High-class maid

"That's good. I always trust my second brother to get things done. Don't worry, you'll get your share of the rewards once it's done," the one referred to as the eldest brother assured him.

"If we can't kill that old fox, we can kidnap his daughter. Everyone praises her as if she were a fairy from heaven. Wouldn't that be a different kind of fun?"

"Alright, if you have something to say, send a servant to deliver a message. Why are you meeting here? If you have nothing else, you may leave."

Shen Xing'er cursed Shan Tao inwardly for being so disobedient and insisting on running in. Now look what happened, she'd been caught. Just as she was about to sneak away, she stepped on a tree branch.

"Who?!" The two men exchanged a glance and shouted warily.

Oh no, am I really that unlucky? I don't want to lose my life here. Shen Xing'er was about to cry. Just as she closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate, she suddenly felt a lightness in her body. When she opened her eyes again, she was already standing on a tree!

"Brother Song? Is it really you?" Shen Xing'er looked at the man in front of her excitedly.

"Shh." The other person gestured for her to be quiet and pointed to the tree below.

The two men emerged from the woods, looked around, and one of them said...

"Brother, there's no one there. Could it be the sound of animals from the mountains? A person couldn't run that fast."

"I hope so, but we can't hold the meeting here next time. This place is still not safe," the man referred to as the eldest brother decided.

The man nodded, looked around, straightened his clothes, and walked out as if nothing had happened. The older man also walked out in the opposite direction.

After the two of them left, Song Wenyang jumped down from the tree with Shen Xing'er in his arms and said...

"The matter was urgent, and I apologize for my abruptness. Please don't take offense, young lady."

"If it weren't for you, I probably would have died here. Speaking of which, you've helped me again. Brother Song, after we parted ways on Chang'an Street last time, my daughter and my father couldn't find out where you were. Your oil-paper umbrella is still at my house."

Beneath the swaying, flourishing trees, Song Wenyang, dressed in a blue brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, looked at Shen Xing'er with cool eyes and answered.

"It's nothing, just a small favor. But what are you doing here?"

Shen Xing'er looked down at his hand still on her waist. Song Wenyang quickly pulled his hand away and said, "I apologize for being so abrupt."

Although he didn't say much, his flustered eyes and purplish-red ears showed that he wasn't entirely calm.

Shen Xing'er's face flushed red. She didn't dare to look up at Song Wenyang and said softly, "I... I came with my masters."

"Who is your master?"

“I am from the Minister’s residence, and I work in the old lady’s courtyard.”

"So this is the Minister's residence. What a coincidence," Song Wenyang murmured.

For some reason, Song Wenyang felt relieved when he heard that Shen Xing'er was only working in the old lady's courtyard.

"Brother Song, what are you doing here? When are you going home? I'll give you this oil-paper umbrella," Shen Xing'er asked.

“I came with a friend, and I probably won’t be going home anytime soon, so you can have the umbrella,” Song Wenyang said.

"Oh, okay." For some reason, Shen Xing'er felt a little disappointed when she heard that Song Wenyang didn't want the oil-paper umbrella.

"Alright, you should go back now, or you'll be punished by your masters if you come back too late," Song Wenyang said.

Shen Xing'er nodded and prepared to go back.

"Please wait, young lady!" Song Wenyang called out.

The girl turned her head. Although she wasn't dressed in fancy clothes, she still looked like a woman who had stepped out of a painting, breathtakingly beautiful. Her features were delicate and three-dimensional, with a high nose bridge and a superior jawline, perfectly outlining her exquisite face.

"You've met her twice, and you still don't know her name?" Song Wenyang stared in disbelief, then asked, dazed.

"Shen Xing'er".

"Miss, please don't go out at night for the next few days. Temples are not like mansions; security isn't as tight," Song Wenyang couldn't help but remind her.

Shen Xing'er nodded, said thank you, and turned to leave.

She walked to the corner and saw Shan Tao looking around anxiously. Shan Tao saw Shen Xing'er and said with lingering fear...

"Xing'er, I guessed you were on this road. I thought you had left. Let's go back quickly, or it will be too late."

Shen Xing'er nodded and returned hand in hand with Shan Tao.

The two arrived at the courtyard at exactly 3:15 PM. They put the things they had bought down the mountain into the room and hurried to the small kitchen to boil water.

night.

Lying in bed, Shen Xing'er wondered, "Why is Brother Song here? Why did he warn me not to go out at night? Does he know something? Shouldn't he be at the academy?"

Then Shen Xing'er remembered the Lingshan Temple incident in the book. When the female protagonist Xiao Luosheng was assassinated and kidnapped by bandits, she was rescued by the Second Prince who was playing there. The two met and developed feelings for each other.

In the book, Xiao Luosheng marries the second prince, who will become the emperor. It is said that this emperor has a favorite minister who helped the second prince before he ascended the throne. Is there any connection between all of this?

As Shen Xing'er pondered these thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.

The next day, in the afternoon, the old lady and the others went to the main hall to worship Buddha and listen to lectures as usual, while the young maids were still free to move around.

Today, Shan Tao and Shen Xing'er dared not go down the mountain again.

"Xing'er, why don't we go pick some wild peaches to eat? I heard that the peach trees at Lingshan Temple are irrigated with spring water, and the peaches are so sweet!"

"Isn't that a bad idea? Today is Qixi Festival, and there are many important people in the temple. What if we offend someone?" Shen Xing'er said hesitantly.

"Today is Abbot Yin Kong's free sermon. The main hall is already full of people. All the distinguished guests have gone to listen to the sermon. Let's go, let's go." After saying that, Shan Tao was about to pull Shen Xing'er to the backyard.

The two went to the backyard and indeed saw a row of peach trees planted there.

"Shantao, don't be greedy. Let's pick four. One for Granny Zhou, one for your mother, and one for the two of us," Shen Xing'er said.

"Okay, then I'll pick a few big ones." After saying that, Shan Tao started picking and choosing among the peach trees.

Bored, Shen Xing'er stood on a high place to keep watch for Shan Tao. Although the peaches were for the guests, they were just maids. Being caught was a small matter, but bringing shame to the Minister's mansion was a big offense.

Bored, Shen Xing'er looked around aimlessly when suddenly she spotted the two people she'd seen in the woods yesterday. Weren't they bandits? How did they end up at Lingshan Temple?

The two walked one after the other toward the scripture pavilion, clearly discussing their assassination plan.

Shen Xing'er didn't want to get involved in so much. Anyway, the female lead would be saved by the male lead, and all she needed to do was get her mother out before the assassins could kill her.

Despite her thoughts, she still followed them uncontrollably. Her intuition told her that what the two were talking about might also be related to Brother Song, otherwise why would Brother Song have been there yesterday?

"I heard something useful, and I just happened to tell Brother Song. He helped me twice, but I haven't done anything to repay him," Shen Xing'er thought to herself.