The moment Xiao Lingxi entered the room, she threw herself into Liu Shi's arms as if she had suffered the greatest injustice.
Liu Shi was startled by her dramatic entrance and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
Xiao Lingxi grabbed her mother's hand, her voice urgent and filled with grievance. "Mother! It's Su Xiaoyu! And Big Brother! Please transfer Su Xiaoyu away. Keeping her by my side is nothing but a 'source of trouble'!"
Liu Shi was taken aback. "What's wrong with Su Xiaoyu? Hasn't she been helping you manage trivial matters and studying with you?"
"No! Her intentions are impure. She's seducing Big Brother! When Big Brother comes to my courtyard now, it's not to test my studies at all—it's all to see her! And every time, he uses me as an excuse to give her food! Mother, you must transfer her away. A maid with such cunning intentions cannot stay by my side!"
Xiao Lingxi poured out everything in one breath, then looked at Liu Shi expectantly, waiting for her to uphold justice.
However, after hearing this, the worry on Liu Shi's face faded, replaced by an expression of amusement and exasperation.
She reached out and lightly tapped her daughter's forehead in mock annoyance.
"You! What nonsense are you spouting!"
"That girl Su Xiaoyu? Seducing your Big Brother? You must have read too many romantic novels and lost your senses!"
"Mother?!"
Xiao Lingxi grew anxious. "What I said is true! Big Brother really—"
"Really what?" Liu Shi interrupted her. "Let me ask you: aside from being enthusiastic about food, has Su Xiaoyu ever overstepped her bounds with your Big Brother? Has she ever deliberately dressed up? Has she ever tried to get close to him?"
Xiao Lingxi was left speechless!
Thinking carefully, it seemed there really hadn't been any such behavior.
That girl practically shrinks into herself whenever she sees Big Brother. Apart from being particularly persistent about food, it seemed… there really weren't any unusual signs.
Seeing her daughter falter, Liu Shi continued, "What kind of person is your Big Brother? He's deep-minded and has high standards—why else would he still be unmarried at twenty-four?"
"What kind of beauty hasn't he seen? Why would he have any interest in a little girl who hasn't even fully grown yet, who only cares about eating and lazing around all day?"
Liu Shi shook her head, finding her daughter's notion utterly absurd. "In my opinion, your Big Brother is doing this precisely because he sees that the girl has some cleverness but is gluttonous. He's using this method both to discipline you and to make her more attentive and diligent in serving you. This is called balancing kindness and authority—the art of managing subordinates. You should learn from this!"
The more Liu Shi spoke, the more convinced she became of her analysis. Finally, she concluded and shot her daughter a stern look.
"I think you just don't want to study the rules properly, so you're making up these lies to fool me into transferring Su Xiaoyu away, so you can continue to be lazy. Isn't that right?"
Xiao Lingxi: "!!!"
She opened her mouth, but seeing her mother's expression that clearly said "I've seen through you," she felt as if a surge of frustration was stuck in her chest, nearly giving her internal injuries.
What?
She was clearly telling the truth, so how did it become an excuse to avoid studying in her mother's eyes?
"Mother! I'm not! Everything I said is true!" she struggled in vain.
"Enough, enough," Liu Shi waved her hand impatiently. "Stop causing trouble here. Go back and review your lessons properly. If you can't answer your Big Brother's questions again tomorrow, see how I punish you. Now, get out!"
In the end, Xiao Lingxi not only failed to "tattle" but also ended up with a bruised ego, as Liu Shi unceremoniously "invited" her out.
Staring at the glaring sun overhead, she felt her vision darken intermittently, her heart swelling with unbearable frustration.
With her complaint unsuccessful, her elder brother’s "torment" would continue, and that troublemaker Su Xiaoyu remained right under her nose, living it up with good food and drink…
Xiao Lingxi bitterly realized that in this household, she seemed to have become the biggest "fool"!
"Ahhh!!! I’m so mad!" Xiao Lingxi couldn’t help but punch the air, startling a passing maid who quickly lowered her head and scurried away.
"No, I can’t just let this go!"
Her chest heaved, her eyes filled with resentment and fury.
"Miss, please calm down."
Her head maid, Zisu, tried to soothe her: "This servant has noticed that the Young Marquis does seem to treat that Su Xiaoyu somewhat differently. Since a direct approach hasn’t worked and the Madam doesn’t believe you, perhaps… we should follow the Young Marquis’s wishes and be kinder to that Xiaoyu? Maybe if the Young Marquis sees it, he’ll be pleased and might ease up on your studies."
"What? You want me, the legitimate daughter of Marquis of Yongning's Mansion, to lower myself and curry favor with a foolish, clumsy girl?!" Xiao Lingxi pointed at her own nose, her face a mask of disbelief and humiliation.
"Zisu! Have you lost your mind? This is turning the world upside down! Who’s the master and who’s the servant? Can’t you tell the difference?"
Zisu shrank back, chastised, and didn’t dare utter another word.
Xiao Lingxi grew angrier as she spoke: "If I go and flatter her, how will everyone in the manor see me? Would I still have any dignity left as Xiao Lingxi? How could I discipline the other servants in the future?"
Asking her to be pleasant to Su Xiaoyu? Absolutely impossible!
Suddenly, Xiao Lingxi stopped short, a glint of cunning and triumph flashing in her eyes.
"If the direct approach doesn’t work, why not try a 'soft knife'?"
"Since Elder Brother thinks she’s clever and pawned her off on me to brush me aside, fine! Then this young lady will 'put her to good use'!"
The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. She instructed Zisu, "Go, summon Su Xiaoyu here!"
A short while later, Su Xiaoyu arrived, uneasy and apprehensive.
Xiao Lingxi sat upright in her seat, adopting the air of a mistress, but her tone was uncharacteristically "calm."
"Su Xiaoyu, since you’ve been assigned to my courtyard, you can’t keep doing menial tasks forever. You’ve been relatively well-behaved these past few days, so starting today, you’ll serve by my side, attending to my writing and ink, and also…"
She paused, emphasizing her words, "Learn some manners and cultivate your character."
Su Xiaoyu’s heart sank.
Learn manners?
Cultivate her character?
Before she could respond, Xiao Lingxi signaled to Zisu to instruct Su Xiaoyu on the "rules."
Zisu stepped forward and recited methodically:
"First, when serving closely, posture is paramount. From now on, when accompanying the Second Young Lady, you must stand tall with your head slightly bowed and eyes lowered."
"Second, your breathing must be even and gentle. Do not breathe heavily or make any noise, lest you disturb the Second Young Lady’s peace."
"Third, since you are learning manners, you must focus entirely. Do not let your eyes wander, especially… do not stare at the snack tray. If you’re caught with your eyes glued to the plate again, you’ll forfeit your evening meal."
As soon as the words were spoken, Su Xiaoyu’s eyes widened in shock, her face a picture of disbelief!
Were they trying to turn her into a wooden puppet?
Help!
Xiao Lingxi looked at her instantly crestfallen little face, feeling quite pleased. It seemed the shadow cast by her eldest brother's torment these past days had dissipated somewhat.
"Su Xiaoyu, my strict demands are for your own good. After all, you were sent here by Eldest Brother. If your words and deeds were improper and you ended up disgracing our Hou Manor and Eldest Brother outside, that would be my fault. Don't you agree?"
Su Xiaoyu felt like crying but had no tears left to shed.
What could she possibly say in response?
This feeling of having even her breathing controlled instantly transported her back to the terrifying days in modern times when she was at the mercy of client demands, revising proposals nonstop.
Physical exhaustion was bearable, but mental confinement and oppression were the real torture.
Yet who made her the master and herself merely a lowly maid?
She could only force a smile uglier than crying, curtsied and said: "This maid… understands. Thank you, Second Young Lady… for your guidance." o(╥﹏╥)o