High-class maid

After the maid followed Xiaotong out of the room, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but Xiaotong quickly made a shushing gesture at her and then said...

"There are too many people around here, young lady. If you have something to say, let's talk in our courtyard."

The maid nodded, knowing better than to say anything.

Upon reaching the front yard, Xiaotong gestured for her to follow her inside. The maid hesitated, looking around, unsure whether to go in.

"Please come in, young lady. The people in this front yard are all our young master's men. It won't reach your master's ears," Xiao Tong's voice rang out at the right moment.

After hearing this, the young maid had no more worries and walked into the room without looking back.

"This servant, Xiao Hong, greets Young Master Song." Xiao Hong bowed her head in greeting, only a pair of black shoes with gold thread visible.

No one answered her from inside the room; only the sound of pages turning could be heard from the shoe's owner. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a voice finally came from above her head.

"Get up."

Xiao Hong quickly stood up and secretly rubbed her sore legs.

Song Wenyang noticed her little actions, but he didn't mind. Instead, he put the book on the table and asked...

"Speak, have you been gesturing to my page several times because you have something to tell me?"

Xiao Hong trembled with fright. After thinking it over, she knelt down. She bit her lip and said as if she had made a great decision, "This servant, this servant, has something to say."

"Oh? If you're going to say something nice about your master, then forget it." After saying that, Song Wenyang leaned back in his chair, uninterested, and prepared to pick up his book.

"No, no, it's our master who's trying to kill you!" Xiao Hong blurted out in a panic.

Song Wenyang and Xiaotong exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. Xiaotong stepped forward and asked...

"Do you know what you're saying? If you're lying and trying to get my young master to stand up for you, we won't fall for it!"

Xiao Hong shook her head repeatedly and said, "I have evidence here, it's definitely not fabricated out of thin air!" After saying that, she took out a letter from her sleeve.

It turned out that this was the letter that Miss Lin had asked her to burn last time. Although Xiao Hong was illiterate, seeing her young mistress so emotionally out of control, she concluded that it was not a good letter, so she kept it in mind and hid it.

Xiao Tong took the letter from her and handed it to Song Wenyang. Song Wenyang hesitated for a moment before opening it. The letter contained the handwriting of his stepmother, Lin Shi. He glanced at it briefly, then closed the letter and asked...

"You didn't risk coming to see me just to give me this letter, did you?"

Seeing that he didn't react much to the letter, Xiao Hong was disappointed for a moment before saying, "Young master, my young lady has drugged the tea you drank today!"

"What?!" Song Wenyang exclaimed in shock. He had underestimated Lin Xiangyu; she had actually been ruthless enough to drug him. However, his shock only lasted for a moment before he quickly regained his composure and asked...

How do you know she drugged me? Or are you suggesting I trust a stranger like you?

"Young Master Song, my young lady gave you an aphrodisiac. This drug is colorless and odorless, and what's even more amazing is that it only takes effect at night. This drug was given to her by Madam Lin!"

Xiao Hong rattled off a long string of words, anxiously awaiting Song Wenyang's reaction.

"Why are you telling me this? If your master becomes the mistress of the Song family, won't your status also rise accordingly?" Song Wenyang asked.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hong's tears fell like pearls from a broken string. She ruthlessly lifted the shirt covering her arm, revealing it covered with scars of all sizes. Even Song Wenyang, a grown man, gasped at the sight.

"To be honest, Young Master Song, my young lady is gentle, considerate, and understanding outside, but she is actually very vengeful. If she is unhappy outside, she will take it out on me when she returns home."

"I never imagined she was not only shameless, but also had such a vicious heart!" Xiao Tong said angrily.

"You told me about this so you'd want me to stand up for you?"

"This servant wants to stay in Jinling City, far away from her." After saying this, Xiao Hong recalled the past and began to tremble all over again.

Everyone envied her for being Miss Lin's head maid, but they didn't know the kind of abuse she suffered. On countless sleepless nights, Lin Xiangyu would take her anger out on her.

After thinking for a moment, Song Wenyang said, "I can not only keep you in Jinling, but also give you a sum of money. However... you have to promise me one thing."

Xiao Hong nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with tears, and said, "As long as I can stay away from her, this servant will agree to anything!"

"I want you to tell me everything Lin Xiangyu did. I will have someone write it down, and you will have to sign and put your fingerprint on it. If necessary, you will also have to testify for me."

"This..." Xiao Hong hesitated, then smiled bitterly, "Rather than be tormented to death by her, I'd rather fight for myself. Okay, I promise you!"

"Wait! You said you're staying in Jinling, so you don't have any relatives in the capital?" Xiao Tong asked.

“Yes, I have been serving by your side since I can remember. I heard her say that I was picked up,” Xiao Hong replied.

Song Wenyang gave Xiaotong a wink, and the latter understood and went out to investigate Xiaohong's identity.

"Where's the antidote? Can you get it for me?" Song Wenyang said.

Xiao Hong hurriedly took out the antidote from another sleeve. Song Wenyang, without suspicion, took it and ate it.

Xiao Tong, who had returned after giving the order, tried to stop him but couldn't: "Oh my young master, why didn't you let me try it first? What if it was poison? How come you carry the antidote with you?"

“This servant can’t leave Miss’s side for even a moment on ordinary days, so I stole the antidote before I left,” Xiao Hong said.

"Hmph, I'll trust you this once for now," Xiao Tong said.

"You may leave now. Consider it as if you never came today. If what you said is true after today, I will arrange for you to leave the manor tomorrow," Song Wenyang said.

"Yes!" Xiaohong happily agreed, then hastily wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve, got up and left.

"Young master, how much truth do you think she spoke?" Xiao Tong asked after she had completely left.

“I’ve already taken the antidote she gave me, how could I not trust her?” Song Wenyang rolled her eyes at him and said.

"You didn't just believe her because you saw the scar on her arm, did you? When did you become so chivalrous?" Xiao Tong teased.

"No, I did see the contents of the letter."

"Oh? What does the letter say?" Xiao Tong, who was always disrespectful, picked up the letter on the table and started reading.

After reading it, he was furious and said, "Outrageous! The young master has already come to Jinling, and he still gets tricked by this old hag! Does she really think you're a fool?!"

Song Wenyang rolled her eyes at him and said, "Why do I feel like you're insulting me too?"