Chapter Forty: Do You Still Want Your Hand?

Chapter Forty: Do You Still Want Your Hand?

"My, little lady, you smell delightful."

The second young master of the Sun family took a whiff of the faint sweetness in the air, a lewd smile on his face.

"What a beauty! What a beauty!"

Xie Huaiqian was furious. "How dare you behave so outrageously!"

"I'm complimenting the little lady." The second young master of the Sun family glanced at Xie Huaiqian with a look of utter disdain, his tone frivolous. "Such a beauty is hard to come by in Changxi Village. This young master is utterly enchanted."

"Little lady, you haven't told this young master your name yet."

He then untied the jade pendant from his waist and played with it in his hand. "As long as the little lady is willing to share her name, this jade pendant will be yours."

The second young master of the Sun family was growing more interested and was willing to show more patience in front of such a beauty.

Lu Mingchao remained expressionless, a flash of disgust passing through her eyes.

This is really going to make her sick.

So oily, no need to worry about sticking to the pan during cremation.

Might need to wash my eyes after this!

"First, show some respect."

"Second, no room for you here."

Then, she lifted her eyelids slightly and rolled her eyes. "Qi Rui, right? Since you call A Yan 'Uncle Xie,' you should address me as 'Aunt.'"

"Whoever brought you should take responsibility. If you serve well, the monthly salary will be secure."

"Back at the manor, we all lived under one roof. Now that we're back in the countryside, you start to be particular."

Qi Rui's face turned a mix of green and white, half from anger and half from jealousy.

The second young master of the Sun family, however, became even more interested. Compared to a delicate and helpless beauty, he preferred one with some fight. Taming her would be both a challenge and a pleasure.

A great joy in life.

"Little lady, this young master is usually very dignified. But seeing a beauty like you makes this young master dizzy."

"This jade pendant, please accept this gift, my dear."

"I heard from little Rui that the owner of this yard is a hunter. Life must be tough for you, little lady."

"In the future, at any grain shop under the Sun family name in Changhe County, you can mention this young master's name."

"This young master is willing to support your family, little lady. Shouldn’t you return the favor?"

The second young master of the Sun family's greasy hand reached toward Lu Mingchao's cheek, as if wanting to pick up a strand of hair falling on her temples to smell its fragrance, or maybe to touch her smooth, jade-like cheek.

Lu Mingchao did not flinch or avoid. She pulled out a sharp, gleaming cleaver from her cloak, gripped the handle, and sneered. "The Sun family, is it something extraordinary?"

"Second young master Sun, do you still want your hand?"

First, show respect, then resort to force if needed.

She showed respect.

But some people are born to be beasts in human clothing.

The second young master of the Sun family froze with his hand in mid-air, his face dark as night.

A beauty with thorns is charming, but a beauty with a knife is lethal.

"I was just teasing you, miss. Was that really necessary?" said the second young master of the Sun family, pretending to casually retract his hand.

Lu Mingchao raised an eyebrow and asked very seriously, "Was it really necessary, Second Master Sun? I just didn’t laugh."

"First, you trespassed, then you acted all flirty with a decent woman. Second young master of the Sun family, you truly are a man of passion."

"By the way, Qi Rui, since you care so much about the second young master and he is so close to you, you must have repaid him quite often in ways he likes."

Qi Rui, furious, blurted out, "I haven’t."

"How can you smear an innocent maiden like me?"

Lu Mingchao’s expression was playful. "Didn’t you bring this mess on yourself?"

"We, mother and I, have repeatedly refused, yet you and your young master act like animals that can’t understand human speech, pushing us relentlessly and even trying to tear down our gate."

"These past two or three years, you’ve eaten and used much from our household. Even a dog knows to wag its tail after being treated well."

"This just shows that some people are lower than animals."

Qi Rui was so embarrassed she could hardly show her face. "I just wanted the young master to stay for one night, a small favor, why did you have to make it sound so ugly?"

"Sorry, but as you can see, I’m not exactly a saint," Lu Mingchao sighed, running her fingers along the blade. "Of course, I’m not heartless either. Since you two have such a special bond, how about one finger for one night’s stay?"

"Qi Rui, you’ll agree, won’t you?"

Lodging? Does she really think I don’t see what she’s up to?

Qi Rui’s face was filled with terror, and she couldn’t help but take two steps back. In the cold wind, her body shivered uncontrollably.

The second young master of the Sun family’s eyes flickered with a glint of light, but it vanished in an instant.

The beauty made his heart race with desire, wanting to kiss her right there, but he was also scared for his life.

For a moment, the scene was eerily quiet.

"Very good."

"In the future, before being generous at someone else’s expense, weigh carefully what you are."

Lu Mingchao patted Qi Rui’s shoulder with the flat of the knife, and strands of hair fell into the wind. "Your shady little tricks might work on some idiots, but don’t assume everyone’s a fool."

The second young master of the Sun family felt like she was pointing at him.

Was he a fool?

No, he wasn’t.

He is a rich brat, after all.

Lu Mingchao noticed the thick-headedness in the second young master Sun's eyes.

He was truly sleazy, and also truly stupid.

"Second young master Sun."

Ignoring the terrified Qi Rui, Lu Mingchao swung the kitchen knife towards the second young master Sun’s neck. "When Qi Rui lured you here, didn't she mention my identity?"

The second young master Sun was practically peeing his pants in fear.

The servant boy by his side didn't dare move a muscle, afraid that Lu Mingchao might slip and the kitchen knife would fall, turning his young master into a headless corpse.

The second young master Sun swallowed hard and stammered, "Isn’t she just some hunter’s little wife?"

Feeling humiliated and furious at being intimidated by a seemingly delicate woman, he wanted to show off his manliness. But the moment his eyes landed on the cold, gleaming kitchen knife, he instinctively retreated, deciding it wouldn't be so bad to just endure this.

Lu Mingchao sneered.

A hunter’s little wife, huh?

Xie Yan didn’t need a fragile, defenseless wife.

And she refused to be a weak wife dependent on Xie Yan.

"Tsk," Lu Mingchao clicked her tongue. "Second young master Sun, it seems this maid of yours has some rather sinister intentions."

"Xie Yan is indeed a hunter."

"And I am indeed his wife."

"But I lived in the Yongning Marquis family in the Upper Capital for over fifteen years as a legitimate young miss. Tell me, even if the real daughter comes to claim her place, and this fake daughter leaves the estate, would the Yongning Marquis family really not care about the safety of their adopted daughter and allow some insignificant grain merchant to bully me?"

With great power comes great opportunity—especially when it’s the power of the Yongning Marquis family.

She wasn’t worried about being exposed either.

Both the Yongning Marquis and his wife loved putting on shows, eager to project their virtue and kindness through her.

"You call yourself a young master, yet you’re just a pawn for a lowly maid. Not much of a master, are you?"

Blaming others is easy. Anyone can do that.

Mom is really something else.