Chapter 4: Many Wives in Luo Wang Mansion No.24 The perspective of a young lady (Part 2)
They hurriedly pulled them up, and the three of them were so tired that they collapsed in the pavilion. Fortunately, Qingqing did not faint, but she drank a lot of water and caught a cold, so she was shivering and vomiting. Miss Minmin was busy helping her calm down, and her expression could not tell whether she was happy or angry.
After a while, Qingqing finally woke up, holding her shoulders and shivering. Although it was summer, Qiuye City was located in the west, and it was extremely cold at night, not to mention being in the water... Miss Minmin saw this and reached out to hold Qingqing in her arms, laughing softly:
"Qingqing, this is probably what winter swimming was like for me before, and it's free. What a bargain! And afterward, a beautiful lady threw herself into my arms. I made a killing!"
Seeing her serious expression of trying to take advantage of me, we both didn't know whether to laugh or cry. We coughed and smiled bitterly in the night wind, and we actually warmed up. This person, no matter how low she was pushed by life, she would always smile, right?
"My dear little girl," she suddenly turned to me, her eyes still sparkling, "Go and call the doctor in the mansion and have him wait at our place. You don't have to go with him. Find a place to change your clothes and rush to the banquet hall as quickly as possible. Don't let those bitches catch you by the hair!"
...March 8? It sounded unkind, and I was stunned.
"What about you, young lady? How can you carry Qingqing by yourself?" If I send Qingqing to the outer courtyard, change her clothes, touch up her makeup, and then rush back to the banquet hall, let alone catch up with the banquet, it will be a problem whether I can show up before the end of the banquet! At this moment, I am not the one who is afraid of being caught, but you!
"Don't worry, I have my own way~" She smiled sweetly. She obviously didn't do anything, but that confident look could make everyone around her feel relieved.
"Well then! Miss, be careful!"
I got up and left in a hurry. Not far away, I heard a faint sigh behind me.
"If I wasn't drowning, you wouldn't have come out? Asshole..."
Eh? Who is the lady talking to? I turned around in confusion, but I didn't see anyone. I didn't have time to think about it, and continued to walk quickly, but I seemed to hear Miss Minmin's low voice,
"If you don't come out, I'll jump down by myself!"
I couldn't help but look back again, but this time he was too far away and it was dark, so I could only vaguely see a tall man standing behind the lady. I rubbed my eyes again, and it seemed to be the shadow of a tree...
After finishing the tasks assigned by the young lady with swift hands and feet, he dried himself and hurried to the hall. Sure enough, the banquet had already begun! Luxurious step tables and carved wood banquet tables were placed in a row in the courtyard. There were green gauze and red jackets, green lights and red candles, and the courtyard was full of beautiful women, dignitaries everywhere, delicious wine and fragrant food, lively songs and dazzling dances. However, who would know, and who would care, whether two weak women almost lost their lives in this prosperity?
From afar, I saw Miss Minmin's table at the very end, empty. Miss Minmin hasn't arrived yet? I was panicking and hurried over to stand respectfully, not daring to look up at the faces of the chairman, Lord Shangluo and His Highness the Fourth. As time passed, more and more questions and sharp looks fell on me, and the torment in my heart became stronger and stronger! What should I do? What should I do? If it really doesn't work, I'll risk my life to tell the truth and sue those ladies!
The dance ended, the music stopped, and there was a moment of silence. My heart suddenly tightened! Sure enough, everyone with their own thoughts was waiting for this moment!
"Master~" Madam Nine stood up gracefully, with a charming and innocent smile on her face, "We heard that you have just accepted a talented girl! Her beauty and talent are both rare in a century! The sisters are very envious~ and are eagerly waiting to see her style! Why are you still hiding her?"
As soon as these words were spoken, people at the table immediately echoed them!
The master's face was normal, and he looked like he was enjoying a good show. He said calmly, "How could I have hidden treasures? I told Minmin a long time ago. Now I wonder why she hasn't arrived yet?" After saying that, he glanced at the Fourth Prince intentionally or unintentionally. The Fourth Prince smiled humbly and glanced at Prince Luo and said, "This person was sent here last night, but he hasn't arrived yet. I'm afraid only Prince Luo knows the secret, right?"
Some people in the audience began to snicker.
Seeing that the Fourth Prince wanted to cover it up so easily, the Ninth Madam refused to give in. She suddenly clapped her hands and laughed, "Ah! I see, Miss Minmin must have gotten used to the life of a popular girl in Cangchunlou. She would never come out unless someone called her. I guess the Fourth Prince is also very fond of beauty and spoils her a lot, right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the table immediately became quiet and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy!
Calling Minmin "girl" means not acknowledging that she has any relationship with Prince Luo.
To specifically remind everyone that Minmin was just an actress in Cangchunlou would be to belittle her status.
It seemed like she was trying to find an excuse for Minmin, mocking Minmin's temperament as a young lady while mocking the Fourth Prince. She was really arrogant!
Prince Luo said nothing, and the Fourth Prince continued to taste the wine with a smile.
The table was eerily quiet and cold sweat began to break out on my back.
After a long silence, some people started to get impatient and whispered...
King Luo suddenly set his eyes on me and asked casually:
"Xiniang, where is your young lady?"
My mind was extremely tense for a moment! But then it became clearer. I gritted my teeth, stood up, knelt on the ground, and said loudly:
"My Lord, Miss Minmin is late because..."
"Miss!" A familiar voice interrupted me.
I turned around in shock and saw Miss Minmin standing outside the hall!
The whole party gasped! Miss Minmin didn't even change her clothes or put on makeup, and she didn't even dry her hair! Her long gauze skirt and strands of hair were all stuck to her wet skin...
I stood there stiffly. Miss Minmin stared at me with her haggard eyes and waved at me slowly, "Come, help me."
I rushed over numbly, and when I grabbed her hand, I was shocked! It was so hot!
I looked at her worriedly, but she squeezed my hand to show that everything was fine, and walked straight into the banquet hall. The shoes on my feet were very wet, leaving some water marks with every step, and the laughter of women came from all around...
Miss Minmin walked to the center without looking around and nodded to the two people on the chair.
Prince Luo stared at her deeply without saying a word.
The Fourth Prince lowered his head and drank without saying anything.
Yes, what are you talking about? Why did it become like this? Everyone in the room knew it. This was a play, and the reaction of the protagonist in the play determined its ending. Now everyone was watching coldly how she would act. Would she complain with tears and snot? Or would she just swallow her anger and retreat?
"What? Miss Minmin dressed up like this after such a long time? Could it be the new fashion now? Then we are really ignorant!" Madam Nine smiled with glee as she stared at the embarrassed Miss Minmin.
The suppressed chuckle suddenly turned into laughter.
Amidst the laughter, Miss Minmin said nothing, but suddenly stood up, straightened her spine, raised her chin slightly and looked around coldly! At that moment, the expression in her eyes seemed as inviolable as a goddess! Her whole body exuded a fierce aura of power without anger, which was completely different from her haggard appearance just now! Everyone who was swept by her eyes was stunned and shut their mouths! How could an actor have such a temperament? At that moment, she stood in the middle of the crowd, her whole body was extremely embarrassed, but her expression was like a triumphant general looking down on all living things in the world! It was dazzling and people couldn't take their eyes away!
Madam Jiu took a step back unconsciously. I shook my head secretly. The momentum of the two people was too different! I thought Miss Minmin was too naive and simple, and only knew how to swallow her anger. Now it seems that it is not certain who will win or lose in this war...
The eldest lady, however, remained calm and gently clapped her hands and said:
"Miss Minmin is indeed not an ordinary person. Today we have seen her!" After a pause, she secretly observed the expressions of the two people on the chair, and then she felt relieved and continued, "I have always heard that Miss Minmin's singing and dancing are the best in the world! Her literary talent, calligraphy and painting are even more unique! I am not afraid of you laughing at me. Although there is no outstanding person like you in the Luo Wang Mansion, there are many sisters who are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and those who are good at singing and dancing are of course not to be mentioned. We are all still young, and it is inevitable that we are dissatisfied with each other on weekdays. Instead of making trouble in private, why don't we all have a fair competition today? Although I don't know what kind of trouble Miss Minmin encountered that made her look like this, but with Miss Minmin's ability, this little obstacle should not be a problem, right?"
She actually made a lot of sense out of her lies. In a way, this lady who was in charge of the entire Luo Wang Mansion was not ordinary. A smug look began to appear on the faces of the female family members. On ordinary days, you might not dare to say it, but today, Minmin, you have neither the support of the Cangchunlou band nor the elaborate and unique stage decoration, plus you look like a drowned rat, your chances of winning are too small!
Miss Minmin listened quietly to the eldest lady's challenge, lowered her eyes and said nothing.
The banquet was very quiet. The night wind blew by. For others, it was the setting off of the fluttering skirts, but for Minmin, it was a bone-chilling cold! Her slender body trembled slightly in the night, and the hand she held became even hotter! But she still stood straight!
Suddenly, the Fifth Madam, who had been silent all this time, slowly spoke:
"Playing chess requires slow work. Miss Minmin is not in good condition today. I can wait until later to play."
After saying this, he shut his mouth tightly, not looking at anyone and ignoring the angry looks from the other ladies.
Miss Sixteen, who had always been on good terms with Madam Five, also spoke timidly:
"Women, needlework can't be finished in a short time, and it's boring for you to watch. Well, I... I think, let's just forget it..."
After all, she was young and could not be as calm and composed as the Fifth Lady. She glanced at the First Lady in panic and was so scared that she dared not look up again.
They didn't expect that there would be two people who didn't give them face in their own nest. The ladies were so angry that they had no place to vent their anger, so they all cast vicious looks at Miss Minmin who was standing in the middle of the scene.
"Okay..." Minmin said with her head down.
Oh my god! She even had a hoarse voice from the fever! How could this go on? I held her with worry, but she pushed me away without leaving a trace.
"Then how about we start with dancing?"
She bent down, took off her soaked shoes with her slender hands, lifted her long skirt and tied it loosely around her waist. When her crystal white bare feet stepped on the agarwood carpet in the hall, the strong and enchanting contrast of light and dark made people sigh! Slowly moving, the clever flower knot lightly drew seductive waves with the swing of her waist, and a pair of slender legs under the lifted skirt were looming under the wet sari...
As everyone's eyes settled on the center of the field, she softly instructed the musicians:
"Play the National Wind."
Guofeng is a wonderful piece of music, with graceful and charming tunes accompanied by sonorous drum beats. It is not harmonious, but it has a unique artistic conception. It is usually a temple song used for sacrifices. Can it really be used to accompany dancing?
When the music started, she suddenly raised her head and smiled faintly at everyone in the audience.
What kind of smile is this?
She was extremely charming, yet she seemed to be out of this world and untouchable! Her eyebrows, her eyes, her slender hands and feet, her waist, her fingertips and hair, her sickly red cheeks, all came alive with this smile!
She gently lifted one of her feet, gently bent to the side, slowly turned her nimble wrist, and took a step lazily like an elegant cat, landing silently...
She has a slender figure, her limbs are as slender and flexible as a boy, but her face is as pure and sweet as a girl; she makes the most provocative movements, but with the most inviolable look; her smile makes people feel excited, but her eyes are aloof and arrogant...
Her dance steps went from slow to fast, as if she was on fire, spinning across the stage like the wind! Her eyes were seductive, her smile was dreamy, and even her short black hair, which was wet, had an almost wild androgynous beauty in the firelight!
No matter what kind of clothes she wears, no matter how miserable she looks, she always shines with a light that no one else has! So dazzling! So naturally dazzling! It makes people yearn for...
How many people in this world can perfectly combine those mutually contradictory extremes? Purity and seduction, innocence and charm, nobility and depravity, such a smart woman, can only be described as a "stunner", right?
Unfortunately, I had not seen her heroic and vigorous appearance on the battlefield in the future, otherwise I would never have used such a superficial word to tarnish her. Because, the only word that can really describe such a wonderful woman is probably "a genius of her generation"!
Chase her? Catch her? Treasure her? Pamper her? Destroy her? What choice should be made? Who is qualified to make the choice?
When she stopped dancing as the music gradually faded, she was like leaves that gradually stopped dancing after the breeze blew, or like a pool of clear spring water in a deep valley, restraining all temptations, and she was as serene as if she was walking barefoot in the green mountains and forests singing lightly...
No one spoke, even their breathing was gentle, and no one dared to disturb this clean and elf-like woman.
How could there be a winner? From momentum to charm, none of the women present could compare to her! The intoxicated looks of the crowd had clearly shown what people were thinking. To stand up and provoke her at this time would simply be to bring humiliation upon oneself!
No one noticed that Minmin's cheeks had turned abnormally red. She raised her head and smiled dazedly, then she sat down softly...
Amid the exclamations, I saw Luo Cheng rushing out from nowhere and picking up Miss Minmin who had fallen to the ground! Why? He never appeared in front of people, never appeared at the same time as Prince Luo, why did he show up without hesitation at this time? I saw Prince Luo leave the table and rush towards Minmin, and saw the complicated expression on his face the moment he appeared in Luo Cheng! I saw the Fourth Prince stand up with a pale face, but then slowly sit back down, and the wine glass in his hand had already rolled to the ground...
Minmin, does she know what these men are thinking?
"Why are you here?"
Minmin was held in Luo Cheng's arms. She asked questions in a hoarse voice with blurry eyes.
"Don't worry about that for now. You have a high fever. You need to go downstairs and rest. How come you don't feel sorry for yourself at all, kitten~"
Luo Cheng hugged her tightly, put her restlessly waving little hands back into his arms, and scolded her lovingly, his eyes full of worry.
"Go call the doctor over." Prince Luo ordered in a low voice, "Put Minmin in the study first."
"No! No! Put me down, I don't want to leave, I have something to say!" Minmin struggled like a cat in Luo Cheng's arms, her little head moving around and making hoarse whimpering sounds.
Luo Cheng stopped and Minmin immediately poked her head out of his arms.
"I still have something to say to the ladies!"
"What?" Madam Nine snorted in annoyance, but she didn't dare to speak too loudly. The test was over, and the play was over. The masters had clearly leaned towards Minmin's side. Looking at Luo Cheng's expression, she knew that if she continued to oppose her, she would suffer no good consequences. What's more, she probably admired Minmin very much, right?
"I just want to ask you one question. Are you convinced by me?"
Everyone was stunned. They didn't expect Minmin to ask so directly, almost with a childish tone! The suffocating atmosphere on the field finally eased up. Looking at Minmin's eyes that were wide open and frighteningly bright like some wild animal, under the gaze of everyone, Madam Jiu finally said uncomfortably:
"You really have some skills, let's forget about it today!"
Hearing this, Minmin immediately broke into a very relieved smile. Her rosy face looked even more innocent and lovely, and even the people around her smiled.
"That's good. By the way, I have one last thing to say to you today. I'm speaking to you on behalf of Qingqing, who 'accidentally fell into the water'..."
Next, Minmin leaned on Luo Cheng's shoulder, tilted her head with a smile, and said something that I only realized how outrageous it was a long time later.
Minmin stretched out a fist towards the first, third and ninth wives with an extremely arrogant expression, and suddenly raised her middle finger and whispered:
"FUCK YOU!!!"
