Chapter 5

Li Shimin

“How dare I? I’m merely reminding Miss Feng out of kindness,” Yùnyí said calmly. “Moreover...” She glanced at Chūnxiù and added, “Miss Feng’s legs are perfectly fine, without any pain. If I were to massage them, it might actually make things worse. If anything happens to affect your performance in the dance, I couldn’t bear the consequences.”

Chūnxiù was furious and was about to scold Yùnyí, but Jì Róng raised her hand slightly, stepping in front of Yùnyí. She spoke softly, “What a sharp-tongued person you are. You’re right—we aren’t the masters of this house, but speaking so harshly might not be appropriate. After all, we’ve known each other for some time, so there’s no need to be so confrontational.”

Yùnyí gave her a quick glance and replied, “I don’t wish to argue with others, but some people act as if they’re above others, wielding power and authority in this place.”

Hearing this, Chūnxiù became even angrier. She snapped, “Who are you calling arrogant? Do you think I can’t do anything about you?” She pointed at Yùnyí and added, “Today, whether you like it or not, you’ll massage my feet.”

“Chūnxiù, stop,” Jì Róng intervened, but her words had little effect on Chūnxiù. After waiting for a moment without seeing Yùnyí move, Chūnxiù’s anger flared. She raised her hand to slap Yùnyí, but Yùnyí quickly stepped back, evading the strike.

Yùnyí’s face turned sour as she said, “Please show some self-respect, Miss Feng.”

“Self-respect?” Chūnxiù, who had been holding in her anger, was now even more enraged. She spoke in a cold, venomous tone, “A mere maid dares to lecture me? How impressive! Today... let me teach you a lesson in manners!”

With that, she raised her hand again, intending to strike Yùnyí. Yùnyí swiftly reached up, pulling one of her earring beads from her ear. Holding the small pearl tightly, she prepared to discreetly launch it at Chūnxiù.

Though Yùnyí didn’t want to reveal her true identity, she couldn’t allow anyone to humiliate her. Not to mention, Chūnxiù had clearly been looking for trouble. A quiet lesson wouldn’t hurt, and it would also relieve some of Meixue’s frustration.

At that moment, a shout came from outside, “What are you all doing?”

The speaker was the steward, Lín, whom they had seen when they first entered the mansion. He was accompanied by a young, handsome man dressed in deep purple brocade.

Chūnxiù, unaware that she had narrowly avoided disaster, was irritated by the sudden interruption. Her eyes glinted with cunning, and she quickly pointed at Yùnyí to complain, “Steward Lin, Yùnyí was fortunate enough to be assigned to work at the Governor’s residence, but she doesn’t follow any rules. She spoke rudely to us just because we disagreed, it’s truly excessive.”

The young man raised an eyebrow and asked, “So you were going to slap her?”

Hearing this, Chūnxiù awkwardly responded, “I... was just trying to teach her some manners.” She then looked the young man over and asked, “And who are you?”

Steward Lin quickly scolded her, “How bold! This is the second young master.”

Li Yuán had five sons: Li Jiànchéng, the eldest; Li Shìmín, the second son; Li Xuánbà, the third son; Li Yuánjí, the fourth son; and Li Zhìyún, the youngest, born of a different mother. The other four were all born to his first wife, Dòu.

Upon hearing this, Chūnxiù and the others quickly lowered their heads to bow. Li Shìmín gave them a brief glance before walking toward Yùnyí. With a gentle voice, he asked, “Are you alright? Did you get hurt?”

Yùnyí didn’t expect him to speak directly to her. For a moment, she was caught off guard but quickly recovered, secretly gripping the pearl in her hand. She lowered her head and replied, “Thank you for your concern, young master. I’m fine.”

Li Shìmín smiled gently and said, “That’s good. You may return now.”

As Yùnyí raised her head, she caught a glimpse of his smile, which lingered for a moment, and she felt a brief, fleeting distraction. She had never seen a man smile so beautifully, like a spring breeze. His eyes were bright, and in his gaze, she saw her own reflection, drawing her in unconsciously.

Quickly regaining her composure, Yùnyí bent her knees and prepared to leave, but the name “Li Shìmín” remained firmly in her mind, though she said no more about it.

After he left, Li Shìmín glanced at Chūnxiù and the others before walking away with his attendants. Once he was out of sight, Chūnxiù snorted coldly and muttered, “Out of nowhere, the second young master shows up and helps that vile maid escape. It’s infuriating.”

Jì Róng patted her hand and said, “Calm down. She’s still in the dance hall. Are you afraid she won’t get her chance?”

Hearing this, Chūnxiù’s expression softened slightly, but her teeth gritted as she said, “She keeps helping Meixue humiliate me, but one day, I’ll make her wish she was never born.” At this point, she looked longingly in the direction Li Shìmín had gone. The second young master was handsome, with an extraordinary presence. If she could catch his eye, it would be a great opportunity, but sadly, Yùnyí had ruined it for her.