Chapter 473: 0289 Stick to the Usual Norms (Two in One)
Before taking the stage.
Miss Lu came over from a distance holding Zhu Pingniang’s Seven-Stringed Zither, looking her up and down in her pure black zither attire, and said with a smile, "Ms. Zhu, you look really nice today."
"What’s nice about it?" Zhu Pingniang yawned lazily and asked, "Is he here?"
"Who are you talking about?" Miss Lu smirked.
"Who do you think?"
"If you’re talking about Young Master Xu, then of course, he’s here. Didn’t you already see him?" Miss Lu walked behind Zhu Pingniang, thoughtfully tidying the belt around her slender waist, then added, "If you’re talking about anyone else, then no... our Miss Zhu doesn’t perform her zither skills for other men."
"Chatterbox." Zhu Pingniang turned around and knocked on her maid’s head before asking, "The snacks I sent, did he eat them?"
"He will, I’m sure. I reminded him enough." Miss Lu responded.
"If he likes them, that’s great." Zhu Pingniang seemed to recall something, squinting her eyes and smiling slyly like a charming fox.
Seeing this, Miss Lu froze for a moment.
It was expected that Ms. Zhu would perform on stage for him, but why does she care about these small things too...
Miss Lu suddenly realized something.
Even though she already considered Xu Chang’an’s position to be very important, in reality... Xu Chang’an’s status in Zhu Pingniang’s eyes was even higher than she thought.
She had underestimated Zhu Pingniang’s affection for Xu Chang’an.
But... why?
Miss Lu herself had high regard for Xu Chang’an, after all, she too came from a brothel background.
But if she changed her perspective and looked at it more rationally—
As Zhu Pingniang’s close maid, she didn’t know much about the affairs of the Immortal Sect, but she knew a thing or two... Compared to those who visited Zhu Pingniang ordinarily, Xu Chang’an didn’t seem particularly outstanding in any regard according to Zhu Pingniang.
"What are you thinking about?" Zhu Pingniang looked at her.
"Ms. Zhu, you really do like that young master, but why?" Miss Lu didn’t hide her doubts and voiced them.
"Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked." Zhu Pingniang’s brows furrowed with a hint of cold light in her eyes, "Slap your mouth."
"Yes, ma’am." Miss Lu took Zhu Pingniang’s hand, slapped her own face twice, and then asked, "So, I understand that you’ve always valued him from the start, but this time it’s obviously much more."
Those favored are always fearless, that’s how it always is in this world.
"Cheeky girl, if it were any other year, I would’ve had to punish you." Zhu Pingniang spat out, but it was clear her mood was very good, as she was laughing.
"I just rebuked a few cheeky girls who said you were ’flat-chested.’" Miss Lu glanced at Zhu Pingniang’s chest, then stood straight and sought a reward from Zhu Pingniang for defending her.
"..."
Zhu Pingniang’s eye twitched.
Her figure wasn’t bad, quite standard in fact.
But just because of the old nickname derived from ’Ping’ in Pingniang, she’d occasionally be teased by the girls she doted on.
"Have you been eating too well lately, you cheeky girl?" Zhu Pingniang pinched Miss Lu’s waist with her exceptionally beautiful hand.
"I’m not ticklish." Miss Lu glanced in the direction of Xu Chang’an’s elegant room, blinked, and whispered, "Quite a number of sisters in the house are quite jealous because you specially dressed up and performed for the young master."
Including herself.
"What unfounded jealousy." Zhu Pingniang spat, and then asked, "Is it really that obvious?"
"Yes." Miss Lu nodded.
It’s way more than obvious, it’s practically written all over her face how much she values him.
In the past, Zhu Pingniang did value Xu Chang’an, but as her maid witnessing it, she could sense that Zhu Pingniang’s care was like a senior to a junior. However, today’s sudden change, performing specifically for him, even she felt like... Zhu Pingniang might have developed a "mortal heart."
An elegant room, makeup changes, taking the stage to play the zither... anyone would think that way.
"I wasn’t thinking that much." Zhu Pingniang tilted her head, she was just expressing importance.
"So, is it true you’re paying more attention to him than before? Is it because this time he came back looking much more handsome?"
"..."
"Or is it because of the young master’s cultivation potential being greater now..." Miss Lu asked.
"I do value him more, but it has nothing to do with cultivation." Zhu Pingniang shook her head, spreading her hands to look at the black and white striped nails on her fingers.
Xu Chang’an used to be just a student taught by Li Zhibai.
Now, he has been genuinely recognized by Li Zhibai.
This is the reason why his importance in Zhu Pingniang’s heart has risen so quickly.
Because of this, even if she didn’t like Xu Chang’an before, she would consider him part of the direct lineage; let alone the fact that she already quite liked Xu Chang’an.
Zhu Pingniang specially performed, perhaps partly hoping that Xu Chang’an would say a few good words about her to Li Zhibai.
But such matters were not easy to discuss with her maid.
"Well, let the girls have their moment of unfounded jealousy, a few hours will pass, after all, the target is Young Master Xu." Miss Lu whispered in Zhu Pingniang’s ear, "For other men, it’s hard to say, but the young master certainly won’t misunderstand your intentions."
Because they knew that Xu Chang’an wouldn’t misunderstand, wouldn’t take Zhu Pingniang’s attention as romantic interest, they felt very at ease with Xu Chang’an.
Therefore, all the doubts and oddities wouldn’t be directed at Xu Chang’an, only at Zhu Pingniang, leaving an impression that she wanted to ’eat tender grass.’