Yan Ningshuang had never heard such words in her life, her face turning pale with fright while trembling with rage.
"You, you lowly servant!"
Xiangqin blinked, looking left and right with an innocent, clueless expression. "Lowly what? Lowly person? Third Young Madam, who are you calling a lowly person?"
Yan Ningshuang pointed a trembling finger at her. "You..."
Xiangqin pouted, speaking aggrievedly. "Me? What does a lowly person want with me?"
Yan Ningshuang was so enraged she nearly fainted on the spot. However, she had dismissed her maids before coming to find Ren Yaoqi, and now she had no one to call upon to teach this insolent servant a lesson. Resorting to a physical altercation with a maid would be beneath her dignity.
As the top maid of the Ren Family, Xiangqin was no fool. She dared to bully Yan Ningshuang so brazenly precisely because she had noticed the latter was alone. Even if Yan Ningshuang wanted to accuse her, she would have no evidence. And even if she did, where could she possibly lodge a complaint? Submit a petition to the Empress Dowager? Xiangqin chuckled inwardly, confident that Yan Ningshuang was powerless against her at the moment.
Just as Xiangqin was secretly plotting to further infuriate and frighten Yan Ningshuang, a figure suddenly emerged from a side path.
They were walking along a long corridor, and the side path was obscured by dense shrubs and a large tree, so neither of them had seen or heard anyone approaching.
Xiangqin’s heart sank, worrying that someone might have overheard her bullying Yan Ningshuang. This could spell trouble. With this thought, her expression darkened, and she couldn’t help but steal a glance at the newcomer.
The sudden arrival was a young man dressed in a light blue straight-collared robe. He was not particularly tall and even appeared somewhat frail, yet his features were strikingly handsome, with rosy lips and fair skin.
Upon seeing his face, Xiangqin was momentarily stunned, wondering if he was the mansion’s accountant or some scholar who had wandered in. But as soon as this thought crossed her mind, she felt something was off. Although the young man looked refined and handsome, his eyes were dark and unfathomable, unlike the gaze of a typical scholar. Pondering his appearance, Xiangqin momentarily forgot her fear.
Meanwhile, the furious Yan Ningshuang reacted first. Pointing at Xiangqin, she commanded the newcomer, "Seize this lowly servant!"
Yan Ningshuang knew all the masters of the mansion. Given the young man’s plain attire and his presence here, she assumed he was either an accountant or a minor steward of the mansion. As the Third Young Madam of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, she certainly had the authority to order a servant around.
Unfortunately, after her command, the young man merely glanced at her without stopping. Though his gaze held no discernible emotion, it inexplicably sent shivers down Yan Ningshuang’s spine.
However, Yan Ningshuang was too consumed by the rage Xiangqin had stirred in her to dwell on her discomfort. She shouted angrily, "Stop!"
The young man frowned but halted his steps, turning to look at Yan Ningshuang with his dark, inscrutable eyes, saying nothing.Thinking that this man must have just heard the unreasonable words of this maid, she was determined to take the matter before the Prince and Princess Consort, forcing the maid's mistress, Ren Yaoqi, to apologize to her in front of everyone. So Yan Ningshuang suppressed the inexplicable urge to step back and softened her tone as she addressed the young man: "Which department are you in charge of? Did you just hear this maid's disrespectful words?"
The young man followed Yan Ningshuang's gesture and glanced at Xiangqin, who was standing anxiously to the side.
Xiangqin had always been like this—when facing someone she disliked, even if their status was higher than hers, she would still find ways to bully them behind the scenes. However, the prerequisite was to avoid doing so openly. She understood better than anyone the limitations of her status as a maid, and there were many things she simply couldn’t do in public.
That’s why Xiangqin’s face had turned pale. She wasn’t afraid of being scolded; what she feared was that her recklessness would cause trouble for her Second Miss. For a top-ranking maid, this was nothing short of a disgrace. Unconsciously, Xiangqin’s gaze toward the young man became pitiful.
The young man stared at Xiangqin for a while, almost making her cry, before coldly uttering three words: "Didn’t hear."
Both Yan Ningshuang and Xiangqin were stunned. Yan Ningshuang was dumbfounded, while Xiangqin was overjoyed. Instinctively, she used the flattering and coquettish skills she usually employed in front of her mistress, grinning foolishly at the young man.
When Yan Ningshuang regained her composure, her face turned livid. Ordinarily, given her status, she wouldn’t stoop to arguing with a servant. But today, her mood was utterly foul, and this maid had gone too far. Yan Ningshuang simply couldn’t swallow her anger, and now this suddenly appearing man dared to lie to her face. The place was so quiet—she refused to believe he hadn’t heard anything.
"How could you not have heard? Are you in cahoots with this wretched maid?"
The young man’s somewhat gloomy gaze fixed on her again, as if finally giving her a proper look, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Then, his words came out like shards of ice: "And who are you?"
Yan Ningshuang was speechless.
"Pfft—" This time, Xiangqin couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and her earlier tension vanished completely.
Xiangqin had a bad habit: she judged people by their appearance. Back in the Ren Family, she had always been kinder to the better-looking servants. Seeing that this young man was not only handsome but also had a good heart, she immediately regarded him as one of her own. Smiling, she said, "Brother, you don’t know her? Aren’t you from Yanbei Prince's Mansion? This lady is the grandniece of the Empress Dowager, who traveled all the way from the capital. She’s the famous eldest daughter of the Yan Family in Yanbei and is now the Third Young Madam of the mansion."
The young man didn’t spare Yan Ningshuang another glance, replying coldly, "Don’t know her."
Seeing the two of them seemingly mocking her in tandem, Yan Ningshuang knew that prolonging the confrontation would only humiliate her further. Gritting her teeth, she suppressed her anger and shame, glared at them fiercely, straightened her back, and strode past them, quickly leaving.
Xiangqin watched Yan Ningshuang’s retreating figure, blinked, and turned to ask her newly acquainted companion, "That’s strange! She just left like that?"
The companion glanced at her.Xiangqin asked her new companion somewhat gloomily, "Shouldn't she have pointed at us angrily and said 'you'll see!' before leaving? Or at least pounced on me and scratched my face?"
Yan Ningshuang's "unconventional behavior" left Xiangqin dissatisfied—she hadn't had enough fun tormenting this shameless woman yet.
Her companion quietly observed the rich array of expressions on her face, then, with rare condescension, asked, "Do you have a death wish?"
If anyone else had heard this, they would surely have taken offense, thinking it an insult. But Xiangqin was different—she was remarkably tolerant toward those she liked. Upon hearing this, she grinned slyly, showing her teeth, and said, "No way. The one asking for trouble definitely isn't me."
The young man seemed to tilt his head in thought. When he looked up again, Yan Ningshuang, who had already walked out of the corridor, suddenly slipped, let out a sharp cry, and fell to the ground.
Xiangqin was stunned. The ground beneath Yan Ningshuang's feet was perfectly flat—how had she managed to trip herself? And it looked like she had twisted her ankle, struggling in pain and unable to get up.
But Xiangqin quickly brushed aside this minor confusion. Taking pleasure in an enemy's misfortune was something she was quite skilled at, so she immediately covered her mouth and giggled. She had no intention of calling for help to assist Yan Ningshuang. Instead, she winked at her new companion, signaling him to follow her down another path.
The young man glanced at her and obediently followed.
Only when Yan Ningshuang's pitiful figure was out of sight did Xiangqin burst into laughter, doubling over with mirth. Then, beaming at her new companion, she said brightly, "You're one of my young master's men, right? You're such a good person!"
Xiangqin wasn't foolish. In this mansion, anyone who didn't take the Xiao Family's Third Young Madam seriously and was willing to cover for her had to be on their side.
"Good person?" The young man seemed somewhat surprised as he turned to look at her. After a moment, he unexpectedly curled the corners of his lips into a rare smile. His features were already somewhat striking, and this sudden smile carried a captivating charm that left Xiangqin staring at him in a daze.
Looking at the little maid staring at him dumbfounded, the young man, for once, didn't get angry. Instead, his smile widened, and his voice, usually cold, softened into a gentle, coaxing tone. "Are you the young madam's maid? What's your name?"
The foolish maid, intoxicated by his beauty and unaware of any danger, replied blankly, "My name is Xiangqin. I'm not a maid of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion—I'm from the Lei Family."
"From the Lei Family?" The young man frowned as if encountering a problem but soon smiled again and nodded at Xiangqin.
"Xiangqin, I'll remember that."
Xiangqin smiled somewhat sheepishly, her expression appearing utterly foolish.
"Xiao Shun," the young man suddenly said.
"Huh?" Xiangqin didn't react immediately.
"My name is Xiao Shun," Xiao Shun said to Xiangqin with a smile.
"Oh, Xiao Shun," Xiangqin blinked and nodded.
Xiao Shun looked at Xiangqin for a while longer, then said softly, "Well then, we'll see." With that, he turned and left without looking back."Hmm, ah?" Staring blankly at Xiao Shun's retreating back for a long moment, she muttered inexplicably, "That, that phrase isn't used like that! Hey!"
That evening, when Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi were preparing to retire, Xiao Jingxi suddenly asked, "Does Mrs. Lei have a maid named Xiangqin by her side?"
Ren Yaoqi was helping Xiao Jingxi change his clothes and was somewhat puzzled by the question: "Why? Did she cause trouble again?"
Many people have been asking about Xiangqin's CP for a long time. Actually, the author has long since quietly tailored one just for her... (^o^)
A cheeky, mischievous, and lustful little girl should be paired with a beautiful, scheming, and sadistic guy, right?
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