Yun Dai got a terrible fright at seeing this hand come out of nowhere.
But she reacted extremely quickly. She picked up a spatula and slammed it down hard on that hand. Whoever it was withdrew his hand immediately.
Yun Dai took this chance to quickly grab hold of the window and pull it shut with a loud bang.
Everything had happened in a matter of seconds.
Yun Dai turned around and ran toward the door because she wanted to close it also.
She figured that anybody who was trying to get in somewhere through a window must definitely be a bad guy.
And she felt that if he was a bad guy, then he deserved to be beaten.
However, just after she shut the door, someone kicked it open from outside.
Yun Dai staggered a few steps back and fell onto the floor.
Even though her head was spinning after she fell, Yun Dai still managed to grab a piece of firewood, jump up from the floor, and swing it in the direction of the intruder.
“Stop it!” A low shout was aimed at her.
The voice sounded very familiar.
Yun Dai’s hand froze as she looked carefully at the handsome face of the man standing in front of her.
Zhao Yuanjing was standing in the doorway, and his expression was terrifyingly livid.
He walked in, looking like he was going to kill someone. “You crazy woman! Are you asking to get killed?”
There was a large red wound on the back of his hand. That was clearly thanks to the spatula that she had brandished earlier.
Yun Dai had definitely not expected it to be him again.
This time, he was fully alert, and there was nothing amiss about him. That meant that he had come here on purpose.
Yun Dai was puzzled, and she lowered her head. “It’s very late at night. I didn’t think it would be Your Highness.”
Even though she looked very guilty on the outside, she didn’t regret doing what she had done at all. In fact, she regretted hitting him so lightly with that spatula.
She should have grabbed hold of a cleaver and chopped a few of his fingers off. That would have taught him not to climb in windows in the middle of the night.
Zhao Yuanjing walked into the kitchen and saw that there was soup simmering on the stove. A faint, warm smell wafted from the pot.
There was also a piece of firewood on the floor that was as thick as his arm.
If he hadn’t called out just now, this piece of firewood would have struck him on the head. Even if he hadn’t died, he would definitely have lost consciousness.
This woman wasn’t only bold and quick to react, but she was really aggressive too.
Zhao Yuanjing rubbed the back of his hand and saw that it was already turning into a dark-colored bruise.
He was furious and glared at her with a cold look on his face. “And why are you here so late instead of going to bed?”
Yun Dai nearly lost her temper when she heard these words.
She chuckled softly and said, “Eunuch Liu said that you needed to do a lot of reading tonight and told me to prepare some soup for you. Please be patient, the soup will be done in no time.”
Zhao Yuanjing said, “And you think I care for that bit of soup?”
“I wouldn’t dare to guess what you are thinking about.”
Yun Dai really had no idea why Zhao Yuanjing was in the kitchen.
He wasn’t drunk, and he wasn’t drugged. Did he come running all the way here to experience the daily life of the most lowly servants of the palace?
“Your Highness, do you have any other instructions for me?” asked Yun Dai.
Zhao Yuanjing looked at her in surprise when he heard this question.
What did this kitchen helper mean by that?
Was she trying to chase him out?
Had he heard her wrong?
This man was the son of an Empress and became the Crown Prince at the age of 12. Everyone had been trying to gain his favor ever since he’d been a child.
The three consorts in the East Palace were almost willing to give up their lives in the hopes of getting another chance to see him and keep him in their rooms.
Zhao Yuanjing never thought the day would come when he would be chased out by a woman.
He replied coldly, “I want to take a bath.”
Yun Dai looked up at him in surprise. “Your Highness, if you wish to take a bath, you have plenty of maids in the Blessed Palace who will serve you. This is the kitchen, not the bathroom.”
Zhao Yuanjing snapped, “Doesn’t the hot water come from here?”
“Your Highness, that is indeed so,” replied Yun Dai obediently. “If Your Highness needs anything, then you can just ask Eunuch Liu or any of the servants to come over here instead. If I had hurt you by accident, then wouldn’t I be guilty of a crime punishable by death?”
“You are right.” Zhao Yuanjing stared icily at her. “Since that’s the case, boil some hot water and send it to my room.”
With that, he turned around and walked away.
Yun Dai really couldn’t figure out what this mood-swinging Crown Prince was thinking about.