However, no matter how she wiped, she was unable to erase that smell of his. His scent wrapped around her and reminded her of his overbearing arrogance.
In the end, Su Xi-er picked up the coarse rope on the ground and continued walking to the side of the well.
After she arrived, she began to bring the well water up and keep herself busy. Only by doing that would the scene of her kissing him vanish from her mind.
After she had collected five buckets of water in a row, she began to scrub the chamber pots diligently. The chamber pots are stinky, so they should erase his smell right?
Although it had taken her six hours to finish scrubbing the chamber pots in the past, she was almost done in approximately an hour today.
Regardless, she continued to scrub relentlessly in order to completely forget the scene that had just occurred.
Finally, she finished scrubbing the last chamber pot and collected the well water again, preparing to wash them one more time.
Before she could do so however, a large hand reached out from the side as its owner spoke in an emotionless ice-cold voice, “You’re going all out in scrubbing with no regard for your life tonight. Did you get provoked?”
She could tell that the voice belonged to the Third Imperial Prince.
Situ Li took the bucket from her hand, pulling up a few buckets of water before pouring them onto the chamber pots.
Afterwards, he tossed the bucket at the side of the well. “What kind of provocation did you receive? If you work so hard with all your might, your body won’t be able to take it.”
Su Xi-er raised her head to look at him. “Third Imperial Prince, when did you arrive? With how late it is, shouldn’t you be resting?”
“It wasn’t comfortable sleeping in the repose palace that I was given, so I came out for a walk. I just happened upon you scrubbing for your life when I passed by. What on earth is the matter?“
Su Xi-er released a breath of relief. Good thing he just arrived. If he had come when I was kissing Pei Qianhao, that would have spelt trouble.
She replied softly, “I’m fine. You don’t have to be worried, Third Imperial Prince.”
Situ Li clearly didn’t believe her. He raised his large hand and grabbed her wrist. Su Xi-er immediately exerted strength and prepared to struggle free of him.
“Don’t move. Do you want to dislocate it again? Look at how you have set your bones.” Situ Li’s voice was now more imposing as he increased his strength. She was unable to break free from him and could only watch on helplessly as he lifted her sleeves up.
In Nanzhao, women who have exposed their arms to others must promise themselves to the other party. Even Yun Ruofeng hasn’t seen my arm before.
When she thought of Yun Ruofeng, the expression in her eyes changed. He doesn’t love me at all, so why would he look at my arm? I’m really stupid. I should have been able to make out these minute details.
“Your face is red?” Situ Li looked at her face and suddenly laughed. “Don’t worry. In Beimin, as long as a man loses his interest, even carrying out the matter of a married couple wouldn’t make a man marry the woman, much less seeing an arm.”
Su Xi-er felt extremely displeased about that and raised her right leg to step on Situ Li ferociously. Right when he was finding it painful, she nimbly struggled her hand free from him.
“Third Imperial Prince, according to what you have said, what should this servant be worried about? And what’s your purpose in telling this servant this?” Her voice held an imposing demeanour that a palace maid should not have possessed.
Situ Li looked at her and observed the expression on her visage. She’s just a palace maid from the Palace Side Quarters? Why does she possess such an imposing aura? An unyielding loftiness and an inherent pride in her eyes.
Furthermore, what I said wasn’t wrong. Beimin is simply like that. If the man doesn’t want the woman, even if she uses the child to blackmail him, the man can still unreasonably abort the child.
Su Xi-er held a self-deprecating smile. That’s right. What he said isn’t wrong. Palace maids are simply that sort of existence. When a powerful man has taken a fancy to them, they can casually choose when to favour them and when to throw them away.
In that case, does Pei Qianhao treat me with that kind of mindset? Or maybe I am not even enough to be considered a passing interest, but just a pet?. Isn’t the Beauty Palace simply a prison?
“However, it’s very ridiculous. Even if I’m an imperial prince, you and I are more or less the same.” Situ Li revealed a bitter smile before he pulled Su Xi-er’s arm.
“You’re working so hard with no regards for your life. Is it because you can no longer continue surviving in the Palace Side Quarters? Were you bullied and whipped by others? Let me have a look at the scars on your arm.”
Su Xi-er stopped him. “I wasn’t bullied. It’s just that Ruo Yuan has gone missing.”
Situ Li let go of her arm. “Ruo Yuan?”
“The palace maid together with this servant last night. She was taken away by the imperial guards this morning. I don’t know which palace the imperial guards were from.”
After Situ Li pondered, he analysed calmly, “There must be a reason for the imperial guards taking her away. She’s just a palace maid. What are you worried about?”
“This servant just wants to know who exactly had taken Ruo Yuan away. She didn’t commit any crime.”
Situ Li looked at her earnest expression. “You’re very concerned about her. You can’t even look after yourself, yet you’re still caring about others? Do you have such a capability?”
The last sentence jabbed Su Xi-er’s sore point. My current ability is almost non-existent. It is the same feeling as when I watched helplessly as Lü Liu died.
“I will help you to investigate, but I will definitely not save her. If she dies, it will be because of you. Do you know that many people have their eyes on you?”
Su Xi-er raised her head to look at him and nodded. “This servant knows.”
Why would they have their attention on me? The reason is none other than two people ー Pei Qianhao and Situ Li. If it weren’t for them, why would others care about me, a palace maid from the Palace Side Quarters?
“Hold on to this bottle of medicinal powder,” Situ Li told her as he took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve and stuffed it into her hand before continuing. “Hide the bottle in the cupboard after you are done using it. Otherwise, there will be trouble if others find out.”
Su Xi-er pointed out, “If I apply the medicinal powder, there will be green traces and people will still be able to tell.”
“They won’t. The imperial physician has specially added a medicinal herb so that it only takes an hour for the medicinal powder to be absorbed into the wound.”
Su Xi-er looked at the white porcelain bottle in her hand. Compared to the one Pei Qianhao gave me, this medicinal powder can dissolve into the skin even more rapidly.
“Many thanks to the Third Imperial Prince. However, this servant can’t accept this medicinal powder.” Su Xi-er refused as she passed the white porcelain bottle to Situ Li.
“Since I have given it to you, you should just keep it. Although it’s healing ability is not comparable to that bottle from Prince Hao, it’s still better in terms of speed of absorption.”
Situ Li’s indifferent words caused Su Xi-er to be surprised. How does he know that Pei Qianhao had given me medicinal powder?
Could it be that dispatched someone to monitor me?
“You suspect that I dispatched someone to monitor you?” Situ Li asked bluntly.
Su Xi-er nodded and didn’t speak.
“I have long removed the person who monitors you. Regarding the matter of Prince Hao giving you the medicinal powder, he had instructed someone to inform me.”
Su Xi-er looked at Situ Li’s expression and didn’t think that he was lying. Instantly, she felt that Pei Qianhao was simply a pervert. Why does he want to tell Situ Li that he had given me medicinal powder? I don’t understand. Is Pei Qianhao targeting me like this merely because he suspects that I knocked him out, or because he wants to punish me?
