After kneeling for only a short while, Ning Xuan’s knees had already gone stiff. The moment he stood up, he nearly pitched forward and fell. He laughed bitterly to himself. Such a lowly life, yet he had wasted it on a body that had adapted far too easily to luxury and comfort. Truly, water flows downward and people strive upward. It had only been a few days, yet he had already become this picky. At this moment, he almost felt grateful to Feng Xuanyi. Fortunately, Feng Xuanyi did not harbor some irreconcilable hatred toward him. Otherwise, if he had been pampered and indulged for a few more days, then being abruptly thrown back into the reality of his humble and insignificant status would have shattered him completely.
His body swayed, and he caught himself with one hand against the ground. Though he managed to steady himself, he felt a slick wetness beneath his palm. A sharp, piercing pain followed immediately, making Ning Xuan frown deeply.
Before he had time to examine it closely, he stepped outside, only to run straight into Liu Xiaoyun, who had just finished breakfast with Feng Xuanyi and was returning in magnificent style, surrounded by attendants as though stars escorting the moon.
Ning Xuan immediately bowed in greeting, yet Liu Xiaoyun simply stood directly before him. Not only did she show no intention of telling him to rise, she did not even appear interested in entering the room.
“Well, look at that. Isn’t this Ning Xuan, the one who follows His Highness everywhere, never leaving his side for even a step? How could I possibly deserve such a grand salute?” Liu Xiaoyun smiled. “Pei’er, why didn’t you remind me? If we offend Ning Xuan, will any of us have a good ending?”
Though she said those words, she made no move to help Ning Xuan up and never once granted him leave to rise. Instead, she left him kneeling there, looking down on him from above, disdain and contempt spilling openly from her eyes as she continued speaking.
Pei’er had served Liu Xiaoyun for many years. She had entered the manor alongside her mistress as part of her dowry and naturally understood Liu Xiaoyun’s intentions. Putting on a show, she quickly said, “This servant deserves death. Please calm your anger, Madam,” before falling silent again.
“Although we haven’t seen much of each other, we should at least count as sisters, shouldn’t we? Ah—no. How could we be sisters? We should say brother and sister instead.” The deliberately drawn-out tone dripped with mockery and ridicule, prompting several servants nearby to snicker openly.
“His Highness has certainly received plenty of care from little brother. As for me, I’ve enjoyed a few leisurely days because of it. But you can’t spend all your time attending His Highness and neglecting your relationship with your dear sister. After all, everyone experiences ups and downs in life. We’ve grown so distant lately. Now that you have some free time, you should come sit with me more often. We can chat, pass the time, ease our boredom. Then one day, if you regain His Highness’s favor, you won’t be able to say that your sister ignored you while she was enjoying her success. Perhaps you can even share a little of your good fortune with your dear sister.”
So he had been the only one left in the dark. He had been nothing more than a public joke, someone everyone could ridicule and trample at will. Yet he had continued deceiving himself, telling himself not to overthink things, not to care. Maybe they meant no harm. Maybe there had been some misunderstanding. Maybe… But now it seemed he had done more than overthink—he had simply been a fool.
He had believed Feng Xuanyi when he said he was protecting Ning Xuan’s dignity by keeping things quiet. He had believed Feng Xuanyi when he said he withheld a title only to avoid jealousy and disputes, so that Ning Xuan could remain by his side freely and without restraint. Looking back now, it all seemed absurd. This outcome had probably been calculated from the very beginning. Perhaps Feng Xuanyi had never intended for any of it to last. Perhaps he had always been destined to grow tired of him.
A personal attendant? Promoting a green, inexperienced boy with no background, no skills, and barely any time in the manor—a boy who could hardly take care of himself—to serve constantly at his side? Apparently everyone else had seen the implications except Ning Xuan. While happily celebrating the miraculous fortune that had fallen into his lap, believing he could rise through the ranks overnight, he had failed to notice that everyone in the manor understood exactly what was happening. For three months he had blissfully lived amid the resentment and jealousy of others, believing it all was real, shamelessly offering up every ounce of his sincerity. He had even worried that his origins and status might someday become a burden to Feng Xuanyi. He had convinced himself that if the day ever came, he would rather suffer himself than damage Feng Xuanyi’s dignity. Looking back now, it was laughable beyond words.
Why would Feng Xuanyi’s dignity ever need protecting? He would always remain the lofty and powerful Prince Rong, capable of overturning clouds and rain with a flick of his hand. As for Ning Xuan, he was nothing more than a servant who came when summoned and left when dismissed, a dog who did not dare utter a single complaint. Now, at long last, public opinion had gotten its wish. He had climbed high only to fall hard, landing battered and broken. And now, even when he wanted nothing more than a place to lick his wounds, that place found him too filthy to accept.
The servants standing behind Liu Xiaoyun chuckled softly. The sound was not loud, yet neither did they bother to conceal it. Each burst of laughter struck Ning Xuan’s heart, sinking his already miserable mood even lower.
“Oh dear, look at my memory. I almost forgot something so important.” Liu Xiaoyun laughed. “His Highness still hasn’t given you a title, has he? What a shame. In that case, we can’t call each other brother and sister after all. If this were some ordinary household, people would simply understand and make do. But this is a prince’s manor. There are distinctions between masters and servants. A master is a master, and a servant is a servant. A master may indulge a whim and elevate a toy for a little while, but elevated or not, it still never belongs on the stage. You really have worked hard serving him so diligently. I truly do feel sorry for you.”
The laughter that had only just subsided erupted once more. Liu Xiaoyun seemed delighted rather than offended by it and continued her lecture with even greater enthusiasm.
“But don’t lose heart. Keep working hard. Of course, someone of my status has never done—and would never dare do—such vulgar things, but more people mean more ideas. I can’t help you come up with plans, but I can certainly listen to your grievances. Consider it a small gesture of kindness. Personally, I think you should fully embrace that lowly, shameless determination that comes from your humble origins. Use every trick you have, especially the dirty and underhanded ones. Throw yourself back at him with all your strength. Who knows? Maybe His Highness will eventually be unable to resist and reward you with some little title after all.”
Covering her mouth, Liu Xiaoyun laughed with an innocence completely at odds with her words. Then she suddenly frowned and adopted an expression of sincere concern.
“Although the scene you caused this morning was truly unwise. I don’t blame you for being lonely and trying to steal your sister’s favor, but you’ve been by His Highness’s side for quite some time now. How can you still not understand his temperament? That will only bring you trouble in the future. His temper is terrible in the mornings. Even if you wanted to attract his attention by acting pitiful and vulnerable, that wasn’t the time to do it. His Highness is busy all day long. Even if your skills were sufficient to stir his interest, he wouldn’t have had time for you anyway. Instead, you only exhausted yourself and gave all these servants something to laugh about. What a waste.”
“Thank you for your guidance, Madam.” Ning Xuan was surprised that he still possessed such an ability—the ability to treat another person’s humiliation and contempt as though he neither heard nor cared. Human potential truly was limitless. The problem was that the cost of unlocking it was never something one could negotiate. “Very well, there’s no need to stand around here. It’s still early. I’m going back to sleep a little longer. You should get back to your own business.”
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