Chapter 30
Chapter 30: Jealousy — Mian Mian (Part 1)
In no time, Moonwatch Tower’s entrance was jammed with onlookers craning for a better view.
“Aren’t you going a bit too far?!”
Song Wei Chen shot the maid a sharp look. She wasn’t the type to shy away from trouble, so she strode over and faced the young lady she’d bumped into. “Miss, what do you say?”
The veiled girl looked like she came from a scholarly family—quiet, refined, the sort who wouldn’t press a point to the bitter end. Song Wei Chen thought so, anyway.
Unfortunately, the girl didn’t react at all. She only knitted her brows delicately, tears clinging to her lashes as she cradled one hand and leaned against the maid beside her. “It hurts…”
Seeing that, the maid grew even more brazen. She shrieked toward the door, “Come in!”
At once, four household guards in fitted black rushed inside and surrounded Song Wei Chen. One of them seized her arm and twisted hard.
Pain snapped through her. Song Wei Chen’s whole body tensed, but she bit down and refused to make a sound.
“If we don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll really think there’s no law in this world.”
The maid’s voice went vicious. She stepped close, eyes glittering with malice—and before Song Wei Chen could even breathe, a palm whipped across her face.
Smack.
Heat flared on her cheek. The crowd sucked in a collective breath.
“Drag her out and deal with her,” the maid hissed. “Don’t dirty Boss Shu’s place!”
The guards grunted assent and started hauling Song Wei Chen away. She fought them—then a figure stepped into her path.
“Stop!”
It was Shu Xue Long.
“Miss Mian Mian—what is the meaning of this?”
Only then did the veiled young lady finally lift her head. The veil couldn’t hide her eyes, soft and seductive even as they swam with tears. She looked at Shu Xue Long and said in a syrupy voice, “Brother Long… she bumped into me. My hand’s hurt. It hurts so much.”
“Pfft.”
Even with her arm still pinned, Song Wei Chen couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. So that was what this was—a full-blown green-tea act.
With that fragile, sweet little performance, what man wouldn’t get dizzy?
“Let me see.”
Shu Xue Long walked over as he spoke. The young lady daintily offered her hand, the gesture almost inviting him to take it, but he only stood with his hands behind his back and didn’t touch her.
“Mm. It’s a bit red.” His tone stayed polite, mild. “If Miss Mian Mian was hurt in my place, then I’m at fault. Please forgive me, Miss.”
“Of course not.” She turned reasonable in an instant, voice tender as water. “It was someone else who hurt me. It has nothing to do with Brother Long.”
“Exactly!” the maid chimed in, seizing her moment. “It’s all that rude girl’s fault for not watching where she was going. What does it have to do with Boss Shu, the famous Richest Man of You Mei?”
The Richest Man of You Mei?
So he really wasn’t Gu Cang Yue. Looks like she’d been paranoid for nothing… Song Wei Chen’s lips tightened.
“This young lady is my friend.” Shu Xue Long’s gaze flicked briefly to Song Wei Chen. “Miss Mian Mian, for my sake, let her go.”
The veiled girl froze. Then her eyes shifted—quick and calculating—and she stepped right up to Song Wei Chen. The guards caught the look and immediately released her.
“Even if she weren’t Brother Long’s friend, I wouldn’t make things hard for her.” The veiled girl sighed as if magnanimous. “She didn’t mean to hurt me. My servants were simply too rough.”
She dipped her head. “Miss, my servants were rude. Mian Mian offers you an apology.”
Then she lightly hooked an arm around Song Wei Chen’s, acting close and warm—nothing like the dazed, injured maiden from moments before.
“Sure, sure.” Song Wei Chen rolled her shoulder, rubbing the spot the guard had wrenched. “No fight, no acquaintance.”
“Boss Shu,” the maid said sweetly, sliding up beside him, “my lady has the heart of a bodhisattva. Even when others are rude, she reflects on her own faults. She would never bully anyone.”
“Magpie,” the veiled girl said, pretending to be shy, “you talk too much.”
Song Wei Chen couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. Put on all the airs you want, but why use me as your stepping stone? Do I look like someone born to carry your palanquin?
She walked right up to the maid and smiled brightly.
“You’re called Magpie, right? Come closer.”
Magpie’s eyes were full of disgust. With Shu Xue Long right there, she didn’t dare throw a fit, so she took one reluctant step forward.
Smack!
A crisp slap cracked across Magpie’s cheek.
“Now we’re even,” Song Wei Chen said, still smiling.
The handprint on Song Wei Chen’s face was already swelling—five clear finger marks blooming hot and ugly—but she looked downright satisfied.
“I’m petty,” she went on lightly. “And I remember every grudge.”
Her gaze slid from Magpie—furious but forced to swallow it—to the veiled girl.
“Unlike this self-reflective miss, a rude girl like me lives by one principle: I take it out, not in.” She lifted her chin. “In other words—ditch your morals and live shamelessly. No spiraling. If something happens, I lose it on the spot. Better to make things hard for others than swallow it myself!”
Shu Xue Long barked a laugh, loud and unrestrained. With him laughing, Magpie and Miss Mian Mian had even less room to explode. Behind the veil, Mian Mian’s expression had to be turning red and white in rapid shifts.
“Interesting,” Shu Xue Long said, still amused. “Truly interesting. I like your temperament.”
He looked at Song Wei Chen. “It’s late. Stay for dinner. You can also enjoy Miss Mian Mian’s qin playing.”
[So I have to sit here and watch this fake-white-lotus green-tea diva play?] Song Wei Chen thought.
Before Song Wei Chen could refuse, the veiled girl’s eyes shimmered even wetter. She looked at Shu Xue Long, pitiful and trembling.
“Brother Long… my hand hurts so badly. I’m afraid I can’t play for Moonwatch Tower today…”
Shu Xue Long didn’t respond, but the old steward who had been standing nearby finally panicked.
“Oh no!” he wailed. “The songstress isn’t coming, and Miss Mian Mian’s hand is hurt—how can this be? What will we do?”
His reproachful gaze darted to Song Wei Chen. “It’s all because some rude person didn’t watch where she was going and bumped into Miss Mian Mian. Miss, could you endure it just this once? Moonwatch Tower can’t be without you tonight!”
“Old steward,” Magpie cut in quickly, “it’s not that my lady doesn’t want to play. She truly can’t. If you want to blame someone, blame those crude people with bad eyes—no skill, no manners, and only trouble for Boss Shu.”
She was used to throwing her weight around under her mistress’s banner. When had she ever taken a slap and had to pretend it never happened? The grudge in her eyes sharpened like a blade.
The old steward clasped his hands and pleaded again. “Miss Mian Mian, I beg you—be magnanimous. Don’t stoop to worthless people. Please, you must save Moonwatch Tower tonight. We’ve already made a scene. If the performance is canceled too, it will ruin business!”
Anyone with eyes could see it. Her so-called injury was just a pretext—an excuse to be coaxed, to hear sweet words, to make Shu Xue Long owe her yet another favor.
Shu Xue Long only smiled softly, letting the steward coax and plead.
Song Wei Chen finally sighed. “Look, my manners are… unreliable,” she said, eyes flicking to Shu Xue Long. “But I have one talent—I get tougher the tougher people get.”
Then she tilted her chin toward the stage. “You’re short a qin player tonight, right? Do you have a guqin here? I’ll go up.”