. If there are any ill-intentioned people who come to me in the future, I can use your identity to protect myself. For me, this is not a bad thing.”
“Besides,” Liu Shuwei changed her tone, her red lips curved slightly, but her eyes were full of grievance. “Didn’t sister say that day? From now on, I belong to you. Or, does sister regret it and doesn’t want me anymore?”
At the end, whether intentionally or unintentionally, when Liu Shuwei’s fingertips left, they seemed to linger for a moment, like a flirtation between lovers, very ambiguous.
Jiang Han didn’t notice. She was full of explanations at the moment, and after Liu Shuwei’s fingertips left, she quickly said, “How could that be, Sister? Of course I won’t abandon you. In the future, you can also say that you belong to me, but this contract of servitude…”
“Sister,” Liu Shuwei coughed lightly, causing Jiang Han to quickly call someone to fetch a shawl. Liu Shuwei stopped her, saying, “No need, Sister. I know you care about me, but I still want Sister to keep this contract of servitude. If Sister doesn’t want to, then forget it.”
Since Liu Shuwei had already said so, Jiang Han hesitated for a moment and took the contract of servitude. “Okay, then I’ll keep this contract of servitude for now. When you want it back, Sister, I’ll return it to you.”
“Alright, thank you very much, sister.”
••••
While Jiang Han and Liu Shuwei were enjoying the moon and chatting in the pavilion, the other three women in the Prince mansion had gathered together.
Gu Hanyun was excitedly telling the other two about her and the Princess and their recent efforts. She couldn’t help but exclaim, “Sister Jiang is truly too kind. Just because Miss Liu was feeling down, she personally led people to catch fireflies just to cheer her up…”
Yu Weiwan, having also experienced Jiang Han’s kindness, felt a bit puzzled and said, “I don’t know why, but I feel like Sister Jiang has changed.”
Chang Qianjiao also had some thoughts, “Indeed, it’s as if she’s a completely different person.”
While the two were pondering and doubting, Gu Hanyun slapped the table, startling the other two. Both of them looked up at her.
Gu Hanyun looked around cautiously, and seeing no one, she leaned in close to the two and whispered mysteriously, “Actually, Sister Jiang told me about this. Remember that morning when the Prince angrily went to Sister Jiang’s room? Well, this is what happened…”
The reason why Gu Hanyun knew about this was because Jiang Han had anticipated that the others might suspect something. She knew that if her image differed too much from the original owner, people would be suspicious, so she told Gu Hanyun a fabricated story with vivid details.
Gu Hanyun was a simple-minded person. Upon hearing that Jiang Han had almost been strangled to death by the Prince, she believed her wholeheartedly, not only sympathizing with Jiang Han but also expressing deep contempt for the Prince’s behavior.
Clearly, Jiang Han’s prediction was correct. Coming from Gu Hanyun, this story was more convincing.
Under Gu Hanyun’s passionate narration, Chang Qianjiao also became angry, and Yu Weiwan frowned.
“So that’s how it is,” Yu Weiwan exclaimed. “No wonder Sister Jiang has changed so much. It turns out she’s been through such a thing. But the Prince is truly too much.”
Chang Qianjiao also said, “So, the fact that Sister Jiang can still be so kind to Sister Liu now is truly magnanimous.”
“Exactly,” Gu Hanyun replied.
In a few words, the three of them had dispelled their doubts about Jiang Han and instead felt pity for her ordeal.
As the night deepened, their whispers gradually faded away.
Suddenly, someone said, “Today is Qixi Festival. Is the Prince in the palace again?”
After a brief silence, Chang Qianjiao said, “Actually, I don’t think it matters whether the Prince is here or not. After all, he doesn’t return to the mansion more than once a month. When he’s not here, we can relax a bit more.”
Yu Weiwan nodded in agreement, and Gu Hanyun said, “That’s true. But since it’s Qixi Festival, why don’t we go and play with Sister Jiang?”
The three of them exchanged a knowing glance and then got up and went out. The young man guarding the door was puzzled to see them going out so late at night, but when he saw that they were going to the next courtyard where the Princess lived, he returned his gaze as usual.
Late at night, when Qi Ze returned to the mansion drunk, he suddenly sneezed twice. He rubbed his nose, feeling inexplicably that the mansion was a bit chilly tonight.
Without thinking too much, he simply attributed it to the autumn night turning colder.
The next day, Qi Ze remembered something the Empress Dowager had told him and went to Jiang Han’s courtyard early in the morning. He had thought that Jiang Han would still be asleep, but when he entered her courtyard, he noticed something amiss.
Why did Jiang Han’s courtyard seem so lively? Didn’t only Liu Shuwei and Jiang Han live here?
Full of doubts, Qi Ze walked into the hall.
In the hall, the early risers were enjoying the breakfast that Jiang Han had personally cooked. As they ate, they praised her, their words filled with admiration for Jiang Han. Gu Hanyun even shouted that she wanted to ask the Prince to let her move in here as well.
Jiang Han had just taken a bite of a bun when she looked up and saw Qi Ze standing at the door of the hall, staring at them quietly.
She had thought that the mansion would be quiet last night, but it turned out that his concubines had spent the night here. And Jiang Han, who had said she had a stomachache yesterday, was now jumping around. So it seemed that she had a selective stomachache.
Seeing Qi Ze, everyone was startled. Jiang Han was the first to react, and she smiled invitingly, “Your Highness hasn’t had breakfast yet, have you? We just started. Would you like to join us?”
Qi Ze twitched his lips and glanced at each of his concubines.
Gu Hanyun covered her mouth in fright and tried to play dead. Yu Weiwan’s expression was calm, while Chang Qianjiao still had a hint of a smile on her face, which disappeared as soon as she saw him.
Qi Ze had several black lines on his forehead. He said, “No need. I’m here to remind you not to forget to see the Empress Dowager today.”
After a pause, he added meaningfully, “It seems like the cook in the mansion should be changed.”
The three women didn’t say anything and silently ate their breakfast. Qi Ze didn’t want to stay any longer, so he made a few casual remarks and left the courtyard.
As Qi Ze walked, he thought, when did his concubines become so close to the Princess? Just as he was puzzled, he suddenly heard the sound of laughter coming from behind him.
Qi Ze: “…” Why did he always feel like he was superfluous?
After breakfast, Jiang Han went to the palace. She had anticipated that the Empress Dowager would summon her to the palace after lying about having a stomachache yesterday. After a morning of greetings and examinations by the imperial physician, Jiang Han was finally able to leave.
Hurrying out of the palace gate, she didn’t notice a young man slowly appearing around the corner.
With a “bang,” Jiang Han almost bumped into the person in front of her. She quickly apologized and looked up to see a familiar face – the Fourth Prince.
Jiang Han was startled and then greeted him, “Fourth Prince, what are you doing here?”
Qi Ru raised an eyebrow and smiled playfully, “This is my home. Where else would I be?”
Jiang Han thought his words made sense. She suddenly remembered the business he had mentioned to her that night at the Seven Treasures Pavilion.
Her eyes lit up. “Fourth Prince, do you still remember the cooperation you mentioned to me that night? How did you know I would be a more suitable partner than my third brother?”
Qi Ru chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Brother Jiang said the same thing to me. He also said that night that it would be better for me to cooperate with him than with you.”
Jiang Han gritted her teeth, “And you agreed?”
Qi Ru shook his head, revealing a set of white teeth. “No, I said that would be another price.”
Jiang Han: “?” This phrase sounded a bit familiar.
She looked at Qi Ru suspiciously and whispered quickly, “Odd changes but even remains the same!”
Qi Ru looked at her curiously, “What is the Princess talking about?”
Jiang Han seriously examined him. Seeing that he really didn’t understand what she was saying, she sighed regretfully and said, “Nothing, I just mean, Fourth Prince, what do you want to cooperate with me on?”
Qi Ru smiled. “I heard from elsewhere that Princess has some playing cards. As for how I found out, it was just a coincidence. I won’t tell the Princess, but I’m very interested in how Princess plays those cards. If the Princess is willing to teach me, perhaps we could cooperate in producing this…”
As soon as Qi Ru mentioned her playing cards, Jiang Han’s eyes widened in surprise, and her back felt a little damp. But on second thought, they had never hidden the fact that they were playing cards, so it made sense.
However, Jiang Han rolled her eyes and said, “Actually, I think we can open some other shops.”
Qi Ru raised an eyebrow. “Like?”
“Like a food shop, a pastry shop,” Jiang Han’s eyes sparkled. “That way, if we don’t sell all the pastries that day, we can eat them ourselves. It won’t be a waste, how nice!”
Qi Ru: “……”
Author’s Note:
Qi Ru: I can hear your calculations all the way across the Atlantic.