The Vengeful Master's Inner Servant (14)

As Lin Qiuyue walked away, she smiled inwardly. Her plan tonight was accomplished and she could finally return to her dormitory. She didn't want to stay in the cold night air anymore, compared to sleeping in her warm bed, painting was not all that appealing.

If it wasn't for her task she wouldn't have sacrificed her precious sleep for something so frivolous, especially since she had even less time to sleep these days because of her new job. She had many daily chores to complete as a servant and since she was bullied by the others, her chores weren't limited to only one category. She had to do a variety of things, anywhere and anytime someone needed her, she had to heed the call.

Lin Qiuyue quickly found loopholes and ways to lessen her burden but each night she still found herself completely exhausted. If Su Liling didn't have such good genes, her appearance would have collapsed after so much struggle. Panda eyes, unkempt hair, and rough skin, the little beauty would have turned into a little goblin soon enough. Of course, she couldn't let this happen. It would break her character setting. So, she worked hard to maintain her unique aura and appearance.

It all worked out in the end though, so she was very satisfied with her good work ethic. Qi Bingwen took a step closer to her and was drawn in by her demeanor, in the end, this character setting was still the best choice. A little suffering was worth it for her beautiful vision and plus there was the added bonus that she didn't have to swing a heavy sword left and right, shouting like a madman.

Really, clamoring in the streets every day, didn't they have anything better to do? In conclusion, she would never have chosen the other character setting she had in mind. Not only was it a dog-blooded revenge romance, the leading role was also an embarrassing martial arts heroine who didn't have any self reflection. She may be thick-skinned but a little suffering was worth it for her dignity.

It would be great if all her future character settings were also self-reliant and beautiful, she really didn't want to act like some braindead cannon fodder, even hosts should have some self-respect and this was her self-respect.

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The next morning, the girls in her dorm buzzed around her with excitement and burning curiosity in their eyes. Lin Qiuyue didn't want to wake up because she had slept too late the night before, she blamed Qi Bingwen in her heart with a few words and turned around in her bed unhappily.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law." Luo Xiu shook her gently.

"The painting is over there, you can unravel it yourself." Lin Qiuyue quickly waved them away as she closed her eyes again. She knew that she still had work to do but she really couldn't bring herself to wake up, just a few more minutes of sleep was all she needed.

Chun Qiaoqiao led the girls to the end of her bed and picked up the roll of paper carefully. She held her breath as she opened it, the girls all sucked in large breaths when they saw the full painting in front of them. The first one to shout was Luo Xiu who couldn't contain her awe.

"It's a masterpiece! Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law—"

Lin Qiuyue pulled her pillow over her head to block out the girls' screams, she already regretted pointing them to the painting, now not only was she exhausted but she also had a headache.

She didn't know how long she stayed in that unmoving state between sleeping and not sleeping, trying to block out their disturbances but when she finally got up it was already time for them to begin their daily chores. All the girls quickly sent her their goodbyes before rushing to their posts until she was the only one left in the room.

Lin Qiuyue rubbed her eyes and freshened herself up for the day, her little system had more sense than the servant girls and didn't chatter around her. It stayed on her shoulder and quietly supported her, it knew she was tired from last night and the manual labor from before which were all wearing down on her. Its host had great mental strength but that had no effect on her physical endurance. It wished it could do more to help her but the only thing it could get from the shop was the low-level sobering pill which couldn't repair her body. Its other functions were all mentality related and couldn't affect anything physical.

It was so useless...

Lin Qiuyue could sense that her system was a bit listless so she rubbed its head a few times to comfort it as she stepped out of her dorm. She was about to head to her first chore when a red figure caught her eyes instantly, he was standing outside of her room leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed. For a moment, she was completely stunned and her system was too.

"Am I so scary? You ran away last night and now you want to run again?" Qi Bingwen stepped towards her with his usual casual smile. The warmth and hesitation from the previous night had all but disappeared.

She could tell that he was a little moved when he remembered Su Liling's kindness so the night before when they met and shared a moment of tenderness, he couldn't decide how he should treat her. Qi Bingwen was not such a small-minded person so he must have come to a decision over the night and the result of it was this early morning meeting.

"I didn't—This servant was only heading to her duties." Su Liling's expression was calm but there was a hint of awkwardness in her movements. It seemed as though she wasn't sure how to approach him either.

Qi Bingwen's smile deepened as he neared her, he had figured out how he wanted to deal with her. A member of the Su family who he didn't despise, she was exceptional.

"For you." He used the same words that she had said before, a little expectant, waiting for her reaction.

Su Liling's expression didn't change as she glanced at the beautiful box he held out to her. She did not shy away from his gift, instead, she reached out to open it, inside was a well-crafted brush set along with high-quality ink. At a glance, one could tell that it was expensive, comparable to Su Liling's previous supplies.

"This servant cannot accept such a valuable gift." Su Liling frowned as she pushed the box back into his hands. The momentary tanglement and surprise in her eyes couldn't be hidden.

Qi Bingwen saw her rejection but when her puzzled appearance entered his eyes he wasn't unhappy. Instead, he had the illusion that any action of his that could break her calm demeanor was a good one. As though as long as he moved her, he could be the only existence that stood out in her eyes.

"Since you enjoy painting, there is no need to refuse. A great artist requires fine tools just as a swordsman requires a sharp blade."

"A great swordsman that can only use a sharp blade is nothing more than a third-rate novice, any tool in the hands of those with skill will result in the same outcome." Su Liling's words were filled with rejection as she backed away from Qi Bingwen.

"You are correct, a swing from a sharp blade or a dull one will always result in a cut, how deep the cut is depends on the skill of its wielder. But that should not be the only criteria; smoothness, quality, and ease of use all matter. A cheap sword that breaks with a few swings cannot be depended on." Qi Bingwen was not discouraged by Su Liling's cold words, the smile on his face remained and his attitude was still casual.

"A cheap brush can be easily replaced. My heart will be anxious to use such precious tools that do not fit my status."

"Talent does not discriminate status, take this gift as a sponsorship from a master to his servant." Since she was so focused on the deal and her role, he used it to force her hand.

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Qi Bingwen could see the brief struggle in her eyes, she tried to cover it up quickly but the movement could not escape his eyes. He had been watching her carefully from the moment she stepped outside her door, every slight motion and little thought was magnified to him.

He hadn't noticed it when they first met but she was not as calm as she portrayed on the surface, her impassive demeanor was only a cover for her underlying vibrancy. Hints of it shone through all her actions, when she smiled at the other servant girls, when she was embarrassed, when she was confused, all of her little emotions flashed in his mind and the thought he had the night before came back to him, she was still very cute.

Qi Bingwen didn't give her another chance to refuse him, he stuffed the box into her arms and quickly left with his qingcong. Lin Qiuyue could only watch him disappear in a blur as the corner of her lips curved upwards slightly.