Xi Hongrui had no idea that the elaborate scheme she had carefully laid out had already been shattered by someone with just a few words.
The most pressing issue she faced now was that, for the first time since her rebirth, she finally felt hungry. She had been full of energy all this time, but now her stomach was growling.
Counting the time before and after her death in her previous life, it had been ages since she was reborn. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be a young maid.
Although her life had been miserable before, she still had food and clothing handed to her without lifting a finger. Now, with her stomach rumbling, she had no choice but to find food herself.
In the evening, after all the masters in the various rooms had finished their meals, the maids could gather in the servants’ quarters to eat.
The kitchen matrons came in beaming with joy, carrying food boxes and laughing, “What good fortune! What good fortune! The masters had little appetite today, so all the leftovers are for you little hussies!”
The maids in the servants’ quarters were overjoyed at the news, eagerly helping to set out the dishes.
Xi Hongrui arrived late, looking at everyone’s excitement with indifference. No matter how good the food was, it was still someone else’s leftovers—nothing to get excited about.
But as she watched the various pastries, fruits, roasted lamb, crystal shrimp dumplings, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and the glistening old duck soup being laid out one by one, she couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.
These delicacies were rarely seen outside, and only favored servants could occasionally get a taste from their masters.
Although she was the personal maid of the prime minister’s daughter, her childhood had been far from luxurious.
Her mother had once held some status in front of the masters, but after being married off, she fell out of favor year by year. The men she married were no good either—she had been married three times in total.
The first was her biological father, who drove carriages for the master’s household. The second was a merchant who gave her the surname “Xi.” The third was her current stepfather, who had no skills except for beating his wife and children.
With her mother’s choices and the burden of raising five children, it went without saying how poor their family had been.
They were lucky to have a bite to eat. If she hadn’t later gained the young lady’s favor, lifting the entire family’s status, they would still be eating chaff and swallowing bitterness.
In theory, since the Great Qi dynasty prized delicate, frail women as the ideal of beauty, most beauties ate very little to maintain their slender figures.
If she intended to rely on her looks to serve others, she ought to control her cravings and avoid indulging in rich, oily, and meaty foods.
But having grown up poor, she had developed a voracious appetite. The sight of meat made her eyes gleam, and the aroma made her mouth water involuntarily.
She thought of Bai Lian’er’s frail, paper-thin figure and then pinched her own plump wrist.
Forget it, forget it. A young lady of noble birth didn’t need to lift a finger or carry a burden, allowing her to grow into a delicate willow meant only for admiration. What was the point of a maid like her comparing herself to that?
As for dieting, she could worry about that after she became a royal consort!
Happily picking up her bowl and chopsticks, she squeezed into the most crowded spot and, with one swift motion, snatched a large, tender, and flavorful duck leg.
Drizzling the glistening broth over her rice, Xi Hongrui took a bite of rice, then a bite of meat. It was so smooth and fragrant, so tender it felt like her tongue would melt. Ah, this was what it meant to be alive!
While she was thoroughly enjoying her meal, the little maid she had shoved aside was not having it. Just as she was about to curse this wretched hussy, her gaze suddenly fell on Xi Hongrui’s head, and she let out a small gasp, “Heavens! What is that on your head, you little minx!”The other maids and matrons followed the sound and looked over, only to discover a white jade lotus hairpin shimmering in Xi Hongrui’s hair.
Such ornaments were often seen on their mistresses, but on a lowly maid’s head, it was a rare sight. Immediately, they clamored to inspect its authenticity.
Xi Hongrui popped another crystal shrimp dumpling into her mouth, lifted her chin haughtily, and swatted away their reaching hands one by one, preening like a peacock. “What’s there to stare at? Could any of you afford to pay if it got damaged?”
Her arrogant display drew a chorus of jeers, but they still gazed longingly, pestering her for a closer look.
Seizing the opportunity while they were distracted, Xi Hongrui piled the choicest dishes into her bowl before finally pulling out the hairpin. She passed it around, vividly recounting her “heroic rescue of the young cousin” earlier that day.
After hearing her tale, the younger maids grew envious, chattering excitedly: “What incredible luck! How much must this hairpin be worth?”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t dare touch it, let alone wear it out!”
As they murmured in admiration over the hairpin, no one noticed Ning Meng entering the servants’ quarters.
Xi Hongrui caught sight of her from the corner of her eye but pretended not to. Retrieving the hairpin, she secured it back into her hair, swaying the ostentatious tassels with uninhibited pride as she giggled provocatively.
“Ah, I used to misjudge the young cousin’s character. Now I see how generous she truly is~”
Bai Lian’er was a relative of the Dowager Princess Consort and the Prince’s cousin, making her a quasi-mistress in the Prince’s Residence.
At this time, she had just arrived and had yet to reveal any ambitions of “usurping the position.”
Except for sharp-witted ones like Xi Hongrui, who saw through her schemes at a glance, the other maids had little impression of her and simply echoed Xi Hongrui’s praises.
Ning Meng watched the flamboyant red-clad maid with a slight lift of her brow, pursing her lips faintly before stepping forward with measured composure.
As a maid serving the Dowager Princess Consort, known for her strict and meticulous nature, Ning Meng commanded fear among all the servants. The moment they noticed her, the room fell silent.
The matrons fawned over her: “Miss Ning Meng, you’ve arrived a bit late, but we saved a portion specially for you.”
Ning Meng replied flatly, “No need. I’ve already dined with the Crown Princess Consort.”
Hearing this, all eyes turned to Xi Hongrui.
In the past, the honor of dining alongside their mistress belonged to Xi Hongrui, but after recent mistakes, she hadn’t been in close attendance on the Crown Princess Consort for some time.
Xi Hongrui lowered her head as if deaf to the conversation, shoveling rice fiercely into her mouth.
Ning Meng looked down at her and took a step closer. “Miss Hong, I came specifically to find you. With the hot weather lately, the Crown Princess Consort has lost her appetite. As a senior who has served her for years, if you have time, could you prepare some light supper to suit her taste?”
Xi Hongrui’s head shot up, disbelief written across her face.
Recovering, she poured the remaining sauce over her rice, devoured the last bits of meat and grains, wiped her mouth roughly with the back of her hand, and eagerly declared, “Of course I have time!”
As she hurried past Ning Meng, her steps suddenly slowed.
Turning back, she shot Ning Meng a look brimming with suppressed triumph, the flamboyant tassels in her hair swaying tauntingly.
Ning Meng’s expression remained as placid as ever, yet a faint disdain—uncontrollable in the face of such foolishness—glimmered in the slight downturn of her eyes.She thought the Prince must be overthinking things—this girl was truly so foolish that one couldn’t bear to look at her twice.
…
Xi Hongrui cheerfully slipped into the small kitchen and casually prepared a bowl of walnut kernel ice cheese, a dessert her young mistress had loved back in the estate. As for whether the transmigrated female lead would like it, she couldn’t care less.
The snowy-white cheese, piled high like a mountain in a jade-green bowl, looked utterly delightful.
Xi Hongrui added a few fresh fruits, vegetables, and some candied fruits to the tray, then swayed with delicate, lotus-like steps toward the female lead’s room.
Just as she was humming a cheerful tune, she suddenly bumped into someone around the corner.
Startling someone was frightening enough to scare them to death—Xi Hongrui nearly flung the tray right into his face.
But when she recognized who it was, she swallowed the curse on the tip of her tongue: Freeloader!
Oh, wait, that should be—
“Prince!”
Ning Lan sat in his wheelchair, slowly looking up, entirely unbothered by her carelessness.
His gentle, jade-like face held a faint smile as he said softly, “Hehe, it’s me. Did I startle you?”
As the male lead of the entire book, his character and appearance were naturally outstanding; a single smile from him could make one feel as if bathed in spring breeze.
But as a reborn soul who knew all his secrets inside out, Xi Hongrui felt a sudden unease looking at his superficially kind, insincere smile.