Chapter 3 The Timid and Cowardly Concubine Meets the Prince
Li Ruanruan was pinched but she didn't dare to say a word and hurried to wash clothes.
It was already autumn, and the well water was icy cold. Her fair hands were frozen red, but she didn't dare stop.
Nanny Song stood behind Li Ruanruan, her hands on her hips, scolding her: "How is my silly son unworthy of you? I asked you to serve him, gave birth to another fat boy, and gave you a penny of silver a month to spend, and you refused for anything?"
"You insisted on climbing into the prince's bed, but you failed and ended up being a complete joke. The servants in the mansion would drown you with a single spit. What kind of person are you? You still want to fly up to the tree and become a phoenix. Go out and ask around, what is a maidservant in the room?"
Li Ruanruan lowered her head and washed clothes even harder.
Although Nanny Song looked down on Li Runrun and made fun of her in her words and deeds.
But now, he didn't dare force her to sleep with her stupid son.
After all, he has calmed down a bit.
Li Ruanruan thought, why not consider it a benefit? It is a little bit beneficial.
Li Runrun wiped and washed, and worked until late at night.
After Li Da came back, he didn't curse, didn't ask, and didn't even ask. He just limped over to help her. Li Runrun didn't think there was anything wrong at first, but when she saw her father, who was old, with a hunched back and white hair, helping her wash the chamber pot, she couldn't hold back her tears.
But I didn’t dare let my father see it.
My younger brother went to feed the horses and add some night grass to their feed, so he hasn't come back yet.
Although this job came late, it was a good one that Lida had managed to find thanks to his previous connections. Horses are more valuable than people, so when his younger brother grows up, he can become a horse trainer and no one will dare to look down on him.
There wasn't much work left, so Li Da said, "I'll do the rest. You can go back to bed. It's cold at night, and you're not wearing enough. Don't catch a cold. You... need to take care of yourself from now on."
Li Runrun was stunned for a moment, didn't say anything, but just wiped the chamber pot on her hand even harder.
In the dead of night, a lantern swayed slowly over. It was Haitang. She frowned and looked at Liruanruan: "You... The prince wants to see you. Go take a bath and burn some incense to get rid of the smell on your body."
Li Runrun was dumbfounded.
She thought that she would never have any contact with the prince again in this life.
She was dirty and humble, like a little maggot in the gutter, but even so, she was trying hard to survive, and the gazes of people above the gutter were only a disturbance to her.
Li Runrun was a little at a loss for a moment, Haitang was urging her to work, and Li Da also told her to stop working and get ready quickly.
But how could a lowly servant like her have hot water ready to bathe whenever she wanted? She did have some scraps of incense, but they were not worth anyone's attention...
She had no choice but to take a quick cold shower, which made her stomach ache and her mouth breath white air.
She didn't dare to delay, changed into clean clothes, wiped her hair roughly, and tied it up casually.
With water dripping from the ends of her hair, she followed Haitang's lantern.
When they arrived at the East Courtyard, Li Ruanruan's hands and feet were so cold that they couldn't be warmed up even by rubbing.
Fortunately, there was a charcoal brazier burning in the prince's room, which was much warmer than outside.
Haitang led her over, but did not go in herself, just pushed her in.
She knelt down in front of the prince: "Slave, I'm honored, Prince..."
As the heater turned on, the blood circulation started and the frozen limbs gradually regained feeling. Only then did Li Runrun realize that she was covered in cold sweat.
The prince didn't respond to her, and the door behind him closed again.
Haitang quietly retreated to the maid's room.
Shaoyao stared at the commotion in the courtyard, very angry. "She's just a lowly maid, why would the prince call her here? Look at the way she's dressed! Her hair is wet, she has no manners at all! She's deliberately trying to tell the prince that she's been purified!"
Meixiang echoed, "That's right, she's obviously a seductress, she really should be punished by the Madam."
Haitang glanced at them, her tone neither angry nor happy: "Alright, all of you, cut yourself some slack. Can you really guess what the master has arranged?"
"Right, right, right, talk less." Qiuju also advised, "She was asked to come over because the prince might be kind and give her some gifts to get rid of her. She just happened to catch the prince drunk and got into trouble. People like Sister Haitang and Sister Shaoyao, who served the prince, could at least get concubines. But who is she? A vulgar girl, she thinks she can climb over our heads and become our master, huh? A maidservant is still a maid!"
"Oh! What are you talking about? I haven't thought about that!" Shaoyao's face flushed as her thoughts were touched. "I just thought that if I could serve the prince for my whole life, it would be a blessing."
"You're getting more and more ridiculous!" Haitang scolded, her eyes darkening. "Keep your voices down! I think the prince is not in a good mood today."
Everyone finally quieted down.
Haitang looked towards the yard again.
She thought that things were not that simple. The prince had always been cold-hearted and not a kind-hearted person.
She thought that she should be more polite to Li Runrun in the future.
inside the house.
Li Ruanruan's knees ached from kneeling, and the room was eerily quiet, with only the faint scent of sandalwood lingering around, calming her mind.
After a long time, she heard a soft sound, as if the book was put down.
Then, her cold, half-dry hair was grabbed in someone's hand.
She turned her head to look, but almost touched Ye Yunchu's lips.
The deep kiss last night flashed through her mind, and she was startled, leaning back and falling on the carpet.
Ye Yunchu was unmoved. He twisted his fingertips lightly and asked, "Did you just take a shower?"
Li Runrun nodded, thinking that she had cleaned the chamber pot, but was afraid that the smell would displease him, so she washed it.
But when she saw Ye Yunchu's face, she didn't dare to say it. She always felt that it would be a disgrace to say it, and she was afraid of being despised.
So he shrank back and dared not speak.
Ye Yunchu stared at her and recalled a kitten that was given to him by the palace as a reward when he was young.
When he first saw the raccoon, he was also cowering like this. Later, he took good care of it, and it was finally getting better. Unfortunately, before the raccoon could cling to him and protect him, he killed it.
Because of this, Ye Yunchu was sad for a long time and decided not to raise this thing anymore, as he felt it was too delicate and difficult to raise.
Now, looking at the soft pear, I feel a little interested.
He stretched out his hand, and Li Ruanruan closed her eyes in fear, but he pulled off her hairband, and her long hair fell down.
He pulled her wrist and realized that she was cold all over.
This little fool is really hard to raise.
Ye Yunchu lowered his eyes and dragged the man to the charcoal brazier.
After roasting for a while, Ye Yunchu instructed her: "Move the chair over here."
She went to move a chair, and Ye Yunchu sat down to continue reviewing his lessons, while Li Runrun stood obediently in front of the charcoal brazier waiting.
The charcoal fire warmed her up, and her hands, feet and face were hot.
But she was really too tired. She had just survived a near-death experience, and then she had to work until late at night. Now that she had relaxed, she couldn't help but feel sleepy, causing her head to nod.
It wasn't until someone hit her forehead with a rolled-up book that she suddenly woke up.
In a panic, she saw Ye Yunchu's cold eyes and immediately knelt down: "Slave, slave..."
Ye Yunchu lowered his eyes to look at her, with a cold and desolate look: "Are you afraid of me?"
Li Runrun didn't dare to tell the truth, but she didn't dare to lie even more.
She prostrated herself on the ground and kowtowed, humming timidly.
Just like a cat.
Ye Yunchu thought for a moment and said, "Then go."
Li Runrun raised her eyes and glanced at Ye Yunchu, then her beautiful almond-shaped eyes turned, she got up, and secretly glanced at him again.
Seeing that he had nothing to say, she trotted away.
Ye Yunchu was so angry that he laughed. How many women were vying for his favor, but this little servant was so scared. It was really...
It piqued his interest.
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