Phoenix in the Moonlight

Chapter 27: Pined For The Man

When on a mission, they were tight on money, sometimes skipping meals so that they could afford to bribe officials if need be. In the martial world where corruption peeked through every alley, how could a spy survive? She was the Miss of a wealthy family, but that didn't mean that she got any benefits. Actually, harsher treatment was given to her.

A delicious array of dishes were cooked, light and filling, not too hard on the digestive system: perfect for Yifeng to have in the morning.

She decorated the bowls to look pleasing to the eye and went over to Wang Yifeng's courtyard. The servant girls looked up when she came in, looking her up and down as they cleaned. Xin ignored them and stopped in front of servant Pei.

"Miss, good morning. Do you wish to meet the Young Master?" he asked, bowing in greeting.

She nodded. "I brought him breakfast. I hope the kitchen hasn't prepared anything yet."

"The kitchen staff know now that you are taking care of Young Master's nutrition. They don't dare disobey," he smiled. The politeness showed integrity and cunning.

"Thank you. I will enter now." Eunuch Pei nodded and moved aside to make way for her to enter the room.

Wang Yifeng looked up when he saw her enter with a tray.

"Why don't you ask one of the servants to bring the food over? It is not necessary for you to walk such long distances with a heavy tray," he whined.

'Is he trying to act cute and concerned?' she thought, almost wanting to roll her eyes.

"If Young Master doesn't want the preferential treatment, he can tell me. I will send the servants over to bring the food instead." She just had to tease him.

"I didn't mean it that way, Xin'er. You should just leisurely stroll around and not do such heavy work. That is the duty of the servants."

"I like taking care of Young Master. I am just a poor commoner, who isn't used to having people help her. I would feel inconvenienced if someone was watching over me all the time." It would be very inconvenient if someone shadowed her all the time and overheard her conversations with Mian Mian and Bai'er. Instead, she was happy that she had been taken in as a mistress, a disgrace that the servants would rather not cross or help in any manner.

She had to give it to Wang Yifeng. Even though he acted like he treated her like a wife, he had given her a small courtyard in his grand house, showing that her status was nothing more than a mistress. Though the servants didn't mistreat her, it was evident that they did not have to courtesy her or pay her respect. It was in their best interest to ignore her existence and pretend that their Young Master was a dedicated, virtuous, and loyal individual who had no shred of lust in him.

"I understand, my little bird. Now come, have some food with me." He smirked.

He had yet to see her eat and sometimes wondered if she ever did. She spent most of her time taking care of his needs or the kids, having little time to herself. He was worried a little, especially because she was so thin. He would have liked it if she was a little healthier.

She sat in front of him, tranquility in her eyes. She didn't move, neither did she look at the food. After a minute of coaxing, he gave up and started to feed himself.

A female servant brought a bowl of water for him to wash his hand. He didn't even care to look at her or thank her. He solely focused on Xin.

Xin raised her brow, feeling amused. She glanced at the servant, probably seventeen or eighteen in age, and quite pleasing to the eye. The servant was giving her the side-eye, thinking she was inconspicuous.

"What's your name, little girl?" she spoke out, startling both the servant and Wang Yifeng. He looked at her with a complicated look but said nothing.

"Li Na, Miss." She dug her head into her chest and answered. There was an air of indignation in her, but it was subtle and hard to understand if one didn't have an eye for such things.

"How long have you worked for the Young Master?" she asked in a soft voice. She had to pretend to be a nice and kind person in front of Yifeng at all costs. No shred of jealousy or panic in her voice.

"My mother was a servant of Young Master's and I started working when I was young." No mention of her being a servant. She used the word 'work.' A clear sign that she thought that she was not a mere servant and had some chance with the Young Master. Xin's arrival had probably brought some hope into the hearts of servant girls who had pined for the man from a young age.

"I see. You are a good girl. Come over to my courtyard sometime, maybe I can use your help carrying the food." Xin hid the slyness in her voice.

Li Na looked at Xin in horror.

"You don't want to?" Xin asked, not showing any expression. "Don't worry, you will not be my servant. Only carry the food for every meal."

Li Na sighed in relief at that.

Wang Yifeng was looking at Xin, trying to understand what this woman was trying to do. Couldn't she see that he was avoiding this servant girl? This Li Na, or whatever her name was, had tried her best to stumble across him and make her presence known for a while.