Hui Xiang was startled by the Marquis of Shunning’s gaze and timidly said, “Yes.”
Hui Xiang was the head maid serving Madam Yu and held considerable prestige in the mansion.
Even though the Marquis of Shunning disliked this talkative girl, he did not bother to argue with her.
Madam Yu felt very gratified that Yu Luo, her daughter, usually thought of her and considered her whenever she got something good.
Originally, she had thought her own daughter might not be as dutiful as her niece Liu Yanran, but now it seemed her biological daughter truly cared for her.
The news about the increased monthly allowance soon reached Yu Luo’s ears.
Yu Luo was somewhat surprised.
To be honest, fifty taels of silver was already a significant amount for a young lady like her.
The purchasing power of one tael of silver in the Jing Dynasty was equivalent to about three thousand units of currency in Yu Luo’s original world.
Since she usually ate and lived at home, she did not really need that much silver.
When Ziming heard the news, she couldn’t help but laugh: “Wonderful. From now on, when the young lady socializes or goes out with other young ladies, she will have plenty of spending money.”
Yu Luo: “…”
She felt slapped in the face.
She recalled that the original Eldest Miss Yu indeed had a few close female friends, so-called “girlfriends.”
However, these girlfriends were nothing but plastic friends.
Whenever they met, the first thing they did was compare whether their fathers or brothers had been promoted. Then they compared the size of their family gardens, their clothes, the jewelry on their heads, and the rouge on their faces.
The original Eldest Miss Yu truly was a malicious villain. Not only was she disliked by her family, but even her close female friends didn’t really like her.
Eldest Miss Yu’s appearance was ethereally beautiful, the most outstanding among all young ladies.
Naturally, some were jealous of her looks.
Liu Yanran, by contrast, had a simpler, more demure appearance and was not considered a top-tier beauty.
As a result, people were less wary of Liu Yanran.
Moreover, Eldest Miss Yu had a proud temperament and usually ignored everyone, keeping herself above the petty.
Liu Yanran, skilled at flattery, coaxed all the other young ladies into submission and then used them to isolate Eldest Miss Yu.
Thinking of this, Yu Luo no longer wished to participate in social gatherings.
Yet, as a noble young lady, it was unavoidable—tomorrow a poetry club, the day after an invitation to view the flowers.
That evening, Yu Luo had eaten a bit too much and felt restless, so she wanted to take a walk.
The pastries and snacks sent by the Marquis of Shunning had not been finished.
These items could not be stored for long, as they would spoil.
Yu Luo wanted to deliver some while they were fresh to Li Xiao.
At the thought of Brother Xiao and her own future, Yu Luo felt a pounding headache.
She decided to curry favor wherever possible.
What if the male lead could truly let go of all grudges?
He appeared taciturn, but he would one day be a tyrant—someone who could tear people limb from limb…
For now, he remained silent, merely building his power and observing from the sidelines.
For such a calculating man, Yu Luo had no idea how to gain his favor.
She packed a box of pastries.
Ziming asked curiously, “Eldest Miss, where are you going?”
Yu Luo gave a casual excuse: “I’m delivering the pastries to Brother. You don’t need to follow. I just want to take a walk alone.”
Outside, dusk was falling. Yu Luo held a small lamp in her hand.
Ziming draped a cloak over her shoulders. “The night wind is strong. Eldest Miss, don’t catch a chill.”
Yu Luo smiled faintly. “I know.”
She slowly stepped outside. Over the past days, Yu Luo had become very familiar with the mansion’s pathways and knew where Wenhua Pavilion was.
Perhaps because night fell quickly and the wind was cold, the palace lantern in Yu Luo’s hand suddenly went out.
The surroundings were dark and eerie, and the chill penetrated to her bones.
Only now did Yu Luo feel afraid.
Wenhua Pavilion was haunted…
She should have come during the day!
Coming at night, she feared she would have nightmares.
Yu Luo dared not move forward and turned to leave.
At that moment, the grass around her rustled. She sensed something moving within it and was nearly about to scream.
Suddenly, a hand steadied her shoulder, making her stand upright.
A flash of silver followed, and whatever had been in the grass was split in two.
“Just a flower snake,” came a cold, low voice. “Eldest Miss, are you alright?”
Yu Luo’s face turned pale.
“Just a flower snake”?
For someone afraid of snakes, that could have been deadly!
Her hand trembled, but she forced herself to stay composed and slowly turned to see a tall, straight figure.
Yu Luo finally understood why so many women fell for the male lead at first sight.
Brother Xiao was truly a man with maximum boyfriend energy.
But Yu Luo’s stance was naturally opposed to his.
She had no intention of becoming part of his harem.
As long as Brother Xiao didn’t kill her, that was enough.
Yu Luo stepped back. “My lamp went out, so I took the wrong path. This box of pastries is for you. Consider it a reward for your protection.”
Li Xiao gave a half-smile, half-smirk. “Eldest Miss, did you bring this for me specifically?”
Yu Luo: “Of course not!”
He was too clever; she could not let him see through her.
Yu Luo explained: “I was bringing these to Brother. He didn’t want them, so I brought them back. I happened to run into you, so I gave them to you.”
Li Xiao found this amusing.
Yu Yuan’s residence happened to be in the direction opposite Wenhua Pavilion.
No matter how Yu Luo returned, she could not pass by here naturally.
The young girl was not very old, but her lie was surprisingly complete.
Li Xiao took the box.
Yu Luo smelled a strong metallic scent—blood. At first, she thought it was from the large flower snake.
But in the pale moonlight, she noticed that Li Xiao’s shoulder was torn, and fresh blood was seeping out, soaking part of his clothes.
Yu Luo, gathering her courage, touched it.
Her hand came away covered in blood.
She felt faint, her face turning pale. “What happened to your injuries?”
Li Xiao remained indifferent, his expression calm. “I encountered a minor assassin and was cut.”
Yu Luo: “…”
Li Xiao was a prodigy with extraordinary skill.
As a young man, he had already been a general feared in all directions, expanding Jing Dynasty’s territory countless times.
Who could harm him? A mere minor assassin was impossible.
Li Xiao looked at the blood on Yu Luo’s fingers and found it amusing.
This new “Eldest Miss,” soft and delicate, was completely out of place amid blood and filth.
Yet, smearing her with blood seemed like a very entertaining idea.