Chapter 11 - Mountain Pass (1/2)

Lei Xing and the other three were sent to the Cloud courtyard. It was a beautiful little courtyard with a small garden in front of it and a little pond in the center with some water lilies floating in it and a little wooden bridge over it, creating a path through, the courtyard had a simple and peaceful atmosphere. As soon as they arrived, they all went into their rooms to prepare for the next day. Lei Xing walked into her room, which was a simple spacious room with just basic furnishings, a table set facing the door with a teapot and cups on it, another table on the left side with ink, brushes, and paper and on the right side, a bed with green curtains in front of it and another smaller room off to one side that served as a bath and restroom area with a curtain covering the entrance.

Lei Xing turned to the maid, ”What's your name?”

The maid bowed, ”This servant's name is Xiao Ruo.”

Lei Xing nodded, ”Okay, I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me up.”

The maid nodded and approached Lei Xing and reached for her.

Lei Xing furrowed her brows, ”What are you doing?”

”Miss, you said you want to sleep. So I wanted to help you undress.” Xiao Ruo answered Lei XIng with a look of confusion.

”Oh, no need. I can do it myself. Just leave.”

”How can I let Miss do it yourself, I have been assigned to serve you and so I have to do my best, otherwise I will get punished.” Xiao Ruo anxiously said.

”Well, no one will punish you. If you don't tell them, I don't tell them, no one will know. Plus isn't it just simply taking off my own clothes. I have my own highly functioning hands.”

”But- ”

”Just leave, I have a headache and I want to sleep. That's the best way you can serve me right now.” Lei Xing interrupted her protest and sternly looked at Xiao Ruo. Xiao Ruo pleadingly looked at her and then helplessly turned and left, closing the doors behind her.

Lei Xing sighed, ”How tiring...”

She took off the dress and hair pins, and laid down on the bed in her inner wear and thought through the events of the morning.

...so that annoying as**ole turned out to be a Prince...it seems I have offended someone troublesome...anyway, he was just trying to make his position known today...so he shouldn't be a problem anymore...yep, definitely not, I hope T_T)...this situation is already stressful enough without an annoying critic who is out for blood...

As she was thinking, she fell asleep and woke up sometime in the evening. When she woke up, she rolled around bed for a while, hesitant to move.

...Lazing around after working hard is the best...

After a while of lazing around, she got thirsty and as soon as she got up to get some water, Xiao Ruo opened the door and entered.

”Miss, you are finally awake. I will have your dinner brought in.”

”Okay.” Lei Xing replied as she looked at her skeptically.

...did she have her ear plastered to the door the entire time?...

Xiao Ruo turned around and left and Lei Xing went to drink some water and looked around the room, opened the windows and looked into the front garden with the pond, her room was facing the front so she was lucky to get some view. She sat by the window and looking at the peaceful scenery and her mind blanked. After a short while, Xiao Ruo came back with a two other maids carrying containers. They arranged the dishes on the table in front and left. Lei Xing went up to the table and enjoyed her dinner, the food was good and there was a variety of 5 side dishes of meat and vegetable. Lei Xing nodded with satisfaction as she savored each dish.

...A palace is indeed a palace...even the food is on another level...

After dinner, sat down idly and scanned the room and yawned.

...I'm bored, I miss my phone, the internet...can't even go anywhere...

Xiao Ruo stood on the side and after a while of watching Lei Xing just sitting down idly, she said, ”Miss, why don't you prepare for tomorrow?”

...All the other candidates have been preparing and you went to sleep!...

”Prepare what?”

”Miss, your piece for tomorrow sounds very complicated. I'm sure it will be magnificent and I'm sure you have been practicing beforehand, but I thought maybe Miss might want to still...maybe practice some more...or maybe, do you have any specific requests for me to arrange for tomorrow?”

Lei Xing raised an eyebrow, a bit confused as to what she was talking about and then she remembered what she had told that Lady Lian earlier and burst out laughing. Xiao Ruo was taken aback and dumbfounded by her laughter and looked at her confused.