Chapter 17 – Bearing? Bear? (1/2)

Chapter 17 – Bearing? Bear?

The housekeeper led them to East Park, where he had arranged for their rooms. A large pavilion, with two rooms on either end bracketing a reception hall, would do nicely.

‘Doesn’t it look like the layout of a tavern flat?’ Ji Yunshu could not possibly be happy. She turned to the housekeeper and asked, “Don’t you have another room?”

The old housekeeper’s waist was hunched. He was wearing mourning clothes and a matching mourning hat on his head. His head ever faced the ground; it was absolutely impossible to see his face.

With reverent and respectful gestures, the old housekeeper replied, “Teacher, in East Park, these rooms are the cleanest. You are our precious guests, so I cannot allow any neglect as per milord’s commands.”

“But…”

Jing Rong interrupted, “Teacher Ji, it’s only for one night. There’s no need to trouble yourself so much. This place is not that bad: calm and peaceful. Our sleep won’t be disturbed at night.” As soon as his words fell, he turned to the old housekeeper and continued, “This place no longer needs you. Hurry and leave.”

“Yes. Then, I wish you a good rest. I’ll send the servants to attend both of you.”

The housekeeper kept his head down as he retreated from the East Park’s courtyard.

What Ji Yunshu loathed the most were those types of lords like Jing Rong. She was unable to stop herself from saying, “This isn’t the Rong Estate. When your highness ordered the Zhou family’s servants about, it seemed as if you were at your residence.”

‘That little guy, his speech is really amusing!’ Jing Rong laughed. He clasped his hands behind his back as he walked into the anteroom, his gown fluttering with each step. Right before he entered, he slyly turned around to throw a sentence at her. “Wash your hands before going inside. This Prince doesn’t want to smell that corpse scent all over the place.”

Ji Yunshu didn’t retort. If she had any rotten luck, she would have spread it to that two-faced cheap prince first!

She washed her hands in the water basin outside before entering the pavilion. Inside, she saw Jing Rong sitting in the reception hall, studying her as she entered.

“Did you wash them properly?”

Ji Yunshu remained silent. She barely kept herself from beating him to a pulp. Instead, she spread her hands in front of him.

Jing Rong narrowed his eyes as he looked at her still damp palms. Under the light, they sparkled, almost translucent.

After a moment, he pinched her exquisite wrist. His mouth hooked into a pondering smile. “They say that men’s hands are rough, wild and powerful. But why are Teacher’s hands so soft and tender? Are you maybe using cream?”

When her wrist was suddenly grabbed, Ji Yunshu instinctively clenched her hand into a fist and twisted her wrist to free herself.

“May I ask Prince to let go of my hand?”

“I’m not letting go.”

“It hurts.”

“Where?”

“My hand.”

“I still won’t let go.”

He absolutely intended to tease her. That alone was clear from the nefarious smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He pulled on her wrist with one hand, causing Ji Yunshu to fall toward him. As she fell, he took the opportunity to grab her slender shoulder with his other hand. Then, he started to methodically evaluate her. “What a small frame. Is it possible that you didn’t get to eat when you were young? Nevertheless, have you had such a bad temper since you were young? Was it because you got beaten up a lot?”

He talked too much like a modern stand up comedian!