Chapter 134: Do I Look Like a Good-for-Nothing to You?

"Your Highness, Nanny Huang has arrived." The page boy, catching sight of the visitor from the Imperial Palace, hurried into the study to report.

Qi Ming paused mid-spoonful of porridge and set the bowl aside. Chu You felt a sense of urgency, yet was helpless to act. "Your Highness?"

"Nanny Huang is my wet nurse. She has surely come to inspect the bedsheet for signs of virginity. You may have your maid take her to it; I still have memorials to review."

Signs of virginity?

Chu You felt a blush creep over her face. She had long heard that those entering the imperial harem were subject to such an inspection the day after their wedding night.

"Then, Your Highness, I shall take my leave. Please make sure to finish your porridge!" Chu You turned back every few steps, casting a lingering, affectionate gaze at the man on the high dais, but he was already completely immersed in his documents.

After Chu You left with Xiao He, the page boy stepped forward to grind ink for Qi Ming. "Your Highness, what about the porridge?"

"It’s too bland. Feed it to the stray dogs outside the estate."

Qi Ming did not look up. Moments later, two maids entered the study and removed the bowl, which had barely been touched.

...

"So, you are the Fengyi who entered the household yesterday?" Nanny Huang scrutinized Chu You closely. Chu You did not shy away; her every movement was graceful and poised, displaying impeccable breeding.

Nanny Huang nodded. It seemed this "foolish" young lady of the Chu family was not as the rumors suggested; indeed, gossip within the Imperial City was not to be trusted.

"I have come today by order of the Empress to inspect the bedsheet for the Crown Prince and his consort."

Chu You gave a few instructions to Xiao He, who quickly and deftly retrieved the sheet from the inner chamber. It still carried a scent that made one’s heart race and cheeks flush.

"Please proceed with the inspection, Nanny."

Nanny Huang picked up the sheet with a stern expression, leaving Chu You unsure of where to place her hands.

A moment later, Nanny Huang broke into a smile. "You have done well, Consort. The Emperor and Empress are very hopeful to hold a little imperial grandson soon. Do keep trying."

Nanny Huang did not deliberately make things difficult for Chu You; she was, after all, only a low-ranking Fengyi.

"Understood." Chu You bowed to Nanny Huang, saw her off, and then turned to instruct Xiao He to wash the sheet.

After leaving the Crown Prince’s residence, Nanny Huang did not head directly back to the palace. She had one more important task: to visit the residence of the Prince of Qi and perform the same inspection.

The Prince of Qi’s residence had only two servants, both of whom were rather inconspicuous. Upon seeing someone from the palace, they cried out, "Your Highness! Someone from the Imperial Palace is here!"

Chu Ge, who had been humming a tune, exchanged a look with Chong Li.

Chong Li quickly donned a human-skin mask, and in the blink of an eye, he wore a different face. "Is this Qi Xiu's face?"

"Yes."

"It’s handsome, though the limbs are useless."

"Hmm?" Chong Li felt a pang of regret. He shouldn't have modeled the mask after that face; he should have made it slightly uglier. But the person beside him seemed completely oblivious to the scent of the jealousy he was stoking.

As they spoke, Nanny Huang entered.

She hadn't expected the Prince of Qi’s residence to be so dilapidated. Covering her nose and mouth, she walked past a foul-smelling, stagnant lotus pond. The vast mansion was hollow and empty, filled with withered leaves and decay.

Nanny Huang frowned deeply. This place hardly resembled a prince’s manor; it was clearly a ruinous house. Still, out of respect for the fact that the deposed prince remained a prince by title, she held her tongue.

One of the two servants led the way, remaining completely silent throughout.

After passing through several courtyards, Nanny Huang finally spotted a place that looked inhabited.

"Your Highness, the Prince of Qi, I am here by order to inspect the Princess Consort's bedsheet." Nanny Huang only wished to finish her task quickly and never set foot in this courtyard again.

Chu Ge composed her expression and darted out of the room with a foolish look. "Hubby, who is she?"

Nanny Huang watched as the woman who had rushed out to embrace the Prince—her face painted in garish, messy colors, looking uglier than a toad—was this the bride married just yesterday?

Even worse, the deposed prince gently stroked the "toad's" hair and said dotingly, "She is a guest. Wait here while I go get something."

The "toad" hung her mouth open, and a suspicious drop of clear liquid landed on the Prince's collar, which he ignored entirely.

"Hello, Granny," Chu Ge greeted her with a vacant smile. Since she was playing the fool, she figured etiquette was unnecessary.

Chu Ge clearly saw the corner of Nanny Huang’s mouth twitch violently, though the woman pretended not to hear.

A moment later, Chong Li returned with the sheet. Chu Ge took a casual glance; the dried bloodstains didn't look fake. Recalling how he had rolled up his sleeves that morning to clean the dishes, revealing a blood-stained bandage tightly wrapped around his wrist, she felt a twinge of heartache.

Nanny Huang gave the sheet a cursory look. More than the evidence of virginity, she was desperate to escape this asylum.

After the inspection, Nanny Huang exchanged a few polite pleasantries with Chong Li and left the estate. Throughout the process, Chu Ge’s attempts to interrupt with her "foolish" act were ignored.

"Hubby, Hubby, Granny is gone! Wasn't she our guest? Granny..." Watching the figure walking away with increasing speed, Chu Ge couldn't help but think of the word "weary."

Once the visitor was completely out of sight, the servants retreated, and Chu Ge returned to her normal self.

"Why did you use your own blood? You could have used chicken or fish blood! Let me see your arm!"

Chu Ge glared at Chong Li and ripped off his human-skin mask, adding, "It doesn't look good on you."

Chong Li felt an inexplicable sweetness and held out his arm.

Chu Ge carefully peeled back the bandage. A small but jagged wound marred his otherwise perfect forearm, looking like an ugly insect clinging to his skin. "It’s not perfect anymore. Does it hurt!?"

She leaned down and blew gently on the wound, hoping to soothe the pain.

The "it doesn't hurt" that was on the tip of Chong Li's tongue vanished. He arched an eyebrow, looking pitiful, and said, "It hurts, it hurts a lot. I need Lianbao to blow on it."

Chu Ge looked up in disbelief at the nearly perfect man before her. This sudden display of vulnerability shattered her worldview.

Yet, thinking of how this man, who had never been injured, had cut his own arm for her sake, she sighed. "Hoo... hoo... does it still hurt?"

The warm breath tickled the wound, making it itch, but the pain was gone.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. My wife's breath cured it."

Chu Ge looked up again. "Wife," "Hubby," "Wife," "Hubby"—Chong Li had certainly learned quickly.

Chu Ge pretended not to hear. She asked "Little Trash" in her space for two bottles of hemostatic and tissue-regenerating powder; for minor wounds like this, powder was more effective than pills.

Gently applying the medicine and wrapping it with a fresh bandage, she knew that, barring any accidents, the wound would be fully healed by nightfall.

The regenerative abilities of a spiritual cultivator were far superior to those of an ordinary person, and combined with the special-effect medicine, the recovery would be rapid.

"Have you sent out the message about hiring servants?"

One of the two servants replied, "It has been sent out."

With only two servants in the entire mansion, efficient allocation was vital. They worked in shifts—one guarding the outer gate, the other the inner—and shared the cleaning duties. Upon hearing that they were hiring, both were thrilled and had acted quickly to spread the word.

"Good. Tomorrow, a large group should come to apply. You two will be able to take it easier." Chu Ge understood the hardships of shift work.

The servant, moved to tears, thought that although the mistress was sometimes mad and sometimes sane, she was truly kind, and beautiful too! So touching!