After refusing marriage, she was pampered by the prince who acted as a shield.

Chapter 35: Design

Just as Si Yu was about to ask further, Lin Rusi suddenly stood up.

“Mother, I suddenly remembered that there are some things that haven’t been taken care of at the Star-Picking Pavilion.”

"I'm going back now. I'll come visit my mother again next time."

Before Si Yu could even open her mouth, Lin Rusi turned and left without looking back.

Watching Lin Rusi's hurried figure, Si Yu shook her head helplessly, "Look how anxious this child is, what could possibly make her so flustered?"

After leaving the Peony Pavilion, Lin Rusi's mind was in a state of confusion.

She thought she had become different from her previous life, but she didn't expect that she only had more memories and lessons, and that there was no difference in essence.

This feeling made Lin Rusi feel very frustrated, and she didn't like it.

As Lin Rusi turned around with a sullen face, someone rushed towards her.

Fortunately, Lin Rusi reacted quickly and was not hit.

The other person wasn't so lucky; while dodging, he lost his balance and landed hard on his backside.

Lin Rusi looked closely and saw that the person who came was none other than Hongxiu, whom she had just seen off.

"Hongxiu, what are you doing here?"

"Second Miss, please help me!"

Hongxiu's tears fell in a stream, and she lay prostrate on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lin Rusi frowned, somewhat bewildered, completely unaware of what Hongxiu was doing.

Hongxiu knelt on the ground, clutching the edge of her skirt with a look of grievance, and cried out, "Second Miss, you must do justice for me."

"I don't want to stay by Miss Chang's side anymore."

"Please give me another chance, Miss, so that I can return to your side, considering how long I've served you!"

Lin Rusi found Hongxiu's crying and fussing annoying. She helped Hongxiu up and said patiently, "Get up and talk things out. What kind of talk is this, crying like this?"

Hongxiu stood up with red eyes, looking utterly aggrieved.

Lin Rusi sighed, "What's wrong with my sister? Why do you want to come back to me like this?"

Hongxiu sniffled her reddened nose and choked back tears as she pulled up her sleeve.

The exposed part of his arm was covered in bruises, with not an inch of intact skin visible.

Lin Rusi's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "What is this?"

"Second Miss, these were all done by the Eldest Miss."

She lowered her head, tears falling again. "Miss Chang doesn't trust me at all. Whatever I do, she becomes paranoid."

"She would take out her anger on the servants whenever she was unhappy."

Hongxiu pouted, her face scrunched up like a bitter gourd.

"Second Miss, please let me return to your side."

Hongxiu looked intently into Lin Rusi's eyes, raised three fingers, and solemnly began to swear.

"Second Miss, I promise."

"I'll do anything to get me back to your side, even be your slave."

Lin Rusi took two steps back with a stiff face, instantly creating distance between herself and Hongxiu.

Hongxiu's expression froze on her face as she stared blankly at Lin Rusi, who exuded an icy aura.

"Don't come to me crying."

Lin Rusi's lips twitched twice, and her smile as she looked at Hongxiu was as cold as ice.

“You didn’t do your best when you were by my side, and now that I’m letting you go to Lin Ruqin’s side as you wished, you’re starting to complain again.”

"What, is the vast Lin mansion not big enough for you?"

Lin Rusi's voice also turned cold and hard, like a sharp blade piercing into Hongxiu's chest.

Hongxiu was speechless, wanting to explain, but before she could finish, Lin Rusi cut her off, saying, "You don't need to say anything more. I've already sent you over, and I won't ask for you back."

"Second Miss, things aren't as you think."

Lin Rusi didn't have much patience to listen to Hongxiu's explanation any longer. "That's what I saw."

Instead of crying and begging to come back to me, you should think about how to please your current master.

Hongxiu clenched her fists, her face pale and bloodless.

Lin Rusi glanced at her casually, then walked past her without turning her head.

Warm Spring Pavilion.

Hongxiu lowered her head and carefully walked in.

Lin Ruqin was illustrating when she heard footsteps and glanced over lazily.

Then, with a snap, the excess flower branches were cut off.

"How is it?"

Hongxiu held her breath and whispered, "Second Miss doesn't believe me at all."

"And she knew about my connection with the eldest young lady a long time ago."

As soon as she finished speaking, Hongxiu knelt down with a thud, followed by another muffled thud.

Her forehead slammed hard against the ground, but Lin Ruqin didn't even flinch. She calmly trimmed another flower branch.

Hongxiu's eyes darted around, clearly frightened. "It's all my fault for being so stupid. I can't even do something this simple. Please punish me, Second Miss."

Unable to fathom Lin Rusi's thoughts, Lin Ruqin had Hongxiu stage a self-inflicted injury to deceive Lin Rusi.

He wanted to reintegrate Hongxiu into Lin Rusi's side to achieve his own goals.

However, Lin Rusi was not buying it.

"You failed to handle the task I assigned you, so punishment is inevitable. But how should it be?"

Hongxiu's body trembled like a leaf, and she said in a trembling voice, "Do as you see fit, Miss."

"Then give them ten lashes."

Lin Ruqin curled her lips into a smile, but to Hongxiu, her smile was tinged with a chilling coldness.

Hongxiu immediately lowered her eyes, ignoring the fact that her gaze would meet Lin Ruqin's again.

"If it weren't for your self-awareness, things would have gone far beyond just ten strokes of the cane today."

"Remember this from now on: think before you act, and don't make this mistake again!"

"Yes."

Hongxiu pinched the handle, and for the first time, a feeling of regret welled up in her heart.

She would get beaten when she was with Lin Rusi, but that was only because she had done something wrong.

And it wasn't a spanking, just a slap in the face.

Lin Ruqin, on the other hand, made her take ten lashes.

If she were to receive ten strokes of the cane, she probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed for ten days or half a month.

Hongxiu dared not deny it, so she could only swallow her grievances and endure the ten lashes.

After ten strokes of the cane, Hongxiu fainted, her lower body a bloody mess, completely unrecognizable.

When Hongxiu slowly woke up, she didn't know what time it was.

She felt a tightness in her throat and a dry mouth.

Hongxiu wrung out the bed sheet and said with difficulty, "I want water, who will give me some water..."

She coughed violently a few times and found that no one was around.

Hongxiu felt like her throat was on fire, and had no choice but to force herself to get off the bed despite the cramping pain in her buttocks.

Perhaps she has recovered somewhat, as Hongxiu can walk with a limp, though at a slow pace.

"I want to drink water."

The kettle in Hongxiu's room was empty, so she had no choice but to go to the kitchen to get water.

As she passed the study, Hongxiu vaguely heard conversations coming from inside.

"Miss, what should we do with Hongxiu?"