There was one woman he had seen before—the girl who had led him upstairs last time, named something like Huaping, who was Shopkeeper Ye’s maidservant.
The other woman wore a veil, so he couldn’t see her face clearly. He heard she had also passed the manuscript screening and had come because Shopkeeper Ye needed copyists.
Aside from Uncle Li and Huaping in the courtyard, whom he had spoken to, he didn’t know anyone else.
But he wasn’t much of a talker either. He took the sample book handed to him by Ye Yuwu.
Even before opening it, he was stunned. The cover of this publication was so exquisite and unique. The back cover featured a painting of mountains and birds, and above that, a graceful, lifelike woman was depicted as if leaping off the page.
Indeed, this woman was drawn by Ye Yuwu herself, who had previously taught herself sketching.
At first, she tried using charcoal to draw, and the results were quite realistic. However, the charcoal would easily smudge if touched.
That wouldn’t do.
So she attempted to use a brush for sketching. At first, she wasn’t used to it and couldn’t quite grasp the technique.
Moreover, if she made a mistake in one spot, she had to start over.
After practicing like this for several days, she actually managed to pull it off. Uncle Li, with his excellent handwriting, was responsible for writing the publication’s title on the cover.
Once everything was ready, all that remained was to “copy and paste,” though drawing over thirty copies was no small task.
But for now, there was no better solution, so she had to keep drawing them herself.
Thus, while Uncle Li and the others were busy copying in the backyard, Ye Yuwu sat by the desk in the front of the bookstore, keeping an eye on the shop while she drew.
Guan Yan knew none of this. All he saw was the title on the book’s cover: Between a Square Inch, First Issue.
That was the name of this publication.
Between a square inch—seemingly confined, yet boundless.
Not only was Guan Yan struck by this exceptionally unique cover, but everyone present, aside from Uncle Li and Huaping who had already seen it, was equally astonished by it.
After a moment, they regained their composure, remembered their task, and sat up straight with unusual seriousness, opening the book to the first page to begin copying.
As they copied, they couldn’t help but get drawn into the stories. Though the language wasn’t ornate, the plots were tight, the writing concise, and it was a very comfortable read, suitable for everyone.
Guan Yan had a feeling this publication was bound to be a hit.
But when he copied the last story, he froze.
The Overbearing Prince Falls for the Little Maidservant—what was this?
It had successfully captured Guan Yan’s attention, and he quickly started writing.
Everyone present was copying at roughly the same pace. One by one, as they came across this straightforward and somewhat embarrassing title, their eyes were drawn to it.
Eagerly, they all picked up their brushes and began copying.
The story began with the little maidservant Tan Wushuang, whose father’s gambling addiction led to her being sold into the Gongqing Prince’s mansion as a servant.
She was then assigned by the steward to work in the mansion’s kitchen as a fire-tending maid. Tan Wushuang worked diligently in the kitchen every day, daydreaming with hope that one day she could buy back her freedom and leave the mansion.
But her beauty was simply too striking in the dim, greasy atmosphere of the back kitchen, and it wasn’t long before someone with ill intentions took notice.
One day, as she was adding firewood to the stove, another maid in the back kitchen, Xiao Cui, clutched her stomach and came to her for help.
Xiao Cui was mainly responsible for serving dishes from the back kitchen. Today, the prince had returned to the mansion earlier than expected, but at that moment, her stomach was hurting terribly, so she had no choice but to turn to Wushuang.
Seeing her in such distress, Wushuang agreed to her request.
As soon as Xiao Cui left, she picked up the prepared meal and headed toward the location she had been told.
Since she had been confined to the kitchen ever since entering the mansion, she was not very familiar with its layout, so she followed the directions Xiao Cui had given her.
Unbeknownst to her, all of this had been arranged by someone. How could the prince, who had returned from the palace drunk, possibly call for someone to serve him food?!
Naively unaware that she had been targeted and set up, Wushuang foolishly played into someone else’s hands. However, the mastermind behind the scheme likely never expected that Wushuang would get lost and, by sheer coincidence, stumble upon the entrance to Prince Gongqing’s bedchamber.
Prince Gongqing, Gu Xuanye, was known as the Grim Reaper of the court. With a face as flawless as jade and breathtakingly handsome features, he was cold-hearted and aloof, keeping everyone at a distance. Most importantly, he had a severe aversion to dirt and despised anyone coming too close to him. As a result, his inner chambers were exceptionally clean, with not a single woman in sight.
Having spent years stationed at the border, he exuded an intimidating aura of fierceness. Even the noble ladies of Bianjing dared not meet his gaze.
Wushuang noticed that the doors and windows of the bedchamber were tightly shut, with no one around and no lights lit. She tentatively knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside.
Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard the sound of something shattering as it hit the floor inside the chamber.
Fearing something had happened, Wushuang hurriedly pushed the door open. Upon entering, she found herself in complete darkness, unable to see anything.
Summoning her courage, she called out, “Your Highness,” and cautiously moved deeper into the room.
But the chamber was too quiet, so quiet that only the sound of her footsteps could be heard.
Suddenly, a pair of strong, scorching hands seized her wrist.
Terrified, she tried to scream, but before she could make a sound, another hand covered her mouth. The tray of food she had been holding had long since fallen to the ground.
Then, she was pushed to the floor.
By the moonlight, she caught a glimpse of the face of the culprit holding her—it was Prince Gongqing. She had seen his face briefly when she first entered the mansion.
He seemed drunk, muttering something under his breath that Wushuang couldn’t make out. But soon, all her breath was stolen away.
As his handsome face drew closer, the sensation on her lips told her this was real.
Wushuang’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes widened in disbelief.
But she quickly regained her senses and slapped him across the face. The man’s head turned to the side, and his hazy consciousness gradually cleared.
Only after delivering the slap did Wushuang begin to feel fear.
The man’s silence now made Wushuang even more afraid. Her eyes reddened, and her body trembled.
The man sneered coldly and grabbed her wrist. “Who sent you here?”
He held her so tightly that her wrist ached. “No one sent me, Your Highness. I only came here to serve you food.”
“Do you think I would believe that? I never called for anyone to serve me food!”
Wushuang tried to break free, but he held her firmly in place. “Whether Your Highness believes it or not, this servant truly came to the chamber to serve you food at someone’s request.”
Seeing that he had no intention of letting go, Wushuang grew desperate and bit down hard on his arm. The man winced in pain, loosening his grip just enough for her to slip free.
Watching her panicked figure flee into the distance, the man did not give chase.
Still groggy from the wine, his reactions were slow, and he forgot to call for help. Thus, she managed to escape and return safely to the servants’ quarters where she lived.
Gu Xuanye gazed deeply at the graceful figure disappearing into the night, a frivolous smile curling at the corner of his lips. “Interesting.”
Wushuang, who had run back to the servants’ quarters, was still shaken, thinking about what she had just done. Her heart was filled with fear and unease, and she recalled the noble ladies in the capital describing him as ruthless and vindictive.
Her heart sank in misery, feeling as though her days were numbered. So much so that when Xiao Cui returned and asked where she had been, she didn’t even bother to ponder the question.
Thus, with a heart full of anxiety, she arrived at the next day.
Early in the morning, when the steward came to the courtyard and transferred Wushuang to serve in front of the main hall, her vision darkened, knowing she was likely in for inhuman torment.
Since death seemed inevitable anyway, as she was led before the prince by the steward, she felt no fear or hesitation—only a desire for a swift end.