Chapter 925: Something Off About His Gaze

Zhen Mi followed Chen Xi to his new home. Upon entering, she seemed slightly downcast, but soon began looking around. Overall, Chen Xi’s new residence wasn’t bad—it was originally a noble family’s estate. Since Liu Bei had taken control of Ye City, certain locations had to be vacated for him, regardless of which family owned them.

This kind of matter didn’t greatly affect the face of the aristocracy. As long as the family wasn’t foolish, they would naturally offer any estate that Liu Bei took an interest in. Of course, as long as it wasn’t the family’s ancestral home, it wouldn’t be a problem.

That being said, no lord would be so idle as to requisition a family’s ancestral home. Doing so wouldn’t just be a taboo; it would openly create enmity between both parties and insult the entire aristocratic class.

"Just like before, Zijian’s house is next door, and you’re familiar with it," Chen Xi said without introducing the two people with him to the servants. He merely mentioned that Hua Xiong’s residence was next door to Zhen Mi.

"And is Xuande’s residence still across from here?" Zhen Mi asked curiously. "Does it need to be rebuilt? I remember Xuande’s house…"

"It doesn’t need rebuilding for now, but it’ll have to be renovated eventually," Chen Xi replied, shaking his head. Just like before, Liu Bei lived across the way, though the gate was farther apart. Of course, hopping the wall would be quicker.

Zhen Mi’s words were naturally overheard by those nearby, making them fully aware of how to treat her in the future.

"Take her to the kitchen and have her cook," Chen Xi said, pointing to Xin Xianying, then turned to the cook. Honestly, the chefs in Ye City only knew how to make broths and soups. They couldn’t cook proper stir-fried dishes, and the food was not very tasty.

"I don’t want to! Sister Mi’er…" Xin Xianying pulled a face upon hearing that Chen Xi intended to leave her with the cook, then immediately ran over to Zhen Mi, clutching her sleeve and shaking it.

"Alright, stop shaking. I’ll go with you," Zhen Mi said, seeing through Xin Xianying’s intentions. She dismissed the cook, knowing she had the authority to do so. She then turned to Chen Xi and added, "I’ll help you furnish the place later."

"Don't overdo it," Chen Xi nodded before glaring at Xin Xianying. "Little rascal, if the food is bad, I’ll make you cook egg custard for me every day!"

"Then I’ll make it taste awful every day and watch you eat it!" Xin Xianying replied, her eyes sparkling mischievously as she clung to Zhen Mi’s hand.

"You brat!" Chen Xi glared at Xin Xianying but didn’t tease her further. "If you want to come over, just do it. Here, take this—my house is getting too big and there’s no one around."

"What’s this?" Xin Xianying asked, catching the golden medallion tied with a red string that Chen Xi tossed over. She looked at him in confusion.

"I’ll help you put it on," Zhen Mi said, taking the medallion. She paused for a moment, then untied the red string and placed it around Xin Xianying’s neck, ignoring her fidgeting.

"You’ll find out what it’s for in the future," Chen Xi said with a smile. With this medallion, he doubted anyone would dare mess with her.

Later that evening, as Chen Xi was reading, Xin Xianying brought over a tray with a small bowl. Chen Xi just stared at her without moving. Xin Xianying, holding a large tray, struggled to find a place to put it down. His desk was higher than she was tall, and she nearly knocked it over in the process.

"Why not just ask for help instead of struggling? You almost spilled it," Chen Xi grumbled as he took the bowl from her.

"How was I supposed to know your desk was this high?" Xin Xianying pouted as she replied.

"Not bad," Chen Xi said, quickly finishing the food without even adding soy sauce. He set the bowl aside.

"See? I’m pretty amazing!" Xin Xianying said smugly.

"It was just steamed. But for you, that’s impressive. It’s getting dark, so I’ll have someone take you home," Chen Xi said, not wanting to dampen her spirits too much. The food was average, but considering it was made by a child, it wasn’t bad.

"I’m heading home. I’ll come see you again," Xin Xianying said, putting the tray down on a nearby table before waving and running off.

"Has she left?" Zhen Mi asked as she came in to light the lamps.

"Yes, she left. There’s a carriage at the door, and someone escorted her," Chen Xi said, closing his book as he looked at her. "Are you going home now?"

"Yes, I’ll leave soon," Zhen Mi said with a hint of dissatisfaction. She had spent the entire day inspecting the layout of Chen Xi’s house, and in her opinion, it was very plain.

Chen Xi put his book aside and looked out at the darkening sky. "I’ll walk you home. After all, I asked you to come help."

Zhen Mi looked at Chen Xi, feeling helpless. Without that last sentence, she would have felt much better. Did he really not understand?

Chen Xi escorted Zhen Mi back to the Zhen family’s residence in Ye City. Only then did he realize how close their homes were. The Zhen family’s house was just across the road from Liu Bei’s. It wasn’t far in a straight line, but the actual route was much longer.

As they neared the Zhen family’s home, Zhen Mi suddenly asked, "Lord Chen, why did you give that little girl that medallion?"

"I just felt like giving it to her," Chen Xi replied with a smile. Giving Xin Xianying the medallion was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but once given, he wasn’t taking it back.

"A whim?" Zhen Mi asked, feeling a little exasperated. "Then could you give one to me? I’d like one too." Her voice was tinged with frustration, and she stared directly at Chen Xi as she spoke.

"..." Chen Xi’s lips twitched. It’s fine to give it to a little girl, but if I gave it to you, it would cause me endless trouble.

"Sigh, Lord Chen, you should be more mindful. Sometimes, things shouldn’t be done on a whim," Zhen Mi said with exasperation. "We’ve arrived. Tomorrow, I’ll come by again to help furnish your home."

"Thank you," Chen Xi said with a bitter smile.

"Mi'er, you’re back," came a voice from inside the house just as Chen Xi turned to leave. It was Zhen Mi’s mother, Lady Zhang, whose timing was suspiciously perfect. Chen Xi turned back, intending to bow, only to hear her laughter. "The Zhen family is just a house of widows and orphans; it’s not appropriate to keep Lord Chen."

Chen Xi felt incredibly awkward. He knew perfectly well what Lady Zhang was implying: the Zhen family might not keep him, but his family certainly could. And who would they keep? That didn’t even need to be said.

"Sigh," Chen Xi sighed, turning away and leaving without looking back.

After he left, Zhen Mi’s cheeks flushed as she looked at her mother in embarrassment and frustration. "Mother, what are you doing?"

"You’re going about this all wrong. The way he looks at you is not how a man should look at a woman. It’s more like how one feels toward someone they pity or cherish. That’s not right," Lady Zhang said, glancing at Zhen Mi. "If things continue like this, you’ll never make any progress with him. Haven’t you noticed? The way he looks at you is the same way I look at you."

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