Chapter 353: Chapter 353: The Abused Female Lead Awakens (29)

Qiao Xin wanted to scream, but Ashui casually stuffed a rag into her mouth. It was stuffed in hard and deep, and all Qiao Xin could do was mumble incoherently.

Ashui, being very tall, picked up Qiao Xin as if she were a little chick.

Wu Liang and Wu Zhi, the two brothers, ran into them and were not surprised at all. They even greeted with a smile: "Miss Ashui."

"She’s just a rough maid now," Ashui said to the two. "She has no right to enter the Princess Consort’s room, so watch out."

The brothers, Wu Liang and Wu Zhi, exchanged glances, indicating they understood.

In fact, they didn’t like Qiao Xin either. They always thought she was cunning and lazy, and not truly loyal to the Princess Consort.

Now that they were in the Prince Mansion, they naturally wanted to find out everything and believed Qiao Xin wasn’t fit to stay by their side.

They didn’t say much, just assumed the Princess Consort was wise enough to have her own reasons. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

After dealing with Qiao Xin, Ashui had her meal and prepared to head to the kitchen to continue learning how to cook. Unexpectedly, she was stopped at a corner by someone who was clearly a practitioner.

While Ashui was guessing the person’s intention, the person spoke.

"Miss Ashui, the Prince wants to see you."

"The Prince knows about your plight and wants to rescue you from your current turmoil."

Ashui concealed the mockery in her eyes and responded, "The Prince?"

"Yes."

After being in the Prince Ling Mansion for so many days, Ashui finally met Jing Lingyu. Her hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched tightly and then slowly relaxed, maintaining the necessary calm on her face. "I wonder what business the Prince has with me?"

"I know you’ve been wronged," Jing Lingyu began. "I heard that you’re skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, yet you’re assigned to the kitchen to cook. You must feel resentful, right?"

"Since I was bought by the Princess Consort, I have to listen to her."

Jing Lingyu didn’t believe this. This woman was clearly wronged. She should have had a good fate, but it was ruined by that wicked woman.

"With your talent and beauty, you shouldn’t be wasting away in some tiny kitchen. I’ll give you a bright future, how about that?"

Jing Lingyu was quite narcissistic, and combined with Ashui’s situation, it gave him the confidence to say such things.

In his eyes, for someone like Ashui, a position as the Ling Prince Concubine was something many wouldn’t dare to aspire to. Who could refuse? The line of people in the Capital City wanting to marry him stretched out endlessly.

"I’ll offer you a position as a concubine, but you must do something for me," Jing Lingyu said, "Ensuring you’ll be worry-free for life."

Ashui paused: "And if I’m unwilling?"

Ashui’s response was exactly what Jing Lingyu had anticipated. This was the normal reaction. He smiled and said, "You only have this one path to choose. This is the Prince Ling Mansion. Choose between a life of luxury or death, it’s up to you."

Though Ashui was very beautiful, he now had some aversion to beauties.

"Find an opportunity to put this medicine in the Princess Consort’s food," Jing Lingyu’s confidant whispered. "Don’t worry, it’s not lethal poison, it won’t be traced back to you."

Seeing Ashui’s confused expression, the confidant continued after a nod from Jing Lingyu, "If you don’t do this, it might be used on you someday."

This was clearly a threat.

Ashui hesitated, took it in her hand, and still asked, "What kind of medicine is this?"

"It makes the skin all over the body fester, dissolves in food without color or taste," Jing Lingyu chuckled softly, disregarding his image.

He originally wanted to kill that wicked woman but felt it wasn’t enough. Destroying her stunning appearance would let her taste his pain.

Ashui’s eyes deepened—Jing Lingyu indeed lived up to his reputation.

...

Ashui carried the medicine to the kitchen to learn cooking, as if nothing had happened.

At dinner time, she returned to the small kitchen.

After making dinner, she served the dishes in front of Qiann Yan. At that moment, there were only the two of them in the room.

Qiann Yan: "Taste everything."

Ashui: Jing Lingyu is not as clever as the Princess Consort.

"Yes."

Only after Ashui had tasted it did Qiann Yan begin to eat.

At this moment, Ashui spoke: "Princess Consort, I will not harm you."

Qiann Yan raised her eyes: "I didn’t think you would harm me, but this way is safer."

Ashui: Isn’t that the same thing?

"Princess Consort, today I went to see the Prince."

Qiann Yan: "Did he offer you some benefits?"

Ashui: "Yes, a position as a concubine."

"And what does he want you to do?"

Ashui took out a packet of medicine and placed it in front of Qiann Yan: "To drug you."

Qiann Yan put down her chopsticks and opened the packet, casually asking, "Don’t want to be a concubine?"

"He wishes," Ashui scoffed.

Qiann Yan sniffed the medicine: "Even when turned into a eunuch, he’s still not honest."

Ashui’s expression turned odd. She subconsciously clamped her legs, pondering whether that was the implication.