Chapter 20: Drink More Boiled Water

At this moment, Fang Xu was completely unaware that he had become the subject of gossip among the palace maids, or that they had even begun linking him with Qin Suwen. All his attention was focused on the earthen pot in front of him, bubbling away.

Originally, Fang Xu had intended to demonstrate his culinary skills for Qin Suwen, since she had followed him to the imperial kitchen out of skepticism about his abilities. That was, in fact, the root cause of Qin Suwen’s fever. Fang Xu instinctively felt responsible for her condition, and indeed, he was not wrong.

Given the circumstances, Fang Xu saw no reason to hold back. He had wanted to showcase some impressive techniques, but after surveying the imperial kitchen, he realized that the available ingredients were mostly fish and shrimp, with no pork to be found. Of course, neither of those were suitable for someone with a fever.

It was common knowledge that those suffering from a fever should avoid seafood and rich meats, as such foods would only worsen their condition. The best remedy was to eat light, bland food, and drink plenty of plain water.

This reminded Fang Xu of a joke he had heard before: when a girlfriend had a fever, her boyfriend told her to drink more water, only for her to retort that he should drink it himself. In truth, plain water really does help reduce fever; it was not a perfunctory suggestion. Fang Xu simply couldn’t fathom the intricacies of a woman’s thoughts.

In the end, Fang Xu decided to make a pot of hot porridge as a small compensation for Qin Suwen. The steam rising from the pot before him was just that—a wholesome, comforting porridge.

When he judged the time was right, Fang Xu lifted the lid off the pot. In his haste, he neglected the heat, and his fingers stung from the burn. He quickly set the lid aside, grimacing with pain, for the scalding sensation was rather unpleasant.

Outside the imperial kitchen, several pairs of eyes were peeking in.

These eyes belonged to the same maids who had attended to Fang Xu earlier. After the Empress fell ill, these maids had been running about, tending to her needs, fetching the imperial physician, and administering her medicine. Once the Empress had finally fallen asleep, the maids realized their mistress was missing and, fearing Fang Xu might do something drastic, searched all the wells in the palace.

After hearing from two other maids about Fang Xu’s instructions, they finally found their way to the imperial kitchen. Just as they were about to make their presence known, they caught sight of Fang Xu, his attention wholly absorbed by the steaming earthen pot.

Watching his serious expression, the maids were transfixed. Raised in the palace since childhood, none of them had ever seen a man before. The arrival of a consort was exciting enough, but this consort actually carried himself with the dignity of one, not the slightest trace of masculine dominance.

Yet, in this moment, it was the simple earnestness in Fang Xu’s eyes that made their hearts flutter. As the saying goes, “A focused man is most attractive.” Fang Xu was the very embodiment of seriousness, his gaze brimming with gentle strength—a sight that left the maids utterly mesmerized.

The charm of the scene was quickly broken, however, when Fang Xu began shaking his hand in pain from the hot lid, making the maids stifling their giggles as they watched through the crack in the door.

“Hm?” Fang Xu seemed to sense something and glanced toward the doorway, but saw nothing. Dismissing it as his imagination, he returned his full attention to the pot.

“What do you think our mistress is doing right now?” the youngest maid, Little Ya, asked innocently, glancing at her older companions. They responded by pressing a finger to their lips, signaling her to be quiet.

Startled, Little Ya quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with worry, though her gesture eased the tension among the others.

“What are you all doing here?” Just as one of the older maids was about to answer Little Ya’s question, a voice sounded behind them.

Turning around, they were startled to see Fang Xu standing at the kitchen entrance, and for a moment, none of them knew what to say.

“Your grace, forgive us!” The eldest maid immediately dropped to one knee, and the others followed suit, except for Little Ya, who was still covering her mouth, her large, watery eyes fixed on the steaming pot in Fang Xu’s hands as she swallowed unconsciously.

“Would you like to try some?” Fang Xu, noticing her gaze and adorable mannerisms, couldn’t help but smile.

Little Ya nodded at first, then quickly shook her head, making Fang Xu laugh aloud.

“Your grace, forgive us! Little Ya is still a child! Little Ya, apologize to your lady at once!” The eldest maid, seeing this, became flustered, hurriedly bowing and urging Little Ya to do the same.

“M-mistress…” Little Ya, realizing her mistake, let her hands fall from her mouth and gripped her uniform nervously, murmuring in a small voice.

It was clear she was frightened; her large eyes shimmered with tears, and her little nose, perhaps from the chill of the night or from sniffling, reddened.

“Do you really want to try some? Come, I’ll share a little with you.” Fang Xu crouched down to her level, smiling kindly.

Thankfully, he now inhabited a different body. If it were his previous life, saying such things would have felt rather improper, like some shady uncle trying to lure a child with candy. Yet now, his words had a gentle, refreshing quality—proof that, indeed, when one is handsome, anything is permissible. Whatever the era, appearance truly matters, and Fang Xu was deeply aware of this.

“Your grace, please forgive us!” the eldest maid pleaded again, knowing well the ruthless nature of imperial households. Who could say what Fang Xu intended?

Little Ya, meanwhile, looked blankly at Fang Xu kneeling before her, her thoughts simple and pure, never suspecting the worst as the older maid did.