Wei Zhao was almost blinded by the gleam of all that silver. She stiffly shook her head.
“…He doesn’t pay me.”
“What?”
Liu Yueti lifted her chin in disbelief.
“You work for him for free, you silly girl?”
“Do you know what’s most valuable in ancient times?”
Wei Zhao asked blankly, “What?”
“Talent!”
Liu Yueti clasped her hand.
“Do you have any idea how much your martial arts skills are worth?”
Wei Zhao hesitated.
“How much?”
“Here at the Chancellor’s residence…”
Bai Zhen’er sat down in front of her and sifted through the silver in the box.
“This is what an ordinary guard earns.”
Wei Zhao: “!”
It was quite a lot, but she couldn’t let herself be swayed.
Bai Zhen’er raised the offer.
“For someone as highly skilled as you, it would be this much.”
Wei Zhao turned her face away, refusing to look at the money anymore so she wouldn’t be tempted.
Liu Yueti turned her head back toward the box.
“Look!”
“You risk your life following him without earning a single coin. Come with us, and you’ll have good food, good living, and pockets full of silver and gold. Girl, you really need to think about this!”
“Sometimes people play the emotional card just so they can pay you less!”
Bai Zhen’er continued,
“Besides, you’re a woman. Female guards are rare, which makes you even more valuable.”
“So we can offer you this much.”
Wei Zhao: “…”
Bai Zhen’er pushed the box toward her.
“This box is exactly one year’s pay. We’ll pay you in advance.”
Wei Zhao swallowed hard.
She reached out and placed a hand on the box, negotiating seriously.
“…But I occasionally have jobs of my own. And I won’t become a slave or hand over my indenture papers.”
“Fine. But you have to tell us in advance whenever you’re going out, and we come first.”
Liu Yueti’s mental abacus was already clicking.
That way, we’ll know when the male lead is planning to make a move.
“And if anyone asks you to attack us, you can’t accept the job.”
“Of course. I know the rules.”
Wei Zhao gave a small laugh.
“Deal!”
“Wonderful!”
A huge weight lifted from Bai Zhen’er’s heart.
“I’ll have Jianshu explain the rules for working at the Chancellor’s residence later.”
“No need to wait.”
Wei Zhao stuffed the silver into her robes, full of the enthusiasm of someone starting her first day at a new job.
“Payment for work. Let’s do it now.”
She stood with her hands behind her back in front of Jianshu.
“Please, go ahead.”
Jianshu smiled.
“Very well. Then please remember the one hundred and forty-three rules of the Chancellor’s residence.”
Wei Zhao’s smile froze.
“That many?!”
As Wei Zhao was dragged away by Jianshu, Bai Zhen’er rested her chin in her hands and sighed.
“So money really can solve everything.”
“Babe.”
She grabbed Liu Yueti’s hand.
“Good thing you came. I never would’ve thought of this.”
“The plan worked,” Liu Yueti said, “but the Regent is obviously angry. Aren’t you going to go appease him?”
“He doesn’t seem to have left yet. He’s still in that courtyard.”
“Hmm. I guess I should go make it up to him.”
Bai Zhen’er looked confused.
“But why did he suddenly get angry?”
“And don’t you think the way he looks at the male lead is kind of dangerous?”
“Maybe they really are destined to clash because one is the villain and the other is the male lead.”
She couldn’t help sighing.
“They really can’t stand each other the moment they meet.”
“I don’t think that’s the reason.”
Liu Yueti gave a couple of awkward laughs.
“Seriously, haven’t you noticed… they’re only at each other’s throats because of you?”
Bai Zhen’er pointed at herself in shock.
“Me?”
“Do you realize that when you protected the male lead’s guard just now, Shen Hanzhi saw it as you taking the male lead’s side and going against him?”
Liu Yueti shook her head in exasperation.
“I’m telling you, you’re so straightforward, and Shen Hanzhi clearly seems to be falling for you. How have you made zero progress?”
She shook Bai Zhen’er’s head.
“Your little brain works perfectly one moment and stops working the next!”
Bai Zhen’er stared at her blankly.
“Anyway, go find Shen Hanzhi right now and tell him you have absolutely no interest in the male lead.”
Liu Yueti pointed at her.
“That way, he won’t keep overthinking things.”
“Oh!”
Bai Zhen’er obediently stood up, only for Liu Yueti to grab her and pull her back.
“Remember.”
Liu Yueti warned her,
“Don’t casually eat or drink anything at the banquet, and don’t go alone with anyone into a strange room!”
Bai Zhen’er blinked in confusion.
Liu Yueti tapped her on the head.
“Haven’t you seen those kinds of plots before?”
“Banquets like this are where accidents happen most often! You never know what might have aphrodisiacs mixed into it!”
“Wow.”
Bai Zhen’er covered her face.
“Babe, what kind of things do you usually read?”
“Tsk. I’m speaking from experience.”
Liu Yueti flicked her forehead.
“Just remember what I said.”
“Have Jianshu and Wei Zhao stay with you.”
“Oh.”
Bai Zhen’er obediently nodded.
“What about you?”
“I know more of these tricks than you do.”
Liu Yueti waved her off.
“And I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay here and wait for you.”
“Go on.”
“Then I’ll come back as soon as I’m done explaining everything!”
Bai Zhen’er gave her hand a little shake.
“Then we can go look at the flowers!”
Liu Yueti rested her chin in her hands and watched her walk away.
“Just look at that happy little figure running toward love.”
My adorable hopeless-romantic bestie.
The moment Bai Zhen’er left, Liu Yueti heard two muffled giggles behind her.
She raised an eyebrow.
Oh? Looks like trouble has come knocking.
People behind her began whispering and pointing.
“Isn’t that the country cousin from the Chancellor’s residence?”
A round of suppressed laughter followed.
“They still call her ‘Miss Cousin.’ Who knows what kind of relative she actually is? I heard she was just some village girl Miss Bai met while she was living in the countryside.”
“She even dared to tell the princess, ‘My father is a scholar.’ How ridiculous.”
“That’s not all. I heard this cousin has her eyes on the top scholar too. She insisted that she gave him a handkerchief…”
“Exactly! But Young Master Xie refused it and said he had merely picked it up and was returning it to her!”
The women laughed and tugged at one another, deliberately speaking loudly enough to make sure Liu Yueti could hear.
Behind a wall not far away, Ling Buzhan had been waiting for a chance to ask Liu Yueti for the return of his letter.
He was speechless.
He gave a quiet scoff.
The noble young ladies of the capital can be this vicious and sharp-tongued?
He was just about to step out and defend her when Liu Yueti spoke.
“Are you ladies talking about me?”
The women giggled and pushed one another.
“You go talk to her.”
“You go!”
“I’m not talking to some country bumpkin…”
“You keep bringing up Xie Anshi.”
Liu Yueti smiled.
“What? Are you ladies interested in the top scholar too?”
“You! Shameless!”
“What?”
Liu Yueti pressed them for an answer.
“Are you or aren’t you?”
“You’re not?”
“You aren’t either?”
“Not saying anything, huh…”
“Then you must be.”
She gave a light laugh.
“As expected of noble young ladies. You’re all smiles to each other on the surface while secretly eyeing the same man.”
She leaned in, openly curious.
“Hey, if you two married into the same family, who would be the first wife and who would be the concubine?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?!”
“You country girl, watch your mouth or I’ll tear it apart!”
“Do you really think just anyone is worthy of marrying the top scholar?!”
“Hmph. Who knows whether I’m worthy or not? I just happen to want him.”
Liu Yueti looked smug.
“What can you do about it?”
“Can you force me not to want him?”
“Well, I want him!”
“I’m determined to become Xie Anshi’s wife. So what?”
After provoking them to her heart’s content, Liu Yueti turned around and slipped away.
Obviously, they outnumber me, and Zhen’er isn’t here. Why would I stay and get myself bullied?
But the moment she passed through the corridor, she came face-to-face with the top scholar, who had been standing just outside the doorway.
Liu Yueti: “…”
He was trying not to laugh.
He definitely heard everything.