Chapter 28：Grateful and Slightly Lethal

For the next few days, Gao Le princess residence was peaceful. It wasn't the eerie kind of peace, nor the high-tensioned one.

Yin Hua Lei was quiet because for one, her injury inhibited her movements. And second, she had a lot to think of.

She felt that she was seeing her world for the first time without a veil hindering her eyesight. She admitted that the veil was first pierced when she realized that she was the villainess but now...

It was as though she finally broke free from the clutches of the storyline. An invigorating sense of liberation.

Why didn't she feel this way during that rainy night months ago? She wondered that.

It must have been because her only focus back then was to save her family. She kept a close eye on Xia Yu Heng and Bai Chen Rong because she was afraid.

She was unsecured and almost paranoid that she might not be able to protect her family if the two got fed up with her and decided to make a move.

Now, she understood that her worldview was truly limited.

Yes, those two were the so-called main leads but this world was as true as it could be. And it certainly wasn't just revolving around two individuals.

All the people here were of flesh and blood, they had emotions and had differing perspectives. They all certainly weren't just blotches of ink on paper and couldn't be described by just a few lines of flowery words.

While it was true that the ninth prince and his wangfei received a lot of privileges for being the chosen ones, they still had the free will to do whatever they wanted. The same for all the other characters.

Yin Hua Lei struggled not to be controlled by the plot but she was still constrained because she minded it too much. It was a paradox in itself.

Her line of thinking became classified into the 'plot and everything else that wasn't in it.'

Life was really a series of lessons.

Beyond the storyline, there were still people that existed and lived their lives according to their own judgment. It was because she unconsciously juxtaposed her reality with the story line of the novel that it was as though she was seeing things from inside a long tunnel.

Nevertheless, she was glad that she saw the plot. Her mistake was to be too caught up in avoiding it when what she could have done was just to live her life as it was.

Still, it was never too late.

"Mistress, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"

Yin Hua Lei was sitting by the window.

Xin Tao noticed that her master had been spacing out for quite some time so the maidservant had to ask.

"Hmm?" Her gaze slowly focused on the two girls older than her by a few years. "Just thinking..."

"... this princess is grateful for having you both and all the brothers and sisters we have in this palace."

Yin Hua Lei's lashes lowered as she looked down on her right wrist.

"If not for you... I'd long be gone. Not just this time, but all the times in the past when I did something quite foolish."

She looked up at the Xin sisters, only to see them tearing up even though she didn't fully understand why. She was merely saying the truth.

"I must say thank you for standing with me until now... through thick and thin, as the seasons changed all these years."

For once, Yin Hua Lei gave a beaming smile, one that didn't mind her status, image, pride or anything.

Xin Tao and Xin Ling couldn't hold it in and instantly became a pair of sobbing mess, hugging each other. They wanted to include her but were too afraid of touching her wound. So they made do with crying on her lap, the both of them.

"M-mistress, why does, hic, it fell lik-hic, you're saying goodbye? Eldest master told us to serve you more closely-hic, so we really won't let you get out of our sight this time!" Xin Ling was more outspoken but neither of them really wailed like a child.

Even when crying, these two minded their class and wouldn't be lenient on themselves. In this case, they were really Yin Hua Lei's maidservants through and through.

When Yin Hua Lei heard her little maid phrase it that way, she laughed.

"Did it really sound like this princess is dying?" She patted both of their heads, something she'd never done before. "Worry not. This princess will truly live this time around."

A gravelly voice answered from somewhere. "Mistress should remember your words well ah! Zhao Gang's heart can't afford another simulation. You know how weak Zhao Gang's health is!"

She wanted to snort at this exaggerated statement but refrained from doing so in the end. She knew Zhao Gang might have really almost had a heart attack that day.

***

True to his words, Xia Lian Bei found an excuse for Tiandi to visit her palace three days later.

Who knew how he did it but Xia Luyoung who returned to the imperial palace after the autumn festival was now moving back to Gao Le princess residence again.

Yin Hua Lei's injury couldn't be hidden forever since she had long been absent in any social gatherings. Well, she rarely graced these events since the day she decided not to vie for the ninth prince's attention anyway. But the high society needed to be informed about her well-being to avoid suspicions.

News soon spread out that Gao Le princess got into an accident but no specific details were given.

Xia Luyoung was worried about her. Therefore, Feng wang shu intentionally or unintentionally exploited this and suggested to send the tenth niece to Gao Le palace and accompany the injured princess.

Moreover, the Imperial Uncle also allowed his little princess to play with her tenth cousin sister almost every day with the reason of Xia Tiandi should follow her elder cousin sister in learning the lessons to being Da Xia's full-blooded princess.

Since the tenth princess was the youngest daughter of the Emperor, it was perfectly justified for her to be close with her younger cousin.

Today, Yin Hua Lei watched the little treasure bouncing up and down on her courtyard.

The girl who called herself Bao Bei was enthusiastically introducing some of her toys to Xia Luyoung.

Yin Hua Lei actually recognized a few of those toys because she was the one who carved them from assortments of jade and other stones during her months of pregnancy.

"This is Bao Bei's favewit, tenth jiejie. Look! Look, a pretty flower!"

Surprisingly, Xia Luyoung was very patient with the little girl and she was even enjoying the simplest action of playing with Xia Tiandi's hair. The tenth princess was giggling with her cousin as she made a mess with the toddler's ebony hair.

"Bao Bei's hair is so smooth, this princess can't get enough of it! Tell jiejie what you use on your hair, quick!"

Posed with this question, Xia Tiandi scrunched her nose. "Don't know... poppa washes Bao Bei's hair. Ask poppa later with Bao Bei?"

The tenth princess stiffened when she heard this. Of course, the one Tiandi called poppa was none other than her imperial uncle. Would Xia Luyoung dare ask that scary uncle of hers such an insignificant question?

She adamantly shook her head. "No-no need. No need!"

But then again, Xia Luyoung became curious. Tiandi seemed to genuinely love her father. If so, then how was the wang shu like as a father?

The more she thought of this, the more she badly wanted to ask. But Xia Luyoung first peeked at Gao Le princess who was sitting not too far away from them.

Yin Hua Lei was reading a book and didn't look like she was paying close attention to them kids.

The tenth princess scooted closer to her cute cousin and softly asked. "Bao Bei isn't scared of your poppa?"

Tiandi's small face frowned as though she heard a very strange question.

"...Poppa is handsomest, why scared?"

Yin Hua Lei who was innocently reading, choked on her own saliva when she heard her daughter say this.

Her brows furrowed. Feng prince had nothing good to teach Tiandi, as expected. He was even influencing the little dumpling to tell such blatant lies.

As though she found an inspiration, the small princess continued on bragging about her father. "Poppa reads Bao Bei war stories at night, also feeds Bao Bei fruits and veggies and meat too and lots of candies! Even shows Bao Bei how to shoot birds and the guards at home! Last time, Bao Bei was bullied by the pretty concibayn, poppa shooed her away from our house! Poppa is the best!"

The more Tiandi spoke, the paler Xia Luyoung became. The tenth princess didn't have the mind to notice the little girl discreetly glancing Yin Hua Lei's way as she boasted about her father.

When she noticed that no one was agreeing with her, Tiandi felt like she was wronged so she walked towards Yin Hua Lei and clutched her skirt.

"Fairy princess, isn't Bao Bei's poppa the best?" She really sought the lady's approval as she pouted at her.

Yin Hua Lei knew that her daughter was intelligent and very obedient. Her instincts told her that the child knew that she was her mother but because Xia Luyoung was here, not once did she call her mother.

Instead, she opted to address her as 'Fairy Princess.' It could have been instructed by Xia Lian Bei for all she knew but right now, Yin Hua Lei's face was darker than the bottom of a pot.

Every sentence Tiandi spoke managed to tick her.

What war stories? Lots of candies? Shoot birds and guards?

Were those things appropriate for a three year-old child?!

And even getting bullied by a concubine?!

It seemed like someone wanted to drive Yin Hua Lei to commit murder!

What kinds of things was he teaching this child?! Gods, Yin Hua Lei really needed to have a sincere talk about life with Prince Feng soon.

"Fairy princess...?"

"... En, Tiandi's poppa is... the best." Yin Hua Lei tried her best to force that out so as not to disappoint the little dumpling.

Sure enough, the little treasure was beaming with just a few words.

"Tenth sister..." Yin Hua Lei turned to Xia Luyoung who looked like she was traumatized by what Tiandi said. "You should also tell how good of a father Feng wang is to Uncle Emperor when you visit the palace, no? This princess is sure that his Majesty will greatly reward the Wang Shu."

Yin Hua Lei's face was nonchalant but her eyes held a fatally suggestive look.

When Xia Luyoung heard this, she nodded vigorously. "Yes... Imperial Father must know this."

Thus, Xia Lian Bei was unknowingly sold off by his adorable daughter on one fine day.