Chapter 36: Hidden, Unspoken Affection
Maid B chuckled quietly. "You didn't see it last night, did you? The young master had her carried out of his room in the middle of the night. Now tell me, what do you think it means to be carried out at that hour?"
"No way!"
Liang Xiaoluo's ears were filled with the incessant chatter of gossiping maids, but she chose to stay silent, focusing on her work. Her calm only lasted until one of the maids deliberately knocked the coffee cup from her hands, shattering it on the floor. The maid cried out dramatically, "Oh no! How could you break the young master's favorite cup?"
Her shriek drew a crowd of onlookers, including Sister Liu from the neighboring shift, who froze in shock when she saw the scene.
"That's the young master's favorite cup!" Sister Liu exclaimed.
"Who broke it?" she demanded.
"Liu Jie, it was Liang Xiaoluo. She slipped—" Maid A quickly interjected.
Before she could finish, Sister Liu stormed over, grabbing Liang Xiaoluo by the ear. "What kind of idiot are you, breaking the young master's favorite cup?!"
Pain seared through Liang Xiaoluo as Sister Liu twisted her ear. She could hear the other maids stifling laughter as they watched her humiliation, but she bit her lip and said nothing.
"Oh, so you think staying silent will get you off the hook?" Sister Liu shouted, her grip tightening.
The pain grew worse, but Liang Xiaoluo refused to make a sound.
Sister Liu's eyes scanned the room, landing on a nearby kitchen knife. She dragged Liang Xiaoluo toward it, grabbed the blade, and sneered, "Which hand did you use to break the cup? I'll chop it off today!"
"It was her right hand," Maid A helpfully chimed in.
Liang Xiaoluo's resolve hardened. She didn't flinch. Whether she protested or not, she knew no one would believe her.
"Oh, stubborn, are we?" Sister Liu growled. "Let's see if you can stay quiet after this!"
She raised the knife high, ready to bring it down on Liang Xiaoluo's hand.
Liang Xiaoluo stared at the descending blade with wide eyes, bracing herself. The cold malice in the room confirmed a bitter truth—human nature could be so vile.
The other maids averted their faces, unable to bear the sight.
Just as the knife was about to strike, a calm yet mocking male voice rang out. "Sister Liu, I didn't know you enjoyed falsely accusing people."
The sudden interruption caused Sister Liu to freeze. She turned toward the voice, her grip loosening as the knife clattered to the floor. Her expression turned to one of shock and fear. "Third Young Master?!"
Standing amidst the crowd was none other than Ye Tianhao, the third son of the Ye family. Known for his mischievous demeanor, his current maturity seemed almost jarring.
Ye Tianhao approached with an amused smirk, his gaze fixed on Liang Xiaoluo. "Sister Liu," he said lazily, "since when did you become so cruel? I must've missed that about you."
"I—I wasn't…" Sister Liu stammered, her earlier bravado crumbling. "I was only doing this because she broke Second Young Master's favorite cup…"
"Ah, I see," Ye Tianhao said, cutting her off. "And you think that's an excuse for cruelty?" His sharp eyes turned to Maid A. "Besides, I clearly saw you knock the cup over. Blaming others isn't very kind, now is it?"
Maid A's face went pale. She dropped to her knees and clung to Ye Tianhao's leg. "No, Third Young Master! It wasn't me! Please don't accuse me unfairly!"
"Oh?" Ye Tianhao tilted his head. "Are you saying my eyes were deceiving me?"
"N-no! That's not what I meant!" Maid A stammered, desperation written all over her face.
Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Sister Liu, sensing Ye Tianhao's growing anger, signaled to two other maids. They quickly dragged Maid A away, her screams echoing down the hallway.
Liang Xiaoluo flinched at the sound, staring after them. Though she didn't witness what happened to Maid A, the chilling cries painted a vivid picture in her mind.
Why does it have to be so cruel?
It was just a broken cup. Did it really warrant such extreme punishment?
Sister Liu returned, bowing repeatedly. "Third Young Master, it was my lack of discipline. Please, don't tell the Second Young Master about this."
Ye Tianhao scoffed, his smirk laced with disdain. "That depends on my mood."
"Please, Third Young Master…"
Ye Tianhao ignored her, his attention returning to Liang Xiaoluo. He stepped closer, bending slightly. "Are you all right?" he asked, offering her his hand.
Liang Xiaoluo recoiled instinctively, as though seeing a shadow of Ye Tianlin in him. She stiffened and scrambled to her feet, avoiding his help. "Thank you, Third Young Master, for standing up for me," she said, bowing slightly.
"There's no need—"
Before he could finish, she cut him off. "But you didn't have to push things so far. Do you think only lives from the Ye family have value? Are others' lives so cheap in comparison?"
Her voice trembled with anger and indignation. Though she was grateful for his intervention, she couldn't hide her disgust.
The Ye family's arrogance and disregard for others infuriated her.
Ye Tianhao froze, stunned by her boldness. For a moment, he simply stared, then a slow smile spread across his face. Interesting, he thought. No wonder my brother is so captivated by her.
"Excuse me, I need to get back to work," she said abruptly. With a sharp bow, she grabbed her cleaning supplies and left without another glance.
Watching her retreat, Ye Tianhao moved swiftly, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back into his arms. "No wonder my brother likes you," he murmured, smirking. "You're fascinating."
Liang Xiaoluo's skin crawled at his touch. She struggled violently, but his grip was unyielding. "Let me go! Don't touch me with your filthy hands!"
"Filthy? What if I don't?" Ye Tianhao's eyes glinted mischievously. "What can you do about it?"
"You—!"
Before she could respond, a voice interrupted.
"Second Young Master."
The crowd parted, revealing Ye Tianlin standing silently among them. His sharp gaze fell on Ye Tianhao, and the atmosphere turned icy.
"Ah, Brother! You're back?" Ye Tianhao said, feigning innocence. He made no move to release Liang Xiaoluo.
Ye Tianlin didn't speak, but his eyes burned with restrained fury.
"Don't be so tense, Brother. I was just having a little fun," Ye Tianhao said, finally letting go of Liang Xiaoluo. Before leaving, he leaned in close to Ye Tianlin and whispered, "She's got a lovely scent. No wonder you like her."
Ye Tianlin clenched his fists, his restraint hanging by a thread. "Why are you here?"
"Oh, right!" Ye Tianhao said, pretending to remember. "Grandfather wanted me to remind you about the charity ball next week. Don't forget!"
He winked at Liang Xiaoluo and blew her a kiss before walking away.
Ye Tianlin stood still for a long moment, his thoughts clouded. The old man's at it again, trying to meddle in my life.
Without another word, he turned and walked away. Liang Xiaoluo watched him go, confusion and unease gnawing at her.
"Stop dawdling and get back to work," Sister Liu barked.
Shaking off her thoughts, Liang Xiaoluo grabbed her cloth and got back to cleaning. There was no time to dwell on men like Ye Tianlin and Ye Tianhao.