Li Mei didn't know that the two brothers had a face off in the middle of the night. She woke up feeling extremely refreshed. Aside from the discomfort she felt when wearing that mask, she was fine.
Thus, she washed up first, and lingered around in the bathroom for a while to take her facial muscles and skin up. Only when she felt relaxed did she wear that mask all over again and walk out, fully dressed this time.
Since she had already decided to work as a military personnel, she would have to try her best to fit in.
After all, becoming a soldier was far better for her than being a beggar. Sure, she had her weak days, but it would motivate her more to thrash down the enemy with her sword or arrows when the time comes to vent her emotions outright.
Thus, thinking of the prince's words from the previous day, she knew that he had already arranged for a teacher for her. So she casually and elegantly walked forward, heading toward the outer court area of her house.
Just as she walked over, she saw Cao Haoran standing there as the servants stood in the corners of the room with their heads lowered. It almost looked as if the head teacher was checking up on his staff members, strictly glancing at every single one of them to see if either of them had committed an offense.
The entire place seemed to be shrouded with a trace of darkness and fear that snuck deep into the bones of the servants, making them tremble from head to toe. Then Li Mei watched as the prince walked further toward the fireplace and touched the surface with his finger.
A layer of dust settled onto his finger as his nose wrinkled. He directly turned toward the servants and looked at them coldly, "Is this how you guys clean the place up?"
The servants trembled under his cold gaze, but neither of them dared to speak a single word.
Their facial expressions made Cao Haoran feel even more displeased. He walked over to the servants and stood as if he were scolding his disobeying students.
"You're all fired. I'm going to hire a new bunch of people."
The servants' faces paled, but neither of them dared to voice out their disagreements. They only silently kept their heads lowered and continued to stand there as if they were about to disappear in shame.
Li Mei cleared her throat as she walked forward and said, "Your Highness, don't you think you were a bit too rude?"
She had seen how well they worked, and she knew that these people deserved a bit of respect. Since she had always lived in the lower aspects of society, she could connect to these people better than others. Thus, she knew exactly well how these people must feel when they all worked hard to please their master, and despite that, the man fired them on the slightest mistake.
Had they not overlooked this small thing, they wouldn't have been in such a predicament.
Li Mei understood well, and she really sympathized with them. At this point, she couldn't help but open her mouth and speak up for them, not realizing that she was only hitting her own foot with a hammer.
Cao Haoran was already in a terrible mood because of his younger brother, but now that this youth also decided to make him feel even more irritated, his lips curved up to form a cold smile without a trace of emotion. He stared at the youth so coldly that Li Mei instantly realized that she shouldn't have opened her mouth at all.
She gulped and finally opened her mouth to speak something and take her words back, but just as her voice was about to sound through her throat, the man spoke before her: "You know what, I'll keep them. I'll let them all stay right here and I'll personally pay them money, but, all the work from their behalf…. You're the one to do it, Li Chen. if there's a slight mistake in your household duties, you're going to make them suffer. Understood?"
He paused and looked coldly at the servants and said, "If either of you are seen helping her, you're going to be beaten to death."
Li Mei's face paled for a moment.
She was already going to do military training every single day, and only that should be enough to make her tired like heck. Now aside from that, she also had to do the household duties.
Did this person think she would be afraid of him even after being given such an order?
If he were talking to an ordinary person, that woman would end up running away from this place at once, but not Li Mei. She took this up as a challenge in her heart as the corners of her lips curved up. "Sure."
Her small, shocking reply made Cao Haoran stunned as he stared at the youth with a frown on his forehead. The young man seemed to look even more attractive than before, so much so that his heart couldn't help but thump in his chest. His chest felt warmer and warmer the more he looked at 'him' without blinking.
The next second, he turned his stiff face away and coughed, saying, "Good."
This person should have done some kind of alluring spell on him! Otherwise, how come he felt like this in his heart without any reason or rhythm?!
Yes, this might be it!
Cao Haoran ignored his emotions and turned to face the door, walking further away as he said, "Let's go. The trainer is waiting for us both."
Li Mei, who was also affected by his gaze, blinked away her glance and patted her cheeks. Her bottom lips jutted out as she pouted and thought to herself, 'Damn this prince! He's already so cold-hearted, then why am I still feeling this way for him?! He should have done something to me, hadn't he?'
She gritted her teeth and followed the man without speaking a single word.