The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat

Chapter 374: Chapter 375: Weight-Loss Medicine

Nanny Zhang was overjoyed.

She quickly asked, "Commandery Princess, would you like another bowl?"

Before Princess Rouwan could speak, Hua Manman cut in.

"The Commandery Princess hasn’t eaten in a long time, so she shouldn’t have too much at once. I’ll take the rest."

With that, she picked up the clay pot and began to guzzle down the contents in huge gulps.

Princess Rouwan was so furious she shot to her feet, slamming her hand on the table.

"Put that down!"

After a moment, Hua Manman slowly set the clay pot down.

Everyone stared—the congee in the pot was completely gone, without a single scrap left.

Hua Manman took out a handkerchief and made a show of wiping her mouth.

"Oh dear, how did I finish it all by accident? I can only blame the chefs at the Duke Zhen Country Mansion for being too good."

She even let out a satisfied burp, wearing the blissful expression of someone who had eaten and drunk her fill.

’This wretched girl is going to be the death of me!’

"Do you have any sense of propriety at all?!"

Hua Manman pushed herself up from the table. "Oh, my apologies. I was just so hungry that I accidentally ate a little too much. I’ll be more careful next time."

As she finished, she even gave Princess Rouwan a deliberately sheepish smile.

Princess Rouwan snapped, "You dare think there’ll be a next time?!"

Hua Manman, as if oblivious to the other’s fury, stretched her arms out wide in a big stretch.

"I’m so full. I need to go for a walk outside. Would the Commandery Princess like to join me?"

Faced with her invitation, Princess Rouwan said only one word.

"Scram!"

Hua Manman swaggered out of the bedroom, taking Si Yun and Qing Huan with her to wander around the Duke Zhen Country Mansion.

This was the place where Prince Zhao had grown up, a place that held many of his memories.

Strolling here felt like walking through Prince Zhao’s memories. Hua Manman found the feeling quite peculiar.

Si Yun couldn’t help but peek at Qing Huan from the corner of her eye.

Qing Huan noticed her gaze and asked first.

"Why... are you... looking... at me?"

Caught red-handed, Si Yun’s face flushed bright red.

She said shyly, "It’s nothing. I was just surprised. I didn’t expect you to be such a master of martial arts. All those men couldn’t even beat you alone."

Hearing their conversation, Hua Manman couldn’t help but turn to look at Qing Huan as well.

’To be honest, I hadn’t expected Qing Huan to be so formidable either.’

Qing Huan explained honestly.

"Actually, my martial arts... aren’t that... impressive. I was... able to beat them... because..."

Both Hua Manman and Si Yun’s curiosity was piqued, and they perked up their ears to listen.

However, Qing Huan’s stutter became even more pronounced at this moment.

She got stuck for so long that Hua Manman started to wonder if someone had hit her pressure points. Only then did she manage to force out the next sentence.

"...Because those men... were intentionally... holding back."

An outsider might not have noticed, but as the one fighting, she could clearly feel that the Protectors had held back when they struck, not using their full force against her.

Hua Manman was very surprised. "You’re saying those Protectors deliberately pretended they couldn’t beat you?"

Qing Huan nodded. "Mhm."

Hua Manman was confused. "But why?"

She didn’t know those Protectors at all. Why would they help her? It made no sense.

Qing Huan scratched her head. "I... don’t know..."

Hua Manman was truly curious.

"Since we can’t figure it out, let’s just go ask those Protectors."

With that, she marched impetuously toward the front courtyard.

Si Yun hurried after her. "Princess Consort, slow down! Wait for us!"

Qing Huan: "...kay."

When Feihua Zhenren woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

He washed up, changed his clothes, and opened his medicine box as usual, picking out a small porcelain bottle from the numerous jars and vials inside.

He opened the small porcelain bottle and tipped it into his palm.

A milky-white pill rolled out.

Seeing this, Feihua Zhenren let out a sound of surprise.

’Why is there only one of my weight-loss pills left?’

’I clearly remember there being two.’

Unconvinced, Feihua Zhenren picked up the porcelain bottle and shook it a couple of times, confirming that it was indeed empty. Not a single pill was left.

’How strange.’

’Could someone have stolen my weight-loss pills?’

’But how would anyone else know these are for weight loss?’

He hadn’t written "weight-loss pill" on the bottle; its surface was only marked with a red circle.

It was a mark only he could understand.

He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Feihua Zhenren decided not to dwell on it. It was just one missing weight-loss pill, not a big deal.

He tossed the pill from his palm into his mouth and washed it down with warm water.

These weight-loss pills were custom-made for him. One a day, taken long-term, would help control his weight.

’What’s that? You say he hasn’t lost any weight even after taking the pills?’

’He may not have gotten any thinner, but he hasn’t gotten any fatter, either!’

’From a certain point of view, not getting fatter is the same as getting thinner!’

Feihua Zhenren slung his medicine box over his back, preparing to go check on Princess Rouwan.

He took two steps, then suddenly stopped.

He focused his thoughts, murmuring to himself.

"Princess Consort Zhao seemed to have come looking for me this morning. What did she want? Why can’t I remember?"

He thought for a good while but couldn’t recall.

"Oh, well. If I can’t remember, it must not have been important. I should go check on the Commandery Princess first."

He pushed the thought aside and headed for Princess Rouwan’s residence.

Hua Manman quickly found the leader of the Protectors.

She learned the truth from him.

It turned out that this group of Protectors had once been soldiers under Duke Zhen. They were responsible for the security of the Duke Zhen Country Mansion, and after the Duke’s death, they had remained at the mansion to continue their duties.

For the past six years, they had watched Princess Rouwan drown in memories of the past, unable to escape the shadow of Duke Zhen’s death.

She guarded the vast Duke Zhen Country Mansion alone, living like a walking corpse.

To be honest, it was hard for all of them to watch.

But they were just Protectors and couldn’t overstep their bounds. All they could do was watch helplessly as the Commandery Princess grew thinner by the day.

In truth, they all hoped Prince Zhao could stay.

Even though every meeting between Prince Zhao and Princess Rouwan ended unhappily, at least when facing him, the Commandery Princess would get angry. She wasn’t lifeless and devoid of emotion like she usually was.

The reason the Protectors had intentionally held back and pretended they couldn’t beat Qing Huan was that they had seen Princess Rouwan bickering with Princess Consort Zhao.

She was furious, but at the same time, she was so alive.

They hoped Princess Consort Zhao could stay and spend more time with Princess Rouwan.

It didn’t matter if the two of them raised a ruckus.

It was fine for a family to be a little rowdy. Weren’t ordinary families just like that, living their lives amidst the clamor?

Hua Manman let out a long sigh.

"That was very thoughtful of you all."