It was just that the steward and those people kept praising her, saying nice things. They praised her to the skies. But did they not see the ugly scar on her face?
The scar was terrifying to look at, as if one had seen a ghost.
Let alone whether it looked good or not, the first person who saw it might even lose their life.
Feng Ran wanted to explain more clearly to the steward, but the steward had already left. She could only suppress her thoughts.
Feng Ran sighed helplessly. To Ling Chiyuan, this was like a prank, but it had a great impact on her. Perhaps those people would even resent her more.
In the end, she said nothing, not even explaining herself clearly.
"Feng Ran, what's wrong? Do you think the old steward is more handsome than this young master?"
Ling Chiyuan's tone turned somewhat cold, exuding a terrifying aura. He said coldly, "If that's the case, then this young master can't keep the steward anymore."
Hearing this, Feng Ran's face suddenly turned pale, and her whole body trembled. Looking at Ling Chiyuan's cold demeanor, she was afraid, and even a little worried.
She worried that the steward would be in trouble because of her, at Ling Chiyuan's hands.
Her eyes were filled with regret: "Young Master Ling."
Ling Chiyuan did not rush to speak. Instead, he tightly held Feng Ran's hand, constantly playing with her delicate fingers. He whispered seductively in Feng Ran's ear, "Feng Ran, if you want this young master to let the steward go, how will you serve me? You know, if you serve me happily, you can have whatever you want."
"Young Master Ling." Feng Ran's eyes were no longer filled with fear. At this moment, her eyes held a hint of a smile, making one mesmerized.
Feng Ran's smile at this moment was something even she herself had not noticed.
Ling Chiyuan was completely captivated by Feng Ran's smile.
This was the first time he had seen Feng Ran smile, and smile so brilliantly.
Ling Chiyuan's eyes gleamed, and he said, "Feng Ran, you should smile often, you know? How beautiful you are when you smile."
"Feng Ran, you are simply charming when you smile."
Hearing this, Feng Ran immediately withdrew her smile. She didn't even know why she had smiled like that just now.
She, Feng Ran, was not qualified to smile. Smiling was something she was not worthy of in her lifetime.
Feng Ran's withdrawn smile made Ling Chiyuan unhappy.
Feng Ran did not know what to say at this moment.
The atmosphere became extremely awkward.
Feng Ran hesitated, unsure of what to say. Just then, the steward brought the wine-grain balls. "Eat them while they're hot. These wine-grain balls are best eaten hot."
The steward was also sharp-eyed. Seeing Ling Chiyuan's expression, which seemed to be not good, he immediately said, "Young Master, these wine-grain balls are a bit hot. You need to watch them carefully."
"I..." Feng Ran wanted to explain to the steward, but before the words could come out, the steward went about his own business.
"Eat them while they're hot." Ling Chiyuan looked at Feng Ran and said with a smile. He glanced at the steward and said coldly, "You may leave. You did a very good job."
"But now, you should withdraw."
"This young master wants some private time with Feng Ran."
"Yes, Young Master." The steward dared not say anything, trembling all over, cold sweat on his back.
After the steward left, Feng Ran's gaze fell on Ling Chiyuan: "Young Master Ling, please don't say such things in the future, lest it damage Young Master Ling's reputation."
"I am already a person of ill repute, and I would not wish for Young Master Ling to be implicated."
Ling Chiyuan's eyes showed displeasure. He picked up a soup spoon and handed a wine-grain ball directly to Feng Ran, saying firmly, "Feng Ran, what I said is true, I'm not joking."
Trembling.
Surprise.
Bewilderment, even widening her eyes, she stared at Ling Chiyuan with a blank expression, saying in disbelief: "Young Master Ling, this is not something to joke about."
"How can such a lowly person like me stay by your side?"
Feng Ran's whole body trembled, and the wine-grain ball remained in front of her, uneaten.
At this moment, she was full of helplessness.
Ling Chiyuan said earnestly, "Feng Ran, I don't allow you to disparage yourself like this. You must know that I originally wouldn't care about these things."
"Besides, I have never feared anyone, nor have I cared about what others think of me. Therefore, don't say these words in the future. I don't want to hear them."
He tightly held Feng Ran's hand and said earnestly, "Feng Ran, you can seriously consider this matter."
Feng Ran, with a strength she didn't know she had, forcefully pulled her hand away: "Young Master Ling, please never say such things again in the future."
"Feng Ran, what this young master said..."
Feng Ran said with deep sadness and desolation in her eyes: "Young Master Ling, some things are not as simple as they appear on the surface. My fate is very strong. Most importantly, anyone related to me will have a bad end. Mr. Ling, please don't say such things in the future."
Feng Ran said with grief and indignation: "Young Master Ling, I don't want you to be implicated because of me."
In the end, Ling Chiyuan stopped speaking and just looked at Feng Ran quietly.
After a long while, Ling Chiyuan's face regained its smile and he said, "Alright, I was just joking. Don't take it too seriously."
Seeing that Feng Ran remained silent and her expression was still grim, Ling Chiyuan knew that Feng Ran had not taken his words to heart and was still angry.
Ling Chiyuan did not explain, but continued to feed Feng Ran the wine-grain balls.
This time, Feng Ran ate them.
Ling Chiyuan's previously unpleasant expression was now full of smiles.
He even let out a 'hehe' laugh.
Feng Ran looked at Ling Chiyuan in confusion, wondering what he was laughing at. Was it just because she ate the wine-grain balls? But wasn't that normal? And she did like eating wine-grain balls.
She would not refuse things she liked to eat. Moreover, she had not eaten these wine-grain balls for many years and missed them dearly.
She had been thinking earlier that the taste might be different from before. But the moment she ate it, she found it was exactly the same.
When Ling Chiyuan offered the second wine-grain ball, Feng Ran did not take it. Instead, she pointed to the food in her bowl and said calmly, "I have some here. I don't need to trouble Young Master Ling anymore."
Ling Chiyuan smiled, but finally withdrew his hand.
Ling Chiyuan watched Feng Ran eat the wine-grain balls, and he also ate them with relish.
Looking at Ling Chiyuan's actions, Feng Ran hesitated. After thinking for a long time, she voiced her doubts: "Young Master Ling, are you really not afraid of Xuan Yuanheng?"
She did not ask this question suddenly. It was because from the beginning until now, Ling Chiyuan's gaze and attention had always been on her and Ling Chiyuan. She could feel that Ling Chiyuan must have felt it too. Did he not have the slightest worry or fear?