Lin Qinghe tucked the white porcelain bottle into her embrace and looked at herself in the bronze mirror.
This face was quite similar to her own face in the real world…
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside.
Lin Qinghe frowned, "Who?"
"Sister Qinghe, it's your maid. It's time for lunch, and we've brought you some meals."
Hearing this, Lin Qinghe walked over and opened the door. Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi were waiting outside with the food.
She glanced down and felt genuinely hungry, so she nodded slightly, "Bring it in."
"Yes, Sister Qinghe," Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi replied in unison. They entered the room and placed the food on the table.
Zhu Hong: "Sister Qinghe, please eat."
Lin Qinghe picked up her chopsticks and took a few bites.
The food tasted good and suited her palate.
However, as she ate, the image of the original owner forcing stale pig slop on You Rong flashed through her mind, and she felt speechless for a moment.
The original owner lived more like a master in the Eastern Palace than You Rong, the actual master.
A typical brainless, self-destructive villainess!
Zhu Hong, who was waiting beside her, saw Lin Qinghe frowning and shaking her head with a sigh. Her heart trembled, and she asked nervously, "Sister Qinghe, is today's meal not to your liking? Or have I done something wrong?"
Lin Qinghe snapped back to attention from her thoughts, cleared her throat, "Ahem… It's nothing, it has nothing to do with you."
Zhu Hong immediately relaxed, "Yes, Sister Qinghe. If you have no other instructions, I shall take my leave…"
Before Zhu Hong could finish speaking, Lin Qinghe suddenly remembered something and called out to stop her, "Wait, I have something for you to do."
Zhu Hong turned back slightly, her expression one of mild confusion, and curtsied, "Sister Qinghe, please instruct me."
Lin Qinghe touched her chin, pondered for a moment, "After a while, find some palace maids and eunuchs and go clean up the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters. It's so cold today, remember to add more braziers in the room and extra bedding on the couch. It wouldn't be good if the Crown Prince catches a cold again, understand?"
Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi exchanged glances and quickly replied, "Yes, Sister Qinghe, we understand."
Lin Qinghe waved her hand, "Good, you may go then."
After speaking, Lin Qinghe remembered that she needed to gain favor with You Rong, so she added, "Remember to tell the Crown Prince that I sent you."
"Yes, Sister Qinghe."
Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi bowed and left.
Lin Qinghe never imagined that two hours later, that single sentence would make her regret it to her core.
Lin Qinghe wandered around the Eastern Palace for the entire afternoon, familiarizing herself with its layout, and then headed towards the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters.
Having done a good deed by sending Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi in the morning, she naturally wanted to show her face to You Rong now to gain favor.
For this purpose, Lin Qinghe even took a detour to the kitchen to fetch dinner and bring it to You Rong.
Upon arriving at the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters and seeing the scene inside, Lin Qinghe was so angry she almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
The braziers had long been extinguished, the unburnt charcoal was soaking in water, the paper on the windows was torn and tattered, allowing the cold wind to howl in, the wooden stools were askew, and You Rong's clothes were scattered everywhere. Most outrageously, the bedding on the couch was soaking wet.
You Rong stood in the room, his face as cold as frost, staring at her.
If looks could kill, she would have been sliced into a thousand pieces countless times over.
Lin Qinghe's head throbbed painfully. Suppressing her anger, she shouted sternly, "Zhu Hong! Xiao Yu Zi! You two, come in here!"
Hearing the commotion outside, Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi hurried in.
Seeing Lin Qinghe's dark expression, Zhu Hong timidly asked, "Sister Qinghe, you summoned us, do you have something to instruct?"
Lin Qinghe slammed the dinner she was holding onto the table and asked coldly, "What is going on with the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters? Who did this?!"
"Reporting to Sister Qinghe, it was we who did it, but…"
Lin Qinghe, enraged, slapped the table heavily, "Who gave you the audacity to act so insubordinately?!"
Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi's faces turned pale, and they immediately fell to their knees.
Zhu Hong said with a choked voice, "Sister Qinghe, I did as you instructed. You told us to extinguish the braziers in the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters, and that the bedding on the Crown Prince's couch could no longer be used, so that the Crown Prince would catch a cold again…"
Xiao Yu Zi was equally frightened and cautiously tested, "Sister Qinghe, did we not do enough? Shall I call Xiao Gui Zi and the others to make the room… even more messy?"
Lin Qinghe's lips twitched violently.
Was that what she had said!
She had clearly told them to tidy up You Rong's sleeping quarters, add more braziers and bedding, and ensure You Rong didn't catch another cold!
Lin Qinghe's anger surged, "Nonsense! When did I ever say…"
Lin Qinghe's words abruptly stopped. Suddenly, some memories of the original owner flashed through her mind.
Uh… it seemed that whenever the original owner ordered Zhu Hong and the others to humiliate You Rong, she would deliberately say the opposite. For example, the day before yesterday, the original owner insisted that You Rong was ill and needed a light diet, and prepared porridge for him, but it turned out to be stale pig slop.
That was why Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi had misunderstood when she said those things.
Looking at Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi, who were kneeling on the ground and trembling, Lin Qinghe felt a fire burning inside her, unable to vent it or hold it back.
She secretly glanced at You Rong out of the corner of her eye and found that his aura was terrifyingly cold. His clear and cold face was filled with disdain and mockery.
Lin Qinghe felt a chill down her spine, a chill not from the extinguished braziers, nor from the broken windows and doors letting in the cold wind, but from You Rong.
Lin Qinghe pressed her forehead.
She really wanted to curse right now!
Her original intention was to gain favor with You Rong, but instead of gaining favor, she had managed to skyrocket his hatred for her.
Lin Qinghe secretly took several deep breaths before calming down. She put on a stern face and reprimanded coldly, "Remember, in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince is the master, and we are servants. If you ever dare to be insubordinate again and show disrespect to the Crown Prince, you know what your punishment will be, even if I don't elaborate!"
"Yes, Sister Qinghe, I understand. I will never dare again…"
"I know my mistake, Sister Qinghe. I will never dare again…"
Facing Xiao Yu Zi and Zhu Hong, who were repeatedly kowtowing and admitting their mistakes, Lin Qinghe snorted coldly and said, "You know your mistake, so what are you still standing here for! Go! Call people to bring tools and redecorate the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters. All the bedding and other items inside must be replaced with new ones! Repair the broken windows and doors, and all the palace servants who made mistakes today will kneel in the courtyard for an hour!"
"Yes, Sister Qinghe, we understand."
Zhu Hong and Xiao Yu Zi and the others hurried off to call for people and tools.
Lin Qinghe turned around, her expression changing instantly. She smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Your Highness, it is all my fault. I failed to discipline them properly, which led to…"
However, before she could finish speaking, You Rong curled his lips and said with a mocking cold laugh, "Hypocritical!"