Chapter 30: The General's Mansion, Liu Yan'er

Liu Yan’er kept her head lowered, silent, her restless fingers twisting the hem of her robe. If Chu Junhan hadn’t remembered her smug, triumphant demeanor, she might have been swayed by the girl’s pitiful appearance and softened her heart. Staring at the delicate girl before her, Chu Junhan ground her teeth in frustration, the corner of her lips curling into a wicked smile. “Your name is Liu Yan’er?”

“Mm, mm!” Liu Yan’er abruptly looked up, nodding her head like a chick pecking at grain.

If I can’t kill you, at least I can teach you a lesson.

“Do you know how to do the horse stance?” Chu Junhan stood with hands clasped behind her back, resembling a little adult.

“Yan’er doesn’t know,” Liu Yan’er replied, her eyes filled with confusion, her demeanor innocent and harmless.

Who could have guessed that twelve years later, she would become so venomous?

“Would you like me to teach you?”

Liu Yan’er stared straight into Chu Junhan’s eyes, unblinking; it was the first time she’d dared to meet her gaze directly. “I want to learn the horse stance from you. Your eyes are so bright, like stars! What is your name?”

Chu Junhan raised her foot and kicked the inside of Liu Yan’er’s leg, making her cry out in pain.

“Don’t move. Spread your legs, squat properly! Arms parallel, head up, chest out! Remember this well—I am Chu Junhan. I’ll make sure you never forget this name for the rest of your life!”

Liu Yan’er squatted awkwardly, and Chu Junhan delivered another kick—not too hard or soft, enough to hurt but not bruise. “Don’t move!”

“May… may I call you Junhan?” Liu Yan’er bit her lip, struggling to hold the stance, her face flushed red.

“Suit yourself.” Chu Junhan found a stone bench and sat down, arms folded, nodding slightly as she admired Liu Yan’er’s silhouette.

“Junhan, may I rest a bit? My… my legs are numb…” Liu Yan’er’s cheeks were rosy, speaking with difficulty.

Chu Junhan took a pastry from the maid and chewed slowly. “No. The horse stance is all about perseverance. In life, you must have determination; how can you give up so easily?”

“Determination?” Liu Yan’er bit her lip again, saying nothing, a steely resolve appearing in her eyes—far too fierce for someone her age.

She truly needed to be determined, or else her father wouldn’t love her.

No one knew how long she squatted; then, with a thud, Liu Yan’er’s eyes rolled back and she fainted.

The maid from the Liu household, who had followed them, was thrown into a panic and rushed over to cradle her mistress. “Miss! Miss! Wake up~”

“Someone, fetch a doctor! My young mistress has fainted~” The maid knelt on the ground, holding the unconscious girl, her face filled with anxiety.

The maid standing behind Chu Junhan also began to panic, glancing nervously at the Liu family’s young mistress nearby. “Young master, should I go find a doctor?”

“No need,” Chu Junhan replied, a satisfied smile on her lips. “She’s simply exhausted. Let her rest and she’ll be fine.”

“You say that so lightly—it’s not you who fainted! My mistress is a precious lady; how can she be compared to someone as coarse as you?” The maid was so anxious that tears welled in her eyes. If anything happened to her young mistress, she would surely be punished, regardless of Chu Junhan’s status in the Chu household.

“How dare you speak to my young master like that? Do you wish to die?” The maid who had just offered to fetch a doctor squared her shoulders and blocked Chu Junhan, displaying fierce loyalty.

Chu Junhan scoffed. They had barely returned to Pingzhou; she didn’t even know the names of these maids. Was there truly any deep bond between master and servant?

Such actions were merely attempts to escalate the situation and stir up trouble.

Who knew if this maid was another spy planted by some minister in the General’s manor?