The Birth of a Villainess

The next morning.

Lin Xiaofei woke up late. The ray of light from the sun that was coming through the slightly opened window bathed her figure with a golden light that illuminated her white skin, making her look celestial and bewitching.

Slowly, as if her eyes were covered with lead, she opened her eyes and saw that the spot beside her on the bed was empty. Unlike yesterday when she woke up to see Qu Xing Xu laying right next to her, that morning was slightly not as wonderful as she thought.

She reached her hand out, touching the soft and smooth surface of the crumpled sheets where her husband lay and felt that it was slightly warm. So it seems that he didn't leave too early either and waited for her to stir before he left, she thought as she sat up on the bed. Strands of her hair spilled around her back and the ends of it curled on the bed behind and under her.

After washing her face with the basin of water that was put beside the bed and changed her clothes, Lin Xiaofei walked out of the bedchamber. She saw her maids sitting idly in front of the chamber door. The two of them were sporting adorable dark circles under their eyes from lack of sleep these past few days.

Suddenly, an embarrassing thought passed through her mind and her cheeks reddened like tomatoes. They didn't… Surely, they didn't hear her screams from last night, right? What about the previous night? Just thinking of the possibility that her maids heard everything that has happened these past nights, she wondered if she could find a hole to fit in and hide.

Despite the thick doors that blocked others from viewing what was inside their room, the loud noises they created yesterday night was undoubtedly heard by everyone around the courtyard.

Great, Lin Xiaofei. Why don't you just announce to the world just how great in bed Qu Xing Xu is? She chastened herself.

Not wanting the servants to see the changes of expressions in her face, she strode forward, trying to avoid striking conversation with her maids. Unfortunately, her maids did not get the note beforehand because once they saw her walking out of the room, they quickly rose to their feet and walked over to her.

"Young Miss!" Bai Lu called out before she bit her tongue. "I mean… Madam," she corrected herself quickly. Since their young miss was now married, they could no longer call her 'young miss'. "How was your sle-"

Lin Xiaofei held out a palm, "Let's talk later. I have some places to be."

"But Madam, you shouldn't you be going to the main hall?" Su Tang asked.

"Why should I?"

Su Tang was stunned at her answer and realized that Lin Xiaofei forgot about what she must do today. "Today is the second day of your wedding, to follow the tradition that was established in our Zheng Empire, Madam must meet the elders of the husband's family."

The Zheng Empire had several traditions that had been followed for the past several decades. Amongst them was that any bride that was married off to her husband's family must greet the elders of the husband's elders on the second day. At first, it was done on the first day after the wedding night, but this was soon changed since many brides couldn't possibly come out of the wedding chambers after a night of being married just to greet other people.

Hence, they reformed that tradition and changed it into the second day to give the bride a day of leeway from her duties. However, Lin Xiaofei knew that this tradition was pointless when that single day of leeway dedicated for the brides wouldn't be able to remove the ugly truth that they would still have to be at mercy of their husband's family when they entered the residence.

However, this wasn't what made Lin Xiaofei frown.

Didn't Qu Xing Xu say that his parents died long ago? Then… Why must she go over to the main hall to greet the elders?

"Madam?" Su Tang looked at her and blinked her eyes. Two adorable black eyes stared back at Lin Xiaofei as they waited for her response.

"Who came?"

Su Tang gnawed on her lip. "Well… it's the Qu elders who welcomed the young miss last time when you first arrived here. His Grace has already met with them and might still be at the main hall to greet the elders."

If Lin Xiaofei still didn't have the desire to strangle her new husband after last night's activity, now she changed her mind. That man didn't even tell her about the arrival of the elders and left alone to greet them! Just what would the elders think of her when she came late to greet them? Worst, if she actually slept in and didn't manage to meet them at all?

How embarrassing was that? If they were some strangers who had nothing to do with her and Qu Xing Xu, she might not bother with them at all. However, these were the Qu elders, who had been with her husband since he was young and the closest to him after his family.

Sighing, Lin Xiaofei said to her maid, "So he… that man is currently entertaining the guests?"

"Yes, Madam."

"And how much time has passed since they arrived and that man came out of the room to greet them?"

"Almost half an hour, Madam."

Alright. Strangling him might not be enough. She needed to drown him.

"Bai Lu?"

Bai Lu raised her head. "Yes, Madam?"

"Will you please prepare a bowl of porridge?"

"Of course!" The maid was excited and beamed with joy. On the other hand, the other maid by her side had a confused and anxious look on her face.

Moving closer towards Lin Xiaofei, Su Tang whispered so that Bai Lu wouldn't hear her. "Madam… What are you planning to do? Did someone offend you? You know that Bai Lu didn't know how to cook and the last time she tried to make porridge for that kid, he almost died."

And that's exactly why she wanted to let her clueless maid prepare a porridge for a certain duke. Lin Xiaofei shrugged, "I just want to punish someone."