“Hey, you new bed-warming maid, I heard you bullied Qingqiu? Come over here and let’s have a little contest!”
“?”
“You’re wearing a mask and a heavy coat in this heat. Aren’t you hot? Are you hiding something?”
“??”
“Are you mute? Speak up!”
Dongfang Liuli looked around, then at Wu Die, who was acting like a protective little hen, and pointed at herself, asking, “Are you talking to me?”
Wu Die crossed her arms and mocked, “Heh, it seems you’re not only deaf but also a bit slow.”
Dongfang Liuli lowered her eyes in thought. After a moment, she understood the reason behind Wu Die’s sudden outburst. She found it both amusing and helpless, but not at all angering.
She knew Wu Die was standing up for Su Qingqiu and ‘Dongfang Liuli,’ targeting the newly arrived bed-warming maid.
“What do you want?” Dongfang Liuli asked directly, not bothering with pleasantries.
“Su Qingqiu is the most senior maid, and I am the most trusted maid by the Master. With the Empress not around, it’s up to us to keep the foxes at bay.”
“Now, take off your armor… oh, sorry, I meant, take off your mask! Let me see your true face.”
Wu Die was arrogant. Since she had entered the Meng family as a maid, she was on equal footing with the others, with no distinctions of rank or realm.
What did it matter if she was a Great Being of the Morning Glow Realm? Why should a newcomer surpass her?
“To avoid making you feel inferior, let’s do it another way,” Dongfang Liuli shook her head and refused calmly. “There are many ways to test someone. Appearance is the least important. Character, strength, cleverness, loyalty…”
“You came here aggressively, claiming to stand up for Su Qingqiu, but in reality, you’re venting your own dissatisfaction. You think, with your seniority and looks, the bed-warming maid position should have been yours.”
“Is that so?”
Wu Die squinted her beautiful eyes. With just a few words, she was at a disadvantage, feeling a natural fear, like a mouse before a cat or a sheep before a wolf.
This woman… is not simple!
“Don’t change the subject. I’m the one asking you questions now!”
“Tell me about your background in detail. It better be verifiable. I’ll have someone investigate later to see if you’re hiding anything,” Wu Die said.
Wu Die laughed inwardly. Whether she chose to speak or not, she had a reason to criticize and suppress her.
If she chose to speak, her momentum would drop immediately. Then it would be easy to nitpick. No one is perfect, and there would definitely be something questionable in her background.
If she chose not to speak, it would be intentional deception, and she could be expelled immediately!
Perfect!
“Hey, what are you guys doing?” Meng Qingzhou was confused, not understanding why Wu Die suddenly attacked or why Dongfang Liuli was confronting her.
If she took off the mask, wouldn’t Wu Die calm down? Why argue?
“Shut up,” Dongfang Liuli turned and scolded.
“Hey?!”
Dongfang Liuli immediately realized her mistake and quickly corrected herself, “Young Master, please calm down.”
“That’s better,” Meng Qingzhou nodded.
Wu Die saw this and clenched her fists silently, her knuckles cracking. Since following the Master, she had never broken the rules once. This bed-warming maid was too arrogant!
And why was the Master so indulgent?
“Gu Xiyue, answer my question,” Wu Die said coldly.
Hiding behind Wu Die, Su Qingqiu’s big, bright eyes were filled with excitement, her pretty face flushed red like a weasel sneaking into a melon patch.
Fight! Pull each other’s hair!
Dongfang Liuli glanced at Su Qingqiu, her eyes full of warning. Seeing Wu Die’s intense reaction, she knew who was causing trouble behind the scenes.
This girl was getting more and more audacious. She would definitely enforce the family rules and teach her a lesson when they got back.
“Try glaring at Qingqiu again,” Wu Die stepped in front of Su Qingqiu, staring straight at Dongfang Liuli.
Dongfang Liuli felt helpless and said calmly, “Fine.”
“Then let’s have a good talk!”
“You said you’re standing in for the Empress, screening maids, but you might not realize that I came to seek the Space-Time Sword Saint, intending to be a follower. The bed-warming maid role was assigned to me by the Sword Saint, not my own choice.”
“Why don’t you ask the Sword Saint or Su Qingqiu behind you, instead of questioning me?”
Wu Die was stunned, wanting to retort but finding the logic sound.
Wait?
What was going on? Was this girl forced to become a bed-warming maid by the Master?
If that’s the case, then there’s no problem.
Dongfang Liuli’s eyes grew sharper as she approached Wu Die, saying, “Moreover, you want to probe my background to test my character, but I’ve already discussed this with the Sword Saint. Didn’t Su Qingqiu inform you?”
Wu Die unconsciously stepped back, cold sweat forming on her smooth forehead.
“No… she didn’t.”
Dongfang Liuli smiled meaningfully and continued, “Also, probing someone’s past isn’t the only way to test their character.”
“Before questioning others, why not reflect on yourself? As a pawn of the rebel Zhao Yuhuan, if we really investigate, you might be the least clean.”
Thud!
Wu Die was forced back against the wall, her chest heaving, breathing heavily, her eyes wide open.
Defeated!
Completely and utterly defeated!
Crushed with no chance to fight back!
“I’ve been in seclusion for years, not concerning myself with worldly matters. With my Morning Glow Realm cultivation, I’m the most capable and useful maid by the Young Master’s side.”
“There’s a saying that in martial arts, there’s no first or last, the accomplished come first. Can we apply this to our family too?”
“If we rank by seniority, shouldn’t you call Qingqiu ‘sister’? Am I right?”
“Now, do you agree that I am the bed-warming maid?” Dongfang Liuli looked down at Wu Die, who was panting against the wall, and pressed.
“Ag… agree.” Wu Die nodded vigorously, her heart trembling with fear.
This pitiful state made Wu Die lower her head in shame, not daring to look Dongfang Liuli in the eye.
“What should you call me from now on?” Dongfang Liuli lifted Wu Die’s chin, staring coldly into her eyes.
“Sister…” Wu Die bit her red lips, her eyes dim, reluctantly speaking.
This was equivalent to acknowledging the new bed-warming maid’s seniority.
Hearing this, Dongfang Liuli nodded slightly, lowered her hand, and took a few steps back to Meng Qingzhou’s side, continuing to serve tea.
Thud.
Wu Die collapsed to the ground, feeling as if she had fought a fierce battle, completely exhausted and unable to stand.
“By the way, how did you know about my past?” Wu Die suddenly remembered and asked.
The other party had only been here for a day. How could she know such secrets?
Dongfang Liuli turned her head and said, “You?”
“Sister…”
“Heh~ that’s better. It was Qingqiu who told me. Who else could it be? The Young Master?”
Wu Die suddenly stood up, turning to glare at Su Qingqiu, gritting her teeth, “Su! Qing! Qiu!”
Even if Wu Die was slow, she finally realized who had been secretly sabotaging her.
“No… it wasn’t me,” Su Qingqiu felt wronged, tears welling up in her eyes.
She could admit to what she had done, but not to what she hadn’t. That would be a false accusation!
Wait!
The Empress already knew about this. Why would I need to say anything?
But she couldn’t reveal the true identity of the bed-warming maid. That would only make things worse, and Wu Die would immediately realize that Su Qingqiu knew the truth and had deliberately misled her.
Caught in a dilemma, Su Qingqiu could only passively endure the consequences.
Su Qingqiu was in a panic. She hadn’t even finished enjoying the drama, and now she was in trouble herself.
…..
Leave a Reply