Chapter 5: Dismounting Prestige_1

Xiumei brought over a glass of water for Wei Ruo, "Miss, I think the Military Prefecture is quite nice. Madam and your brother are both nice to you. Maybe you should stop thinking about leaving. With them supporting you, your life will be a bit easier."

"Ah, they treat me well, provided that I do not have any conflicts with the protagonist."

"Protagonist? Miss, who are you talking about?"

"No one in particular, I'm just rambling. Mei Zi, help me tidy up the things. Let's keep hiding anything that attracts attention." instructed Wei Ruo.

"Alright, Miss, you should also take a rest." said Xiumei.

Wei Ruo agreed that she should rest and regain her strength so that she could deal with what was coming in the evening.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, one of the two maids who had gone to Huaibei Town to fetch Wei Ruo, Maid Li, arrived.

Xiumei tried to persuade her to leave, but Maid Li ignored her and entered Wei Ruo's bedroom directly.

"Why is the young mistress sleeping at this hour?"

Maid Li stood by Wei Ruo's bed, looking solemn.

Wei Ruo got up, stretched her waist, "Does the maid need something?"

"Madam sent me to help you familiarize yourself with the affairs of the house. Please get ready and follow me to the courtyard."

After speaking, Maid Li walked off towards the courtyard to wait for Wei Ruo, not giving her an opportunity to think or refuse.

"Miss..." Xiumei furrowed her brows, "Why is the Madam... you've just arrived, why won't they let you rest for a bit?"

She had just praised the Madam for her treatment of their Miss when this happened, contradicting her earlier praises.

"It is probably Mother's intention to have the maid teach me some manners. However, doing so this quickly may not be Mother's idea. Maid Li has her own motives."

Maid Li is a maid that comes from the Loyal and Righteous Duke Duke Residence. Her status is higher than the ordinary servants in the house.

Because of this relationship, she sees herself as above the other servants. At the same time, she follows more rules and had already expressed her dissatisfaction at Wei Ruo's lax habits during their journey.

Moreover, Maid Li was the maid who raised Wei Qingwan. Her daughter, Cuihe, is a headmaid serving by Wei Qingwan's side.

All of these facts were clear to Wei Ruo who had read the original novel.

"What do you plan to do, Miss?" Xiumei asked anxiously.

"No worries, I know what she wants." Wei Ruo got up and walked to the courtyard.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, Maid Li started to direct Wei Ruo on her etiquette.

"Miss Ruo Ruo, now that you are in the Military Prefecture, you can't be as carefree as before. Your every action and word must be considered. Otherwise, you will make a fool of yourself. The embarrassment will not only fall upon you, but also the Military Prefecture and the Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence in Capital City. Do you understand?"

"I'm not used to it." Wei Ruo retorted bluntly.

"What do you mean by saying that, Miss Ruo Ruo?" Maid Li's expression immediately turned serious.

"Aren't I the daughter of the Military Prefecture? Why should I care about what other people think of me?" Wei Ruo was audacious, arrogant and dismissive of others.

"Miss Ruo Ruo, you must not speak like this in public. People will laugh at you!"

"So what if they laugh at me? What can they do to me? Isn't my grandfather the Loyal and Righteous Duke? Isn't he very powerful? What do I have to fear?"

Maid Li's gaze turned dark and obscure, then she slowly said, "Regardless, from now on, Miss, you have to follow my instructions to learn the rules. Remember the lessons I teach you and try to act like a lady."

"I understand." Wei Ruo seemed impatient.

"Then let me begin with some basic etiquette today, so you won't be rude when you meet your father tonight. The rest can be taught later."

Maid Li rambled on to Wei Ruo for quite some time. Wei Ruo, however, was not really listening, her eyes wandering around.

"Alright, it seems that Miss Ruo Ruo has no interest in continuing the lesson. We'll stop here for now."

After finishing her lecture, Maid Li reminded Xiumei to take care of Wei Ruo, not to let her run around, and then left Tingsong Garden.

After Maid Li left, Xiumei asked Wei Ruo in confusion, "Miss, why did Maid Li seem to stop teaching you after you deliberately acted ignorant and naive?"

"That's because she doesn't want me to excel! Her visit today was a show of force, a test, and then a lesson. Teaching me wasn't her main goal." Wei Ruo replied with a smile.

In the original story, Maid Li had also been tasked with teaching Wei Ruo manners. She did teach, but she had never sincerely tried to correct Wei Ruo's bad habits. Maid Li never punished Wei Ruo even when she performed poorly.

At first glance, it seemed as if Maid Li was being generous to the protagonist. However, deep down she did not want the protagonist to outshine Wei Qingwan.

As long as she fulfilled her obligation and instructed Wei Ruo in all the manners, whether Wei Ruo was a good student was Wei Ruo's business. It was not her problem as a seasoned maid. The masters would only think that it was Wei Ruo who was so inferior that she was beyond teaching.

After wasting an hour with Maid Li, Wei Ruo went back to her room to rest for a while. When she woke up again, it was already evening, and Madam Yun came in person to lead Wei Ruo to the dining hall.

On the way, Madam Yun held Ruo Ruo's hand and repeatedly asked if she was comfortable and whether there was anything unsatisfactory about her room.

Upon entering the dining hall, Wei Ruo saw Wei Mingting, who she had not met during the day. With his tall stature, distinctive facial features, and profound eyebrows, he was just as described in the original novel - an authoritative father.

Upon seeing Wei Ruo, emotions stirred in Wei Mingting. He subconsciously walked a couple of steps forward, but quickly stopped.

It seemed as if he felt his reaction was too excited for the manner of a family head.

"Ruo Ruo, this is your father." Madam Yun led Wei Ruo to Wei Mingting's side.

"Father." Wei Ruo greeted him.

"Hm." Wei Mingting responded. His voice was deep, as if he was suppressing some emotions.

His gaze lingered on Wei Ruo for a while. Wei Ruo thought he was about to say something to her, but he didn't. His response was much colder compared to Madam Yun's.

"Take your seats." Wei Mingting invited everyone to sit down.

Since they were not in Capital City, and there was only their family present, many formalities were skipped. There was no need for them to sit at separate tables for men and women, and everyone sat at the same table.

Yun held Wei Ruo's hand and had her sit next to herself.

When everyone had taken their seats, they noticed that Wei Qingwan was still standing to the side.

Wei Mingting and Madam Yun both looked stunned, and the atmosphere became a bit awkward.

At this moment, Wei Yilin jumped off his chair, ran over to Wei Qingwan, and pulled her towards the table, "Sis, let's eat!"

"Yilin, I... I'd rather not go to the table..." Wei Qingwan answered softly.

"Why not? You are my sister! We are a family!" Wei Yilin declared confidently.