The sun had completely set, and scattered starlight spilled across the night sky. Jiang Moran and Ning Qingzhu had already parted ways with the green-robed old man, simply waiting for the agreed time to meet at the city gate.
Jiang Moran took a few swigs of wine from his gourd. A slight buzz welled up in his chest, making his body feel a little lighter.
Seeing how thoroughly relaxed he was, the young girl had no choice but to hold tightly to one of his arms, preventing him from accidentally tumbling to the ground...
“Young Master, why did you take that old gentleman on as a manager?” She had turned the question over in her mind for a long time and finally could not help asking.
Jiang Moran gave a soft chuckle, gently shaking the gourd in his hand, though no sound of liquid remained inside.
After thinking it over briefly, he said, “Perhaps simply because I find him pleasing to the eye.”
Uh...
She was choked up by this unpretentiously plain answer.
When they knocked on the main doors of the Li Residence, a servant answered shortly after. Seeing that it was Jiang Moran and his companion, the servant hurriedly welcomed them inside. The residence was brightly lit, a festive mood hanging in the air.
“Did something happen in the residence?” Jiang Moran asked, noticing the atmosphere.
“You might not know, Young Master, but the Li Family's young master returned from the academy today! The main courtyard is lively right now,” the servant replied with a smile.
The Li Family's young master? Jiang Moran smacked his lips, the lingering fragrance of peach blossoms still swirling in his mouth.
He waved his hand dismissively, and the servant immediately understood and excused himself.
With the cool breeze brushing against his face and the wine buzzing in his head, Jiang Moran yawned, patted the young girl on the head, and staggered into his room with unsteady steps.
She reached up to touch her hair, her lips pouting slightly in discontent.
The young girl did not leave. She waited until he had wobbled over to the bed and lied down before slowly stepping forward to softly shut the door for him...
The night passed without dreams, all nature asleep.
By the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky. Ning Qingzhu carried a wooden basin of warm water, emptying and refilling it again and again, yet the bedroom door remained tightly shut.
The young girl pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation. It seemed he had drunk too much Peach Blossom Wine last night and had not yet woken up...
Even knowing he would not wake up so early, she had still filled the basin with water for his morning wash at seven o'clock and stood waiting quietly outside the door.
The passing servants were already accustomed to this sight. She had stood guard in the same way yesterday, so everyone knew this pretty young girl was that young master's maidservant.
“Cuckoo, cuckoo~” A few sudden bird chirps echoed through the courtyard.
At the sound, Ning Qingzhu turned to look. Unbeknownst to her, a young man in fluttering white robes had appeared in the courtyard, wearing a gentle smile. The chirping came from a birdcage in his hand.
When she turned her head, her eyes met his. A few strands of dark hair draped over her cheeks; her cold yet delicate appearance instantly made it impossible for him to look away!
What a... what a beautiful girl!
The young man marveled in his heart. He had never seen such a stunning beauty in the residence before.
His gaze drifted down to the wooden basin held by her slender fingers, complete with a towel hanging over the edge—clearly water drawn for washing.
Combined with her simple cloth clothes, the young man suddenly realized—she was a newly hired servant in the residence!
The gentle smile returned to his face as he walked over unhurriedly. “You must be new here. What is your name?”
Ning Qingzhu offered a small nod in response. They indeed had not been in the residence for long.
Seeing her nod, the young man smiled even wider and introduced himself softly: “I am the residence's Second Young Master. You may call me Young Master.”
Having spoken, he looked at her smugly, seemingly waiting for her to be shocked by his identity. Unfortunately, he was destined for disappointment.
Ning Qingzhu merely nodded once more and remained silent.
Failing to get the reaction he desired, the young man felt his mood dampen, and the smile on his face faded. He narrowed his eyes and said, “Did no one teach you the rules of this household? When you see a master of the house, you should offer a proper greeting.
“It seems the steward failed to teach you basic etiquette. Coming into the residence and still lacking manners at a time like this... I suppose I'll have to discipline you personally!”
As he spoke, a sinister smile broke out on his face, and his aura changed dramatically, completely tearing away his gentle, refined image.
He reached out to grab Ning Qingzhu's wrist, but her expression turned instantly cold, and she dodged the moment before his hand touched her.
Seeing his hand miss again, the young man's gaze turned thoroughly gloomy. “Ungrateful wretched thing! Today, your master will teach you proper manners!”
With that, he raised his hand viciously and aimed a slap at the girl's cheek. Ning Qingzhu's pupils shrank in shock; in that split second, she had no time to dodge and could only close her eyes on instinct.
She bit her lower lip tightly, waiting for the pain to strike, her cheek already feeling the gust of wind from his palm...
“Li Tian! Stop right there!”
A frigid voice suddenly rang out, freezing the young man in his tracks. Hearing the voice, Ning Qingzhu opened her eyes to see the young man staring indignantly at a spot not far away.
Following his gaze, she saw that the newcomer was none other than Miss Li.
At this moment, Miss Li stood nearby, looking at the young man with an icy expression and a freezing tone: “Li Tian, is this how you treat my honored guest?”
Li Tian froze. He had not expected this simply dressed young girl to be anything other than a household servant.
Now, he was at a loss for words.
Hearing the commotion, Second Madam Li rushed over, her brows furrowing the moment she saw Li Tian confronting Li Yu'er.
“Tian'er, what happened? What's going on?” Second Madam Li asked the young man in a soft voice.
Seeing his mother arrive, Li Tian immediately put on an aggrieved expression, as if he were the innocent party: “Mother! She was dressed like a servant, yet she didn't greet me when she saw me. I was just about to teach her some proper manners, but who knew Sister would deliberately take issue with me!”
Seeing Li Tian shamelessly play the victim first, Li Yu'er took a deep breath to suppress her anger and said calmly, “Second Aunt, this young girl is my honored guest, not a servant.”
Hearing this, Second Madam Li turned her gaze upon Ning Qingzhu. Holding a basin of plain water in simple clothes, she looked every bit like a servant.
This immediately caused her brow to furrow, and her voice dripped with displeasure: “Yu'er, are you deliberately trying to embarrass Tian'er by defending a lowly servant?
“You are being completely absurd!”
Li Yu'er clenched her fists tightly, her eyes turning slightly red. She knew Second Madam Li had always favored Li Tian, but this was a guest she had brought herself. How could they humiliate her like this!
Seeing this, Li Tian's face filled with smug triumph. He reached out once more to grab Ning Qingzhu's hand, only to be dodged yet again.
The girl's face was extremely cold, her gaze toward Li Tian and Second Madam Li filled with unreserved disgust as she said in a chilly voice, “I am not a servant of your Li Family. I am the Young Master's person.”
Hearing the words “Young Master,” Li Tian's face instantly darkened. He had thought the girl was untouched, but it turned out she was already taken...
At this thought, his expression grew even uglier, and what little reason he had left completely evaporated. He roared, “What bullshit young master? Tonight, you'd better serve me real nice—”
Bang!
His words cut off abruptly as the tightly shut bedroom door was kicked open, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
A newly awakened man walked out slowly, leaning against the doorframe without an expression.
“What's all the noise?”
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