Reborn as the Regent's Beloved

The girl's shimmering eyes swept lightly over Green Book, and the comical way Green Book covered its face almost made her burst out laughing.

Green Book is just like her master; she likes to act pitiful all the time, making everyone in the world compare themselves to her to gain sympathy, which is disgusting to look at.

However, Green Book managed to win a smile from Xiao Fengyi by feigning pitifulness today, because Shen Shi was calling her a dog, and she didn't dare to say a word.

That's really interesting, really interesting.

Xiao Fengyi almost clapped and cheered, but this wasn't the only joke about the Green Book.

Sure enough, when people say she's fat, she gets really out of breath.

Like a stray dog, Green Book whimpered and sobbed before Madam Shen, "Madam, you must stand up for me! Miss hit me!"

I'm going to beat you up, you arrogant lackey.

Madam Shen said to Xiao Fengyi, "Fengyi, do you still have the demeanor of a young lady from a prominent family? You actually hit a maid yourself? Don't lower yourself to this level."

With a calm expression, she stared straight ahead, straightened her clothes, and said indifferently, "Aunt, I don't want to lower myself, but look at this green book. Does it even recognize me as a young lady?"

Green Book still had time to argue: "Young Miss has really wronged me. My mind is always on my mistress's affairs. How could I not care about you, Young Miss?"

Xiao Fengyi took two steps forward and looked at Green Book: "Don't even mention me, do you believe what you're saying? You've provoked me time and time again, did you ever respect me then?"

"Of course, this servant..." Perhaps feeling that Xiao Fengyi was not her proper master, Green Book stopped speaking before she could finish her explanation.

Xiao Fengyi didn't even glance at Lüshu, only feeling that her grandmother was still too soft-hearted to let this cunning servant who had sown discord and offended his master go out and cause trouble.

"Of course you don't respect me, otherwise the old lady wouldn't have locked you in the woodshed. By the way, does the old lady know who let you out?"

Green Book certainly wouldn't say that the Second Miss discovered she was locked up and released her, or that the Second Miss asked her to come with the Madam to the back door to block people.

Seeing that Lüshu's eyes were darting around and that he was not speaking, Xiao Fengyi snorted coldly: "So the old lady didn't know you came out. You're too bold, coming out of the woodshed without permission?"

Faced with the young lady's aggressive questioning, Green Book naturally dared not speak, and could only look pitifully at Madam Shen, who was sitting aside watching coldly.

Shen sat on the stone bench by the back door, put down her teacup, and laughed in a sarcastic tone.

She said to Xiao Fengyi, "Fengyi, why are you getting angry with a servant girl?"

Xiao Fengyi laughed and said, "Auntie misunderstands. I didn't hold a grudge against Lüshu. She's not my maid, and if she makes a mistake, it's not my face that's lost. I just feel that if she just comes out like this, it might embarrass Grandmother and make Grandmother dislike Qingyin even more. It won't do Qingyin any good either."

She said that every sentence she uttered was about Liu Shi and Xiao Qingyin, but it directly hit the nail on the head.

Green Book left the woodshed without Liu's consent, which was indeed due to Xiao Qingyin's lax discipline. It was only a matter of time before Liu disliked Xiao Qingyin.

Upon hearing this, Shen's smile vanished, for Xiao Fengyi was right. Offending Liu would bring Xiao Qingyin no benefit whatsoever. Liu had made outstanding contributions and held considerable influence in the court, serving as a powerful backer for the Xiao family and its grandchildren.

With such a powerful backer, Xiao Qingyin didn't try to curry favor but instead offended him one after another. Isn't that just showing him no respect?

Xiao Fengyi said to Lüshu, "If you want to live, you'd better hurry back to the woodshed. If Grandmother finds out, being sold off will be the least of your worries. If you get beaten or killed, don't blame me for not warning you."

Upon hearing this, Green Book could no longer pretend to be pitiful and sat down directly on the cold stone floor, speechless.

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Xiao Fengyi said to the servants standing motionless beside her, "She refuses to leave. Don't you know to take her back to the woodshed? Do you really want Grandmother to come and intimidate you with her dragon-headed staff?"

The servants shuddered at the thought of the old lady's dragon-headed cane, for it was not only incredibly heavy, but also a symbol of power; it was just a matter of whether the old lady was willing to exercise that power.

"Let's take Green Book back to the woodshed," one of the servants said. Green Book was then sent back to the woodshed, complaining bitterly.

When Shen saw that Lüshu had been sent back to the woodshed, she clenched her hands, which were covered in rings, and confronted Xiao Fengyi.

"Fengyi, what's wrong with you? You've spent more nights away from home in the past few months than in the previous fifteen years combined. A daughter is meant to stay at home, I know you've come of age and are a young lady now, but you can't disgrace our Xiao family."

"Sigh." She sighed and walked up to Xiao Fengyi, adjusting the red butterfly hairpin in her hair. "Fengyi, I didn't punish you much for not coming home at night before, so why did you go even further and only come back after noon?"

Here it comes, here it comes again.

Xiao Fengyi glanced at the shadow on the ground and estimated that it was already past noon. She had missed lunch and returned quite late. She was still hungry and would have to find something to eat to fill her stomach after dealing with Shen Shi.

Seeing that she remained silent, which seemed to indicate tacit agreement, Madam Shen assumed that she had truly found a handle to avenge her injured daughter and the stolen Green Book.

“Fengyi, I came to the back gate to wait for you not to cause trouble, but to invite you to lunch, but you are not here, nor are your two maids. I am your aunt, after all, and I have a responsibility to educate you, but you are not here. How can I bear this? A lady of a respectable family should know the rules, and you are breaking the rules. How can I not punish you?”

The two maids were also not there. Xiao Fengyi smiled softly. Fortunately, she had told Xuanhua and Zihua to go to Changyi Courtyard before she left yesterday, so she avoided being caught by Shen.

Shen's monologue was completely ignored by Xiao Fengyi, who pretended not to hear it.

She smiled and asked Madam Shen, "Aunt? What exactly are you trying to say?"

Seeing her impatient look, Madam Shen gritted her teeth and then glanced at the servants holding sticks beside her. "Come here, seize the young lady and carry out the family discipline on the spot."

She refused to believe that she couldn't deal with that little bitch Xiao Fengyi!

"Aunt, is this the only trick you know?" Xiao Fengyi's contemptuous tone made Shen Shi very uncomfortable. In the past, when Xiao Fengyi did this, she would silently endure it, as if she were made of steel. Why was she speaking like this today?

"Xiao Fengyi, how dare you speak like that?" Madam Shen was furious and winked at the servants beside her.

In order to escort the green book back to the woodshed, some of the servants left. These newborns were not as experienced as the previous ones and did not know how to enforce the family rules, nor did they dare to easily touch the young lady.