Hearing her resolute refusal, the female lead and Ning Meng watched her calmly together.
Truly the perfect master-servant pair of the future, already showing their synchronized demeanor.
Lin Wan, having anticipated the answer, quickly lost interest but still asked dutifully out of humanitarian concern: “Why?”
Xi Hongrui, more restrained than usual, still wore an indignant expression: “Hmph, Crown Princess Consort, he’s just the Prince’s attendant. This servant doesn’t want to marry him!”
Lin Wan glanced at her and took a leisurely sip of tea: “Marriage concerns a woman’s entire life. High social status doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. Character is what matters most. I think Pei San is a good man. You won’t suffer if you marry him later. I’m only thinking of your best interests.”
But Xi Hongrui pouted and muttered: “But this servant just doesn’t want to marry him. I’d rather never marry than marry him! Miss, please let me stay with you forever!”
In her agitation, she reverted to calling her “miss,” reviving some of their old dynamic.
Seeing her behavior, Lin Wan knew this little maid was beyond redemption.
Since that was the case, she would respect her fate. Let her do as she pleases. But she had decided to gradually distance herself from this maid.
So she waved her away: “Enough, enough. Do as you wish. Just don’t come complaining to me if you regret it later. You may leave now. I have Ning Meng to keep me company.”
Xi Hongrui glanced at Ning Meng, then at her mistress, panicking slightly: “Miss… no… Crown Princess Consort…”
But Lin Wan appeared too lazy to respond. Xi Hongrui could only close her mouth resentfully and retreat with a bow.
After leaving the room, she glanced at the large rock amidst the floral cascade along the corridor, her eyes curving into crescents as she narrowed them.
Lifting her skirt, she walked over with heavy, quick steps. Stopping by the rock, she viciously tore at the nearby rose-covered wall and kicked the large stone.
Clearly, a very light breath was held.
But Xi Hongrui seemed completely unaware, venting her resentment by kicking several more times before finally letting out a heavy snort. She muttered: “Stupid Pei San, I won’t marry him! Who does he think he is to look down on me, hmph! Since he dislikes me, I’ll dislike him too! Stupid Pei San!”
The breathing beneath the flowering rock noticeably shifted.
Still unaware, Xi Hongrui kicked several more times in anger until she seemed to hurt her foot. Clutching it with an “Aiyo,” she hopped to sit on a low stone to rest.
Once seated, her voice took on a plaintive tone as she murmured to herself: “Hmph, stupid Pei San, I never provoked him. Why does he dislike me so much? Always contradicting me every day!”
Not receiving any answer, she tossed the nearly shredded crimson rose, stood up lightly, and said indifferently: “Never mind. I’m so pretty anyway, plenty of people like me. What’s Pei San worth? I don’t need him to like me! If he hates me, I’ll hate him too! Hmph!”
Her grumbling voice gradually faded into the distance. From beneath the flowering tree emerged a sturdy man’s hand, picking up the scattered red rose petals.
Having followed under his master’s orders and accidentally overheard those words while hiding behind the flowering rock, Pei San stood frozen in place, unable to retreat in time.When he first heard that the Crown Princess Consort intended to betroth her personal maid to him, he was momentarily stunned, completely unprepared.
But after all, what man doesn’t wish for a home? After calming down, a faint smile unconsciously touched his lips. So the Crown Princess Consort held him in such high regard. As for the maid she mentioned, Pei San lifted his head and carefully recalled—
A pair of large, glistening eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, always seeming to sparkle with laughter. When angry, she would frown; when smiling, she would reveal a few small white teeth. Every movement and stillness of hers seemed to sway one’s soul. She didn’t quite seem like a proper woman for settling down, but her appearance was truly captivating, even comparable to the Crown Princess Consort herself.
If he were to marry her…
Pei San suddenly lowered his head, his cheeks burning. Well, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad…
But before he could fully indulge in this flicker of joy, Xi Hongrui’s resolute rejection came crashing down upon him.
Pei San: …
She looked down on him for being a mere attendant, but was she any better? At the very least, he was the Prince’s attendant!
Seeing Xi Hongrui push the door open and step out, Pei San, seething with frustration, hid behind a decorative rock, only to unexpectedly witness her venting her anger by throwing stones.
Hearing her repeatedly say, “He looks down on me,” Pei San was utterly dumbfounded. When had he ever said such a thing? Wasn’t it her who claimed to look down on him, a lowly attendant?
But Xi Hongrui appeared so angry and aggrieved—a side of her Pei San had never seen before—so he suppressed the questions in his heart.
Picking up the rose from the ground, he noticed its stem densely covered with tiny thorns. Yet she had grabbed it without hesitation. Why? Had he made her that angry?
Thinking back carefully, it suddenly dawned on him. In the past… his attitude toward her… had indeed been rather harsh…
But he hadn’t deliberately targeted her. It was only because her mistress had once looked down upon his Prince so disdainfully!
Lately, the relationship between the Prince and the Crown Princess Consort had eased somewhat, and his resentment toward her had lessened accordingly.
As for why he remained so cold, it was simply because this little maid couldn’t resist stealing glances at the Prince.
Having served the Prince for so many years, he had seen countless maids with such delusions of grandeur, and he inwardly scoffed at them.
But after witnessing what had just happened, a bold thought struck him: Could it be that when he assumed the little maid was looking at the Prince, she was actually looking at him?
“Ouch—”
Lost in thought, Pei San carelessly pricked himself on a rose thorn and instantly snapped back to reality.
Staring at the bead of blood on his finger, he brought his thumb to his lips and sucked it clean.
Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to discard the thorny red rose.
…
Xi Hongrui limped away, and once she was out of sight, she turned back with a resentful smile.
Straightening her posture, she walked forward with quick, small steps, vigorously clapping her hands.
Since her counterfeit mistress didn’t want her services, she wouldn’t bother offering them. Why not seize such a blatant opportunity to slack off?
As for that rose, Xi Hongrui stretched out her fair, unblemished palm—
Pah! Who would grab a rose barehanded? Of course, she had used her sleeve!
That fool was probably still enraptured, holding onto that wretched flower. Hahaha!
The most ironic thing about her past life was that Pei San, whom she had resolutely rejected, never actually liked her in the first place.In the story, the character referred to as “Little Pei” was famously known as a “Connoisseur of Scheming Women.” Someone like her, a petty schemer, could be seen through at a glance, and he had never spoken to her kindly.
His heart had always belonged to Ning Meng from the very beginning, yet she was here, lost in self-delusion and looking down on him, acting like a complete clown, maximizing the mockery.
However, after she was sold into the brothel, in a corner unseen by readers, the first clandestine client she received turned out to be this famous “Connoisseur of Scheming Women.”
Back when she had spoken those words of rejecting the marriage proposal, the future Lord Pei San was standing outside the door eavesdropping, taking in every arrogant word she uttered and engraving them in his heart.
So, when Xi Hongrui used every means to please him in order to escape, he often enjoyed pinning her in front of a mirror, forcing her to take a good look at her own ugly face.
He would smile and ask, “Do you still look down on me for being a mere lowly attendant?”
Xi Hongrui gazed at her reflection in the water, turning her head left and right, feeling quite satisfied. She had finally returned to her most beautiful state.
Stroking her flawless face, Xi Hongrui revealed a smug smile. Of course, she still looked down on him!
A servant is just a servant—even if he becomes the emperor’s servant, he’s nothing more than a high-class slave!
All husbands under heaven are slaves to the emperor, all wives are slaves to their husbands, and all concubines are slaves to the wives.
As for someone like her, born to be a slave, she was a slave to everyone.
Hadn’t she been a slave for a lifetime already? Wasn’t that enough?
Since heaven had granted her a second chance at life, why would she scheme for a hand-me-down slave?
With her peerless beauty, even the master of the world, the emperor seated in the Golden Hall, couldn’t possibly resist being captivated by her!
How could Pei San, a mere hand-me-down slave, ever be worthy!
Her fair fingers twirled a bright red hair ribbon, her enchanting eyes hooking like a lure.
But before that, she was quite curious to see if this so-called “Connoisseur of Scheming Women,” so highly praised in the book, was truly as discerning as they claimed~