Chapter 24: Doubts Resurface

Looking at the little maid before him—who was clearly nervous and restrained, yet had still run back—Lin Jiangnian was momentarily stunned. He glanced toward the window and asked, "Do you know how to serve?"

Xiaozhu’s small hands were intertwined, her delicate frame trembling with tension, yet she forced herself to remain calm. "I... I can learn, Your Highness."

Lin Jiangnian looked her up and down. Observing her pitiful, nervous appearance, he thought for a moment. "Very well. Come here and scrub my back, then."

"Very well..."

Upon hearing the Prince ask her to scrub his back, a weight lifted from Xiaozhu’s heart. She gingerly moved toward the edge of the bathing pool, secretly raising her head to steal a glance.

Mist filled the room, and the air around the pool was hazy and hot. She could vaguely see the Prince lying against the edge of the pool. The sight of his exposed back made her heart flutter with shyness, her face burning hot. She carefully picked up a bath towel from the side and, trembling, began to scrub the Prince’s back.

…

Lying against the edge of the pool, Lin Jiangnian comfortably enjoyed the maid's service. The girl did not have much strength; her touch was soft, feeling more like a massage.

"Use more strength!"

"A bit more... harder... add some effort! Have you not eaten today?"

"Don’t stop... that feels good..."

"..."

Xiaozhu crouched by the pool, sleeves rolled up. Her pretty face was flushed crimson and taut with focus. She was panting, using every ounce of strength she possessed to scrub the Prince’s back.

Tired! So tired!

After a while, she was gasping for breath, feeling as though she had exhausted all her energy. Was the Prince doing this on purpose just to bully her?

The little maid felt aggrieved, yet she dared not resist. Even though she was exhausted, she gritted her teeth and persisted.

"That’s enough. That will do."

Finally, Lin Jiangnian told her to stop.

The little maid felt a sense of relief. Her small hands were flushed red, and her arms felt so sore and weak she could barely lift them. Her face was flushed, and she was panting; she had never imagined that serving the Prince would be so exhausting. She glanced at the pool, and when her gaze fell upon the Prince’s back—which she had scrubbed until it was slightly reddened—her face turned red again, and she hurriedly averted her eyes.

"Very well, you may withdraw."

Lin Jiangnian glanced at the maid, who was keeping her head low; he could easily guess what she was thinking.

The maid took a few steps back, and seeing the Prince rise from the pool, she quickly turned away.

"You are not allowed to peek at me!" Lin Jiangnian’s playful voice sounded from behind.

The little maid’s frame trembled, her face burning red with a mix of shame and indignation. She—she would never peek! But then, she suddenly remembered the few glances she had accidentally stolen earlier... and immediately felt guilty.

While the maid was tangled in her own anxious, chaotic thoughts, Lin Jiangnian had already risen from the pool, dried himself, and put on his clothes.

He looked up to see the little maid still standing in the corner, her back to him. Her small frame looked helpless, making her particularly endearing.

Seeing this, Lin Jiangnian stepped lightly behind her. As he approached, he noticed the fair, rose-tinted skin of her profile—it was truly beautiful. It was as delicate as the morning clouds, so vibrant it made one want to take a bite.

Lin Jiangnian’s gaze drifted downward, catching sight of her slender, snow-white neck.