Yu Luo did not know what time it was now. Listening as the rain outside gradually became lighter and the sky slowly grew dimly bright with dawn, she wanted to go outside for a walk.
Ziming and another maid, Bitong, heard the sound of the door opening and hurried over. “Eldest Miss.”
Yu Luo said, “The room feels stuffy. I want to go out and get some fresh air.”
She still did not know what time it was exactly, nor whether the male lead had already entered the Marquis Manor.
Yu Luo looked at her own face in the mirror. It still looked very youthful, so she guessed she was not very old.
Perhaps it would still be a few more years before something happened to the male lead’s family.
Ziming said, “Madam and Lord Marquis must already be awake by now. It would be just right to go over this morning to greet them.”
Yu Luo nodded. She did not recognize the paths within the Marquis Manor anyway, so it was convenient to let the maids lead the way.
Ziming had a little maid bring over hot water and towels. She carefully attended to Yu Luo as she combed her hair. Her originally jet-black hair that reached her calves was arranged upward, and once styled it only hung down to her waist.
Yu Luo was still young, and her skin was snow-white and luminous. She did not need any rouge or powder; even with a completely bare face she looked stunning.
After washing and dressing, a maid cautiously helped her change into a pair of small lambskin boots.
“The heavy rain outside has stopped, but there’s still a drizzle. The ground is wet everywhere. Miss can step in the puddles without getting her feet wet if she wears these.”
Because she had not slept well the previous night, Yu Luo kept her eyes closed to rest and did not say a single word.
Seeing how quiet she was—unlike before, when she would beat or scold them—Ziming and Bitong glanced at each other and both quietly sighed in relief.
After fastening the cloak around her shoulders, Ziming said, “The autumn wind has started. It’s a bit chilly outside. The person Eldest Miss beat yesterday evening stayed in the heavy rain all night. He will probably die.”
Yu Luo: “…”
Yu Luo looked blank. “Which person?”
“That boy with the surname Li,” Bitong said softly. “It seems his name is Li Zhao.”
Yu Luo: “…”
Yu Luo: “!!!”
In her heart, Yu Luo burst into tears.
Li Zhao… This was the fake name the male lead, Li Xiao, used in the Yu Family Residence!
The male lead was definitely the most scheming and ruthless big boss in the entire book. Every bit of suffering he endured during this period of hardship would be repaid tenfold once he seized the world.
The name Li Xiao sounded imposing and domineering, but Li Zhao sounded plain and ordinary. How could anyone have guessed that he was actually the disguised Heir of Prince Qin who had become famous at a young age?
Yu Luo’s voice became weak. “I-is that so? Then I’ll go take a look.”
During the short walk, the rain suddenly grew heavier again.
The two maids held a tung-oil umbrella over Yu Luo. After they stepped out of the courtyard, Yu Luo saw, from afar, a straight figure kneeling in the rain.
The man was very tall, with a straight and lean build—clean and upright like pine and bamboo. His dark guard robe had been soaked through by the rain.
There were many cracks in his robe where it had been split open by whip strikes, and blood seeped out from inside.
Seeing such a scene, Yu Luo nearly lost her balance. The image of herself being tied to a pillar and whipped almost appeared before her eyes.
She had struck a vengeful, sick-tempered male lead so ruthlessly. No wonder Eldest Miss Yu’s ending in the story was so miserable.
…Wait. Now she herself was Eldest Miss Yu.
With two maids standing beside her, anything she did might easily break her character setting.
The male lead Li Xiao’s face was exceptionally handsome—top-tier in looks. No matter where he appeared, his appearance would attract extreme attention.
So while he stayed at the Yu Family Residence, he had disguised himself as someone else.
The current Li Xiao looked completely ordinary. With this disguised face, he would not stand out at all in a crowd.
Perhaps his personal aura was simply too powerful. Even kneeling in the rain, he still gave off an indescribable presence.
No wonder Eldest Miss Yu had thought he was arrogant and wanted to whip him into submission.
When Yu Luo passed by him, she deliberated for a long time before saying, “There’s no need to kneel here anymore. It’s rather unpleasant to look at.”
If she suddenly changed her attitude too drastically, it would only arouse suspicion. Yu Luo thought that her current tone should not have been wrong.
The male lead stood up. Those deep, unfathomable long eyes swept faintly over Yu Luo, yet his expression did not change at all.
Yu Luo: “…”
As expected of the male lead. Even his gaze was filled with the legendary aura of a domineering king.
But that look—was it perhaps the kind that wanted to kill her?
Yu Luo paused slightly and wondered just how severe Li Xiao’s injuries were.
With the medical conditions of ancient times, it was easy for injuries to leave lasting problems.
If the scars never faded, then every time the male lead saw them in the future, he might hate her once more. Perhaps he would even chop her into eighteen pieces.
Bitong and Ziming held the umbrella over her as the group continued walking forward.
When they reached the Qingyun Courtyard, where the Marchioness lived, a head maid wearing a silver-blue blouse saw Yu Luo.
“Eldest Miss has arrived! Madam has already gotten up. Please go inside.”
Yu Luo did not remember the names of the maids around the Marchioness. To avoid breaking character, she could only pretend to be cold and aloof as she walked inside.
Judging from the Marchioness’s doting attitude toward Eldest Miss Yu, Yu Luo thought the other party would not make things difficult for her.
As soon as she entered, Yu Luo saw a woman sitting by the window drinking tea. The woman wore a pink double-breasted dress with colored patterns.
She looked very young, with a melon-seed-shaped face and gently curved willow-leaf eyebrows. Her features were delicate and beautiful, and her skin was as white as new snow.
What surprised Yu Luo was not that the woman was stunningly beautiful.
It was that this woman’s appearance was exactly the same as her mother’s in Yu Luo’s original world.
However, three years ago, her mother had passed away in a car accident.
When Madam Yu saw Yu Luo, her eyes instantly curved with a smile. “Luo’er, come over to Mother.”
Yu Luo suppressed the shock in her heart and sat beside Madam Yu.
Madam Yu had given birth to two sons, but she had only this one daughter.
Her beloved daughter resembled her greatly, and even surpassed her in beauty. Every time Madam Yu saw her flower-like daughter, she would remember the days before she herself had married.
Thus, she cherished Yu Luo like a treasure—afraid she might fly away if held in her palm, afraid she might melt if held in her mouth.
But her daughter had always been naturally spoiled and distant.
Because the mother and daughter looked alike—and because her father and brothers treated Madam Yu very well—Eldest Miss Yu had even secretly harbored hostility toward Madam Yu and disliked anyone who resembled her.
Yu Luo sat beside Madam Yu. Thinking of her own mother, she could not help but hold Madam Yu’s hand.
Madam Yu felt somewhat surprised.
Because normally, her daughter rarely took the initiative to be close to her. Her daughter’s attitude toward her father and brothers had always been warmer.
But joy overwhelmed her other thoughts. Madam Yu smiled and said, “It rained so heavily yesterday, and the ground is full of water. Why did you still come over?”
Hearing a voice exactly the same as her mother’s, Yu Luo’s eyes could not help turning red.
She wiped her eyes. “I had a nightmare last night, so I wanted to come and see you.”
Madam Yu noticed the water stains on the hem of Yu Luo’s skirt and turned to look at her maid.
“Hui Xiang, bring that bolt of patterned brocade satin and make two new outfits for Eldest Miss.”
Head maid Hui Xiang hesitated for a moment.
“Madam, the other day Biao Xiaojie said she liked that patterned brocade satin very much.”