????: Hello everyone, it has been a while...Things have been a bit... ????complicated here...With no help from a certain group of people...They say I'm just being paranoid, but I know the reality of it...???? *whispers* They are actually keeping me hostage here...I mean sure I can leave, but that LX's going to have me dissected or worse if I do...so...I pla- *AHEM* Oh, yes so today...today's message is about Ah Jin - she's a liar...They all are ????...but she's definitely not bad though, probably ????...*whispers* ????Don't trust any of them ...Enjoy the chapter! ***

Lei Xing was not pleased to receive a guest first thing when she woke up, but considering the person had been waiting for hours and for the sake of being polite, she quickly washed up and went out to reception hall, to find the head servant, a young girl standing there, when Lei Xing walked in she bowed and greeted her. Lei Xing walked up and sat down and then asked, "So what is the message?"

The girl then immediately got on her knees and kowtowed towards Lei Xing, "Your highness, please let me serve you!"

Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows.

...What is this drama now -_-?)...

Lei Xing just silently looked at the kneeling figure in front of her for a while and then sighed, "Stand up."

The girl went upright, still on her knees and shook her head, "Thank you your highness, but I won't stand until you accept me."

Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

...Well, then prepare to kneel for eternity, when you're tired you'll stand up on your own...

"Why did Noble consort Chen send you here?" Lei Xing asked, already tired of the conversation, while she was aware she could just order her out but she didn't want to deal with any unnecessary trouble later from anyone, therefore she chose to take a more cordial approach.

The girl shook her head, "Noble consort Chen didn't send me here, but I did receive permission from her before coming."

Lei Xing skeptically looked at her. The girl saw Lei Xing's expression and quickly added, "My name is Chun Hua and I have come to repay my debt of gratitude."

Lei Xing pursed her lips and inwardly sighed.

...People keep falling from the sky -_-)...First, it was a childhood friend, would you even call them friends? More acquaintance actually...Either way, then some random from a runaway session, and now this...debtor...It's getting annoying -_-)'...Not to mention, she came from that Chen You, who already doesn't exactly like me...so sure, why not give her more reason to hate me -_-)'...Also, who knows if this is some sort of plot too...Haah, the universe can't let me just be happy for one day, really?...

"There's no need, so you should return." Lei Xing calmly said.

Chun Hua looked up at her and then said, "Your highness, you told me to go out and find work and I have done so now. I know you said you said you don't need me to repay the debt, but fate has provided the opportunity for us to meet again so I feel that it is necessary for this debt to be repaid."

Lei Xing narrowed her eyes and examined Chun Hua.

...Okay, good for you...You feel it's necessary, I don't so there's no meeting of the minds here -_-)'...but those words sound somewhat familiar...don't tell me...

"When was this?" Lei Xing asked to confirm her suspicions.

"A few weeks ago, I was part of the slaves you graciously released." Chun Hua replied.

Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she recalled the same girl, badly beaten up kneeling and begging to "serve" her.

...Of course...turns out this is my own baggage...

"Ah I see...It seems you have found your way." Lei Xing said with a half-smile.

...Not sure how promotion in the palace works, but a head servant in a few weeks, I'd say you're doing very well...

"Yes, a few days after we parted ways, I was lucky and was able to help Madam Chen out of a dangerous situation, she was very grateful and took me into her manor, she saw that I was skilled and hard-working and so kept me close at hand. Later, when Noble consort Chen officially entered the palace, the maid who was supposed to join her in the palace fell badly ill and so could not come. The Madam seeing that I was smart, skillful and trustworthy sent me in her place to assist Noble consort Chen in the palace. It is all thanks to your grace that I was able to meet with such good fortune." Chun Hua explained.

Lei Xing knit her brows, "I see..."

...All in a week? Very quick work...but, do these people think I'm an idiot -_-?)...So you have an entire family's gratitude, a head servant position...so why are you here again?... Also, there's no way Chen You would have happily given you "permission" to come here -_-)...

Lei Xing smiled, "It is good that you're doing well. There's no need to come here to suffer. You should go back." Lei Xing finished and got up to leave.

"I don't mind suffering at all, I ca-" Chun Hua tried to protest.

Lei Xing cut her off, "Seeing you doing so well is repayment enough, any more will make me feel very uncomfortable. So hurry on back." She finished and quickly walked off.

...I don't know what sort of stupid game you people are trying to play, nor do I care but the last thing I want to do is play tug of war with anyone over a person -_-)...

Chun Hua stayed there on her knees watching Lei Xing's departing back. After a while, she sighed, then got up and left. When she returned to Chen You's palace and Chen You saw her walk into her study, she looked up from her embroidery work and smiled at her, "So how was it?"

Chun Hua knit her brows and calmly said, "She refused."

Chen You frowned and threw the handkerchief piece she was making on the table, "Is there anything you're actually good for? I don't know what my mother was thinking...None of your plans are working, you made me go over to royal study for days with soups and tonics, I didn't even get to see the emperor's face even once after all that! While she just stupidly sits down there and has the emperor running to her..." Chen Ruo Yu then suspiciously eyed Chun Hua, "Don't tell me you actually turned her down because she offered you a low position?"

Chun Hua covertly rolled her eyes as she bowed her head and explained, "Of course not, I told her I was willing to work hard, but she said 'seeing me doing well is repayment enough'"

Chen You scoffed, "When has she ever been such a good person?" Then she smiled, "...But in that case, maybe she will take you in when she sees you suffering...You're already useless, you can't even do something as simple as bribe a few maids, what's the point of you being in that position, what do you think?"

"It's not my fault the maids know who to fear." Chun Hua mumbled.

Chen You hearing that, shot up in anger, "Are you saying she's better than me? So they can fear her but not me?!"

Chun Hua quietly sighed and explained, "Not her, the emperor is who they fear. I heard that he had personally assigned that palace to her, the servants there were also arranged by Eunuch Li, so it won't be so easy to buy someone over to our side."

Chen You frowned in anger recalling the unpleasant event, "I don't know what the emperor is thinking...What does he see in her? Especially after that awful performance, he must be blind!"

"Quietly, don't say that out loud, you'll get in trouble." Chun Hua quietly advised in a panic.

"What? Isn't it the truth. She always goes around thinking that she's better than everyone else, when she's the lowest of the low...I won't have her ruling over me, you better think of something and fast. If she by chance becomes empress...or becomes pregnant...I wil-" She paused and took a deep breath and then said through gritted teeth, "Better make yourself useful." Then stormed out of the room.

Chun Hua stood in the room after Chen You left, taking deep breaths with her eyes closed to calm herself.

...This is really what my life has come to now, having to serve a childish idiot...And that other one, who does she think she is? Does she really think anyone really wants to be her servant that she's being all self-righteous about it? Entitled idiots like her are the worst...

**

After Lei Xing returned to her room, she quickly forgot about the visit that interrupted her happy day as she got ready for her day out. She had them prepare male outfits to wear for her and Ah Jin who was going to be her guide. She thought, that the women in dramas always did it and so Lei Xing wanted to try it out.

...I mean why not?... Also, it is a fact that it is a safer world for a man...also the outfits are a lot simpler, that's the biggest plus hahaha...

Lei Xing quickly got dressed, she even had her chest bandaged to complete the outfit and had her hair put up. When she was done getting dressed, she stood in front of the mirror to admire herself.

...Hmm, not bad...but how could anyone look at this face and think "guy"...Haah, the mind is a wonderful thing, it can even make you believe the sky is purple so why not hahaha...

When Lei Xing was done admiring her work. She made her way to the palace gates following Ah Jin with the jade pass in hand, and a purse of money secured, she was ready to go. As hey approached the palace gates, she felt a bit nervous.

...Moment of truth, it's either fake or real...Why would he lie?...I don't care, I need to see it work to believe it...

After showing her pass, the guards let her pass through the gates and she felt so relieved as she walked out into the open space. She had a big smile on her face, and turned back to look at the towering walls behind her and let out a breath of relief as she looked on from the outside. It felt like she had just been released from prison, she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders and took a deep breath of the fresh air of the outside.

...The smell of freedom...You're going back though -_-)...SHHHH! That is irrelevant...let me enjoy this moment...

"Your highnes-"

"Shh, don't call me that." Lei Xing immediately scolded Ah Jin when she called out to her. They had been standing in front of the palace gates for a while now, while Lei Xing was standing around in daze having her moment.

Ah Jin nodded and corrected, "Miss, where do you want to go?"

Lei Xing still in a jolly mood laughed and said, "Oh, I had forgotten to mention that. Let's go to Doctor Lou's shop first."

Ah Jin nodded and then led the way with Lei Xing cheerfully following.

****

???????? MiraiSeasng's Notes :? I wanted to mention, that while the ???? skits are done on a spur of the moment, they do have some relevance to the actual storyline, in that they give some hints on the story... also I should mention that the ???? skits don't necessarily follow the same timeline of the main story...

...Bottomline, the ???? skits contain hints on the main story...I'll give an example, the last few skits, LX has been running or avoiding a certain someone/people, she normally gets a notification on her phone and then runs off...which means she has a lookout(s)...then in the last skit, "Other's misery = Glee", Tung Mei blocks the emperor (JK) in front of the lounge door saying LX's not there, while LX joins LY under the table ???? ...this time LX didn't get a notification because her lookout(s) was too busy chasing after a certain someone...

...So TM failed her lookout duty while focusing on chasing LY, Emperor saw LY running and wanted to talk to him and so followed behind them...Hence, TM thoroughly failing her mission by bringing the enemy ????...From this, you can deduce she will be a friend in the future, ????or at least a business partner - she could be paying her for it, LY's the pay LOL...