Quick Transmigration: The Villain Is Too Pampered and Alluring - Chapter 57

Liu Rumian was crying sadly and pitifully, while Sheng Nuan stood obediently, not daring to draw any attention to herself, afraid of getting into trouble.

Just then, she noticed Su Lan walking towards her.

Su Lan approached Sheng Nuan, holding a box in her hands. “This is a reward from Her Highness the Princess for Miss Sheng.”

Sheng Nuan found this title a bit strange but didn’t dwell on it. After all, the one addressing her was a princess. Not to mention Miss Sheng, even if she were called Little Sheng Boy, she’d still have to respond politely.

Sheng Nuan quickly accepted the jewelry box with both hands. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Su Lan added, “Her Highness prefers peace and quiet, so you don’t need to come and pay your respects every day from now on…”

Sheng Nuan held the heavy box and felt a bit disappointed… If she didn’t come, that big golden bracelet might be gone.

Just then, Princess Lin’an, seated above, suddenly spoke in a cold tone, “What’s this? Miss Sheng seems a little disappointed to hear she won’t need to come and pay respects.”

Wow, you can even tell that?

Sheng Nuan shivered slightly, then quickly lifted her head and threw out a string of rainbow farts, “Your Highness’s divine appearance is like drinking the nectar and dew of immortals. That’s why I felt a bit disappointed…”

“Oh, is that so…”

Then, Sheng Nuan heard Princess Lin’an say, “In that case, you may come alone from now on to pay your respects.”

The corners of Sheng Nuan’s mouth twitched. She realized she had overdone it with her flattery, but it wasn’t too big a deal. She quickly lowered her head and respectfully thanked the princess.

After leaving the princess’s quarters, Sheng Nuan walked back with Liu Rumian, who was supported by her personal maid, Wen’er, as she walked and wiped her tears. Sheng Nuan’s personal maid, Qing’er, was being extra cautious and didn’t dare to make a sound.

In the Jingluan Courtyard, Su Lan carefully watched the princess and said thoughtfully, “Your Highness, that Madam Sheng is not easy to deal with. She clearly used Your Highness’s hand to punish Madam Liu.”

If she truly meant to help, she wouldn’t have waited until after Madam Liu was slapped. Besides, when Madam Liu was being punished, Madam Sheng’s eyes were full of schadenfreude—she didn’t even bother to hide it.

This is obviously taking advantage of the princess’s authority to bully others…

Su Lan was a bit angry but then noticed that the princess didn’t seem bothered. “She didn’t deliberately conceal her intentions… Otherwise, why do you think she flattered so much?”

Hearing the princess’s words, Su Lan was speechless. She mumbled quietly, “Madam Sheng is a proper official’s daughter. How can she be so shameless?”

Her flattery flows effortlessly, her face full of sincerity while spouting nonsense.

Then she heard her master chuckle softly.

Princess Lin’an thought again of that woman… Even with greens stuck between her teeth, she had the nerve to thump her chest and insist on being called a fairy.

The same shameless lies without a second thought, the same casual demeanor without an ounce of decorum, yet deep down, there was still that inexplicable arrogance embedded in her very bones…

“She can flatter this Princess without batting an eye because, to her, it’s just a means to an end. She doesn’t see it as something that makes her any less dignified.”

Just like back then, that person had once said to him in the Cold Palace: “To survive in the palace, when you have no one to rely on, you need to learn to bend and borrow the strength of others… Pride without power to back it up will only make people want to stomp you deeper into the mud…”

Su Lan’s expression tightened, and she quickly bowed and apologized, “It was this slave’s fault for speaking out of turn…”

Outside, Sheng Nuan was walking and opened the box to check her new reward. Inside was a strand of deep bl00d-red coral beads. The beads were extremely lustrous and flawless, and even at first glance, she knew it was very valuable.

Up ahead, Liu Rumian continued sobbing as she walked, and Sheng Nuan whispered to Qing’er, “Look, isn’t this bracelet really beautiful?”

Liu Rumian up ahead immediately started crying even louder… no longer showing any of the previous arrogance she had when boasting to Sheng Nuan about her “illness.”

Xiao Dingcheng, worried that his sweetheart would be wronged, hadn’t gone far. When Sheng Nuan and Liu Rumian left Jingluan Courtyard, they immediately saw him rushing towards them.

The moment Xiao Dingcheng saw Liu Rumian’s swollen, tear-streaked face, his expression darkened.

“What’s wrong, Mian Mian? What happened?”

“Young Duke…”

Liu Rumian threw herself into Xiao Dingcheng’s arms, sobbing, “It’s all this concubine’s fault. I’m not as good as Sister Sheng who can win the princess’s favor… boo hoo…”

Xiao Dingcheng’s expression immediately changed. He turned a cold gaze to Sheng Nuan and asked sternly, “Miss Sheng, what did you say to the princess? What happened? Why was Mian Mian punished by the princess?”

Sheng Nuan’s face went blank, as if she were startled. Stammering, she explained, “I-I didn’t say anything. The princess’s maid asked her to kneel, and when Sister Liu knelt, she started crying. The princess got angry…”

Sheng Nuan bit her lip and added softly, “I even begged the princess not to punish her, seeing as it was our first day in the manor. That’s why the princess stopped.”

Xiao Dingcheng froze and looked down at Liu Rumian. “Is that how it happened?”

After all, in front of the princess, Liu Rumian didn’t dare to say anything untrue and could only nod while biting her lips… She couldn’t explain that the princess hadn’t made Sheng Nuan kneel but had made her kneel, which would suggest disrespect towards the princess.

Seeing Liu Rumian nod, Xiao Dingcheng’s expression became awkward.

Liu Rumian’s earlier words had led him to believe Sheng Nuan had said something to the princess that caused her to be punished, so he scolded Sheng Nuan without thinking.

Now, seeing Sheng Nuan standing there, biting her lip and looking down, Xiao Dingcheng’s expression changed several times. Given that he was supposed to dote on Sheng Nuan, he had no choice but to release Liu Rumian and walk over to Sheng Nuan to comfort her gently. “It’s alright, this Heir didn’t mean to blame you.”

He lowered his voice, speaking softly, “You and Mian Mian entered the manor on the same day. You should help and take care of each other in the future.”

Seeing his gentle tone, Sheng Nuan’s expression instantly brightened. She smiled at him and said softly, “Don’t worry, Husband, I’ll take good care of Sister Liu.”

The way she said “take care” seemed a bit too heavy, and Xiao Dingcheng felt like something was off. But when he looked at her again, he found Sheng Nuan smiling so genuinely and even blinking at him. “Husband, what’s wrong?”

Having unjustly reprimanded her earlier, Xiao Dingcheng couldn’t bring himself to correct her form of address now, so he simply went along with it, saying, “Nuan Nuan truly is wonderful.”

Behind them, Liu Rumian silently clenched her handkerchief…

Out of the corner of her eye, Sheng Nuan noticed Liu Rumian’s reaction, finding it quite amusing. She deliberately moved a little closer to Xiao Dingcheng, wrapping her arms around his and coyly said, “Husband, I was going to give you a gift yesterday, but I didn’t get a chance to see you last night. How about coming with me now, and I’ll fetch it for you?”

Having spent the previous night in Liu Rumian’s Feixu Courtyard, Xiao Dingcheng naturally had no excuse to refuse Sheng Nuan’s invitation, especially since he needed to maintain the appearance of doting on her.

Thus, Xiao Dingcheng turned to Liu Rumian and spoke softly, “Mian Mian, go back and rest for now. I’ll come see you later.”

Liu Rumian covered her face with her handkerchief, her lips quivering as she held back her words…

She reminded herself that Xiao Dingcheng was only placating Sheng Nuan so that she would continue serving as a shield for her…