Xie Cheng suddenly sat up and looked at the little girl standing at the door.
She wore a light red dress, and her narrow sleeves embroidered with cloud patterns covered her wrist. She wore a clean jade bracelet and a golden collar embedded with red gems on her chest. She was holding a tray and standing quietly at the door.
Against the light, Xie Cheng could not see her expression.
However, he could vaguely see the bracelet and collar she was wearing.
If he remembered correctly, the bracelet and collar belonged to his grandmother. How could she give them to her just like that?
The girl standing at the door nodded gently. Her voice was warm and soft, like a clear spring in a mountain stream. She walked in slowly as if she did not hear what Xie Cheng had just said. "Grandmother asked me to send some fruits to the general."
Upon hearing this, Xie Cheng's body tilted again. He raised his chin slightly and smiled at Jiang Fu. "Grandmother? Whose grandmother is she?"
The little girl didn't come near. She raised her arms and handed the tray to Eleven. She lowered her eyes slightly, and her voice was still the same as before. It was warm, soft, and calm. "Grandmother asked me to call her that."
"Pfft." Xie Cheng glanced at her thin figure. He raised his face and said, "Didn't you hear? I brought a woman back this time. I'll marry her. You'd better not be delusional."
Jiang Fu, who was standing there, suddenly looked up. Her eyes were slightly red as if she was about to cry.
Xie Cheng stared into her eyes and hesitated for a moment. At that moment, he had forgotten what he had just said.
After coming to his senses, Xie Cheng furrowed his eyebrows and deliberately sounded more fierce. "Don't cry. I hate women crying the most."
Eleven stood at the side with the tray of fruits. He looked at the little girl who was about to cry, then at Xie Cheng who was lying on the couch. He wanted to say something but decided against it.
The general did not like women, to begin with - since he was young, he had no maids to serve him. He had already reached the age of marriage but had no intention of getting married. Every time he came back from battle, Old Madam Xie would intend for him to marry someone. In the past, it was good that he only had to meet other noble ladies of similar age. Now, she was directly brought home, which made the general unhappy.
Moreover, he had injured his leg this time and was already in a bad mood.
Eleven knew that he should not be a hindrance.
Eleven looked at Jiang Fu silently with the tray of fruits in his hand. His heart was filled with sympathy. She just had to come when the general was in a bad mood.
Jiang Fu lowered her eyes and sniffed softly. She nodded and said, "I understand."
With that, she turned around and was about to leave.
Xie Cheng leaned back and squinted his eyes. He called out in a laid-back tone, "Jiang Fu."
Jiang Fu stopped in her tracks and turned around with red eyes.
She had thought of Xie Cheng calling her name many times, but her heart skipped a beat when he did.
The man leaned there and met her eyes with his dark phoenix-like eyes. He looked at her with a faint smile and said slowly, "You may be able to deceive my grandmother as she's old, and you may be able to deceive my siblings as they are young. But you won't be able to deceive me."
"I've seen many women like you who look harmless but are scheming."
"Even if I can't stand up for the rest of my life, I won't marry a woman like you."
Standing in front of him, Jiang Fu could see his well-defined jawline. She turned away and looked down. She nodded. "I understand, General."