Obsessively Raised by My Doll 27

Chapter 27

Zheng Xuening picked up her chopsticks first.

She wasn’t actually hungry.

After all, she was born the Crown Princess. As long as she sat in that position, the most prosperous and abundant things in the world would come to her. As a member of the royal family, Zheng Xuening’s food, clothing, and daily necessities were all exquisite. She was accustomed to a life of luxury and to the fact that any food placed before her had to be delicious.

Therefore, no matter what good things she possessed, in her eyes, it was as it should be. Everything became indistinct.

So, even though Zheng Xuening rarely left the palace and seldom dined among the common people, and her visit to Jufengxiang Restaurant was on a whim, she felt no particular excitement looking at the signature dishes the waiter had carefully brought up.

The only thing that could cause ripples in her heart was the little girl sitting with her in this place.

Compared to her own lack of interest in the table full of signature dishes, Lu Dieqing’s anticipation was practically written all over her face. From the moment the waiter brought the dishes to the table, one by one, the girl’s eyes had been sparkling as she looked at them, her taste buds madly drawn in.

It smells so good. It looks so delicious.

How can there be dishes with such beautiful colors? Sob, my stomach is growling even louder. So embarrassing, but I really want to eat.

Lu Dieqing was like a little kitten that had been hungry for a long time, crouching in front of a dried fish, looking very greedy, but demurely curling the tip of her tail, waiting for her master’s invitation before starting to eat.

The moment Zheng Xuening moved her chopsticks, Lu Dieqing also looked at her own utensils, her bright almond eyes full of eagerness.

“Can I eat too?” she asked in a small voice, lacking confidence.

Zheng Xuening really couldn’t bear to tease her anymore and gently replied, “You are the host. Why can’t you?”

That’s great!

Lu Dieqing immediately started.

She ate in small bites, but her speed was quite fast. Almost every dish on the table went into her stomach, but she was careful to only eat two or three bites of each, not too much.

With every new dish she tasted, Lu Dieqing would pause for a moment, her eyes becoming even more lively, a trace of surprised satisfaction flashing through them.

Zheng Xuening propped her chin on one hand, watching the little girl eat with great interest.

The nerves that had been tense since she was born relaxed during this short time away from the imperial palace with Lu Dieqing.

Seeing that Lu Dieqing was only eating the dishes and hadn’t touched the red bean pastry or the fine wine, Zheng Xuening, for some unknown reason, unhurriedly lifted her jade-like hand and pushed the plate of red bean pastry over.

“Try this.”

She was completely at ease, the half-section of her wrist revealed from her sleeve smooth and fair, her fingers slender and snow-white, exuding a jade-like coolness, just like her temperament—not very approachable, only to be admired from a distance.

Eh? Isn’t the Crown Princess going to eat it herself?

The red bean pastry hadn’t been touched since it was brought up. Lu Dieqing had noticed it long ago, but this was something she had spent her only three taels of silver to treat Her Highness to. She was too embarrassed to touch it.

“Aren’t you going to eat it?” Lu Dieqing’s soft, tender cheeks puffed out, her grape-like almond eyes looking innocently at the Crown Princess.

Zheng Xuening smiled, her eyes unexpectedly gentle. “You first.”

She didn’t smile often, but every time she did, it had a dizzying beauty. The Crown Princess’s beauty was not that of a peony or a rose that could be quietly admired and played with, but… a deep abyss rose that, once it released its fragrance, would make you subconsciously forget the danger. To pick it, you had to be prepared to fall from a cliff and have your hand pricked full of blood.

Encouraged, Lu Dieqing was overjoyed. She picked up a piece of red bean pastry and brought it to her lips, taking a curious bite.

Ah! Delicious!

Zheng Xuening’s eyes were fixed on the girl, unblinking. Seeing her look of surprised satisfaction, it was as if she were seeing herself from over a decade ago, eating red bean pastry by her mother’s side.

Yes, more than a decade had passed.

For some reason, the smile that had just appeared in Zheng Xuening’s eyes faded bit by bit, and she once again became a beautiful sculpture. Though exquisite, cool, and stunning, she looked cold and unattainable.

Lu Dieqing had a natural, keen sense of observation of her surroundings. She almost immediately noticed the change in the Crown Princess. The red bean pastry she had brought to her lips, with only two bites taken, was not yet finished. She couldn’t be bothered to continue savoring it. She quickly reached out her small hand, held the plate of red bean pastry, and quietly pushed it back in front of the Crown Princess.

“Your Highness, the red bean pastry is quite delicious. You should eat some too.”

She blinked her almond eyes at her, her long lashes fluttering. Her voice was soft and delicate, with a natural charm.

Zheng Xuening came back to her senses, her gaze clearing a little. Just as she was about to say something, an extremely arrogant voice came from outside the private room.

“There’s a place in this Jufenglou that I can’t go? I’d like to see who dares to take my spot.”

Along with this voice came the rather panicked voice of the waiter.

“Young General Mo, aiya, there really is someone inside already!”

“Jufenglou also has its rules. We can’t disturb the guests. How about this, Young General Mo, you wait a little longer, I’ll help you…”

Before the waiter could finish, the door to the private room was kicked open.

The man, addressed as Young General Mo, had already burst in with his entourage.

When he saw that there were only two women in the private room, the anger on his face vanished, replaced by a somewhat roguish expression.

“Yo, two beautiful ladies. Such unfamiliar faces, I haven’t seen you before.”

Mo Zhan’s folding fan snapped open. When he saw Lu Dieqing’s face, his drool almost hit the floor.

The Mo family was quite powerful in the capital. At first, as the maternal family of the Second Prince’s mother, the Mo family had only held a minor official position at court and was not very prominent. After all, everyone knew that the position of heir belonged to Zheng Xuening. As long as the Crown Princess was there, the other princes and princesses had no chance of vying for that position.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the Crown Princess’s headaches had grown more and more severe. Recently, she had even stopped attending morning court, and it was said that she had even fainted!

Everyone was gossiping in private that the current Emperor had long disliked the Crown Princess. Her fate was too strong, which was why she had caused the death of the former Empress. It was only because the Crown Princess was, after all, the only bloodline of the former Empress, and His Majesty was too sentimental, that he had not removed her from the position of heir.

But from the looks of it, if the Crown Princess’s health was poor and she couldn’t handle political affairs, the current Emperor wouldn’t hand over the vast Chaoying Kingdom to such a person.

Thus, the Second Prince, next in line, became one of the popular candidates for the next heir.

As an imperial relative, the Mo family had many children. This Mo Zhan was naturally combative. After learning a few moves, he had been sent to the army for a while a few years ago. After he returned, people had started to flatteringly call him Young General Mo. Though he had no military achievements to his name, because of the flattery, this Mo Zhan actually had the nerve to accept such a title with a clear conscience.

Today, he had swaggered into Jufenglou, only to be almost turned away at the door. Of course, he would throw a fit.

In this capital, how could there be a place his Mo family couldn’t go?

The private room of Jufengxiang should have been reserved for him alone!

Originally, Mo Zhan had made up his mind to teach the people in this private room a harsh lesson, to let them know their place. But seeing the two slender figures of women with their backs to him, one facing away, one facing him, his thoughts changed.

“A beauty! A beauty!”

He had only seen Lu Dieqing’s stunning face, and his heart was already itching. Although the other figure hadn’t turned around, she exuded a cool and detached aura. She was clearly a peerless beauty as well.

Mo Zhan was getting carried away.

Lust was a knife over one’s head. He swaggered towards Lu Dieqing, his folding fan just about to snap open to utter some frivolous, teasing words.

Clang.

Mo Zhan himself didn’t know what happened. His entire body flew a certain distance and slammed hard against the wall.

“Aiyo!” He clutched his stomach and cried out pathetically, in great pain.

He looked up wretchedly and only then realized that it was the cool and detached woman who had been facing away from him who had sent him flying with a single kick.

Lu Dieqing sat there in a daze, still not having fully reacted.

Just now, seeing someone burst into the private room with such a menacing aura, clearly with ill intentions, the little girl’s heart had jumped, and she had been a little scared. But before she could even blink a few times, she had watched as the slender Crown Princess sent the dandy from just now flying to the wall with a single kick.

Zheng Xuening’s lips moved. The porcelain bowl in her hand spun at her fingertips, her eyes sharp and cold.

“Are you going to roll out on your own, or wait for this Princess to have you chopped up?”

Lying on the ground, just as he was about to viciously order his entourage to seize the two women and teach them a harsh lesson, Mo Zhan heard this icy voice. When he looked up again and saw Zheng Xuening’s face, he scrambled up from the ground in a panic.

“You… you are… I-I-I’ll roll, I’ll roll right now!”

His entourage was about to say something, but Mo Zhan kicked them in the rear.

“Shut up, let’s go.”

No matter how powerful his Mo family was, if they ran into the Crown Princess, a hundred heads wouldn’t be enough to be chopped off.

The waiter at the door, who hadn’t been able to stop them in time, watched this scene with his mouth agape, fiercely applauding himself in his heart.

Well done! The two ladies who sat in the private room today were even more noble than this second-generation Mo family scion.

The meal I sent up today was worth it! And it wasn’t in vain that I risked offending this Young General Mo to protect the guests inside.

“It was our Jufenglou’s poor hospitality today that caused our esteemed guests to encounter such a matter. Today’s meal is on the house. If there’s anything else you’d like to eat, please just let me know, and I’ll have the kitchen prepare it.”

The waiter, with great sense, immediately came in with other staff to clean up the mess, restore the door to its original state, and after a series of bows and apologies, he retreated again.

When only Zheng Xuening and Lu Dieqing were left alone in the private room, Lu Dieqing’s heart began to beat irregularly, a little deer running wild. Her face also inexplicably flushed.

Clearly, what the Crown Princess did was violent, but she found that scene just now… so heart-fluttering.

Thinking back to being held in the Crown Princess’s embrace on horseback, she belatedly realized something.

—Her Highness was actually quite gentle with her.