After refusing marriage, she was pampered by the prince who acted as a shield.

Chapter 503: Enemy or Friend?

"Madam, what did I do that made the child dislike me? Why is he avoiding me like this?"

"I'm clearly quite popular with my younger siblings at home, so why am I disliked by him?"

"Changning is a shy child. If you want to talk to her more, it will probably take several months to get to know her."

Lin Rusi didn't hesitate at all, as if she had said it to someone hundreds or thousands of times before.

Unexpectedly, Fan Zhe glanced at Chang Ning again before turning his gaze back to her.

"Why haven't we seen the young master? Did he go out alone?"

“I’ve been feeling a bit weak these days, so I sent him out to watch the shop. I’m afraid he won’t be back until dark.”

Fan Zhe nodded knowingly, then looked at the other two guards in the room again.

Both of them noticed his gaze and immediately glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"This is my first time visiting Madam's place. I thought you two would buy a courtyard here, but it turns out you're renting a place in an inn."

"We didn't bring many people, and we bought a courtyard but no one will take care of it. We also like to travel around, so if the courtyard gets dusty, we'll have to clean it again when we come back. It's more convenient to stay in an inn."

Seeing that someone was sitting to the side wanting to drink water, Lin Rusi picked up the teapot, shook it, and found that there was no water inside. She then pushed open the door to call the waiter to bring up a pot of tea.

However, at this hour, everyone below is busy and cannot hear Lin Rusi's voice at all.

"Why don't we go downstairs? I'll ask the manager to reserve a seat for me."

"I'd be honored to accept your offer. I'm also a bit hungry; why don't we have something to eat together, Madam?"

Seeing that he had taken the initiative to offer, Lin Rusi naturally did not refuse. She nodded and made way for him to go down first.

She glanced at the guards, then raised her hand and pointed in the direction of Changning, signaling them to leave if anyone was in danger.

Having received a response, Lin Rusi naturally followed after her.

"I've eaten almost all the food at the inn these past few days, so I didn't expect there would still be some I haven't tried."

“These are not on the menu; only we locals know about them.”

"I see."

How old is he? Can he be considered a regular customer?

It's likely that the inn knew Lin Rusi was here and specifically sent someone to investigate.

It's no wonder Li Jingyang was able to do all this; she should be wary of this person.

Lin Rusi looked at the food on the table, not wanting to touch it, but since her eyes were fixed on it, she picked up a little and put it in her mouth.

"It really is different. It's true that only locals know how to eat their own food."

"If my wife likes it, she can order another serving for her husband tonight."

When Li Jingyang was mentioned again, Lin Rusi put down her chopsticks and looked at Fan Zhe in front of her.

Their eyes met, but he remained completely calm, picking up the food and throwing it into his mouth.

This natural appearance also confirmed to Lin Rusi that there was nothing there.

Even so, she didn't intend to do it again, but silently drank the tea that had just been served.

"Although it tastes good, I don't have much of an appetite. I've been like this lately, I'm afraid I'm a little homesick."

"If that's the case, I can recommend a good restaurant to you, Madam."

"Why didn't you let me go back? Instead, you recommended a restaurant to me."

Fan Zhe glanced at Lin Rusi but did not answer.

This appearance made her feel even more that there was danger nearby, or that someone was not going to let her leave.

Lin Rusi looked at the person in front of her with an extremely natural expression, staring straight at him.

"Could it be that there are bandits causing trouble nearby?"

"It's not that we're bandits, it's just that there have been continuous torrential rains lately. I'm afraid there might be some unforeseen danger if you go out, so it would be better to wait until after the rainy season before going back."

When did the Jiangnan region ever have a rainy season? This person is really lying through their teeth.

However, Lin Rusi did not want to be exposed at this time, so she could only frown and look at the bright sunshine outside.

"Is this a sign that a storm is brewing?"

"Pretty much. It will rain heavily in two days at most. The roads will be muddy, and if the lady and the child get sick, it will be difficult to treat them."

It might really be two days at most. Is bringing your child a warning?

Lin Rusi frowned, staring intently at the man in front of her, and sighed once again.

"That's a real pity. I had already discussed with Changning that I should go back. If I break my promise now, I'm afraid the child will be angry with me."

"Madam did this for his own good. After all, children are too young and it would be too difficult for them to endure such torment."

Lin Rusi nodded in agreement, but did not give a direct answer as to whether the other party would leave.

Upon realizing this, Fan Zhe put down his chopsticks and stared intently at her smiling face.

"Why won't Madam invite Changning to sit down and eat something?"

“He can’t sit still. He ate so much this morning, and his stomach is still bulging. I’m worried he’ll throw up if he eats any more.”

"Children shouldn't be so greedy; it's bad for their health. I have some digestive pills here; would you like to give them to him to try, Madam?"

Lin Rusi did not refuse, but took the medicine bottle in her hand and smelled it first.

After confirming that it was indeed medicine to aid digestion, they did not take any immediate action but instead returned it to Fan Zhe.

"Thank you, young master, but medicine is three parts poison. Besides, I also want that little guy to learn a lesson so that he won't stop eating until he feels uncomfortable in the future."

"This will certainly teach them a lesson, but it's not good if the child is in great pain. I'm afraid parents wouldn't be able to bear seeing that."

Lin Rusi nodded, but still didn't put away the pills. Instead, she turned her gaze to the black smoke billowing out.

"What's going on? I feel like they're burning something. They shouldn't be burning wheat stalks at this time of year."

"I'm not too sure about that either; it could be a forest fire."

"A forest fire before the rain? That's probably unlikely. Could it be bandits causing trouble?"

Fan Zhe paused slightly, then finally nodded and said the word "maybe".

"It seems that Jiangnan is not going to be peaceful either."

"In that case, Madam should be even more careful and it would be best not to leave. After all, there are still officials and stationed soldiers guarding the city, but once you go out, you will only have these guards left."

Reminded again, Lin Rusi immediately nodded and smiled slightly at the person.

Clearly taken aback by her smile, Fan Zhe paused for a moment before coughing lightly and looking at the seat next to him.

"Why isn't Young Master Fan eating anymore? Have you gotten tired of eating this kind of food all the time?"

"That's not the case. I'm just a little worried that things outside might affect our business in the city. You know that if my business is delayed for even a day, it's a loss of thousands of taels of silver."

Lin Rusi did not respond; she simply stared at him.

Fan Zhe felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, so he picked up his chopsticks and put them down again, eventually using a cup of tea to block the view of the person opposite him.

"We are all mortals. No matter how uncomfortable we are, we must eat something, otherwise how can we get through this?"