Chapter Seventy-Seven: Caught in the Act

As expected, both of them shook their heads.

"Sit down and eat with me," Su Jingluo pulled out the chair beside her.

Ruihuan shook her head, and Alan was so startled that she shook her head like a rattling drum.

"How could we? Your Highness, please eat, we've already saved our own meal," Alan refused, overwhelmed by the honor.

"Ruihuan, set an example and sit down—haven’t we eaten together before?" Seeing how frightened Alan was, Su Jingluo wanted Ruihuan to lead the way.

"That won’t do. Back then, hardship made everything the same, and there were no rules between mistress and servants, we simply comforted each other. Now, Your Highness, your status is noble, I cannot overstep my bounds," Ruihuan had grown more cautious since leaving the small courtyard. The three of them used to live freely, but now too many eyes were watching.

"You two..." Su Jingluo stood up, closed the door, and pulled them both down onto chairs.

"Wasting food is shameful. The three of us will finish everything. With the door closed, who would know but us? Hurry up and eat—I'm ordering you." Su Jingluo truly couldn’t stand eating while others watched; it reminded her too much of the time she fed stray dogs—when they ate, they stared at her unblinkingly. The resemblance was uncanny, and she simply couldn’t stomach it.

The two knew well what kind of person Su Jingluo was, so they did not refuse any longer, though they ate with cautious restraint. In contrast, Su Jingluo grabbed a chicken wing and started gnawing away, handing a drumstick to both Ruihuan and Alan. The two exchanged a glance, struggling to accept it.

"Ruihuan, you’ve suffered much with me in the past. If I do well in the future, so will you; if not, I’ll still do my best for you. Alan, you joined me later, but I won’t let you suffer either. Eat, eat!" Su Jingluo’s mouth was stuffed with pork and she still gnawed on the chicken wing, speaking with bits of meat flying out, but every word was heartfelt. Both had misty eyes as they bit into their drumsticks.

A few minutes passed, and the three finally let go, crouched on their chairs, feasting on meat and fish.

"So lively! Aren’t you going to ask your guest if he wants to eat?" Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Song Yunmo’s words came before he did; he stepped in, then quickly retreated in fright.

Inside, three beautiful young ladies were devouring pork and roast chicken, eating like there was no tomorrow. Song Yunmo thought he’d stumbled upon a den of starving ghosts and was startled out of his wits.

He wasn’t the only one frightened—Ruihuan and Alan were as well, tumbling from their chairs, choking and rolling their eyes. Thankfully, Su Jingluo handed them each a cup of water.

"I say, why didn’t you knock before coming in?" Su Jingluo was a little angry; the shock had nearly sent their souls out of their bodies.

"Sorry, sorry, my apologies, I heard things were lively and just pushed the door open. Didn’t expect to find you in the midst of a meat-eating contest—I thought you were simply having a meal." Song Yunmo apologized repeatedly from the doorway.

"Don’t be ridiculous, we were just eating." Song Yunmo’s logic was baffling—climbing walls meant leaving the palace, eating meant a meat-eating contest.

"It didn’t look like it," Song Yunmo glanced at the furious, grease-stained face of Su Jingluo, then at the equally greasy and blushing Ruihuan and Alan. Anyone seeing the three would doubt they were merely eating.

"Enough nonsense! Coming in without knocking shows no manners—what if we were bathing?" Su Jingluo was truly annoyed; this incident left a shadow—what if she had to return to those pitiful stray-dog eating days?