I BECAME THE FEMALE LEAD'S STEPMOTHER - CHAPTER 28

——— 

~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~

______

Chapter 28: Life as a Spoiled Darlin’ Sure Is Fine

When Xiangwu trudged back to the young mistress’s courtyard lugging her bundle of belongings, everyone was thoroughly shocked. A crowd immediately gathered around her, all talking over one another at once.

Yueqing, Yunruo, and Huameng threw their arms around her, weeping in relief. "Xiangwu, are you all right?! Did... did the Marquis actually let you go?"

Xiangwu quickly reassured them that the Marquis had indeed set her free and that everything was fine. She was back and ready to serve at the young mistress's side once more.

Only then did the girls let out a collective sigh of relief and hurry inside to report to their mistress, Huo Yingyun. Naturally, Huo Yingyun summoned Xiangwu right away for questioning.

As Xiangwu made her way in, Yueqing pulled her aside and whispered surreptitiously, "Watch your step in there! The young mistress was punished by the Marquis and has been in a foul mood. Her temper’s been explosive these past few days!"

Xiangwu had already been feeling guilty and jittery over the whole situation with the Marquis; hearing this only made her heart hammer harder. She crept into the room trembling with apprehension and immediately fell to her knees to kowtow before her mistress.

Truth be told, Huo Yingyun ‘had’ been practically suffocating with frustration these past few days.

Her mind was entirely consumed by young Master Chu of the Chu family. She desperately wanted to get their marriage finalized as soon as possible, but without a mother in the household to take charge, there was no one to manage such affairs. Her father was perpetually buried in official business; either he didn't care enough, or he assumed she was still too young to even think about marriage, meaning he hadn't brought it up once.

As a proper young lady, she obviously couldn't just barge over to his house and blurt out, "Hey, I want to marry you!" Her only option was to find a way to get the Chu family to take a fancy to her and come knocking on her door with a marriage proposal.

Young Master Chu, loll lol qChu Tanyun,was a remarkably handsome and elegant young man, a rare catch whom countlessly many noble households in Anding Prefecture had their eyes on. Yet the youth was somewhat proud and haughty; he might not even spare her a second glance.

All of this made Huo Yingyun understandably anxious.

Who could have guessed that right at this critical juncture, she would end up grounded in the Marquis’s estate, forbidden to set foot outside, and hit with one punishment after another? For a moment, Huo Yingyun was so furious she could have cried.

‘Oh, Father, Father!’she thought bitterly. ‘Do you even realize I am a young lady about to reach the age of fifteen? I'm right in the bloom of my youth! How could you punish me like this?!’

Yet, could she actually break it all down and spell it out for her father? She didn't dare.

She and her younger brother had grown up in absolute awe and terror of their father; getting close to him to confide such things was entirely out of the question.

In the blink of an eye, over ten days had passed. The letter Huo Yingyun had tried so hard to sneak out to young Master Chu had sunk like a stone into the sea not a single reply came back. She was frantic, pacing like an ant on a hot skillet. Just earlier, during her afternoon nap, she had fallen into a hazy dream where Chu Tanyun walked up to her and casually announced that he was already engaged to a lady from another family, with the wedding set for a few days' time.

That nightmare had only added fuel to her anxiety. She sat there feeling deeply unsettled all over, when suddenly she received word that Xiangwu was back. Naturally, she had the girl brought straight in.

Speaking of Xiangwu, Huo Yingyun felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of resentment. If it hadn't been for Xiangwu’s mess, how could she have been punished so harshly by her father in the first place?

To make matters worse, when Xiangwu came in and knelt to kowtow, Huo Yingyun couldn't help but notice the maid's snow-white skin, bright eyes, and dewy, captivating aura. The girl actually looked even more supple and alluring than before. Seeing this, Huo Yingyun liked her even less.

"I take it you suffered quite a bit, locked away in the back court these past few days?"

"It... it was all right," Xiangwu stammered. She didn't dare bring up the Marquis for fear of scaring the young mistress out of her wits, so she could only say, "I didn't suffer too much, really. Just got a bit of a fright and endured a little pain for a few days. My only regret was being unable to serve at Miss's side... I missed you dearly."

That part was actually the honest truth. It was just that the "fright" came from her mistress’s father, and the "endured pain" was from being thoroughly manhandled by her mistress’s father, too.

Huo Yingyun snorted. "Get up. Tell me what actually happened in the study back then. How did Father reward you, and how on earth did you provoke him into giving you such a severe punishment?"

Xiangwu rose to her feet and gave a brief, simplified account of receiving the reward—conveniently leaving out the parts where the Marquis had pinned her against the curio cabinet in all sorts of shameless ways.

However, she was terrible at lying. Trying to cover one hole only left another exposed, and when she brought up Guard Cheng, her words slipped, leaving a trail of clues that Huo Yingyun instantly seized upon.

Huo Yingyun fixed her gaze on Xiangwu. "A guard? You just mentioned a guard?"

Xiangwu’s cheeks flushed a soft pink. She lowered her head and whispered, "Um... yes."

"How do you know his surname is Cheng?"

Xiangwu was suddenly at a total loss for words. "Because... well, because..."

Watching Xiangwu's flustered reaction, a sudden realization dawned on Huo Yingyun, followed by a surge of amusement. To think this little maidservant was actually thinking about men now! And she certainly had high hopes, setting her sights on a royal guard.

At this thought, Huo Yingyun burst out laughing, her mood instantly brightening. "What, are you hoping to get married?"

Xiangwu bit her lower lip, a wave of embarrassment and shame washing over her heart.

She ‘did’ want to get married, to marry a man who would take her as his lawful main wife. But keeping such thoughts hidden in her heart and quietly plotting on her own was one thing; having her own young mistress blurt it out so brazenly felt deeply humiliating, as though her secret, gloomy little desires were being dangled right in front of her.

Seeing Xiangwu looking so thoroughly flustered, Huo Yingyun laughed even harder. "Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of! Since you have this idea, when the time comes, I’ll naturally take charge and match you with a good man."

As for her younger brother, Huo Yingyun certainly didn't want Xiangwu to become his concubine anyway.

That day, her brother had rushed over to beg their father, only for their black-faced father to shut him down instantly and order him into self-reflection behind closed doors. Huo Yingyun had pondered it carefully: it was obvious their father disliked the little maid and had no intention of letting her stay by her brother's side.

Therefore, shipping Xiangwu off at an early date was actually a rather fine outcome for everyone involved.

Xiangwu kept her head bowed, not daring to utter a single peep.

If the Marquis hadn't gotten involved, her mistress marrying her off to a guard or an errand boy,and then leaving with the other maids when she got married,would mean Xiangwu could go along as a married woman. That way, the new brother-in-law wouldn't cast eyes on her, which would have been the absolute best outcome for both herself and her mistress.

Except, now that the Marquis was involved, if her young mistress wanted to match her with some ordinary fellow, it would likely be completely impossible.

Huo Yingyun narrowed her eyes, staring at Xiangwu while thinking to herself:’What is the meaning of this? Could I have guessed wrong,is she actually unwilling?’

‘It seems this little maid has got quite high aspirations after all.’

---

After stepping out of her mistress's room, Xiangwu felt her mind in complete disarray.

Originally, her goals were simple: just find a man and get married. She didn't even care whether he was rich or poor, handsome or ugly,as long as their social status matched and he could marry her as his proper main wife. For that goal, she had been ready to risk it all.

But now... she had been "that-ed" by the Marquis.

After being "that-ed" by the Marquis, was she even pure anymore? Could she still marry a man? Would any man still want her? Did any man even ‘dare’ to want her? And even if a man was brave enough to take her, could she actually manage to get married without a hitch?.

These were all massive problems...

Xiangwu felt as though the sheer weight of these questions pressing down on her shoulders was simply too heavy to bear.

Feeling completely drained, she dragged her bundle of belongings back to her own room. Inside, Yueqing, Yunruo, and the other girls instantly swarmed around her.

The girls all chattered away at once, asking if she had suffered, or if the young mistress had made things difficult for her. Xiangwu gave half-hearted answers to their questions. Since none of them knew about the Marquis treating her to bird's nest soup and gifting her a gold bracelet, she didn't dare utter a word about it, terrified of scaring them out of their wits.

Seeing that she seemed to be mostly fine, the other maids breathed a sigh of relief and began catching her up on what had happened in the courtyard over the past few days.

It turned out that Nanny Li and her entire family had been thrown out of the estate, landing in an utterly miserable state. Yueqing sneered, "Serves them right!"

Yunruo and Huameng naturally voiced their agreement.

Then they moved on to discussing the young mistress—how foul her mood had been, and how they had been run ragged while tending to her whims.

Yunruo let out a soft sigh. "Honestly, it’s nothing new. We’re here to serve people. If the master’s in a bad mood, we just have to suffer along with them. What else can we do?"

Yueqing’s eyes turned red around the rims. "I used to dream about becoming the young master's concubine so I could enjoy wealth and glory. Back then, when Xiangwu advised me against it, saying being a concubine was a terrible idea, I actually thought Xiangwu was being stupid. Looking back now, even if you become a concubine, you’re still not a proper master. So what if you get to enjoy fine clothes and gourmet food? You’d still spend every single day getting picked on!"

Yunruo and Huameng nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Fine clothes and rich food aren't even that big of a deal. We ought to listen to Xiangwu,she's right, we can't become concubines."

Xiangwu’s mind shifted. Remembering those gorgeous silk garments, that rich bird's nest soup, and that heavy, glittering gold bracelet, she couldn't help but whisper in a tiny voice, "Actually... fine clothes and gourmet food are..."

Who could have guessed that before she could even finish, Yunruo piped up loudly, "Xiangwu, you are so right! As great as fine clothes and gourmet food are, being a concubine is awful! It’s still way better to marry properly!"

Yueqing chimed in: "I used to call Xiangwu stupid, but now I realize Xiangwu is the one who’s got it all figured out!"

Huameng sighed. "It’s just that the rest of us didn't get it before."

Xiangwu: "..."

She had actually wanted to say that fine clothes and gourmet food were ‘really’ nice, and that anyone saying otherwise simply hadn't gotten to enjoy them yet.

However, taking one look at the grand consensus in the room, she didn't dare make another sound.

---

After Xiangwu returned, Young Master Huo Yingfeng naturally came looking for her twice. Both times he showed up, his eyes were rimmed with red. He told her his father had traveled to the capital city of Yanjing for an imperial audience with the Emperor, but once his father returned, he would beg him all over again.

"No matter what, I must beg Father to give you to me. I won't ever let you suffer again." Huo Yingfeng stared at her, his eyes tracing her slender, delicate waist and the generous swell above it. "Xiangwu, just look at you—you’ve grown so thin these past few days!"

Xiangwu let out a quiet sigh. "Young Master, please refrain from teasing me. Xiangwu is of humble origin and would never dare dream of climbing above her station."

"Xiangwu, why must you say such things?" Huo Yingfeng protested. "When have I ever looked down on you? We grew up together; you ought to know how I feel about you."

Xiangwu felt a headache coming on. ‘Why couldn't she make him understand?’ She decided to just lay it all out: "Young Master, I'll just speak plainly. Lowly as my status may be, if I am to marry, I do not wish to be looked down upon. My husband could be poor, life could be tough, I wouldn't even mind if he was a cripple,I only ask that he treats me like a human being."

Huo Yingfeng instantly caught her drift. He went silent for a moment, grit his teeth, and finally resolved his mind. "Xiangwu, if you follow me, I will definitely beg Father. Even if it makes him furious, I'll still go beg him. No matter what, I will secure a proper status for you."

Hearing these words, Xiangwu’s heart actually fluttered a little.

She lifted her head to look at Huo Yingfeng.

The young master was around her age, handsome and refined—a young noble whose good looks made countless maidservants in the estate pine after him.

Even though she knew full well the Marquis would never agree, and that his promises were nothing more than a fool's daydream, she was still somewhat touched. At the very least, he was willing to say such things and harbored such intentions for her.

Noticing the shift in Xiangwu's expression, Huo Yingfeng took a deep breath and made a solemn promise: "Xiangwu, I’ve liked you ever since we were children. How could I ever wrong you? I definitely won't degrade you to a mere bedchamber maid,no matter what, I will make sure you become my concubine."

The moment the word "concubine" hit her ears, it felt as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped straight over her head. The warm wave of emotion that had just begun brewing in her chest instantly went cold, chilled right to the core.

Meanwhile, Huo Yingfeng was still pouring his heart out to her, gushing about how deeply he cared for her and how worried he had been over the past few days.

Xiangwu stared blankly at Huo Yingfeng’s lips moving up and down in front of her. In her daze, she realized with painful clarity just how shockingly low her status really was. Even if she didn't become a bedchamber maid, being raised to a ‘concubine’ was already considered a monumental act of charity.

Well, she thought, ‘if I have to be a concubine either way, why on earth would I be one for the son when the father wants me too?’

‘If I just go flatter the Marquis, become his bedchamber maid, and pop out a son or daughter for him... it's not like I couldn't score the title of a concubine there instead’.

Xiangwu cast one final glance at Huo Yingfeng, turned on her heel, and walked straight away.

Huo Yingfeng reached out, instantly trying to grab her by the arm. "Xiangwu, what's wrong?"

Wasn't everything going fine just a second ago?

Xiangwu turned her face up to look at Huo Yingfeng. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but she forced them back with everything she had.

In truth, she knew she couldn't blame Huo Yingfeng. His position and status were right there for all to see: he was the Marquis's only son, destined to inherit the noble title one day. Half the lands across the rich, prosperous Anding Prefecture belonged to his family, and countlessly many people lived by his every whim and fancy.

A man like him could naturally never imagine marrying someone of her humble background as his proper wife.

Even offering to make her a concubine was already a monumental display of the young master’s favor.

As for that wild pipe dream of hers? Speaking it out loud would probably make people laugh their teeth right out of their heads.

She bit her lip, holding it all in, and then forced a slight smile as she spoke to Huo Yingfeng: "Thank you for your favor, Young Master. However... in this lifetime, Xiangwu will absolutely ‘never’ become Young Master's concubine. I must ask the Young Master not to trouble himself over Xiangwu any longer."

With that, she yanked her arm out of Huo Yingfeng's grip and went on her way without a backward glance.

Huo Yingfeng was left completely dumbfounded. He hadn't the faintest idea what had just happened. Everything had been going so smoothly,so why on earth did she suddenly look like she was about to burst into tears?

Did he say something wrong?!

Read only on https://royaltywrites.com.ng/

We hope you enjoyed this chapter! You can vote for this novel translation and drop a review on Novel Updates!

Show support by clicking on the support button below!❤️

← Previous Next →

Table of Contents

Rate this translation!