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Chapter 9: It Seems to Have Gotten Bigger
The spring sunshine bathed the rear garden, making everything before them exceptionally clear.
Xiang Wu's hair was slightly disheveled, with a few loose strands catching the sunlight.
Her face was pale and delicate, and her clear dark eyes reflected the bright spring day.
Yet this little girl was standing there nervously, looking up at him with an anxious expression.
A gentle breeze stirred the willow branches nearby, carrying the fragrance of flowers through the garden.
Huo Junqing's expression gradually turned cold.
“You think something was injured?”
Xiang Wu's heart was pounding.
She remembered what Yueqing had told her the previous night.
If she wanted to make someone powerful take responsibility, she had to make her case.
But Xiang Wu hadn't dared to try it with the Marquis.
How could she?
The Marquis was terrifying!
But now she had no choice.
That enormous black dog was sitting nearby, panting as it watched her, while the Marquis was pressing her for an answer about where she was going.
She had nowhere left to run.
She could only take the risk and try to make him take responsibility.
Xiang Wu bit her lip and nodded.
In a tiny voice, she said,
“Last night, this servant couldn't sleep properly because it hurt so badly. I'm afraid… something might really have been injured.”
Huo Junqing asked, “What exactly happened?”
Xiang Wu cautiously glanced at him.
Then she gathered her courage.
“It was because of the Marquis.”
Huo Junqing immediately understood.
Yesterday, beneath the grape arbor, he hadn't expected her to suddenly turn around.
She had collided with him before either of them could react.
Even through their clothing, he had clearly felt the impact.
Huo Junqing's gaze deepened.
After a moment of thought, he finally asked,
“If that's the case, what do you want me to do?”
When Xiang Wu had decided to make the Marquis take responsibility, she'd acted mostly on impulse.
Once she'd actually said it aloud and laid everything out in the open, the burst of courage that had carried her forward suddenly disappeared.
She hadn't expected the Marquis to actually ask her what she wanted.
What did he mean?
Has she really succeeded?
Could she actually make the Marquis take responsibility?
Xiang Wu's heart fluttered with excitement.
Under the gentle spring sunlight, disbelief, hope, and anticipation appeared in her clear dark eyes.
She cautiously asked,
“Do you mean… if this servant tells you what she needs, the Marquis will agree?”
She was so excited that she could barely get the words out properly.
At his feet, the agile leopard’s black coat gleamed in the sunlight like satin. Huo Yunqing stood with his hands behind his back, his broad black robe billowing gently in the spring breeze.
A hint of amusement surfaced in his eyes.
“You may ask for whatever you wish. Since it was I who bumped into you there…”
His gaze seemed to pass casually over the place the little girl was covering. Because her hands were shielding it, its shape was even more pronounced. Remembering the soft, yielding sensation when he had accidentally collided with her yesterday, he realized that this little girl actually had quite a lovely figure.
At last, he said calmly, “I will naturally take responsibility.”
The moment he said this, Xiang Wu’s eyes practically lit up.
“Really? Marquis, you won’t deceive me?”
Huo Yunqing’s expression remained calm and detached. “Of course not.”
Xiang Wu nervously swallowed. She raised her face and gazed at the tall, imposing Marquis before finally asking in a tiny voice, “Then, Marquis, could you perhaps…”
Huo Yunqing’s gaze shifted elsewhere.
The spring breeze was soft, carrying a faint fragrance from the flowers. The young girl’s fresh, innocent presence was as lovely as a newly sprouted seedling.
But then he heard her say:
“…give this servant a little pocket money?”
Huo Yunqing wondered if the wind was too strong and he had simply heard her wrong.
He looked at the little girl.
She was gazing at him with eager anticipation and said softly, “Marquis, it doesn’t have to be much. Just enough will do… enough for me to buy medicine and see a physician…”
Of course, the more the better!
If possible, she wanted enough that she could marry a poor man and still live comfortably.
Enough to support even the children she might have in the future!
Huo Yunqing’s expression gradually darkened. His sharp gaze settled on the little girl.
He could tell that she was not lying.
Nor was she trying to use this as a stepping stone to ask for something bigger.
She genuinely wanted nothing more than a little “pocket money.”
Huo Yunqing looked at her with an indescribably complicated expression and did not feel like saying a single word.
But to Xiang Wu, his silence looked like disappointment.
She nervously bit her lip and cautiously asked, “Marquis… are you planning to go back on your word?”
He had clearly agreed just moments ago. Why was he unwilling to give her even a little money? At the very least, she needed enough to buy medicine and see a doctor!
But halfway through her sentence, she lost the courage to continue.
She could sense that the Marquis was displeased.
There was almost nothing visible on his face, yet somehow even the way the hem of his robe lifted in the breeze seemed to carry his displeasure.
And to make matters worse, the huge black dog beside him was still staring at her menacingly, baring its teeth.
Xiang Wu shrank back. Her lips trembled as she fought desperately against the urge to cry.
“This servant was wrong. I… I don't want any pocket money anymore…”
Huo Yunqing suddenly said, “You will be given the money. There is no need to look so aggrieved.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
The huge black dog bared its teeth at Xiang Wu one more time before happily trotting after its master.
Xiang Wu remained kneeling there in a daze.
It was only after a long while, when the man and the dog had completely disappeared from sight, that she finally felt as though she had come back to life.
She touched her face and head, remembering the hot breath the big dog had blown onto her face earlier. Even now, the thought made her heart pound.
After standing there foolishly for a while, she finally gathered herself.
She thought that since the Marquis had not let the dog eat her, he had probably decided to let her off.
There were so many maids and servants in the Marquis's residence. She was merely an insignificant little maidservant. Perhaps by tomorrow, the Marquis would have forgotten all about her.
Then she could simply pretend she had never offended him and continue quietly thinking of ways to find herself a man.
And as for men, there was only Ergouzi left.
Xiang Wu took a deep breath and headed toward the inner gate. She was going to find Ergouzi.
But before she reached the gate, she spotted Ergouzi walking along the flowerbeds with Steward Wang.
The moment Xiang Wu saw Ergouzi, Ergouzi and his father naturally saw her as well.
Separated by a covered corridor, Steward Wang looked toward Xiang Wu in the distance.
Even from her silhouette alone, it was obvious that she was delicate and graceful.
He lowered his voice and asked his son, “Is that the little maid you keep talking about?”
Ergouzi gave him an ingratiating smile.
“Dad, that's her. Her name is Xiang Wu. She's innocent and clever with her hands. That purse I gave Mom last time? She embroidered it.”
At first, Steward Wang had not been particularly willing to consider the match.
The little girl was simply too pretty. She did not look like someone a family of household servants like them could afford to keep.
But then he remembered the embroidered purse. His wife had praised it endlessly, so it seemed the girl really was skilled with her hands.
If she could produce embroidery that fine, she was probably steady and diligent as well.
She might be worth considering.
He gave a slight nod.
“Since she looks decent and has nimble hands, even if her status is a little low, she could still do. I'll observe her character first. If her character is satisfactory, I'll put my old reputation on the line and speak to the Marquis. I'll see if I can settle this marriage for the two of you.”
The moment Ergouzi heard that, he was overjoyed.
He glanced at little Xiang Wu in the distance again, rubbing his hands together in excitement.
Steward Wang watched his son act as though half his wedding had already been arranged and shook his head.
“Enough. Go over and talk to her for a while. I'll go report to the Marquis myself.”
The Marquis had suddenly summoned him today, so he had hurried over with his son. Originally, he had planned to let his son show his face before the Marquis.
Who would have thought they would run into this little maid instead?
Ergouzi was ecstatic.
After repeatedly thanking his father, he hurried over to find Xiang Wu.
Xiang Wu had noticed them long ago.
She had wanted to go over and greet Steward Wang, but she was too shy to approach him herself.
Now that Ergouzi had come over on his own, it was exactly what she had hoped for. Actually, Xiang Wu had never really liked Ergouzi very much before. She thought he was too skinny, all long and thin like a bamboo pole, with nothing particularly interesting about him.
She still preferred someone like Chen Zhong, sturdy and strong, the kind of man who would surely be capable when it came to hard work. If nothing else, he could at least be like A-Fu from the rear garden.
But she had no choice anymore. Ergouzi was the only one left.
So she decided that she would make an effort to learn to like long, skinny men.
Looking at the long, skinny Ergouzi standing before her, her eyes gradually softened.
“Brother Ergouzi…”
This was already the third “brother” she had tried. If this one didn't work either, she really might as well lie on the ground and have herself a good cry.
The moment Ergouzi heard that sweet, soft “Brother Ergouzi,” his whole body went weak, and he nearly stumbled.
Of course he liked Xiang Wu. Before this, whenever he spoke to her, she always seemed somewhat evasive. He had even been afraid that she didn't have him in her heart, and had been pondering what he should say if, by chance, she refused him.
He never imagined that she would now open her mouth and directly call him “Brother Ergouzi.”
Just listen to that. Brother Ergouzi. What an intimate way of addressing someone.
Ergouzi's heart was practically dancing with joy. If he had a tail, it would certainly have been wagging by now.
“Little Sister Xiang Wu.” Ergouzi scratched his head and smiled shyly. “Where are you going? Why are you here all by yourself?”
“I just followed Miss to the Marquis's residence to deliver something. On the way back, Miss went to the Young Master's place, but I didn't really want to go, so I came up with an excuse to get out of it. Fortunately, Miss has such a good temper. She didn't even say anything to me.”
Xiang Wu told Ergouzi everything honestly.
“Is that so?”
At the mention of the Young Master, Ergouzi couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.
“Little Sister Xiang Wu, why didn't you want to go to the Young Master's place? Haven't you known the Young Master since you were little?”
That was what had been bothering him.
He thought Xiang Wu was extraordinarily beautiful, and the Young Master often went to Miss's quarters and was familiar with several of the maids there. He couldn't help wondering whether the Young Master might have feelings for Xiang Wu.
“Brother Ergouzi, what are you talking about?”
The moment Xiang Wu heard this, she knew exactly what was troubling him. She immediately hurried to explain, determined to dispel his concerns.
“With my status, I'm nothing more than a maid. How could I possibly be close to the Young Master? He's the Young Master, high above us. We're not people of the same standing. When we were younger and didn't know any better, perhaps it was one thing. But now that we've grown up, of course we have to know our place.
“Even if I had followed Miss there, naturally it would have been Miss and the Young Master speaking while I stood to the side and attended to them.”
No matter what happened, she absolutely could not let herself become associated with the Young Master. If people truly thought she wanted to become the Young Master's concubine, she would never be able to clear her name, even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
So Xiang Wu desperately distanced herself from the matter, her little mouth going a mile a minute as she made herself sound as completely uninvolved as possible.
Ergouzi listened to her repeatedly saying “we,” drawing herself closer to him while pushing the Young Master as far away as possible. He immediately understood, and his heart filled with delight.
Still, there was something he didn't quite understand.
“Little Sister Xiang Wu, I understand what you mean. It's just that I don't understand, you…”
Xiang Wu looked at Ergouzi standing before her.
Now that she took a careful look at him, that thin face of his was actually rather refined and handsome. The longer she looked, the less unattractive he seemed. In fact, he was quite pleasing to the eye.
The more she looked, the more she liked him, so she hurriedly said, “Brother Ergouzi, if there's something you want to say, just say it. Who are we to each other? Is there anything you can't tell me?”
Xiang Wu was beautiful, and her voice was as sweet as could be. Naturally, she managed to coax Ergouzi so thoroughly that, for a moment, he didn't even know what his own surname was.
He gazed at Xiang Wu and actually felt as though she were practically already his wife.
Blushing, he finally asked, “Xiang Wu, everyone says you're beautiful. They even say Miss isn't as pretty as you. Since you're so beautiful, wouldn't it be easy for you to become the Young Master's concubine? Or, in the future, when you accompany Miss to her husband's household, there'll surely be a place for you as a concubine. Haven't you ever thought about these things?”
Xiang Wu hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands.
“Brother Ergouzi, how could you say something like that? Even if I have to marry a chicken or a dog, I want to be formally married as the principal wife of a respectable family. No matter what kind of wealth or status is offered to me, I will never become a concubine!”
These words were meant to placate Ergouzi, but they were also genuinely what she thought.
Because she was so earnest, her cheeks even flushed red as she spoke.
“If I truly wanted to become the Young Master's concubine, why would I avoid him? Brother Ergouzi, I never thought you'd see me that way. I really misjudged you. Forget it. I have nothing more to say!”
With that, Xiang Wu turned around and made it as though she were going to leave.
Ergouzi panicked when he saw this and hurriedly caught hold of her.
“Little Sister Xiang Wu, don't be angry! I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that. It's all my fault, all right?”
Xiang Wu had no intention of actually leaving.
In fact, if Ergouzi hadn't stopped her, she probably would have regretted it so badly that her intestines would have turned green.
Thank goodness. Thank goodness.
Still, Xiang Wu decided to put on a little airs. She lowered her eyes and refused to say a word.
Ergouzi grew anxious at once. Like a worried big yellow dog circling its owner, he hovered around Xiang Wu, calling her “Little Sister” this and “Little Sister” that, coaxing her with all his might.
At last, Xiang Wu felt better.
She pressed her lips together in a smile and looked at Ergouzi.
“Brother Ergouzi, I wasn't really angry with you. I just felt hurt because you didn't believe me.”
“Good Little Sister, how could I possibly not believe you? It's just that usually…”
He stopped himself.
“Forget it, forget it. There's no need to talk about how things usually are. Since you've said all this to me today, Brother would gladly tear out his heart and give it to you.”
Xiang Wu's heart bloomed with delight.
When she looked at that thin-faced Ergouzi again, she suddenly thought he was more handsome, more dashing, and more heroic than any man in a painting!
The two of them continued on like that, one calling the other “Brother” and the other calling her “Little Sister,” their conversation growing warmer and warmer.
They were practically on the verge of breaking through that last thin barrier between them.
Both of their faces were flushed with embarrassment and excitement.
If someone hadn't happened to pass by just then, they probably would have been holding hands in no time. After the two of them parted ways, Xiang Wu kept thinking over what Ergouzi had said to her.
She was genuinely touched and filled with emotion.
She had been thinking that she would choose A-Fu or Chen Zhong first, but who would have thought that Ergouzi would be the one who was truly sincere toward her?
A man like that… even if he was a little thin, she could still like him!
And, more importantly, he was Steward Wang's son. If she married him, she would never have to worry about food or clothing.
The more Xiang Wu thought about it, the happier she became.
At last, she felt that she no longer had anything to worry about.
Tonight, she could finally sleep well!
Meanwhile, the father of Xiang Wu's dream husband and her imagined perfect match, Steward Wang, was nervously stepping into the Marquis's study.
He did not understand.
He had already said everything he was supposed to say and reported everything he needed to report. So why had the Marquis suddenly sent someone to summon him back?
Had he said something wrong?
Had he handled something badly?
Steward Wang was terrified.
The Marquis's moods were unpredictable, and he was certainly not someone easy to deal with.
He stood there nervously, waiting for the Marquis to speak.
After a very long while, he finally heard the Marquis's voice.
“Your son is called Ergouzi?”
Steward Wang nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes, exactly!”
Huo Yunqing gave a slight nod before saying calmly, “He is no longer young. It is about time he settled on a good marriage.”
Steward Wang was even more confused by this.
All he could do was nod vigorously.
“He isn't young anymore. He's still rather unsettled, so I've been thinking of finding him a wife to tie him down!”
As he said this, Steward Wang once again thought of the little maid, Xiang Wu.
If his son truly liked her, then perhaps she was the only choice, although he was not particularly satisfied with the match.
Just as he was thinking about this, he suddenly noticed a trace of coldness in the Marquis's gaze.
His heart jolted.
Had he said something wrong?
Huo Yunqing curved his lips slightly and said calmly, “A friend from Bingzhou Prefecture came a few days ago and sent over several young women who are both beautiful and talented. Let Ergouzi choose one of them to be his wife.”
What?
Steward Wang stared in disbelief.
He knew about those women.
Every one of them was beautiful and talented. They were more than qualified to become one of the Marquis's secondary wives.
Yet the Marquis actually intended to bestow one of them upon his son as a wife?
Steward Wang was beside himself with joy and hurriedly bowed.
“Thank you, Marquis!”
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