Chapter 383: Chapter 383: The Abused Protagonist Awakens (59)

"Come back with me." Qiann Yan thought for a moment; Ashui was quite skilled, and having him by her side could accomplish a lot, sparing her from running around in a frenzy.

Ashui fell silent, hoping to accompany her if possible.

The earlier comment was made with this intention, and having achieved this purpose, Ashui quieted down and even helped Qiann Yan pack her things.

Qiann Yan glanced curiously at Ashui; there was something odd about him.

"Now that everything is settled, aren’t you planning to reveal your true self and continue like this?" Qiann Yan suddenly said, "Cooking is something both men and women can do."

Ashui: "..." Can’t you be a bit more subtle?

Although he had long known that the other party probably realized he was not a woman.

"When did the County Master find out?"

"When I bought you."

Ashui was quite frustrated. When the Lin Family first had issues, he dressed as a woman, even learning various feminine behaviors and picking up a female voice from a master of ventriloquism, even using the Disguise Technique to hide his Adam’s apple. He was so adept with all kinds of makeup that even real women might not know them as well as he did.

Even his master remarked that, if not for knowing he was male, it would be impossible to tell.

Yet the County Master saw through him at first glance, which was a bit of a blow for Ashui.

Qiann Yan watched Ashui stand there frowning, not saying anything, and suddenly a word came to her mind: transvestism.

"If you enjoy dressing as a woman, just keep doing it. There’s no need to be uptight around me; it’s fine whether you want to be a woman or a man, as long as you do your job well."

She was quite an open-minded person.

Ashui: "..."

The County Master misunderstood.

He was just troubled that his disguise wasn’t perfect enough, being seen through by her at a glance, and was pondering what mistake he made.

"How did the County Master confirm that I was a man?"

Qiann Yan: "Intuition."

"You performed flawlessly; in terms of appearance, it was impeccable," Qiann Yan added, "But I trust my intuition."

Ashui was even more depressed. Was her intuition really that accurate?

However, for now, he wasn’t planning to switch back to male attire. If he dressed as a man, wouldn’t he only be able to appear in front of her when cooking?

He’d stick with the women’s clothing, just to see her every day.

Qiann Yan brought only Ashui back to the Cheng Family. As they stepped inside, they were met with the odd stares from the servants. She paid them no mind and went straight to a small courtyard.

At the courtyard entrance, a servant stopped her: "Miss, the master ordered that you no longer reside here."

"Then where am I supposed to live?"

The servant whispered, "Please follow me, miss."

Qiann Yan followed reluctantly, walking for quite some time, to increasingly remote areas, where she vaguely heard the oinks of pigs. With a slight frown, she realized the situation was worse than anticipated.

"Miss, the master said you should live here from now on."

"For how long, the master decides."

The servant pointed to the pigsty, where two pigs were kept. The entire place reeked, and the servant looked pale, awaiting Qiann Yan’s reaction. Qiann Yan, however, did not get angry nor did she intend to step into the pigsty.

"You may leave now."

The servant felt relieved and hurried away.

Qiann Yan stood outside the pigsty, watching the two pigs root around for food: "They’re quite plump; they might just be ready for slaughter by New Year."

Ashui: "County Master, aren’t you mad?"

Aware that the Cheng Family might not welcome Qiann Yan, Ashui didn’t expect it to be like this; it puzzled him.

"Yan’er." A woman’s voice called from behind. She approached slowly, glanced at the pigsty, and showed a bit of pity, "Your father is still angry. For now, you should stay here."

Qiann Yan turned around, her gaze settling on Mrs. Cheng’s face: "Could you tell me what exactly it is that father is angry about?"

Perhaps due to nerves, Mrs. Cheng forgot that Qiann Yan hadn’t addressed her properly.

With a troubled expression, she finally spoke softly: "You shouldn’t have reported Prince Ling to the emperor without discussing it first."

"A traitor shouldn’t be reported?" Qiann Yan took a step forward, closer to Mrs. Cheng, fixing her eyes on Mrs. Cheng’s evasive gaze, "Do you also think a traitor shouldn’t be reported? Shouldn’t they be executed?"

Mrs. Cheng, frightened, stepped back two steps, her face covered in sweat: "Yan’er, stay here; I’ll go plead with your father for you."