Chapter 164: The Inexperienced Young Girl Is Far From Simple

Just as everyone was beginning to cast off the awkward atmosphere and warm up to one another once more, a man dressed in servant's attire abruptly barged into the private room. Staring fixedly at the group with a cold, expressionless face, he said flatly, "My young mistress wishes to invite you all to gather in the adjacent room, as a token of her gratitude for your intervention and rescue just now."

Judging by the man's demeanor, he seemed profoundly unfriendly toward them, yet bound by his master's commands, he had no choice but to extend the invitation. It appeared that the recent disturbance was not merely an isolated incident brought about by a single person; more precisely, it had played directly into everyone's hands.

Judging solely by his outward appearance, it was evident that this man was no ordinary individual devoid of the strength to truss a chicken. Yet when the arrogant young scoundrel had previously run amok here, fighting with them for the private room, this man had failed to step forward to protect his own master, remaining completely silent instead. It seemed as though he had deliberately provoked the other man's anger to draw everyone's attention. But what on earth was the objective of the mistress he spoke of? With the clear capability to retaliate, she had purposely chosen to remain inactive. It seemed the unfolding of these events was becoming increasingly fascinating!

Nevertheless, Yushang guessed that she could not possibly be overly idle and looking for trouble without reason; perhaps this young mistress had also set her sights on that mysterious region. Thus, she had gone with the flow, feigning a fragile and delicate appearance that would neither disrupt the plans of the one who initiated this stratagem, nor fail to afford her the opportunity to achieve her own goals. In this way, it was a single move that accomplished multiple objectives—why not partake in it? For some inexplicable reason, Yushang suddenly felt a strong urge to meet this young mistress. He truly wanted to see what kind of woman she really was, possessing such meticulous thoughts and such deep endurance.

"You harp on and on about expressing gratitude, yet you demand that we get up and go over there. To be honest, I fail to see a single ounce of sincerity from your young mistress. If I were in her position, I would have come over personally rather than sending a servant with an insufferable, looking-down-on-everyone scowl to summon us," Xiaoyin remarked, feeling profoundly displeased the very first time she laid eyes on the servant-dressed man. He hadn't even bothered to take stock of his own station before acting so arrogant. He seemed to hold everyone in contempt from the very depths of his heart, refusing to take them seriously in the least. If that was truly his attitude, why bother making the redundant gesture of inviting them to gather with people like them?

"Xiaoyin, since it is an invitation from a lady, it is only proper that we go over. After all, she is a young lady of a prominent family, and barging into someone else's private room is indeed quite improper. However, the arrogant scoundrel just now was driven away by Brother Jing relying solely on his own strength; it has nothing whatsoever to do with us, who simply stood by and watched from the sidelines. I wonder why your mistress wishes to receive us as well. Might you make the reason behind this perfectly clear?" Yushang looked at the disdainful man and said softly. Truly, this man's expression was so insufferable that even he found it difficult to stomach.

Yet from this, Yushang could deduce that the so-called young mistress must hail from some powerful and influential faction; even if she didn't, her status should still be extraordinary. After all, when even a personal attendant by a master's side possessed such an oppressive air of arrogance, the environment that nurtured such a disposition must be truly remarkable. Unless one was accustomed to standing in a superior position above others, one could not possibly exude such an aggressive and overbearing aura. But if even a subordinate was this arrogant, how good could the mistress he spoke of possibly be?

"Once you go, you will naturally understand. But if you refuse to go, the consequences are not something ordinary people can bear! I advise you to set off quickly and not waste everyone's time. Besides, my young mistress treats others very well and will certainly not make things difficult for you," the man stated harshly and mercilessly. It was abundantly clear that he intended to threaten them, coercing the group into going next door to meet the young mistress he spoke of. Yet his words carried a hidden meaning and were phrased quite craftily: go, and you will be treated with courtesy; refuse to go, and you will be met with drawn blades. It seemed the group had no choice but to make this trip after all.

"Leaving aside how you ought to treat your benefactors—after all, we did practically nothing just now and everything relied solely on Brother Jing, so we are hardly your mistress's benefactors—you are, at the very least, inviting us over now, aren't you? Is this the proper attitude you should show toward guests? I am truly curious as to what kind of place could possibly breed a servant as utterly repulsive as you!" Lanhui roared fiercely at the man, her mood, which had only just settled, now thoroughly ruined by him.

"Lady Lanhui, is it? There is no need for you to be so angry. Since they earnestly wish for us to go, let's just go and see what it's all about. In any case, we have nothing better to do right now. Let's treat it as a way to unwind and watch a good show; why let a person like this disturb your peace of mind?" Jing Luohan walked over to Lanhui and persuaded her. He was eager to see what kind of master could cultivate a servant who was so ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth and so utterly blind to everyone else. No doubt the others were equally curious!

"Brother Jing is right. Let's go and meet the young mistress next door to see what abilities she possesses that allow her people to act so rampant. If she behaves the same way, we can simply teach her how to conduct herself properly and how to discipline her subordinates effectively," Yushang's expression was calm and detached as he spoke, yet the sentiment emanating from him was overwhelmingly domineering. It was rare to see Yushang exhibit such a strong side; perhaps the disdain in the servant's eyes had truly provoked his anger, causing him to cast aside his usual modesty and utter such words.

"My lords, please!" Upon hearing this, far from offering any harsh words in refutation, the man simply smiled coldly, extended a hand, and gestured for them to move. Seeing this, the group refrained from saying anything further to the man and walked straight out of the private room without looking back, heading toward the adjacent chamber. Although the distance between the two rooms was very short, the group felt as though this path was becoming increasingly bizarre, as if it would never truly end. At the same time, they silently wondered whether the young mistress would be just as arrogant as this servant or if she would restrain herself somewhat.

Finally, the group arrived at the private room where the young mistress was located. Seeing this, the man hurriedly took a lead step inside, and a moment later, they heard him say to the young mistress, "Mistress, I have brought the people you asked for. Shall I have them come in now?" A servant was indeed a servant; in the presence of his master, he was as docile as a harmless little dog. No matter how his master treated him, he would only wag his tail and fawn, completely devoid of the rudeness he showed toward everyone else. Witnessing this scene, the group purged the very last shred of favorable impression they held for the man, leaving behind nothing but deep disgust and fierce contempt.

The young mistress, seated gracefully upon a wooden chair, merely gave a slight nod upon hearing the man's words, without uttering a single syllable. Understanding her intent with a smile, the man briskly walked back toward the group, lifted the thin gauze curtain that separated them, and gestured for them to enter. Without hesitation, the group stepped into the private room. Yet the moment they laid eyes on the so-called young mistress, they were utterly stunned, completely at a loss as to how to describe their current state of mind. They simply felt that they had been overly worried—perhaps this young mistress was not nearly as scheming as they had previously imagined.

They had expected her to be a graceful, poised maiden, or perhaps a mature woman slightly older than themselves. Never in their wildest dreams had they anticipated that the young mistress spoken of by the man was merely a young girl of thirteen or fourteen years of age. She was staring at them unblinkingly with a pair of watery eyes that carried a hint of pitiful vulnerability, as if she found them immensely interesting. Particularly when her gaze fell upon Yushang, she actually broke into a smile—a smile so pure, innocent, charming, and endearing.

Even Yushang found himself unable to resist being captivated, sinking into it so completely that he forgot the original purpose of their visit. To say the least, this young girl was indeed exquisitely crafted, looking as beautiful as a carefully sculpted porcelain doll. She was so lovely that one longed to hold her in the palm of one's hand and pamper her; even Yushang felt an immense fondness for her upon sight. He longed to step forward and pinch her pretty little cheeks. Truly, he had never seen a child grow up to be so cute and alluring that anyone who laid eyes on her would feel an irresistible urge to protect her and ensure no harm befell her.

What caught the eye even more was her hair, which was almost as long as her height, cascading all the way down to her heels. This made the group feel all the more as though this young girl was not a real presence, but rather a living, beautiful doll. Had her long eyelashes not been constantly fluttering, they might genuinely have mistaken it all for an illusion! A pink long dress brushed the floor, and with every breath of wind, the hem gently fluttered, inadvertently revealing the youthful vibrancy of a young girl. It was a beauty that could only exist at her age—an allure belonging exclusively to a young girl, effortlessly conquering everyone present before they even realized it.

Truth be told, the group found it impossible to raise their guard against this little girl at this moment. How could such a cute and endearing little child possibly be a malicious person harboring ill intentions? At her age, she should only possess wonderful yearnings for the world, not a mind full of schemes and plots focused solely on calculating against others! If the person standing before them today had been a young woman of their own age, they would not have hesitated to accord her the appropriate attitude. But standing before them now was an innocent little girl—how could they possibly treat a tender, dew-kissed flower bud of a child with the mindset and attitude reserved for adults?

Yet no matter how fond Yushang was of this little girl, he was not about to be blinded solely by these superficial phenomena. It was true that upon first seeing her, he had indeed lost himself for a moment. But once he calmed down, he felt that everything was somewhat suspicious. This young girl appeared far too calm in their presence, entirely lacking the childish naivety typical of children from ordinary households. She lacked the immaturity characteristic of her age group, and in its place was a maturity born of having weathered the vicissitudes of life.

Although she was desperately suppressing this unusual sense of maturity, trying her best to assimilate herself into the expected innocence of an ordinary child, she still inadvertently revealed certain flaws. These tiny slips allowed the clear-sighted Yushang to perceive that something was amiss. It prompted him to calm his mind and observe the young girl carefully, leading him to uncover certain hidden truths. Even if this little girl was only thirteen or fourteen years old, one could not afford to lower their guard. One must remember that a person's cunning had no relation to their age; one must never be deceived by superficial illusions and thereby make erroneous judgments.

This was the exact quality in Yushang that surpassed ordinary people: no matter what kind of situation he faced, he could always keep his state of mind steady and free from panic. Even when confronting a disabled person, he would never look down upon them, because he knew that regardless of whether someone was physically whole, as long as they could still think, that person was not useless—they were entirely capable of accomplishing things that ordinary people could never achieve at any moment. Since they could overcome their own physical deficiencies, what hardships and obstacles could possibly block their path forward? Therefore, the more one encountered such people, the more cautious one had to be and the further one must keep away from them. Offending them might very well result in meeting an untimely death, with a fate a thousand times more miserable than one could ever imagine.

"Kid, don't tell me this little girl is your master? The world is chaotic enough right now; a little child shouldn't be running around everywhere. If you happen to offend someone you shouldn't be interacting with, you're going to be in deep trouble! The outside world is not as fun as you imagine; instead, it will leave you with indelible psychological scars. Listen to your big brother and hurry back home!" Xiaoyin abruptly discarded her usual playful demeanor and spoke to the young girl with utmost seriousness.