Chapter 111 The lying maid deserves a beating...
Ouyang Rong came home quite early tonight.
It was lunchtime at 11:30 PM.
However, Xie Lingjiang was brought along.
Wei Lai and the other maids at the Plum Deer Garden noticed that the young master's junior sister had recently taken to having dinner at the Plum Deer Garden with him.
However, Madam Zhen welcomed this very much, and naturally no one dared to say anything.
Meilin Courtyard.
In the study, the moon rises above the branches outside the window.
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang sat around the table and chatted for a while about the Thirteen Classics of Confucianism and the popular poems and essays by talented scholars in the literary world of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
As for the latter, Ouyang Rong was mainly listening to his junior sister talk with great interest.
During the Great Zhou Dynasty, the imperial examinations included tests on regulated verse, and the fashion of composing poems and essays flourished.
In addition, the prosperity and peace of a golden age naturally required the embellishment of poems and essays by literati.
However, Ouyang Rong has never written any poems, neither in the past nor now.
His reputation for being aloof from women far surpasses his fame as a poet.
I don't make a living by risking my life like this.
As for copying poems and such.
Who in their right mind would copy poetry?
Ouyang Rong chuckled. Wasn't flood control much more interesting than this?
Xie Lingjiang glanced at the white-haired maid who was bringing in snacks, then stood up and said:
"Senior Brother, I'll head back now."
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
Ouyang Rong saw Xie Lingjiang out of the study. Instead of taking the main road, the latter walked towards the plum grove next to Ouyang Rong's courtyard.
Ouyang Rong subconsciously said, "Junior Sister, why don't we take another route? It's not good to pass by other people's courtyards."
Xie Lingjiang turned around curiously, "How did you know we'd be passing by someone else's courtyard, Senior Brother?"
Ouyang Rong answered without batting an eye, "I guessed."
"I'm used to walking around when there's nothing to do."
Xie Lingjiang glanced at him, shook her head and muttered, "I don't know why, but recently the doors on this path have been locked."
Ouyang Rong remained calm: "Hmm, is that so? Then Junior Sister, please don't leave."
Xie Lingjiang smiled and raised her head: "It doesn't matter, I can climb over the wall."
“…” Ouyang Rong.
After seeing off his unconventional junior sister, Ouyang Rong chuckled and shook his head before returning to his study.
As soon as he entered, he saw Wei Lai sitting on a small embroidered stool, holding a piece of mung bean cake in one hand and catching the crumbs of powder under her delicate chin with the other.
She took small, light bites, her eyes slightly narrowed, as if she had been turned into a lazy kitten by the sweetness.
Upon seeing her master enter, the white-haired maid puffed out her cheeks, her eyes widened immediately, and she mumbled indistinctly, "Zhu Ren..."
Ouyang Rong didn't laugh. He walked to the desk and sat down, watching as she swallowed the sweets in her mouth.
He casually opened a book, staring at it but not actually reading it, muttering to himself:
What happened this morning?
Wei Lai picked up the plate of pastries that had been politely and respectfully delivered by the maids Banxi and others not long ago, walked to the side of her calm mistress, and placed the plate on the desk.
Without hesitation, the white-haired maid knelt down at his feet, wrapped her arms around Ouyang Rong's calves under the table, and leaned against him. Her slender neck was fair, and her lovely chin rested gently on his thigh. She looked up at her master's face.
Wei Lai simply gazed, without speaking.
Ouyang Rong felt the warmth and dependence coming from his legs.
He sighed.
Wei Lai grasped his right hand with both hands and placed it on her silver hair that was combed into two sideburns.
The little head nuzzled against his palm.
The area around the desk was quiet, as if everything was understood without being said.
Ouyang Rong felt a slight itch in his palms.
He couldn't help but look down at his obedient-looking personal maid.
His tone was helpless:
"Why did you go to bed so late last night? Were you drying that official robe that wasn't completely dry from a few days ago?"
Wei Lai was taken aback, then blinked: "Master is really amazing."
"No cutesy act allowed, be serious."
Ouyang Rong tapped the little white head on his lap with his fingers, but gently, not giving her a heavy chestnut.
"Impressive my foot! Smell it, doesn't it smell like smoke?" He curled his lip and pointed to his light green official robes.
"Alright, let me smell it."
Wei Lai nodded immediately, then buried her face in her hands. Ouyang Rong, quick as a flash, pressed down on her head, which was pretending to be oblivious, and said speechlessly:
"Stop fooling around."
"Okay, sure."
Wei Lai lifted her face from Ouyang Rong's palm, the white hair at her temples a little messy, and whispered:
"I'm sorry, Master, I fanned the smoke for a long time, but my clothes still got smudged..."
Wei Lai looked up at him expectantly: "Master, please don't be angry."
Ouyang Rong, his heart softening, reached out and gently smoothed the hair at her temples and forehead, then shook his head and said:
"I'm not angry... I asked you about those things before, but you wouldn't tell me. You kept it all bottled up inside... That's not good. Besides..."
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke:
"I think you're too smart and adaptable, so you don't really need my protection. It seems I was overthinking things before. Now it seems it wasn't necessary..."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and gazed at the obedient maidservant at his feet, who was as docile and compliant as a snow-white Persian cat, and sighed earnestly:
"Besides, staying here might actually be a constraint for you."
Seeing that her master wasn't angry, Wei Lai breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing what he said next, she closed her eyes, bit her lip, and quietly nuzzled her head against his palm, her voice trembling slightly as she said:
“Wei Lai will not leave. It was my master who gave me this name, these clothes, this life… Wei Lai will always be my master’s slave, and that will never change.”
"Your little brain is so bright, it can't go to waste. You need to read some books and understand some principles so that you can walk the right path..."
Ouyang Rong muttered something to himself, then lifted her smooth chin from his lap, lowered his head to meet her gaze as she looked up, and stared into her dreamy, beautiful grey-blue eyes, saying:
“Starting tomorrow, you will do fewer chores. When I am studying, you will sit next to me and I will teach you to read.”
Wei Lai thought for a moment, then nodded happily.
She didn't care whether she was literate or not; as long as she could be close to her master and stay by his side, she was content.
If her master can teach her to read, wouldn't they have more time to be close to each other? Besides, she might even be able to help her master in the future.
Ouyang Rong looked at the excited white-haired maid with a bit of speechlessness.
Good grief, you think reading and studying is a fun thing?
While internally complaining, Ouyang Rong suddenly remembered something and asked Wei Lai with a half-smile:
"By the way, wouldn't you say that's lying? I remember a maid once said that maids who lie get spanked, hmph."
It was just a joke to make the little girl blush, but Ouyang Rong never expected that after he said it, the girl who was originally kneeling obediently at his feet hesitated for a moment, then suddenly stood up, silently bent down, and lay down on his legs.
The white-haired maid lay sprawled across Ouyang Rong's legs, like a soft blanket that could be kneaded into any shape.
Her small head hung low in the air, her neatly combed white hair cascading down from her bright red ears. Fortunately, Ouyang Rong was tall and the chair he was sitting on was high enough that her long, silvery-white hair did not touch the floor.
"..."
"..."
The girl lay prone with her head down, motionless and silent.
Ouyang Rong opened his mouth slightly, but couldn't say anything for a moment.
Wouldn't it seem a bit awkward and cowardly to take back what you just said jokingly? Don't you have any dignity left in front of your personal maid?
In addition, Ouyang Rong had forgotten that this was no longer his previous life. A casual remark from him could have a great impact, making the listener take it seriously, or even issue an order, his authority was not to be resisted.
So the master and servant remained in this strange position for a long time, and for some reason, neither of them spoke.
The atmosphere around the desk gradually became strangely tense...
For those who enjoy this kind of slice-of-life, delicate style, check out Xiao Rong's first book, "I Have a Sword Immortal Wife." It's packed with these kinds of detailed, everyday descriptions, features multiple female leads, and includes nuanced romance—it's not a power-up story.
(End of this chapter)
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