Humiliation.
Bare, unadulterated humiliation.
Ye Luan sneered inwardly, but said nothing, for this was exactly what she wanted.
She had no desire for any legitimate, proper relationship with Xiao Chizhan. kanδん
The thought of him deliberately taking her to the Corpse Burial Cave yesterday to scare her, under the pretense of seeing Fu Dai, made her want to hack this damned pervert into a thousand pieces.
However, his objective had been achieved.
Those brutal scenes were etched into her mind, refusing to fade.
She knew he wanted to make her fearful, terrified, and willing to stay.
To let her know that offending him would result in a fate worse than death, being devoured entirely by wild beasts.
But what of it?
She would kill him one day and escape this cage.
“Miss Ye, let’s go, it’s time for lunch,” the wet nurse inside reminded her.
Xiao Chizhan was incredibly extravagant. For what was merely lunch, it felt like a royal feast.
In the great hall.
As soon as Ye Luan sat down, maids entered in single file, carrying bronze gilt food boxes. Various dishes filled the rosewood long table, a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, comparable to the Emperor’s own meals.
She was truly hungry, hungry enough to devour a whole ox.
She hadn't eaten since she transmigrated, and after struggling with that man for so long, she was both hungry and exhausted.
Seeing so much delicious food made her even hungrier. Without waiting for Xiao Chizhan to pick up his chopsticks, she began eating rapidly.
Watching this scene, the maids and wet nurses serving them all broke out in a cold sweat, their heads bowed low.
“You’re eating quite heartily.”
Xiao Chizhan sat in the main seat, drinking wine leisurely.
Seeing him looking for trouble, Ye Luan cursed inwardly.
Even eating lunch wasn’t peaceful.
“The food at the Prince’s mansion is too delicious.”
“What? Did Minister Ye mistreat you?”
Ye Luan rolled her eyes inwardly. Couldn't she just eat in peace? She was really hungry.
Seeing her remain silent, her eating resembling that of a starving ghost who hadn’t eaten in eight lifetimes, Xiao Chizhan lightly tapped the table, his expression chilling.
Ye Luan’s heart skipped a beat. She wiped her mouth and smiled faintly, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”
Her so-called father spent his days plotting for his own official position and doting on his precious son, completely indifferent to the original owner’s fate. He wished Madam Gao would find her a powerful influential man to sell her to, climbing the ranks through connections.
“Come here.”
Fearing he might lose his temper, Ye Luan quickly took a few more bites and stood up.
“Sit closer,” Xiao Chizhan patted his thigh.
Ye Luan’s hands tightened. She glanced at the maids, wet nurses, and guards all around, pondering for a moment.
His aura grew increasingly terrifying and indifferent, yet she remained still.
Xiao Chizhan’s handsome face was filled with untamed arrogance. He said, “A slave, is this how you serve your master?”
Silence fell upon the hall. No one spoke.
“What are you thinking about?”
A cold, sharp blade suddenly appeared before her. His hand lazily played with the sharp edge of the blade. Seeing her snap back to attention, he used the blade to lift her chin.
The chilling, biting sensation instantly pulled Ye Luan back to her senses.
Her back trembled slightly, but her expression remained placid.
“What would Your Highness like to eat?”
Xiao Chizhan raised an eyebrow, withdrew his blade, and placed it on the table with a clang.
Ye Luan, with keen observation, served him dishes and ladled soup, attending to him with utmost care.
“Wine.”
From her hand, a large portion of the mellow wine went down.
Ye Luan scorned inwardly, not fearing he might drink himself to death.
Xiao Chizhan was clearly making things difficult for her. After serving him the entire meal, she was almost falling apart.
When he finished eating, he didn’t allow her to eat. Instead, he had a wet nurse take her to the laundry room, assigning her to work there from then on.
And so it began.
The entire Prince’s mansion knew that the Prince disapproved of Ye Luan, and everyone intended to bully her.
As soon as Ye Luan arrived at the laundry room, Granny Li gave her a tough welcome.
Her body was covered in wounds, and she was extremely hungry. She had no mind to pay attention to this “Granny Li” and just wanted to collapse and sleep. However, these arrogant servants clearly intended to bully her, blocking her way at the door.
With a clang, a large basin of clothes was thrown onto the ground.
“New here, aren’t you? Take these clothes and wash them.”
Endure, Ye Luan, you must endure.
She said nothing, squatted down, picked up the basin, and went to wash the clothes.
There weren’t many clothes in the Prince’s mansion as there was only one master. However, these old women brought over the clothes of various servants, maids, and even wet nurses for her to wash.
As the sun set, a gentle breeze blew.
Several old women sat on small stools, cracking melon seeds, occasionally glancing at Ye Luan washing clothes.
“She’s just a slave brought back by the Prince, no need to be so proud. Just finish washing the clothes obediently and you’ll suffer less.”
“Why are you wasting words on her? Didn’t you hear what people in the mansion said? The Ye family sent her here specifically for the Prince to torment her. She’ll probably die in no time.”
“Those who offend the Prince never have a good end.”
Ye Luan ignored them. After finishing the laundry, she wanted to return to her room to sleep.
But the moment she entered the room, the smell made her want to vomit. Three old women shared this room, and the smell was truly unbearable.
Unable to stand it any longer, she went outside.
The sky was almost dark.
Granny Li stood at the doorway, shouting, “Newcomer, fetch this old woman a basin of foot-washing water.”
Fetch your mother.
Ye Luan ignored her and climbed the large tree in the courtyard, lying on a branch for a short nap.
“You stinking girl, are you looking for a beating?”
Granny Li emerged with a whip, hands on her hips, standing beneath the tree.
This woman’s voice was loud, and the courtyard was instantly illuminated, with everyone coming out to watch the spectacle.
Ye Luan, tired after a whole day, was utterly annoyed and didn't want to engage. Her mind was filled only with the thought of killing Xiao Chizhan to avenge the humiliation of that day and escape the Prince's mansion.
“Oh, a mere slave dares to climb above us? Mama Li, there’s no need to be polite with her.”
“Shuncai, Ada, go get her down. If we don’t teach this stinking girl a lesson today, she’ll be in charge!”
“Got it.”
Several young servants began to climb the tree, holding large knives in their hands.
Ye Luan frowned, opened her eyes, and leaped down from the tree.
Granny Li, thinking she was scared, said smugly with hands on her hips, “Come here and kneel and kowtow, and this old woman might take pity and let you off—”
Before she could finish speaking, a basin of slop was dumped from above.
A foul, nauseating smell instantly emanated from Granny Li, startling everyone with diverse expressions. A terrifying, heaven-shattering scream echoed throughout the laundry room.
“Ah—I’ll kill you—”
“Catch her—”
Granny Li was going insane, her face contorted with rage, her smell comparable to a privy.
“Quick, someone, someone, bring me water—”
No one dared to approach her; she reeked terribly. Many who disliked Granny Li were secretly watching, chuckling.
“This newcomer is no pushover.”
Someone covered their mouth, stifling a laugh, “Serves her right, truly serves her right.”
Several young servants with knives surrounded her. Ye Luan’s expression was cold. Her posture was extremely strange as she moved, snatching a knife from a burly man’s hand.
With a *splish*.
The blade grazed the arm of a young servant, and several people cried out in pain, falling to the ground.
This scene stunned the onlookers who were watching the show.
“You—you’re audacious!”