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"Damn it!" Shao Zihan slammed his fist against the wall, producing a loud bang.
Chen Luoting's hands were covered in wounds, and the tears only intensified her pain.
Wen Zhanxia had insisted that for the sake of Chen Luoting learning to cook, she was not allowed to bandage her wounds; otherwise, the medicine would get into the food, making it inedible.
Wen Zhanxia had also assigned Mother Feng to keep a close watch on her, forbidding her from treating her injuries.
Shao Zihan turned around, picked up a kitchen knife, and began chopping vegetables, boiling water, stir-frying, cutting meat, and simmering soup all in one go. Chen Luoting watched in astonishment.
"Is it surprising?" After preparing a pot of soup, Shao Zihan wiped his hands and pulled Chen Luoting to sit on a stool. "When I was studying, I couldn't get used to the food outside, so I learned to cook for myself. I was in a worse situation than you are now."
"What kind of life did you lead?" Chen Luoting asked curiously.
Shao Zihan smiled as he began to reminisce. "Well, I just studied from a young age. When I was a teenager, my mother sent me far away to school, and I could only return home after long intervals. In fact, I already had my own business; I just kept it from my parents. I didn't want them to know because I always felt they were hiding something from me. But what it was, I've never figured out."
"Really?" Chen Luoting's eyes widened in surprise. She had always thought of Shao Zihan as a spoiled Eldest Young Master and never imagined he had such depth of experience.
"And you? Did you ever go to school?"
Shao Zihan held Chen Luoting's hand, and she felt much better because of it. She answered softly, "I studied a little. My father took me to a new school when he was alive, but I only attended for a short time before so many changes happened at home that I had to return to inherit the family tailoring shop. Then one day, the master sent someone to collect a custom suit from our shop. When he saw it wasn't my father who delivered it, he asked a few more questions, and that's how we ended up here."
"So before you delivered the clothes, you didn't even know my father?"
Shao Zihan pondered for a moment, while Chen Luoting nodded obediently, "I never thought about marrying into a wealthy family. I just want to study. It's rare for my father to let me attend a modern school. I’ve always hoped to meet a suitable boy at school, someone with whom I could study and live together, so I wouldn’t have to be bullied anymore. But now I understand that nothing escapes the grip of power. Even if you are filled with knowledge, you still cannot escape it."
Chen Luoting gazed at her hands, covered in wounds, feeling a surge of emotion.
Shao Zihan looked into her suddenly weary eyes and couldn’t help but pull her into an embrace. "Why? Why must such an innocent girl like you endure this fate?"
Chen Luoting struggled to pull away, but Shao Zihan’s arms held her tightly. "No, don’t run away from me. I don’t mean to make things difficult for you; I just don’t want you to get involved. If this matter could be as simple as just you and me, how wonderful that would be! But it seems you’ve been dragged into this mess after all. It looks like there’s no way for you to avoid it now."
Chen Luoting felt a tightening in her chest and trembled as she wrapped her small hands around Shao Zihan's waist. "If you're with me, then even in murky waters, I'm not afraid."
"Young Master, Madam said she doesn’t want lotus seed soup anymore; she wants the bird's nest soup that Second Madam made," Mother Feng suddenly called out loudly.
Chen Luoting hurriedly separated from Shao Zihan. Shao Zihan maintained her composure and nodded. "I expected this. The bird's nest has only been simmering for fifteen minutes; keep an eye on it and take the finished soup to Madam. The Master has something to discuss with Second Madam; I'll take her over now. You should pay attention to what Madam needs; it will benefit you, understand?"
Mother Feng lowered her head and glanced sideways. Shao Zihan helped Chen Luoting up and walked past Mother Feng, who suddenly whispered in Chen Luoting's ear, "Be careful; what you're doing won't escape Madam's notice, nor will it escape the Young Master’s."
Chen Luoting shivered at the warning while Shao Zihan shot a sidelong glance at Mother Feng. "What you call ‘not escaping’ might only last a few years; no one can avoid it, not even death. Regardless of anything else, we will outlive you."
Mother Feng's heavy eyelids suddenly lifted, revealing a pair of aged yet piercing eyes that sparkled with intensity. "Young Master, challenging me is pointless; opposing Madam is also unwise. Think carefully about your position."
Shao Zihan stared back into Mother Feng's eyes. "I know my own mind well enough; thank you for the reminder, Mother Feng. But let me say this to you: as a servant, getting too involved in the matters of the Master, Madam, and Young Master is not beneficial for you either. Remember that when the cunning rabbit dies, the hound gets cooked. If you act as their informant and things go awry, there won’t be any good outcome for you."
Chen Luoting stood there dazedly watching the exchange between these two—one a young master and the other a servant—engaged in a verbal duel in the kitchen corridor. She seemed to grasp some of it but also felt lost in understanding.
Shao Zihan shot a cold glare at Mother Feng, then pulled Chen Luoting away without looking back. Mother Feng hunched over the stove, coughing as if she were an old woman, her cough echoing like a warning to Chen Luoting that she could never escape, not now, not ever.
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