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The Dragon's Flower

CHAPTER 1: Transmigrated into a novel

It had been two months since the pitiful Le Xiao Ting, now known as Xiao Hua, woke up in a different world.

Unlike most protagonists in transmigration novels, Le Xiao Ting had no desire to start a new life with a new identity in this new world. Her current identity as a lowly maid with no freedom was not good at all!

As a previous ordinary office worker, she had no OP [1] skills that

would allow her to be fearless and tyrannical in this new world!

Hug a golden thigh? [2]

If she followed the wrong person, she would end up being a pawn to

be discarded after she outlived her usefulness!

Marry a rich and influential man?

Xiao Hua stared bleakly at her surroundings, where not even a pebble belonged to her. She was merely a servant, where would she find a rich man? The master of the manor where she was forced to work as a maid was not a choice she would ever accept. He had far too many concu-bines, something a modern woman like her found extremely dis-gusting.

Become a rich and influential person herself?

Xiao Hua had never considered herself to be a talented person, so how could she pursue a better life for herself? She had plenty of ideas that would help her become rich and famous, but the ideas were useless without the means to turn them into reality.

So the only choice left for her untalented self was to pray. She dedicatedly prayed every day and every hour, with the utmost sincerity for a miracle to happen. But after two months of living in this world, she was still stuck in this damned place.

Her sincerity towards God gradually turned into dislike, and finally

That could be considered a stain on her Chinese heritage.

Xiao Hua only found out that the large plaque letters were 'Mong Lu' a deity that was visiting earth?

"Xiao Hua, your eyes are swollen." Ah Lian, a maid that had been brought into the manor four days ago, stared at Xiao Hua with pity. She lightly touched Xiao Hua's swollen eyes, caused by crying from the previous night. It touched her heart, thinking of how kind Xiao Hua was to cry on her behalf.

As a commoner, Xiao Hua has rough and tanned skin. The addition of her swollen eyes worsened her average looks to something one would not describe as 'nice'.

As they were both forced to join the slave camp in this household and around the same age, they shared a sense of comradeship. Both felt pity towards the other, and that was how they remained harmonious.

It lasted until Xiao Hua discovered Ah Lian's true identity late one night when the latter was suddenly in the mood to talk about her past.

She had an urge to stay away from Ah Lian after that!

Le Xiao Ting scolded herself for overlooking the first hint that the world was not what it seemed to be.

The manor had a large signboard with the household surname carved into it, but Le Xiao Ting did not know how to read it. She only spoke basic Chinese and was completely useless when it came to reading or writing in that language.

That could be considered a stain on her Chinese heritage.

Xiao Hua only found out that the large plaque letters were 'Mong Lu' when she happened to overhear someone talking about it. The name had not triggered any memories at that time, so she had not put much thought into it.

It was finally triggered when Ah Lian revealed how she had been kidnapped from the Guilin Kingdom and brought into this country as a hostage. With enough clues, Xiao Hua finally realized this world was actually inside the novel she had been reading right before she had died in the most embarrassing way!

After discovering the truth, she broke down and cried miserably the whole night. It was as if someone had told her she was dying.

"Don't cry, Xiao Hua. We will not suffer for long!" Ah Lian promised, nodding her head as if to reassure herself as well. Her movement had some white powder fall off from her face, which was actually quite creepy.

Thanks to the novel, she knew that every morning, Ah Lian would hide her beautiful face using the white powder to avoid unwanted atten-tion. In Xiao Hua's opinion, mud would do a better job than the white powder, since the white powder did little to help prevent unwanted attention.

Anyone would be suspicious because of the thick layer of powder Ah Lian had on her face.

"Soon, my third brother will come to save us," Ah Lian revealed in a low whisper, her eyes glowing with strong belief.

Xiao Hua smiled awkwardly as she pleaded inwardly, Just ask your third brother to rescue you! No need to be so kind as to help this passer-by!' In a normal situation, she would have happily accepted Ah Lian's kind offer, but she knew that the original Xiao Hua would die if she stayed with Ah Lian. Even if the soul had changed, the fate should still be the same.

"The two of you over there! Why are you not working?" The fierce head maid had spotted them dilly-dallying in a secluded corner.

"Sorry, Mama Xia." Ah Lian darted into Old Madame Mong Lu's court- yard while Xiao Hua sprinted towards the kitchen.

Both girls were, fortunately, chosen as Old Madame Mong Lu's maids, who was not as demanding as the rest of the family. Ah Lian would handle small tasks such as sweeping the floor and watering the potted plants. As for Xiao Hua, she was the tea girl, tasked with serving tea to the Old Madame and her guests.

Xiao Hua considered herself lucky to have avoided the heavier jobs such as cleaning or cooking. She had no idea how her trial of tea had won the Old Madame's heart. She was suddenly told to take over the job of tea brewing and the rest was history.

"Fuck my life, fuck her life, fuck all their lives," Xiao Hua sang cheerfully as she washed the dirty teapots, shivering from the cold water and chilly wind. Although she was singing English, it differed so much from Chinese she could declare the language to be from her hometown.

So, she could only claim it was a lullaby that she had learned from the original Xiao Hua's mother. With that acceptable excuse, she could now sing in English with the content modified according to her mood. Sadly, most of the 'lyrics' were either complaints or curses. Even so, Xiao Hua praised herself for her talent of singing curses while maintaining a bright and innocent expression!

"Little cry baby!" A maid barged out of the kitchen backdoor to where a lonely Xiao Hua was doing the washing.

"Stop calling me that," Xiao Hua pleaded. Unfortunately, when she had woken up as Xiao Hua, she had cried often enough to earn the nickname 'cry-baby', and it stuck.

"We have an important guest! Old Madame wants you to bring out the best tea!"

Best tea? This young lady doesn't even know the names of these tea leaves, so what makes you think that I would know which is the best?!

Xiao Hua dried her hands using a worn-out cloth and followed the maid back into the kitchen. The other maids knew their resident's 'cry-baby' was not a tea expert, not that the Old Madame was one either. The Old Madame had simply claimed that the most expensive tea was the best.

Oi, oi. Even the King can have faulty taste, you know?

Still, Xiao Hua accepted the tea bag and carefully took out the Old Madame's best teapot and cups from the shelf. Behind her, the maids began gossiping now that they had some free time.

"I heard directly from Old Madame that the guest is a prince from another country!"

Xiao Hua's ears twitched and her hands trembled, but her grip on the expensive-looking teacups was as steady as a rock. Since the appearance of Ah Lian, she had grown extremely sensitive to the words 'Guilin' and 'prince.'

"What? A prince from another country?"

"Why would he come here?"

"The eldest miss is of marriageable age. Could it be that the prince is here to propose?"

"Would master and madam accept? Everyone knows that the eldest miss is head-over-heels in love with the top scholar of the year!"

"Xiao Hua, are you done? Old Madame is asking for you." A high-ranked maid entered the kitchen and effectively stopped the gossiping.

"Yes, coming!" Xiao Hua hurriedly placed all the necessary tools onto the tray. Carrying the tray, she walked quickly to where Old Madame Mong Lu usually served her guests.

When she arrived, she saw Old Madame Mong Lu working hard on fawning over someone. Her huge body blocked Xiao Hua's view of the guest.

Her body suddenly feels chilly, as her heart prayed for the guest to not be that prince. She tried to remain calm by reassuring herself that particular prince was not supposed to appear for a few more months, so this guest could not be him.

Xiao Hua quickly moved to the side table to place down the tray before starting the process of tea brewing. She thought she was chosen as the tea girl because she would only brew tea when needed instead of brewing it early before needed. Other than that, she was as clueless as everyone else.

After some observation, the other maids had spotted it as well, but they could not show off their skills as Old Madame would not give them a chance. Xiao Hua had no idea why Old Madame would not let them, but she did not raise any objections. Why would she sacrifice her cushy job for others?

Only after the tea was prepared did the Old Madame move away, finally letting Xiao Hua have a glimpse of the honored guest. Her mind immediately went blank, which led to her loosening her grip...

Clank!

The sound of porcelain smashing onto the ground echoed, interrupting the conversation. The room turned silent, as all eyes turned to the one that would get punished for the ruckus. Xiao Hua could feel the hot water splash over her legs, but she stood rooted to the spot in shock. Currently, she was like those idiotic female characters that always caused trouble.

Moreover, it would also attract their fated-to-be future husband's attention.

A clichéd romance that would feed dog food [3] to the single dogs [4]!

Despite her inner voice yelling at her to snap out of it, her eyes glued stupidly onto the beautiful man.

Elegant, he was sitting in a pose most men could not manage, with a mischievous upward curve of his lips that enhanced his attractiveness.

Actually, just the sight of a beautiful man would not affect her to this extent. It was the red jade thumb ring on his right hand that created a great tornado inside her!

Her harbinger of death had arrived!

CHAPTER 2: Guilin Kingdom's Third Prince, Long Zhu

Le Xiao Ting suffered from myopia, as did Xiao Hua.

But it was fortunate that Xiao Hua's eyesight was not as bad as Le Xiao Ting's, for she could still make out the prince's blurry appearance.

Xiao Hua wondered if he would still look that good through a high-definition filter?

Even though Xiao Hua had never seen the Third Prince before, his creator had described him as the most beautiful man in the Guilin Kingdom. The author had gone even further to say that the Third Prince would make even the most beautiful women in the world feel inferior if compared to his oh-so-perfect facial features.

This man before her matched that outrageous de- scription!

Plus, that red jade ring on his thumb was the most obvious indication of his identity, the Guilin Kingdom's Third Prince, Long Zhu! For her to be able to spot that red thumb ring meant that even a half-blind person could see its brilliance.

Yet there was something strange about him.

Why did the prince look so much like Le Xiao Ting's boss in her original world? After years of working with her boss, without even needing to look closely, she could still pick him out in a crowd. That was why she could tell that her boss and the Third Prince shared almost ninety percent similarity based on their body features.

However, the most obvious difference between them was their personalities. The prince was not shy in bestowing charming smiles, while her boss often rewarded people with frosty looks for absolutely no reason.

He often made her think of whether she had owed him money or not!

"What is your name?"

Xiao Hua gulped and quickly gathered herself. She curtsied respectfully, ignoring the burning sensation on her legs. "Greetings, Your Highness. This humble servant's name is Xiao Hua."

Before Xiao Hua could go on to apologize for dropping the teapot, the prince appeared right before her in the blink of an eye. Shocked, she jumped backwards and nearly tripped over her long skirt if the Third Prince had not grabbed hold of her. Even more shocking was how he knelt right in front of her, not caring if his knees would get injured from the teapot shards!

Old Madame and the servants that were looking on gasped, looking scandalized when he suddenly lifted Xiao Hua's skirt, exposing her bare legs.

What is this rascal doing?!

It was clear that the sight of her bare legs, instead of the expected underpants, had taken the Third Prince by surprise. Xiao Hua, who found it too hot to wear pants and a skirt together, had decided to opt out of wearing pants. She thought no one would notice, but unfortunately, her belief was thoroughly shattered today.

"Your Highness." A tall man with a menacing aura held out a handkerchief-sized towel towards the prince, who had recovered his composure from the surprise.

Everyone could only stare blankly at the prince who was kneeling before a lowly maid and wiping her wet legs with a towel.

Just a moment ago, Old Madame Mong Lu was about to send Xiao Hua to be punished for making such a big mistake. She thanked the heavens that she was too slow to say anything when she saw how the prince was acting.

The Third Prince frowned slightly at the sight of her bright pink legs thanks to the hot water. Fortu-nately, Xiao Hua had not used boiling water to brew the tea, otherwise, her legs would have been in a worse state.

"P-Prince," Xiao Hua stammered as soon as she had gotten her wits back. "This servant does not deserve Your Highness' kindness. This lowly one can do it her-self."

Reading tons of novels did help in knowing what to say in such an embarrassing situation.

When she first arrived here, it was hard to adapt to her new situation where she needed to insult herself by calling herself a servant with every sentence. It had taken her a while to adjust her mind to pretend that the whole thing was a role-playing game.

Le Xiao Ting did not know how to flatter people but Xiao Hua quickly adapted. She learned how to keep a low profile, even scrubbing her superior's shoes when needed! The old her would find it pretentious to speak dishonest words with a slick smile, but fake flattery was a necessary skill to survive in this era.

"Don't move." His tone was gentle, yet commanding at the same time.

Xiao Hua obeyed because the wet towel against her burned skin felt soothing.

"Old Madame." A higher ranked maidservant entered the room and slowly approached Old Madame, with Ah Lian following closely behind.

Ah Lian's expression brightened when her eyes fell on the prince, before it turned into one of confusion when she saw what he was doing. But she did not speak out and silently stood like the maid she was forced to be. However, the excitement that shone in her eyes betrayed her external bearing.

No one dared to speak up until the Third Prince

finished wiping Xiao Hua's legs. Xiao Hua's face was indifferent, but if one would squint properly, they would have spotted her slight blush at the indecent exposure.

Being used to wearing shorts, Le Xiao Ting would not think much about showing her legs when everyone was doing the same thing. However, in this ancient era where everyone was staring at her as if she had committed a sin, she had the urge to cover her exposed legs.

The Third Prince finally covered her legs and stood up, passing the towel to the menacing man. Xiao Hua had expected him to rush towards Ah Lian with deep concern, but he unexpectedly gripped her hand. He then pulled her with him to go where Ah Lian was standing.

Xiao Hua: (• • )?

"Third Prince of Guilin, this is the Ah Lian you were asking for." Old Madame Mong Lu introduced the white-faced maid to the prince. She only knew that Ah Lian was a hostage from the Guilin Kingdom and nothing else.

Ah Lian finally broke her composure and ran over to hug the Third Prince, her pearl-like tears escaping from her eyes. By now, many pairs of eyes stared at them with surprise.

"I apologize for not coming earlier." The Third Prince rubbed Ah Lian's head affectionately. He was not bothered by the white powder staining his robe.

"I don't mind because I knew that my third brother would come and save me."

The smile that the Third Prince gave to Ah Lian was dazzling to the point that it could mesmerize everyone.

"This prince will be bringing these two with me." The Third Prince did not bother to wait for any reply before sweeping

Ah Lian and Xiao Hua out of the room.

Feeling as though the script suddenly disappeared from her hands, Xiao Hua dazedly allowed the Third Prince to steer her around. When her mind started to work again, she tried to pull her hand away, but his grip was like a vice.

She glanced back at Old Madame Mong Lu with pleading eyes, hoping that the Old Madame would fight for her to stay.

But the Old Madame ignored her gaze and curtsied politely to the Guilin Prince along with everyone. Even if the other party was a prince from a different kingdom, they still had to swallow their displeasure and treat them well.

Seeing that the Old Madame would not help her, Xiao Hua

could only rely on herself!

"Your Highness, this servant wishes to remain and continue serving Old Madame Mong Lu."

The Third Prince stopped in his tracks.

"Xiao Hua?" Ah Lian stared at Xiao Hua as if she had lost her mind.

"Old Madame is nice to this servant. This servant is indebted to Old Madame and wishes to repay her." It was a whole bunch of lies, but Xiao Hua was desperate now. No matter what, she must not follow them, or else she would die!

"Xiao Hua, the Munzhu country is the one that killed your parents and forced you here to be a servant!"

The original Xiao Hua was born and lived in a small village near the north border of the Guilin Kingdom. The small village happens to be in the middle of the path between the Munzhu country and the Guilin Kingdom. They were the first casualties when the war broke out three months ago and many of the villagers, including the original Xiao Hua's par-ents, had died.

Munzhu country forced the survivors to be their servants to hold back the Guilin Kingdom. The Guilin Kingdom had done the same to Munzhu's survivors as well.

"I- I have nowhere else to go."

Ah Lian grabbed Xiao Hua's hands tightly. "Xiao Hua can stay with me!"

Xiao Hua shook her head fiercely. "How can I stay with you when I'm just an outsider?"

"Then be my personal maid!"

I don't want to! (°°)

"You are a princess." Xiao Hua glanced at Ah Lian and the Third Prince worriedly. "I'm not suited to be your servant, much less a personal one."

Ah Lian could not deny it, for Xiao Hua lacked the skills that a personal servant should have. Her Imperial Mother would never agree to let Xiao Hua be her personal servant.

"Then..."

"Xiao Hua." The Third Prince's voice was soft and gentle, yet it held hints of authority that one dare not to disobey.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"You do not find that it's an honor to be this prince's maid servant?"

"O-Of course not!"

"Then from now on, you will be this prince's personal maid."

"...W-What"

"If you decline this prince's offer, does that mean you lied to this prince?"

"I'm not."

"Then that settles it."

...Hold on! What's going on? How did she end up agreeing to

it so easily!

The Third Prince disregarded Xiao Hua's fearful stare directed at him and led them to the large carriage waiting at the entrance.

"Y-Your Highness! This servant has not packed her belong-ings," Xiao Hua attempted again.

After packing, she will run away!

"Your Highness, the maid's belongings have been packed." The menacing man that had previously handed the prince a towel reappeared, holding onto a small travelling bag in his hand.

"My bag?" Xiao Hua asked weakly as her legs became soft, and the man handed the bag over to her.

She slowly took the bag as Ah Lian stared at her brother with heroship. "Third brother, you have long known that I want to bring Xiao Hua with us?"

"As your brother, it is only right to help you pay back her kindness."

Xiao Hua: "..." What kindness do you speak of? I remember none of it!

Ah Lian was pleasantly surprised. "Third brother know about it?"

"As your brother, how can I not keep an eye on you? We shall resume our conversation during the ride back."

The Third Prince climbed into the first carriage with Ah Lian while Xiao Hua got to sit on the second carriage with Ah Lian's two personal maids. They had gotten kidnapped as well and thrown to be servants in other households. It was fortunate that the prince kindly picked them up as well.

The two maids did not seem to be friendly as they had only talked to each other and ignored Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua did not mind it as she was far too busy trying to calm herself down, including her trembling legs. The main reason for her troubled emotions was because the plot was moving differently from what she had read in the novel.

The Third Prince was only supposed to arrive after Ah Lian had lived as a hostage for a few months. That was after the Guilin Kingdom conquered the Munzhu Country.

During that period, Ah Lian would suffer hardships that crushed her timidity and discarded her morality. The original Xiao Hua would often help Ah Lian and later on, they became close friends. This was the reason why Ah Lian would plead with her brother to take Xiao Hua along and become Ah Lian's maid.

But why had Xiao Hua become the Third Prince's maid now?

Is there a bug? Where's the bloody technician?

CHAPTER 3: A friend of this Princess

After experiencing a carriage ride for the first time, Xiao Hua did not hesitate to vote for a car as the better mode of trans-portation. It was fortunate that she had not gotten motion sickness from the bumpy ride thanks to the uneven road.

But her butt was not as lucky. It hurts! (**)

There was a cushion installed around the seat areas, but it was not thick enough to protect her abused flesh. She had to constantly shift in her seat to alleviate the soreness. The two maids looked indifferent to the rough ride as they continued chit-chatting between themselves, but once in a while, they would steal glances at Xiao Hua.

It felt like hours had passed before the carriage slowed down and finally halted with a rough jerk. It was wise of her to grab onto the window frames beforehand or else she would fall out of her seat and embarrassed herself.

Lightly pushing open a wooden window, she peered out of the carriage with curious eyes.

From what she could gather from her limited view, they were in the middle of the forest, because all she could only see were tall, healthy trees. Xiao Hua did not know much about this world other than what the author had revealed.

The author had only focused on the events in the Guilin Kingdom and how it would grow even more powerful in the future thanks to the contribution from the hero and the heroine of the novel.

The door of the carriage opened and Long Lian poked head in. "Xiao Hua, let's clean up together."

Clean up? Did she mean cleaning up at a riverside?

That idea was very appealing to her numb legs and sore butt, as well as her unwashed body for three days straight. As a lowly servant, she was only allowed to bathe twice a week, much to Ah Lian's disgust when she faced the same restric-tion.

Standing up with trembling legs, Xiao Hua stepped out of the carriage, careful not to slip as she placed her feet onto a short wooden stand that was thoughtfully placed before the carriage door.

The two maids followed out of the carriage and the maid in a light orange dress spoke up.

"Princess, please allow us to serve you." The other maid in a dark green dress nodded eagerly.

Both of them were Long Lian's inner maids, so she made a sound of agreement. When the princess tugged Xiao Hua's hand to follow her, the maids' expressions twisted as if they had smelled something bitter.

"Princess, with both of us, there's no need for an extra servant to help you."

Long Lian's face revealed an expression that Xiao Hua guessed was annoyance before shifting into one of disinterest.

"This Princess had not said that Xiao Hua will serve me. She will clean up with me. Both of you will serve this Princess and Xiao Hua."

The two maids would have gaped in disbelief if they had not received decent teaching in hiding most of their expression from their faces. Earlier, they had not-so-subtly eavesdropped on the conversation where the Third Prince appointed Xiao Hua as his personal maid. That was why they dared to voice out their disagreement, thinking that the princess would only treat the newcomer as a maid.

But this was beyond their expectations!

The orange-dressed maid stepped forward with a scandalized expression.

"But Princess, she is a servant. How could a servant clean up together with a Princess?"

"Xiao Hua is not my servant. She is a friend of this Princess!"

By now, even Xiao Hua was shocked by the princess' declaration! She had thought that once Ah Lian had left Mong Lu manor and regained her identity as a princess, she would gradually distance herself from Xiao Hua, who was only a servant.

But to think that a princess would proudly declare a servant as her friend!

If they had known each other since they were young, it would be understandable for them to be friends. But Long Lian had only known her for seven days!

What had Xiao Hua done that may be the reason for the start of their comradeship?

She had offered a plain bun to the princess on the first day of her arrival because she looked hungry even after eating a bowl of rice.

It may have been an insignificant gesture in Xiao Hua's mind, but to the hungry Ah Lian in an environment that she was not familiar with, it was an act of great kindness. Since then, Ah Lian held a good opinion towards her and would stick around Xiao Hua whenever she had free time. Xiao Hua was not used to eating food with plain taste and added on with depression, she often had no mood to eat.

So most of her meals usually ended up in Ah Lian's stomach, not that the princess complained

The original Xiao Hua was a growing, healthy-sized thir-teen-year-old kid, but with Le Xiao Ting's lack of appetite, her growing speed slowed down. In four months, she lost a quarter of her weight, which resulted in her appearing more fragile compared to the other kids in the same age range.

As for the fifteen-year-old Long Lian, she could pass off as a seventeen-year-old girl with that body of hers. She was taller than her peers and her body had bloomed earlier. Xiao Hua noted that Ah Lian would become a very sexy lady in the next few years.

"His Highness wondered what had delayed the Princess." The menacing man appeared beside them, causing the four ladies to jolt in surprise.

"Da Liu, your sneaking skill is getting even better than be-fore!" Long Lian remarked. One could say he was praised while one could also say he was insulted.

The Third Prince's shadow guard would never dare to take it as anything but praise. "Princess is too kind. It's thanks to the Prince's guidance that this servant is able to improve this much."

Long Lian waved the empty excuse away. "Third brother must have waited long enough. Come, Xiao Hua, let's go. As for both of you, since you are unwilling, this Princess does not need you to serve us."

Normally, when one heard that sentence, they would have assumed they do not need to serve the princess this time, but the maids knew better. As the princess's inner maids, they had the duty to serve the princess in every way. For the princess to say those words, it means that the princess no longer wanted them to be her inner maids.

"No, Princess, this servant did not mean that!"

"Wang Wang and Jing Jing," Da Liu called the maids, surprising them. Even Long Lian stopped walking to see what Da Liu was planning to do.

"Sir Da Liu, what are your orders?" Everyone from Guilin knew that Da Liu's actions and words were to be treated as if they were the Third Prince's.

"The Third Prince is benevolent and decides to release Wang Wang and Jing Jing from serving Princess Long Lian. The both of you will be sent to the South Guilin Village to live with your families as a reward for serving the Princess duti-fully."

When the maids heard that, their faces went deathly pale.

Benevolent? It was nothing but an excuse to send them to their death! Which person in the Guilin Kingdom had not heard of South Guilin Village? The Crown Prince of Guilin was the one that came up with this idea, supported by the Emperor and contributed by the nobles. They were willing to pour their wealth to South Guilin Village to make sure that the small village continued its operation to act as the guard border.

It was widely known that many criminals were sent there to work hard till their last breath!

Among them, only Xiao Hua had not heard of that village as it was not written in the novel. She assumed it was a small village in the Guilin Kingdom without a good future prospect, judging from the maids' horrified expression.

"Please, Sir Da Liu, it must be a mistake!" Wang Wang, the maid dressed in orange, had thrown all her dignity away, begging Da Liu with her hands and knees on the muddy ground to change his mind.

As for jing Jing, she silently cried with haunted despair etched on her face. She knew very well that no matter how much she pleaded, the Third Prince would not change his mind. With this ruthless punishment, he must have found out about their involvement with the princess' kidnapping.

Ignoring the loud pleading, Da Liu ordered coldly, "Take them away to stop disturbing the Prince and Princess."

Two teenage boys cloaked with a mild version of the menacing aura that seemed to be cloned after Da Liu seemingly appeared out of thin air in Xiao Hua's eyes. They dragged the maidservants away after tying a long cloth over their mouths.

But why was the cloth red?

In the Chinese dramas that Le Xiao Ting had watched, the cloth used was usually white-colored. Could it be that they only had spare red cloth instead of white?

Well, it was the Third Prince's business if he preferred using a red cloth.

"Da Liu, why did the third brother suddenly remove them? They had been my maidservants since young," Long Lian inquired in doubt. Although they had been her servants since she was twelve and was promoted as her inner maids re-cently, she was not exactly close to them. They had annoyed her just now, but she did not intend to dismiss them permanently.

"His Highness does not tolerate those that bite their own er's hand." Hearing that, even the slow Xiao Hua understands. Those two maids must have betrayed the princess! Long Lian's expression turned cold. "So it's really them."

In the novel, the author did not mention much about Long Lian's servants. The only maid mentioned with a name was Xiao Hua. It was expected since Long Lian was just a small cannon fodder character while Xiao Hua was an insignificant character waiting to be killed off just to connect a small dot in the storyline.

Perhaps it was lucky that the author had given Xiao Hua a name, or else Le Xiao Ting would have died without knowing anything!

CHAPTER FOUR: To make fun of this pure maiden is a sin!

It was surprising to see a small villa right in the middle of a forest. Xiao Hua was relieved that they did not have to bathe at a riverside where everyone who happened to pass by could cep them

"This place belongs to the third brother. It was a birthday gift from Mother Empress," Long Lian explained after seeing Xiao Hua gaping at the house like a village kid seeing a mansion for the first time.

Xiao Hua sighed enviously. This is what birthday presents given by rich families are like!

"Princess, the bath is ready." A maid dressed in a light pink dress politely informed Long Lian with a deep curtsy. She had tied up all her hair into a bun with intricate design held up by ribbons, looking neat and professional.

Long Lian let the maid lead the way while happily pulling Xiao Hua along. Xiao Hua tried to admire the lovely scenery along the way, but the lack of spectacles made her eyes tired since she had to squint to see more clearly.

Exhausted, she let Long Lian drag her around, which forced her to place her trust in the princess in not tripping her and just immersed herself in the sweet and refreshing smell of nature. Indeed, the air in this world was much more refreshing compared to her fume polluted world, giving her an energized feeling.

As they strolled deeper into the mansion, Xiao Hua heard the sound of water flowing.

"There is a waterfall?"

After a moment of silence filled with doubt, Long Lian made an understanding sound. "I forgot that your eyesight is quite bad. That's a small fountain connected to the ground to constantly reheat the water."

"Ground? Is there a volcano around?"

Long Lian looked embarrassed. "I don't know much about it. I've already told you everything that I learned from my third brother. I never had an interest in knowing how it works."

"If the princess does not mind, perhaps this servant can explain to Elder Sister Hua on your behalf?" The maid from earlier offered. It took Xiao Hua a moment to realize that the 'elder sister' the maid had mentioned was herself.

Flustered, she quickly clarified, "I'm actually younger than you. Calling me as an elder sister is inappropriate."

Long Lian laughed but the maid's expression did not change at all from the revelation. "Xiao Hua, the reason An Jing calls you elder sister is because you are the third brother's personal maid."

"Um, so it's because I'm in a higher position?" Quite aware that her sudden rise in power as the Third Prince's personal maid would offend other maids, Xiao Hua's words were spoken in a rather meek tone.

No one liked a newcomer with no prestige resume getting promoted as their leader as soon as she joined them.

"That is how the system usually works," An Jing explained with no sign of discontent. "My name is An Jing and I am one of the Third Prince's inner maids. You may call me Sister An Jing."

Hearing that, Xiao Hua remembered what the author vaguely mentioned about the inner maids and outer maids.

The inner maids were maids with the privilege of serving their master closely. Outer maids were usually maids who had almost no chance to meet their master as their tasks did not directly involve catering to their master's needs, such as the laundry department.

The novel had mentioned that the Third Prince had two inner maids who followed him everywhere. They were top-rate beauties, but could never top the Third Prince's good looks.

Curious, Xiao Hua strained her eyes to stare at An Jing. Trying to do it sneakily only worked when she had her spectacles on. She expected An Jing to glare at her or give her a disapproving look for staring in such a rude manner, but her expression remained the same, tacitly permitting Xiao Hua to stare to her heart's content.

But this Sister An Jing truly was a beauty that was similar to the beautiful Chinese actresses in her original world. Xiao

Hua could not determine if An Jing had put on cosmetics or not, but she would bet on the latter as An Jing's face looked clean and natural.

"Sister An Jing is very pretty," Xiao Hua praised sincerely, her voice sounding more childish than usual.

Finally, An Jing's expression showed a little change but it was a positive one. "Princess, please follow An Wan to prepare for your soaking. Please allow An Jing to serve Elder Sister Hua."

Another female servant wearing the same pale pink dress as An Jing silently approached them before giving Long Lian a deep curtsy. Unlike An Jing, this maid had only tied up half of her hair with ribbons, looking young and sweet. She stood at least three feet away from the princess, her body language emitting a submissive vibe like a proper maid.

"Xiao Hua, we will soak in the hot springs together later. An Jing, treat Xiao Hua well." Satisfied after leaving a not-so-sub-tle order, Long Lian followed A Wan to the other side of the building.

"Elder Sister Hua, please follow me."

"Um, Sister An Jing... can you not call me elder sister?" Xiao Hua put on an uncomfortable expression with her eyes lowered to the ground, looking just like a meek little girl. She actually did not mind being called an elder sister, but it would be better to not offend the other maids under the Third Prince.

However, An Jing firmly refused. "You hold a higher position and it is required for lower-ranking maids to address higher ranking maids as their elders. This is one of the social etiquettes every household follows, including the Third Prince's manor."

Hearing the last part, Xiao Hua knew that if she continued making a fuss regarding this matter, she might offend the Third Prince. Offending the Third Prince seemed to be more serious than not following social etiquette, judging by An Jing's words.

"Xiao Hua understands," She replied reluctantly but showed no further disagreement to avoid igniting any tlames.

She obediently followed An Jing towards the building beside the one Long Lian had entered. It looked like a small apartment, with a small living room and a single, doorless bedroom. The room was clean and tidy, but she could not make out the details of the room thanks to her short-sightedness.

A tub filled with warm water was prepared behind a beautiful screen divider. Truthfully, what Xiao Hua hated the most was the hygiene in this world. The toilets were installed outside the building and when she bathed, she had to be intimate with the wind!

Xiao Hua's face lit up when she saw the wooden bathtub filled with warm water. It was getting hard to ignore the stinky odor coming from her body. She immediately rushed forward and saw red flower petals floating on the surface of the water, and the water emitted a nice floral scent.

Xiao Hua glanced at An Jing in surprise. "Isn't this too much for a servant?" She had seen on TV that only rich kids had the privilege to use a flower bath.

Let's forget the next part of the show where the pretty lady will caress herself with the flower petals as if they were in a bathing contest!

"Please do not worry, for this is the proper treatment for a maid in your position, Elder Sister Hua."

"Do you have this treatment too?" Xiao Hua asked curiously.

An Jing answered solemnly. "Once in a while, An Jing can bathe with flower petals."

But what An Jing had not said was that the flowers she bathed in were very different from the ones Xiao Hua could use. The quality and type of flowers they both used were vastly different. But her master had strictly told her not to let Elder Sister Hua suspect anything unusual in her treatment.

When An Jing reached out to help her undress, Xiao Hua darted far away, holding onto her dress defensively with her eyes looking accusingly at the older woman as if she was trying to molest her.

"I can undress by myself!" Xiao Hua exclaimed in a flustered manner. Her bright red face brought out a small smile on An Jing's face, unnoticed by Xiao Hua.

"Then An Jing will help Elder Sister wash."

"No!" Xiao Hua denied loudly.

Having a woman touch her naked skin and possibly grope her? No way!

This time Xiao Hua could see An Jing's smile because it was so wide until her teeth could be seen!

Hateful! To make fun of this pure maiden is a sin!

CHAPTER 5: Muscular beauty

Fortunately, An Jing let her bathe in peace, alone. It gave Xiao Hua a peace of mind to finally enjoy her first warm bath after she transmigrated into this world.

And a strong scrubbing over her dirty, mud cloaked, skin!

It was a relaxing and soul-cleansing bath, but she was destined not to have a good experience until the end. The water had lost most of its warmth now and it was about time for her to leave.

But Le Xiao Ting, a soul at the age of twenty-seven, who had taken over the thirteen-year-old Xiao Hua's body, found herself in a dilemma.

When she settled into the wooden bathtub filled with warm water, it was so relaxing that her tense muscles loosened. But she had relaxed too much that the moment when she wanted to get out of the tub, she found herself having difficulty standing up.

Her legs were trembling even worse now!

Xiao Hua's body had been tense since the moment she saw the Third Prince and it was only after the relaxing bath did her fight or flee mode turn off. It seemed that her tension had tired out her body.

She could have patiently rubbed her numb limbs and waited until her body regained its usual mobility, but Long Lian was waiting for her to soak in the hot spring together. If she takes too long, Long Lian might burst into the room to find her and that was the last thing she wanted to happen. Her trembling weak legs made up Xiao Hua's mind to seek help, but she must not be naked at that critical moment!

With no other choice, she forced all her strength onto her arms and pushed her body up with the help of the bathtub. It sounded easy, but in reality, it was difficult when she also did not want to alert An Jing that was standing at the other side of the screen.

What if An Jing boldly decided to help her get dressed once she discovered Xiao Hua's difficulty? Le Xiao Ting may be a modern woman, but she could never be comfortable letting anyone see her in her birthday suit!

After struggling for a long time, she managed to stand up! Xiao Hua huffed in satis-faction, but when her gaze landed on the tall bathtub; her satisfaction fled as fast as a deer seeing a lion.

Why was the bathtub so tall? Do they want to practice agility even during bath time?!

She slowly lifted her left leg first, but when her leg was up to the bathtubs' height, one of her hands slipped, bringing her back down into the tub again.

The loud splash and a sharp cry from Xiao Hua naturally caught An Jing's attention, which quickly had her cross over the screen divider.

"Elder Sister Hua, are you alright?" An Jing's eyes scanned Xiao Hua's form that was hidden under the flower petals.

Xiao Hua quickly sat up and spat out the water from her mouth, wiping the water away from her eyes.

"I-I'm fine! I'm just not used to the bathtub and slipped." An Jing held out an arm towards Xiao Hua.

"Elder Sister Hua, please use my arm to help yourself out." She made sure to face away from Xiao Hua as she knew the younger girl was extremely shy.

What? Use this pretty maid's arm to get out of the wooden bathtub? This pretty maid with a fragile-looking arm that was only slightly thicker than Xiao Hua's?

Slightly panicked, Xiao Hua's peach-shaped eyes darted around the room as if they were looking for a way to escape. A small table caught her eyes. Its height was much lower than a normal table, used to hold bath items.

As if she had seen a savior, Xiao Hua smiled in relief.

"There is no need to dirty Sister An Jing's sleeve. A stool is enough to help me."

However, the naive Xiao Hua did not expect An Jing to turn around and step out to grab a seating stool instead. Xiao Hua swallowed back her sigh as she knew it was her own fault for not clarifying which stool she actually wanted.

It was also surprising that An Jing could easily carry that heavy-looking wooden stool without any change of expression. Compared to the modern wooden furniture from her world, the wooden furniture here was much heavier.

Perhaps those thin arms were actually muscular? It would not be the first time her blurry eyesight had failed her.

After placing the stool beside the tub, An Jing returned to her original position out- side the screen. Xiao Hua unconsciously gulped as she stared down at the stool.

After some self-encouragement therapy, Xiao Hua once again managed to push herself up, before slowly shifting a leg out to step on the stool. Her heart cheered, already seeing her success, but she had celebrated far too early. When it was the other leg's turn, her limbs could not hold on and collapsed. Her fall overturned the stool, cr ating a loud crash.

Oh shit! How can a wooden chair make this much noise! E(°A°|||)

The fall was painful but it had brought her out of the bathtub as she wished. Thank-fully, her fall did not overturn the bathtub as well or it will double the humiliation. Her eyes quickly darted to the screen divider which she had draped her clothes over ear-lier, but found that it had disappeared! She heard a soft gasp from behind and it was too late to cover up.

No, she was still naked!

The thought that this body was not hers' does not provide any comfort at all!

Xiao Hua's eyes widened comically when An Jing lifted her up into the air and covered her with a thin robe.

Wait, that is not important!

How was An Jing able to lift her up into her arms without much difficulty? Xiao Hua stared at An Jing as if she was a scientist and An Jing was the subject. With this close distance, Xiao Hua once again unconsciously admired An Jing's beauty.

Do not compare the ladies in this world with those actresses that acted in historical dramas! Those actresses were prettily dressed up with their faces covered with make-up, but in reality, the ladies in this world were not as beautiful as the dramas had portrayed them to be. It was also attributed to the era's sense of beauty.

The maids at Mong Lu manor were coarse and not ladylike at all. The light-colored feminine dress that was the maid's uniform made them look even more unsightly.

Even the rich guests that visited Mong Lu manor could not boast about their looks!

It was then that Xiao Hua truly knew how scary and effective those beauty products in her world could be. That, as well as the easy life that modern people were fortunate to have.

Xiao Hua's eyes trailed to the other girl's arms and noted their size was larger than she expected. But from the feel of it, there was almost nothing soft on them.

Muscular beauty！

Feeling uncomfortable with Xiao Hua's blatant scrutiny, An Jing decided to tell her about the Third Prince's hot spring. "This hot spring was especially refined by the Third Prince. There are plenty of heating rocks underneath and the great fountain's purpose is to continuously reheat the water."

Xiao Hua was naturally interested in seeing a real volcano if there was a chance, but since the heating was not from a volcano, her interest in the hot spring dimmed.

After all, there were many man-made hot springs in her world, and she had even visited some of them.

If An Jing had known what she was thinking, Xiao Hua would certainly be lectured

that not everyone could own a hot spring of this size that easily.

As for the fear of getting into trouble if there really was a volcano, Xiao Hua did not think much about it. It was not that she did not care about her life, which was why Le Xiao Ting would never approach dangerous things such as a volcano or sighted storms when picking a vacation spot.

Xiao Hua refused to believe that she was now merely inside a story that the author had created, for it was too real. She could feel pain and hunger as if she was still in her real body. Also, she was able to interact with other characters as if they were real human beings instead of a programmed NPC.

Even if she knew all that, her sense of danger had skewed when she transmigrated into this world.

Sightseeing a volcano? She had never seen it before, so let's go! ^(ao.)$ Only in a thin white robe, An Jing carried her out of the room in her arms. Xiao Hua would have protested at the treatment if she was able to walk without falling on her butt. Her dignity had already suffered a blow, why ask for more?

There was a beautiful lady inside the hot spring with her long black hair sticking onto her fair, wet skin. The beauty swam towards the edge where An Jing set Xiao Hua down.

Wow, this beauty is even prettier than An Jing!

If Xiao Hua was a man, she would not hesitate to ask her for a date!

"What took you so long, Xiao Hua?" The beauty whined with an adorable pout, her phoenix-shaped eyes revealed mild annoyance.

Hold on ..... it's Ah Lian! The Ah Lian with a white powdered face that looks sickly is this beauty!

Xiao Hua knew that Ah Lian was a beauty as the white powder does not hide her features. But her beauty was more than she had expected.

How on earth could white powder have this much ability?!

CHAPTER 6: Seeing a seductive lady could turn a person into a pervert

Naturally, even a princess would be vain of her looks like most women were. Seeing Xiao Hua staring at her in reverence, Long Lian felt delighted. She knew that she was beautiful but it never got old receiving a compliment for her looks.

Due to her joy, the question that Long Lian wanted to ask Xiao Hua was forgotten.

It was a small blessing for Xiao Hua to avoid answering why An Jing was carrying her.

Sitting at the edge of the hot spring, Xiao Hua slowly dipped her right foot into the water and felt around the floor of the hot spring. It would be embarrassing to trip over something and get another injury on the same day. When it was confirmed that her foot managed to find something steady to step on, her left leg followed in before she slowly stepped into the hot spring without removing her robe. She was not as daring as Long Lian, who only wore underwear that did not do much of a good job covering what needed to be covered.

Xiao Hua let out a comfortable sigh while using her hands to hold down her floating robe under the waist-level water. The hot spring's temperature was warmer than the bath she had earlier and the draft from the wind on her wet skin during the short walk was enough for her to break out in goosebumps.

"Whenever I'm allowed, I always come here for a good soak." Looking blissful, Long Lian rubbed her face with a wet towel. Xiao Hua looked around and found that it was only the two of them in the area. An Jing and An Wan had left them alone without her knowing.

Standing on the heated rock was quite painful, so Xiao Hua tried to find somewhere to sit to save her poor feet. She doubted, with her current height, that she could sit on the floor and still have her neck remained above the water level.

"What are you looking for?" Long Lian asked when Xiao Hua strained her eyes to look into the water.

"Xiao Hua wishes to find a place to sit. Princess should sit down too. You might hurt your feet from the heated rocks."

Long Lian's face suddenly crumpled as if she was scolded. "Xiao Hua, do you hate me?"

"What?" How did that thought come into her mind? "Of course not."

"Are you not angry that I did not tell you I'm the Guilin Kingdom's Princess?"

Princess, actually this young lady had already known who you were during your story session and chalk-like face.

"You did the right thing not to tell me." If anyone from Mong Lu knew who she really was, Long Lian might have been treated badly. But there was one thing that she found weird.

Why did the King of Munzhu not reveal Long Lian's identity to his trusted General Mong Lu?

It was doubtful that the perverted General Mong Lu with numerous concubines could restrain himself from touching Ah Lian if he knew she was Guilin's princess.

"Then why are you being so distant with me?" Long Lian asked very emotionally, her chest heaved in a very distracting way due to the harsh breathing. Xiao Hua fought hard not to stare at the heaving objects attached to the princess' chest.

Seeing a beautiful lady makes one perverted, even if the other party being a lady as well.

"Princess-" Seeing Long Lian glaring at her, she quickly corrected, "Ah Lian, you are a princess and I'm a servant. We must not forget our identity and invite criticism." If she was given a choice, Xiao Hua preferred not to get any closer to the princess.

She does not want to die! But right now, being the Third Prince's maid was the same as making an appointment to meet Death himself!

When tears started to fall from Long Lian's eyes, Xiao Hua panicked.

The crying princess was still a crying beauty. Le Xiao Ting had seen many beauties turn ugly when they cried, including yours truly. Only top actresses could cry without having their face turn as red as a tomato with unattractive swollen eyes. No one knew if they cried with or without the help of eye drops or onions.

Xiao Hua quickly slapped her head inwardly. Now was not the time to admire authentic crying beauty! "Prin- no, Ah Lian, please don't cry!"

"You don't want to be my friend?" Long Lian's expression was one that had been wronged.

"That's not true! I want to be your friend."

"Really?"

Xiao Hua nodded quickly at her hopeful question. On second thought, being a princess' friend was not that bad. There might even be some benefits from it! Since things had already turned this way, becoming Long Lian's friend did not make much difference anyway.

Xiao Hua could not help but feel that her future was already miserable for being a maid to a very beautiful prince. He does not have much power to even protect him-self, much less his servants.

The novel only stated that the Third Prince was a beauty that does not get involved in politics, choosing to indulge himself in art and books. A notable scholarly attitude, but not one suitable for a prince to have. He was known to be the weakest prince among his siblings.

Long Lian amazingly stopped crying without a second to waste as soon as Xiao Hua agreed. Long Lian's face was slightly pink from the crying, but it could also be from the heat after soaking in the hot spring.

"But Ah Lian, you might be criticized for having a maid as your friend," Xiao Hua warned.

"What's there to criticize about befriending a maid? My fourth brother even married his maid!"

Xiao Hua was startled to hear that there were other princes. The novel only mentioned three princes in the Guilin Kingdom. The Crown Prince was the firstborn Prince, the Second Prince was the hero of the novel, and the Third Prince was the most beautiful man in the novel.

In the novel, only the firstborn son of the Emperor was allowed to be the Crown Prince despite the Empress not giving birth to him. The main reason was to avoid favoritism and to reduce the death rate of royal children. This change was brought by a Guilin Emperor of an earlier generation, who had seen his ancestors not able to keep their libido and mind in check when it came to women and their wiles. Their decision had made the Crown Prince's title exchanged hands several times and even got the royal children fighting among themselves.

But there was an exception to the firstborn being the Crown Prince. It was only if the First Prince was found to be unsuited or deceased, then the Crown Prince position would be given to the Second Prince.

Long Lian continues to console her friend. "There's no need to worry! No one will care about you being my friend. If anyone dares to bully you, I will help you to punish them!"

What a great princess! Xiao Hua gives you a 'Like'

In the end, Long Lian was full of happiness and Xiao Hua did not have the chance to find a place to sit. As a result, her condition had gotten worse.

She could not move her legs! How can this hot spring be so dangerous? Isn't it fa- mous for healing?

Her poor legs were so red that she feared touching them. Her legs no longer felt pain a few minutes after the tea accident and there was no swelling other than the patch of redness, so Xiao Hua did not worry about it. But after the hot spring session, she felt her legs begin to sting.

"Wait here, I will call my third brother!" Long Lian quickly wore an outer robe before she dashed away with An Wan, who had appeared quickly as if she had an antenna to receive a distress call. Xiao Hua was left behind, sitting right beside the hot spring with An Jing beside her.

Xiao Hua wanted to know what does her injury got to do with the Third Prince.

Was it not better to find some medicine for her instead?

Anyway, before he arrived, she needed to get dressed. Her robe was wet and clinging to her body, leaving nothing much to the imagination!

Somewhat desperate, Xiao Hua pleaded, "Sister An Jing, it would be better for me to get dressed now, right?"

"The princess says to wait here. I will get an outer robe for you."

It was not long after An Jing left to get her a robe before Long Lian was already back with the Third Prince in tow.

Ah Lian, do you want this friend of yours left without any dignity?! (+- Ö...Ó)

But their arrival seemed to be rather fast. Why did it seem like the Third Prince had dumped whatever he was doing when he heard a little maid suffered an injury?

CHAPTER 7: Can An Jing help her to dress every day?

"Look, third brother ! Her legs are red!"

For the second time in the same day, the same gorgeous prince kneeled down before Xiao Hua. He lifted her wet robe without asking for permission and examined her lobster-red legs.

Honestly, if Le Xiao Ting was not used to wearing shorts and knee-length skirts, she would have kicked him, no matter how good-looking he was.

Was this the proverb where Xiao Hua would experience a fortune first before meeting a disaster?

..No, having this prince kneel down before her was not a fortune!

While Xiao Hua was busy in her thoughts, the Third Prince gently touched and prodded her legs for a while before his hand moved away. But Xiao Hua's legs followed his hand, unconsciously seeking more of his touch. His hand immediately ceased moving and it was only then Xiao Hua felt extremely modified after realizing

She was not being a pervert! It was just that the Third Prince's cold hands felt good when it touched her warm legs. How was she going to dig herself out of this mess?

The Third Prince surprisingly did not reprimand her. He wordlessly stood up, took a small bottle out of his wide sleeves, and handed it over to An Jing, who had finally returned with a robe.

"Spread it evenly over the burn and keep her legs away from water or anything warm."

"Understood, Your Highness."

Prince, why are you telling that to An Jing and not me? I'm the one with the injured leg, not An Jing!

"Third brother, that medicine..." Long Lian stared at the small bottle on An Jing's hand curiously.

The Third Prince said reassuringly. "I made it with my own hands. In two days, she will be fine."

Xiao Hua fought the urge to rub her ears. Did she hear incorrectly? The Third Prince was the one that made the medicine? Since when did he even know how to concoct medicine? It was not written in the novel.

"Long Lian, get dressed before you catch a cold. I will wait for you and Xiao Hua in the main hall."

The Third Prince left with his guards, leaving the silly-looking Xiao Hua with Long Lian staring at the brother's back with reverent eyes.

An Jing approached Xiao Hua and draped the robe over her shoulders before picking her up into her arms again. Xiao Hua's face immediately turned pink from embar-rassment, her mouth opening and closing, unable to produce any words.

Long Lian turned away from the funny sight and coughed a few times to disguise her laughter. "I will go and change first!" The princess headed towards her room with An Wan trailing behind her like an attached tail.

An Jing carried them back to the same guest room as earlier and placed Xiao Hua on the bed.

"Wait! I can do it myself!" Xiao Hua protested loudly when An Jing tried to remove her wet clothes. "Please pass me my clothes?"

Hiding her smile, An Jing handed her a set of clean clothes that were clearly not the clothes that she wore earlier. Xiao Hua examined An Jing's dress before staring at the clothes in her hand. An Jing's dress was pink but the one in her hand was blue.

"Why isn't it pink?" Xiao Hua finally asked when she could not figure out the reason behind it. She thought she would wear the same uniform as An Jing as they were both servants of the Third Prince.

An Jing revealed a small smile as she explained. "Elder Sister Hua is our Highness' personal maid and An Jing is an inner maid. The dress color indicates our position."

"Oh." Xiao Hua accepted the explanation without making a fuss, as she was pretty satisfied with the color. Not that she was against the color pink, but blue looked better.

She rejected An Jing's offer to help again and change her clothes, but after the third layer, Xiao Hua did not know how to continue.

When she first transmigrated, she was inside of a cage with other people crammed together in it. They were dropped in different places and Xiao Hua was chosen to enter the Mong Lu's manor as a servant. She was thankful that she shared a room with other maids and learned how to wear her uniform by watching them. Luckily it was easy, with only two thin layers of robes and a thin belt to hold them together.

But this new maid uniform looked fancy and difficult to wear. She stared at the final layer, which was thin and transparent looking. She finally found out that there were two holes for her to shove her arms into. Sighing in relief, she was about to tie the belt around her waist when An Jing stopped her.

Xiao Hua jumped in shock because she had thought An Jing was facing away from her.

Shit, did An Jing watch her from the beginning?!

"Elder Sister Hua, the outer layer must not be tied together. This is the outer robe."

"Ah?" Why was the outer robe so thin and transparent?

An Jing swiftly undid her mistakes and with nimble hands, helped her to dress cor-rectly. Xiao Hua did not know it was an outer robe as she had not seen this type be-fore. Even An Jing did not have that fancy outer robe.

...Can An Jing heip her to dress every day

Mentally slapping her lazy mind, Xiao Hua attentively memorized what An Jing did. When she finished, Xiao Hua shyly thanked her. Xiao Hua ignored the long pants and An Jing did not mention it for unknown reasons.

She earned a tiny smile and it mollified her embarrassed nerves. "It is not easy to wear a dress you have not worn before."

Sister An Jing, Xiao Hua will give you a nice person card!

The door suddenly opened with great force, and a beautiful princess in an artistic blend of blue and green colored dress strode in like the owner of the place, with An Wan following behind.

When Long Lian saw that Xiao Hua's hair was not done, she complained. "Why are you not finished yet?"

Without waiting for an explanation, Long Lian moved to the side table and picked up a small mirror. It was of better quality than the copper mirrors in Mong Lu manor.

An Jing hurriedly stopped her. "Princess, this task should be done by this servant."

"But I want to play with her hair." Long Lian grabbed a comb before An Jing could stop her. "An Jing, A Wan, dry her hair."

The two maids could not do anything but obey their princess. Their palms glowed a light shade of blue before they ran their fingers over Xiao Hua's hair. Each time their glowing fingers ran through Xiao Hua's hair, it evaporated the water between the strands.

Xiao Hua did not know that something unusual was going on behind her and watched speechlessly as Long Lian hummed happily as she rummaged through a small chest on the cosmetics table. The small chest was filled to the brim with shiny accessories, likely to be expensive.

For a moment, Xiao Hua had doubted her identity as a maidservant. But Xiao Hua remained quiet and let Long Lian do what she wanted, unable to summon the will to stop her and ask questions.

Today was definitely a tiring day filled with numerous surprises.

When Long Lian finally finished deciding which accessories would match Xiao Hua, her hair was already dried and draped on her back like a black, thick curtain.

"Right on time! Both of you, help Xiao Hua put on the medicine."

"Yes, Princess."

Sitting on a wooden stool, Xiao Hua watched as An Wan gingerly lifted up the hem of her dress. It was clear that the naked skin had taken A Wan by surprise before she quickly tidied up her expression and carefully applied the medicine.

Stepping behind Xiao Hua, Long Lian started arranging her hair according to her whim. Xiao Hua's attention was no longer on the maids but on Long Lian. She was a little afraid of what Long Lian was going to do to her hair.

But it was such a nice sensation to have someone playing with her hair. When she was still a child, her mother often combed her hair and tied it into different hairstyles according to her mood. That was one of her most treasured memories of her childhood with her mother.

The pain was not as intense as it was in the beginning when she remembered her mother, but it was still painful and uncomfortable to experience.

"Ta-da!" Long Lian bounced in front of Xiao Hua and grabbed a mirror to hold it up in front of her. "Isn't it nice?"

Glad that there was a distraction from her pain, Xiao Hua blinked away the nearly formed tears and peered at the copper mirror held before her.

The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar small face with baby fat on her cheeks that did not disappear even when she had eaten less than the other maids. The skin looked rough and dry, but that was to be expected when this body belonged to a commoner that had to work hard for a living. Her eyes were on the large side and sparkled with innocence, making her look younger compared to other thirteen-year-old children.

However, Le Xiao Ting only approved of Xiao Hua's peach blossom eyes because Le Xiao Ting's other features were much better than this body's. Her eyes reluctantly moved to her hair and she nearly choked on her saliva.

What is this hairstyle? Sailormoon?

CHAPTER 8: How dare he molest her!

On each side of Xiao Hua's head was a round bun, leaving a long tail hanging from each one. The hair buns were decorated with shiny and heavy accessories, making her head feel heavy when she moved it around.

This little girl's hairstyle would have suited Xiao Hua's age, but for Le Xiao Ting, a woman in her mid-twenties, it was actually really embarrassing to go out in a hairstyle like this! It does not matter if her current body was still a kid, but if she was forced to use this hairstyle, it would take some time to get used to it.

Perhaps the main reason for her rejection was because Xiao Hua's face was not really cute and not suitably matched with the cute hairstyle.

Seeing Xiao Hua's face display her thoughts about her current hairstyle, Long

Lian's enthusiasm dimmed. "You don't like it?"

Xiao Hua winced. How should she answer that without offending Long Lian?

Long Lian seemed to know Xiao Hua would give her an insincere answer so she stared Xiao Hua down with a grim look. "Answer me honestly."

"I don't like it," Xiao Hua blurted out the truth, unable to resist the look.

A Wan was first to speak out for Long Lian. "This hairstyle suits your age. It took great effort for the Princess to think of it and even helped to tie it up for you." In other words, 'you should not be ungrateful to the princess' kindness', huh?

But Long Lian did not appreciate the help because she gave An Wan a look that immediately had her head bowed downwards and made her take a step back. "If Xiao Hua doesn't like it, then this Princess doesn't like it too."

Woah, this princess, aren't you being too nice to this commoner?

"It's... It's not that Xiao Hua doesn't like it." Xiao Hua tried to give an acceptable excuse so that Long Lian would not be offended.

"You don't need to explain."

"It's just that this hairstyle is too young for me!" Xiao Hua pushed on. If she did that, then she might be able to avoid making the princess unhappy.

"But you are young," Long Lian pointed out, and Xiao Hua was glad to see that her bad mood lifted slightly.

"I'm not young! I'm thirteen!" Xiao Hua put on an insulted look.

Long Lian showed an indulging expression as she said, "Yes, Xiao Hua is an adult."

"So it's fine if I go back to my usual hairstyle?" The hairstyle she had worn before was a simple ponytail tied with a long, thin cloth. She looked neat and smart like a proper maid should look.

But the three ladies' expressions immediately revealed a horrified expression.

"No!"

Hmm? Why not? (• • )?

Xiao Hua stared at Long Lian and her two fellow maids' hairstyles, which were more complicated than her usual ponytail. Unlike Long Lian's, which was filled with hairpins, the maid's hair was filled with ribbons. Did they not find it heavy and tiring to wear their hair like that every day?

"Princess, perhaps buns with loops at the sides might not be as childish? It would also follow the proper attire of a maid." An Jing suggested. Although An Jing and An Wan's hairstyle was more eye-catching compared to normal maids, they only used ribbons as accessories.

Long Lian only then realized she had nearly got Xiao Hua into trouble if she had not rejected the previous hairstyle and went into public with accessories that a maid should not wear. She would be insulted and offend noble ladies that looked for trou-ble.

"Not a bad idea!" Long Lian quickly untied Xiao Hua's hair before she effortlessly tied her hair into figure-eight coils at each side of her head, positioned right behind the ears, with ribbons holding them in place.

Xiao Hua's terrified eyes accidentally met An Jing's, but the elder maid just smiled reassuringly, failing to help her.

"There! How is that, Xiao Hua?"

An Jing dutifully held up the mirror in front of Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua thought that this new hairstyle looked better than the previous ones. But there was still something miss-ing.

"Maybe.." Xiao Hua slowly tried to stand up but was pushed back down by An Jing in a soft but firm manner.

"Where do you want to go?" Long Lian asked.

"I just want to find scissors. I think having bangs would be better." Xiao Hua makes a cutting gesture in front of her forehead.

An Wan frowned. "As a maid, it would be best not to have any sort of bangs." An Jing gave An Wan a piercing stare that immediately raised the hairs on her arms. "Elder Sister Hua will not be serving in the laundry room or the kitchens. Having bangs will not be a problem."

"Who knows how to cut them?" Long Lian asked, ignoring An Jing's subtle scolding towards An Wan.

"Please leave it to me, Princess." In a short amount of time, An Jing found a pair of scissors, loosened the bun to gather some hair at the front, and cut it into a nice, straight fringe for Xiao Hua. Once done, she tied the remaining hair back into figure-eight buns.

"Thank you, Sister An Jing," Xiao Hua said with a bright smile as she admired the still unfamiliar face with a new hairstyle. With a nice hairstyle, even with the straw-like material known as hair, even a plain girl can look better!

Finally looking presentable, they left the room and headed towards the hall where the Third Prince would be waiting for them.

Xiao Hua was able to move her legs now, but when she walked, there was a noticeable limping which slowed her down. In the end, An Jing ended up being her private carriage again. They followed behind Long Lian, who was familiar with the place's layout after plenty of visits and did not need a guide.

The Third Prince was waiting for them in a well-decorated room while enjoying his tea, seated before a round, black jade table.

The Third Prince, Long Zhu, was like a painting coming to life. His thin, delicate fingers were holding onto a small and fragile-looking teacup with graceful movements as he drank. Few men were able to achieve this feat. When he swallowed the tea, his Adam apple moved enticingly, luring eyes to follow down the trail.

Thankfully, Xiao Hua's poor eyesight saved her from being exposed to the full impact of the prince's charm. It kept her from doing something embarrassing, like drooling or staring at him with star struck eyes.

"This tea is from Zhulang Country. Have a taste while it's still warm." The Third Prince waved his long-sleeved arm invitingly toward the empty stools.

"Zhulang? No way, how did you get it? I heard from Mother Empress that they don't usually sell their tea leaves to outsiders."

With no princess manners in sight, Long Lian immediately filled a cup of the famous tea and unceremoniously drank it in slow sips as if it was precious. An Jing sat Xiao Hua down on a chair beside Long Lian, scaring her to death.

Why would a maid like her be sitting down with her master!

Her inner rambling halted when a cup filled with tea was pushed over to her. Xiao Hua's eyes followed the hand inside a light yellow sleeve before they slowly trailed upwards to look at the Third Prince.

When Xiao Hua finally noticed that she was making eye contact with the prince, which was a big no-no for a maid, she quickly lowered her head until her new bangs nearly touched the tea in front of her.

Xiao Hua swore that her soul nearly escaped from this body when a warm hand cradled her chin and raised her head. She gulped audibly when her eyes made contact with the prince again.

What is he trying to do?! (*_<)

Overwhelmed by the eye contact, she quickly looked away and tried to pull her chin back, but his grip was unyielding. She did not dare look at the prince again and shifted her gaze to Long Lian, pleading for help.

But Long Lian was looking at them with her mouth hanging open, looking silly while her mind went blank due to the shock. The two maids standing at the corner did not look any better either. One was spotted with a stark look of surprise while the other with disbelief and jealousy.

Oh ho! She spotted one of Prince Long Zhu's fans! Wait, why was she thinking of these trivial things. She needed to think of her current situation first!

"Prince, please let go of this servant." Xiao Hua ended up mumbling instead of being firm like she planned to. Sadly, she only possessed a small amount of courage.

The hand on her chin slowly moved away and his fingers, either intentionally or not, lingered against her skin before breaking contact. The Third Prince rubbed his fingers as if he discovered something interesting.

T-This rascal! How dare he molest her! (°u°-)

Although she was not pleased, she was not foolish enough to reveal it plainly on her face. But what she did not know was that her round, peach-shaped eyes had already conveyed her inner thoughts.

She did not notice the Third Prince's eyes flash with mischief or else she would have readied herself for the sudden attack.

Xiao Hua nearly coughed when tea filled her mouth without warning. The Third

Prince had poured a cup filled with tea right into her mouth!

Is this rascal trying to choke her to death?!

Fortunately, the tea was lukewarm, or else her tongue would have been a goner!

"Your body needs to be replenished with water."

Ignoring her attempt to move back, the Third Prince continues pressing on. He slowly tipped the cup and she had to quickly swallow the tea to avoid getting choked.

It was not until the cup was empty did the prince remove it from her mouth. He wiped his hand that was slightly wet from the tea with a white napkin before standing up.

"Father Emperor and Mother Empress are waiting for us. It's best if we make haste," the Third Prince said to Long Lian before leaving the room with Da Liu. No one made a move to follow, as they were still reeling in shock from what they had just

The Third Prince always had a charming smile on his face that gave off a gentle feeling, but he was actually a person that preferred to not have skin contact with out-siders!

CHAPTER 9: The hero finally made his appearance!

Long Lian was quick to bounce back to her usual self and wished to ride in the same carriage as Xiao Hua but with one glance from the Third Prince, the princess became docile. Not reconciled, she secretly sent a look of grievance to Xiao Hua but the young maid could only shake her head and mouth an apology.

She was just a maid. How could she provoke her master that has her life in his hands?

Xiao Hua ended up in the same carriage as before, but this time, she would be riding with the four inner maids of Prince Long Zhu.

She secretly praised the Third Prince's taste, because not only did An Jing and An Wan possess beyond average beauty, but even the remaining two maids' looks were not bad. Xiao Hua, being biased, rated An Jing as the most beautiful of the four.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was heavy with silence. Xiao Hua did not dare to make any eye contact with anybody. But in contrast, the two maids, introduced as Tian Zi and Tian Chi, did not bother to act covertly when they stared at Xiao Hua with undisguised curiosity.

"Sister An Jing, if you are tired, I can offer my lap to Elder Sister Hua," An Wan offered, being the first to break the silence.

The reason why An Wan said that was because An Jing had Xiao Hua seated on her lap. Thanks to her, Xiao Hua did not feel the pain from the bumpy ride. She did not know how it worked but An Jing's body did not sway from the carriage's movement and remained steady. It was the same feeling of sitting on the still ground. It was because of the steadiness of An Jing's lap that Xiao Hua did her best to ignore the shame

When An jing and Xiao Hua first entered the carriage, the two younger maids were surprised that An Jing had Xiao Hua seated on her lap. Only An Wan remained out-

The reason why the two younger maids had not yet voiced out their curiosity was because of An Jing. Their leader was not a generous person in terms of satisfying their curiosity and need to gossip. Unless related to work issues, she would not entertain

"I will take up your offer if I get tired," An Jing said, but from her posture, they could tell that she would not take it unless there was no other choice. The carriage went silent again, but Tian Zi and Tian Chi's stare grew even bolder because no one stopped them. Xiao Hua felt like she was an animal in a zoo where visitors would pay money to stare at her.

"The two of you, have you lost your manners?" An Wan finally could not stand it.

"Hehe, Elder Sister A Wan, don't be angry. We are just curious about our new older sister," Tian Zi, the one with a mole under her right eye, said.

"To be chosen as our Master's personal maid is not a small matter," added Tian

Chi, the maid with a rounder face. The two of them could be mistaken as twins because of their similar height and uniform, along with their double plaits hairstyle.

"If you know it's a decision made by our Master himself, then don't ask," An Wan told them off lightly.

Xiao Hua, seeing them being friendly and not at all like those scary and unfriendly maids from the novels she read, slowly relaxed.

"Elder Sister Hua looks even more like a kid when she's sitting on Elder Sister An Jing's lap." Tian Zi and Tian Chi giggled.

An Wan, who was serious most of the time, could not resist chuckling at the funny sight as well. Even though Xiao Hua was sitting with a straight back on An Jing's lap, the top of her head could only reach the older woman's neck.

Xiao Hua took this opportunity to ask some necessary things. "Fellow sisters." It was weird to call strangers sisters and Le Xiao Ting had never called her seniors at her workplace brother or sister either. "What does the job of a personal maid entail?"

"That-"

"The Prince will brief you about your duty when we return," An Jing cut off Tian Zi.

"You do not need to worry. His Highness is not harsh to those that work hard."

You are wrong... That is very worrying!

Le Xiao Ting knew herself very well and she was not a hardworking person! She loved shortcuts and often lazed around if there was an opportunity. Xiao Hua's mood turned gloomy. Did that mean she needed to work very hard from now on?

"We are being ambushed," An Jing casually announced and the atmosphere suddenly grew tense. The inner maids became more alert and their easy going playfulness vanished. The next moment, the carriage stopped abruptly, and it was lucky for Xiao Hua that An Jing stopped her from falling off of her lap.

Tian Zi and Tian Chi each removed a small blade hidden under their sleeves and sneaked out of the carriage.

"Elder Sister Hua, please don't worry. I will protect you and won't let you get in-jured," An Jing promised, her hand gently patting her back. Xiao Hua then realized that she was actually trembling. It was funny that her mind was not panicking but her body was.

As if a stopper was removed from her ears, Xiao Hua could finally hear the sound of swords clashing, similar to the sounds she had heard before in movies, but the sounds she now heard were much harsher and brutal. She could feel the pure violence of it.

Her emotions finally caught up to her brain and her trembling grew worse. She felt scared but did not know what to do. Even if they have guards to protect them, would they survive the ambush? Were they ambushed by bandits or assassins?

From the novel, Xiao Hua remembered that the Third Prince had no backing, with only a tiny amount of protection offered, courtesy of the Empress. No one had seriously aimed for his life because he was an incompetent son with only good looks to be proud of. He was weak-willed with no desire to make enemies with his siblings, which was why he did not meddle in politics or fight for the throne.

The carriage suddenly tilted to the side, which elicited a panicked scream from Xiao Hua. The carriage would have overturned if An Wan had not stopped it. With a quick hand movement, she slammed an open palm onto the side of the carriage and pushed it upright.

"Sister An Wan, go and see why they could not even handle some bandits," An Jing ordered coldly. An Wan nodded and darted out of the carriage swiftly.

"W-Wait, it's dangerous outside!" Xiao Hua called out and would have tried to pull An Wan back had An Jing not stopped her.

"We, the inner maids, are also our master's protector. We know how to fight, so you do not need to worry, Elder Sister Hua. Soon, the fight will come to an end."

Xiao Hua's fear slowly receded and rational thoughts started to flow again. An Wan's actions that saved the carriage just now showed that she was not a normal per-son. And earlier, Tian Zi and Tian Chi even have blades with them.

Maybe the rumored Third Prince that does have no decent bodyguards was not as weak as the author had described?

"Charge!" A loud masculine voice with a heroic tone overwhelmed the frightening sounds of battle. Xiao Hua's eardrums were filled with what could be categorized as warrior cries until she had to cover her ears to protect her abused eardrums.

"W-What's going on?" Xiao Hua asked as a reflex and turned to look over her shoulder at An Jing, who had a frown on her pretty face that could only be described as irritation.

Before she could ask about it, An Jing pressed her head onto her chest before parting the window slightly to peer outside. After a glance, she retracted her gaze and shut the window. Xiao Hua heard a soft, long whistle and after a moment, An Wan entered the carriage with traces of blood on the sleeve of her light pink uniform.

"Elder Sister An Jing, the Second Prince and his troop are here for the rescue."

The Second Prince? The hero finally made his appearance!

CHAPTER 10: Author's golden couple

It was only after the bandits were successfully captured did An Jing, who was still carrying Xiao Hua in her arms, climb out of the carriage. There were several large brown horses with humans riding on their backs surrounding the Third Prince's carriages.

"Xiao Hua!" Long Lian ran towards Xiao Hua, her beautiful face looking anxious.

"Are you alright Ah- princess?" Xiao Hua quickly corrected herself. It would not do any good to reveal her friendship with the princess in public just yet. No reason to have people's eyes turn green with envy.

"With the Third brother with me, no harm will come to me. But Xiao Hua is scared, right? Your face is pale. And you are shaking!"

My dear princess. Please don't announce Xiao Hua's cowardice in public.

"It's scary," Xiao Hua admitted honestly since her trembling was already known.

"I'm sorry. this must bring back the bad memories."

The original Xiao Hua's village was ambushed by the Munzhu Country's army troops. But what Long Lian did not know was that Xiao Hua only arrived in this world just in time to watch herself being sold to Mong Lu's household as a maid.

Xiao Hua gave the princess a shaky smile. "Sister An Jing said she will protect me so I'm not that scared."

But that was only after Xiao Hua figured out that An Jing knew martial arts.

"Third Imperial brother."

The owner of the masculine voice that had yelled 'charge' earlier moved his horse towards the Third Prince, who was standing beside his carriage with Da Liu behind him.

The heroic-looking man in white armor made him look muscular and strong. Standing before the Third Prince, he looked like he was greeting his wife after a long journey- Ah Pei!

Le Xiao Ting, stop imagining rotten stuff!

"What a timely coincidence to encounter the Second Imperial brother here. Thanks to your help, this younger brother is safe from the bandits." The Third Prince's voice was filled with warmth and was accompanied by a gentle smile.

"I was on my way back to the capital when I noticed your entourage was being attacked by bandits."

"It seems like a congratulation is in order."

The Second Prince did not reveal any satisfaction from receiving the congratulatory remark from his younger brother. "The rebellion in the west is no more."

"Are the villagers in the west safe?"

"It seems that the rebellions coincidentally chose their hideout near that area and planned to raid the village. I will give a full report to Father Emperor when I return."

"Father Emperor will be eager for your report." The Third Prince's phoenix-shaped eyes landed on a small white carriage that travelled along with the Second Prince's troop.

"Oh? Are you escorting someone important, Second Imperial Brother? A beauty, perhaps?" The Third Prince asked teasingly, but no one saw a hint of sinister flash through his eyes. After the Third Prince pointed out the carriage, everyone's attention was directed towards it.

Xiao Hua's eyes brightened. She remembered that when the hero went to subdue the rebellions, he met the heroine, who had transmigrated into this world! In the second chapter of the novel, the heroine dramatically killed off all the lechers that the original body's half-blooded elder sister had hired to dispose of her. The hero witnessed the hair-raising scene of her weird martial arts and ended up falling in love with her after weeks of travelling together. When they returned to Guilin capital, the hero intended to marry her and make her his main wife.

The novel had described the heroine as an innocent-looking beauty with eyes that showed her resilient will. Unlike the expectation, it was her eyes that had bewitched many men instead of her innocent beauty. Even the Third Prince could not escape from being dazzled by her arresting eyes.

The Second Prince's mouth moved upward. As expected, this ice cube would only smile widely and brightly for his beloved wife. "I've met my Princess Consort."

"Second Imperial Brother's princess consort? Are you talking about the Grand Tutor's granddaughter, Miss Ping Shui?"

The Second Prince's smile disappeared and the look in his eyes made it seem like he wanted to turn the Third Prince into an ice statue. Xiao Hua had an inkling of why the hero responded this way. His marriage agreement with Miss Ping Shui was the agreement between the Emperor and the Grand Tutor. The hero did not even like Miss Ping Shui. When Xiao Hua remembered how the heroine got rid of Miss Ping Shu, she silently lit a candle for the poor cannon fodder.

This was the fate of getting between the romance of the hero and heroine!

The door of the white carriage opened and a young lady dressed entirely in red stepped out with the help of a maid. Although it was too far for Xiao Hua to see clear-ly, the bright red dress was too blinding! The red figure moved, as graceful as a dancer, towards the royal brothers and stopped beside the Second Prince.

White and red, how very matching!

"Third Imperial brother, this is Fifth Miss Liu. Chu Chu, this is my Third Imperial brother."

"Liu Chu Chu greets the Third Prince." Liu Chu Chu curtsied gracefully with no flaws to point out. Not that Xiao Hua knew anything about the etiquette, but the author had praised the heroine high up to heaven about her proper conduct and beauty.

It was unfortunate that Xiao Hua had stood too far away to see the heroine's face properly. But even from afar, the heroine's imposing presence stands out intensely.

They were truly the author's golden couple under the heavens, the Second Prince Long Shan, and the miracle doctor Liu Chu Chu.

"Second brother, how could you mistake your own consort?" Long Lian suddenly butted in.

"Long Lian, you are here as well?" the Second Prince's indifferent gaze held a trace of surprise.

"Of course I'm here! Or do you wish that I weren't here?"

"You have never stepped a foot out of the palace before."

"Hmph! So, you don't even know what happened to me, or do you just not even care?" Long Lian grew angry. How could he not have known about his sister being kidnapped and held as a hostage in the Munzhu Country?

"Long Lian, Second Imperial brother was not in the capital when that incident hap-pened. He did not receive any news because the messenger could not find his exact location," the Third Prince explained on the hero's behalf.

"Did something happen to Long Lian?" The Second Prince asked with a trace of genuine concern. The author had revealed that despite the Second Prince not possessing a single drop of affection for his brothers, he was not indifferent to his sole royal sister.

Xiao Hua did not know how, but the Third Prince suddenly had a stool to sit on.

Tian Zi and Tian Chi were carefully fanning him with a folding fan at both sides. The Second Prince and Long Lian were not surprised, as if they had seen a similar scene before.

...Is this the same gentle, weak, and timid Third Prince that the author had created?

Where had the prince with a simple, frugal life gone?!

"Long Lian was kidnapped by Munzhu as a hostage. We are currently heading back to the capital from the Munzhu country," the Third Prince explained.

The Second Prince frowned. "Something this serious had happened? Long Lian, this brother truly did not know."

"No, Second Brother, it's not your fault. Long Lian did not know that the Second brother did not receive the news..."

How touching! Is this sibling's love?

Le Xiao Ting was a single child and she only met her maternal cousins during Lunar New Year. Her father had died when she was still too young to remember any-thing. Her irrational paternal grandmother blamed her mother for her son's death. As for her friends, they treated their siblings like unwanted tails and preferred to hang out with their friends instead. Le Xiao Ting could never understand how they would not want to spend more time with their family.

Ah, mother, Le Xiao Ting misses you.

Xiao Hua tried to blink her eyes to stop the tears, but An Jing had already noticed.

With just one arm, An Jing was able to hold her up and wipe her tears with a napkin using her free hand.

OMG! How strong are you, Miss An Jing?!

"Don't change the subject Second Brother! About your ..." Long Lian glanced at Chu Chu with an unfriendly gaze, "Princess Consort. Isn't it supposed to be Miss Ping Shui?"

"I have never agreed to marry her," The Second Prince answered coldly.

Long Lian swallowed back her protest. Indeed, she remembered that her second brother had never agreed to the marriage and always treated Miss Ping Shui coldly.

But she always thought her second brother was just cold in appearance and secretly thought well of Miss Ping Shui in his heart.

"But isn't this a little too quick to decide on such an important matter? How long have you known her to decide that you want to marry her?"

"Long Lian, you will understand when you fall in love."

Love? Sir Hero, dating for five months is not enough to talk about marriage!

Wait... Xiao Hua blinked in confusion.

The story plot seems to be off somehow. Were they not supposed to defeat the rebels and return back to the capital in glory? When the heroine first met Princess Long Lian, the showdown with Miss Ping Shu had already passed and her position as the Second Prince's Princess consort was already secured. The calculated time then was after five months of knowing each other!

This change was most likely because the Third Prince had picked Princess Long Lian up way earlier than scheduled! So the hero and heroine had not even dated for long, yet the hero had already stubbornly claimed the heroine to be his future wife.

Fangirl Le Xiao Ting, who worships the golden couple, slapped away the rational Le Xiao Ting. They were the golden couple that the author matched, readers cannot boycott!