Zhuang Hui wasn’t just uncomfortable—if she could, she’d have exploded on the spot!
Was Zhao Changting out of his mind?
Blocking her courtyard gate in broad daylight was one thing, but calling her over so bluntly? What did he want her for?
Could it be that after barely meeting twice and without exchanging a single word, he wanted to… do this and that with her in broad daylight?
She remembered that Wangfu Xiaochuniang was a proper historical romance novel, not some R-rated story!
And Yingtáo too—Zhuang Hui felt like shaking the water out of her brain. Whose side was she on anyway?
Not only did she not pull Zhuang Hui away quickly, she even held her back for Zhao Changting, not letting her leave!
While internally ranting like crazy, on the surface, Zhuang Hui had already timidly followed Yingtáo into the hexagonal pavilion. Back straight, shoulders level, she gave a slight curtsy and said, “Greetings… Young Master.”
Her voice trembled slightly, because Zhao Changting had actually called her “little sister.”
He called A Zhi by her name directly, but for her, it was “little sister.” “Little sister” was supposed to be a perfectly proper form of address, so why did it sound so different coming from him?!
Seeing Zhuang Hui’s pale face, trembling legs, and the slight quiver in her voice as she spoke—not to mention she didn’t dare lift her head the entire time—Zhao Changting regretted it. He shouldn’t have called her over.
How could he have thought that someone like her could serve as a role model for A Zhi in learning proper etiquette, or guide A Zhi in mastering the rules? She’d probably just hold A Zhi back!
Zhao Changting immediately gave up on the idea of asking Zhuang Hui for help in persuading Zhao Jingzhi.
She was just his stepmother’s daughter, after all. He couldn’t be bothered to explain anything, so with a wave of his hand, he said coldly, “Never mind. You may go.”
Zhuang Hui: “…”
Seriously? Was he messing with her?!
If she weren’t so afraid of Zhao Changting’s weirdness, Zhuang Hui would have cursed his father.
Oh, wait—no, she couldn’t. His father was Marquis Changping, and Marquis Changping had been quite kind to her. She shouldn’t curse him casually.
Yingtáo was also full of questions. What was the Young Master doing?
Calling someone over only to dismiss them without a word—why was he so impulsive?
But both mistress and maid were afraid of Zhao Changting, and leaving was better than being kept there. Without even needing to communicate, and forgetting to respond with “Yes,” they curtsied in unison, then turned and walked away arm in arm.
Their movements were swift, their steps agile—especially Zhuang Hui, who showed no trace of her earlier trembling legs.
Zhao Changting: “…”
What kind of act was his stepsister putting on? Did she really see him as some kind of monster?
How absurd!
…
Zhuang Hui sprinted away as if chased by a rabid dog, only slowing down when she finally saw the gate of Yi’an Hall, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Yingtáo also slowed her pace, panting heavily as she asked curiously, “Miss, are you very afraid of the Young Master?”
“Aren’t you?” Zhuang Hui retorted irritably. “You ran even faster than I did.”
Pot calling the kettle black—especially since Zhuang Hui was still annoyed that Yingtáo hadn’t taken her side earlier.
Yingtáo smiled ingratiatingly. “Well, I’m just a servant. Isn’t it normal for servants to be afraid of their masters?”
Zhuang Hui sneered. “I don’t see you being afraid of me.”
It was true—she wasn’t really afraid. Yingtáo linked arms with Zhuang Hui, her tone even more flattering. “That’s because you’re so magnanimous, Miss! You treat all of us who serve you like sisters and would never punish us without reason or explanation!”
“You’re just buttering me up!” Zhuang Hui finally couldn’t help but laugh.
Yingtáo was a servant of the Zhuang family. Eight years ago, when Zhuang Hui first returned to the Zhuang household with Zhuang Mingxiang, Yingtáo was assigned to serve her. Though a year older, in Zhuang Hui’s eyes, she was just a nine-year-old girl—practically watched as she grew up—so naturally, she treated her like a younger sister.
Yingtáo laughed too, but said earnestly, “Not at all! My heart is truer than pearls!”
Though she had only ever served Zhuang Hui as her mistress, she had seen how other masters treated their servants. Not to mention those outside the manor who didn’t treat servants as human, even the elderly madam of the marquis’s household, the lady of the house, or the young second miss—serving them was never as pleasant as serving her own young lady.
Why exactly it wasn’t as good, Yingtáo couldn’t quite explain. On the surface, they were all considered kind and benevolent masters, yet she felt that all the servants in Lanyuan were more comfortable and at ease than those elsewhere.
Tonight, Marquis Changping had no engagements. When Zhuang Hui entered, he was listening to Zhuang Mingxiang discuss tomorrow’s banquet for Lady Zhongqin. Since it concerned Zhuang Hui’s lifelong matters, when she entered and bowed, a faint reluctance welled up in his gentle eyes. “In the blink of an eye, Ah Hui is already a young lady.”
As a junior, there was no appropriate response to such words, so Zhuang Hui simply smiled softly.
Zhuang Mingxiang said, “Indeed, she’s already sixteen in the blink of an eye.”
A young lady now, old enough to be betrothed and married.
Zhuang Mingxiang was actually even more reluctant. This was her daughter, who had accompanied her for so many years. During the hardest, most difficult times, it was this daughter who supported her and encouraged her to keep living.
Knowing his wife’s feelings, Marquis Changping gently patted the back of her hand and declared, “Tomorrow, receive Lady Pei as usual. If that Pei Zizhao is a good man and Ah Hui takes a liking to him, then choosing him wouldn’t be a problem. Later, I’ll see about finding him a better position—I won’t let our Ah Hui suffer.”
“But if he’s not good, or if Ah Hui doesn’t like him, then forget it.”
“Ah Hui is my, Zhao Chengping’s, daughter. She won’t have trouble marrying a good man. If this one doesn’t work, we’ll find another. We can’t be careless, nor can we let Ah Hui feel wronged.”
Though she knew her husband treated her well and this wasn’t the first time he’d said such things, hearing it again still moved Zhuang Mingxiang deeply. She smiled tenderly and said, “Alright, I’ll remember.”
Then she turned to Zhuang Hui. “Hurry and thank your father.”
Zhuang Hui said sincerely, “Thank you, Father.”
The biological father from this era—she hadn’t even seen him since transmigrating, nor did she know his name.
But Marquis Changping, this stepfather, loved her for her mother’s sake. His kindness to her wasn’t just exceptional for ancient times—even in the modern era, it rivaled that of many biological fathers.
As Zhuang Hui looked at Marquis Changping, nearly forty but not portly, his age evident in his features yet still a gentle and handsome uncle, another face involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
A much younger face, only vaguely resembling Marquis Changping in the eyes and brows, with fairer skin and more handsome features—yet always frowning, always cold.
How could a father and son be so different?
It was like comparing summer to a frozen winter at minus ten degrees Celsius!
After dinner, Marquis Changping left first. He was going to see Zhao Jingzhi.
Although Zhao Jingzhi had previously spent most of her time accompanying Old Madam, she would occasionally come to Yi’an Hall for dinner because she was close to Zhuang Hui and Zhuang Mingxiang. However, she hadn’t come these past two days. It was said that her son had hired a strict Instruction Matron for her. While this was a good thing, Marquis Changping feared that his pampered youngest daughter might rebel, so he planned to go and comfort her.
Once he left, Zhuang Mingxiang dismissed the servants and asked Zhuang Hui, “What happened when you came over earlier? I noticed you didn’t look too well.”
Truly, nothing could escape a mother’s notice.
Zhuang Hui hesitated for a moment but decided to speak up, seeing it as an opportunity to request maids and older women skilled in martial arts. “Just now, when I stepped out, I found Zhao Changting waiting in the pavilion outside my courtyard.”
Zhuang Mingxiang quickly asked, “Did he do anything to you?”
She couldn’tt lie, as it would both frighten Zhuang Mingxiang and risk being exposed. So, Zhuang Hui answered honestly, “He called me over, then said nothing and let me leave.”
Zhuang Mingxiang was taken aback. “He called you over but said nothing?”
Zhuang Hui: “Mm-hmm.”
Zhuang Mingxiang also found it strange, but it wasn’t worth pursuing further. She reassured her, “Were you frightened by this? It probably meant nothing. Perhaps he just wanted to greet you.”
Zhuang Hui: “Hasn’t he always disliked us? Would he want to greet me?”
Zhuang Mingxiang: “That was when he was younger, and his mother had only passed away a little over a year earlier, so he couldn’t accept the Marquis remarrying at the time. But now he’s grown up, and at least on the surface, he no longer resists me.”
Ah, she had spoken so plainly, yet her mother still didn’t understand!
Zhuang Hui had no choice but to cup her face and look directly at her mother, saying bluntly, “Mother, do you think I’m pretty?”
Zhuang Mingxiang looked at her daughter—skin as fair as porcelain, bright and lively eyes, a delicate and upturned nose, and cherry-red lips that needed no rouge. She resembled her, and also…
“Mother, Mother, I’m talking to you!” Zhuang Mingxiang had been staring, lost in thought, so Zhuang Hui had to call her again.
Zhuang Mingxiang snapped back to reality and smiled, nodding. “Of course you’re pretty. How could my daughter not be pretty?”
Zhuang Hui: “Then tell me, since I’m so pretty, could Zhao Changting have taken a liking to me?”
“What?” Zhuang Mingxiang was stunned, momentarily unable to process the meaning of her daughter’s words.
She couldn’t mention the transmigration into the book or the subsequent plot developments. However, she could frame Zhao Changting’s unrequited love for Wang Li and his using her as a substitute as “liking,” to alert Zhuang Mingxiang and secure martial arts-trained maids and older women.
So, Zhuang Hui declared firmly, “I think so. Even Old Madam praised my looks. Zhao Changting grew up in Mobei, where he wouldn’t have seen many pretty girls, so it’s only natural he’d take a liking to me upon returning.”
“Otherwise, why would he wait outside my courtyard? And why call me over only to say nothing? I think he might have been too shy. But Mother, I don’t like him, and we’re step-siblings, so it’s not appropriate. Could you help me find a couple of maids or older women skilled in martial arts? They could assist me if needed…”
“You… hahaha… hahaha…” Zhuang Hui’s words were interrupted by Zhuang Mingxiang’s laughter. Zhuang Mingxiang was thoroughly amused, laughing so hard she clutched her stomach. “Confidence is… haha… a good thing, but you’re… haha… a bit too overconfident!”
Zhuang Hui: “…Mother, you’re pregnant, don’t get too worked up.”
She didn’t believe her at all!
But she wasn’t being overconfident—she was telling the truth!
“He… he probably didn’t know that was your residence. He was just wandering around and accidentally ended up there.” After a long while, Zhuang Mingxiang finally calmed down. “Calling you over was likely just to greet you. Huihui, let me ask you, when you saw him, did you take the initiative to greet him?”
Zhuang Hui opened her mouth but couldn’t speak.
Zhuang Mingxiang smiled again, gently tapping her forehead with a finger. “You, you definitely didn’t, right? You don’t understand etiquette, but he does, which is why he called you over!”
Zhuang Hui didn’t believe a single word of it.
But she also knew that unless she revealed the truth about transmigrating into a book, Zhuang Mingxiang wouldn’t believe her.
Unfortunately, this matter couldn’t be spoken of.
So she had no choice but to act spoiled and say, “Fine, but I still want maids and older women who know martial arts. That way, when I marry into my husband’s family in the future, I’ll feel secure and won’t be afraid of being bullied.”
Although Zhuang Mingxiang felt helpless toward her daughter, she was indulgent. “Alright, I can find some for you, but you have to promise me not to use them lightly, and certainly not misuse them.”
Having achieved her goal, Zhuang Hui smiled. “Don’t worry, I only want them for self-defense.”
Then she asked, “When can I have them?”
Zhuang Mingxiang: “Such people aren’t easy to find. You’ll have to give me some time.”
Zhuang Hui was actually a bit anxious, but she could only say, “Then, Mother, please keep it in mind and do it as soon as possible.”
“Understood!” Zhuang Mingxiang was truly exasperated and changed the subject. “Let’s talk about your meeting with Pei Zizhao tomorrow. The old lady already knows about this and wants to help you assess him. Since Madam Pei will be visiting our home and must pay respects to the old lady, it’s been arranged for you and Pei Zizhao to meet at Fushou Hall…”