Chapter 254: Chapter 254: The Male Lead Is Really Getting Good at Building a Persona

“A misunderstanding?” Song Lianhe approached them with light steps, a cryptic smile playing on her lips. Her gaze slowly shifted from Song Xilan to Zhou Junlin. “Or maybe… it isn’t a misunderstanding at all?”

Zhou Junlin’s gaze instantly darkened. As he stared at her, his eyes held an emotion that could not be shown to others.

“You…” Song Xilan was stunned. She never imagined this woman would be so audacious!

’Song Lianhe was all about being unpredictable!’

’She knew what Song Xilan cared about, so she would go all out to provoke her. The best outcome would be for Xilan to never want to see her again!’

Man Yue was so furious she burst out cursing, “You’re truly shameless!”

’Her lady was too good-natured to curse this vixen, but she wasn’t so accommodating! Besides, she was still holding in a bellyful of rage from before!’

“You vixen born of some cheap wench! How dare you be so insolent? Someone like you wants to seduce our master? Take a good look at yourself! My lady has the face of a goddess; how could you possibly compare? Why would our master ever look at brothel trash like you? Even if you were offered as my lady’s foot-washing maid, she’d still find you disgusting!”

The words were truly foul, but they resonated perfectly with what Song Xilan was feeling.

’How incredibly satisfying!’

Song Lianhe was not the type to simply swallow insults. In her previous life, she had been a top insurance salesperson; she had never lost a war of words.

Before she could teach Man Yue a lesson, the man across from them said coldly, his face dark, “Slap her.”

Song Xilan froze, turning her head to look at him.

Man Yue also looked on in disbelief. “M-Master…”

Song Lianhe slowly raised her eyes to look at him.

“Gu Ha.”

“Yes, sir!”

Gu Ha immediately stepped forward. Without a glance at Song Xilan, he raised his hand and delivered two resounding slaps.

Tears streamed down Man Yue’s face, but she didn’t dare wipe them away. She immediately dropped to her knees. “Master, forgive me! This servant knows her mistake!”

Zhou Junlin didn’t even look at her. “Continue.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gu Ha knew the Prince was truly angry, so he didn’t dare hesitate, raising his hand to deliver several more slaps in quick succession.

SLAP, SLAP, SLAP. Each blow felt like it was landing on Song Xilan’s own heart.

She clenched her fists tightly, her expression a mixture of humiliation and grievance.

’She understood perfectly. Zhou Junlin wasn’t just punishing a servant; he was clearly accusing her of failing to manage her own people.’

’He was having her personal maid beaten—it was no different from slapping her in the face!’

Watching Man Yue’s punishment, Song Lianhe couldn’t help but think, ’Zhou Junlin is getting better and better at curating his public persona…’

’Then there was Song Xilan, who wanted to protect her maid but couldn’t open her mouth. She’d just been accused of being easily fooled by servants and unable to tell right from wrong. No matter how unbearable it was, she had to endure it!’

’So, what’s so great about being the female lead, anyway?’

’You have to be all reasonable and morally upright, but you can’t even protect your own people!’

’If it were me, and someone dared to lay a finger on one of my people? I’d call it a loss if I let them walk away on their own two legs!’

’The people I trust can do no wrong. I’m just that protective. Don’t try to reason with me; I’ll show you just how crazy I can be!’

But when she saw Man Yue’s face turning red from the slaps, Song Lianhe’s eyes narrowed. Noticing that Song Xilan was still gritting her teeth in silence, she felt a pang of pity, her brow furrowing slightly.

In the end, she couldn’t hold back. “She’s a young woman, after all,” she said. “If her face is ruined, how will she ever get married?”

Zhou Junlin’s dark eyes fixed on her. “Are you pleading for her?”

“No!”

Song Lianhe denied it quickly, as if pleading for someone else was the most embarrassing thing in the world.

Staring at her, Zhou Junlin’s lips curved upward almost imperceptibly.

“Gu Ha.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gu Ha stopped.

He was actually in a difficult position. As the Prince’s Attendant, he could slit an enemy’s throat without a second thought, but he lacked the nerve to keep slapping a young woman.

Man Yue’s cheeks were red and swollen, and her mouth was bleeding. She crawled to Zhou Junlin’s feet, kowtowing repeatedly. “Master, this servant knows her mistake, this servant knows her mistake.”

Zhou Junlin glanced at her. “Enough.”

This was, after all, the maid who had grown up with her. Song Xilan’s heart had been aching for her. She quickly helped the girl up. “From now on, I will discipline her strictly.”

“Mm.”

Only when facing her did Zhou Junlin’s tone soften.

The show was over, and sticking around wouldn’t end well for her. Song Lianhe began to quietly retreat, hoping to make a clean getaway, but someone wasn’t about to let her go.

“The one who offended you has been beaten and punished. If you still insist on leaving, miss, then you must think my punishment wasn’t severe enough.”

Song Lianhe’s steps faltered.

’Is this… emotional blackmail?’

Man Yue shrank back in fear, hiding behind Song Xilan. Her voice trembled. “My lady…”

Song Xilan immediately moved to shield her. “Prin—… Husband!”

Zhou Junlin turned, his eyes cold. “My lady, you are usually too kind to your servants, which is why this happened today. No matter what I intend to do, it would be best if you did not interfere.”

Song Xilan did not dare to defy this version of Zhou Junlin.

He could be incredibly gentle on a normal day, but when it came to matters of principle, he never backed down.

Song Xilan bit her lip tightly. Based on her usual temperament, she might have just gone along with his wishes.

’But for some reason today, she felt an intense loathing for this Miss Sun before her! She just refused to admit defeat in her presence!’

She suddenly raised her eyes and looked directly at Zhou Junlin. “Man Yue is my dowry maid. If she did something wrong, then it is my failure as her mistress for not teaching her properly. If you wish to punish someone, Husband, then punish me!”

Zhou Junlin narrowed his dark eyes slightly. Song Xilan rarely spoke to him in such a resolute tone.

Man Yue grew anxious. “No! My lady, it’s all this servant’s fault! It has nothing to do with you!”

“Stand down! This is not your place to speak!”

“My lady! You are of noble birth; how can you take punishment for a servant? This servant is tough and thick-skinned! Beat me! This servant is willing to accept the punishment!”

Watching the two of them put on this show of master-servant devotion, Song Lianhe found it quite laughable. ’As if anyone’s bullying them!’

’Memories of the original owner’s time in the General Mansion surfaced. It didn’t matter whose fault it was; things always ended this way. Everyone would just feel sorry for Song Xilan and think she was being bullied by Song Lianhe!’

Song Lianhe rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth twisting into a disdainful sneer.

“Since this is your family affair, Sir, please take your time resolving it.”

Song Lianhe swayed her hips, her movements graceful and alluring as she walked away.

’She knew the highest art of arguing was never about convincing your opponent, but about driving them absolutely mad!’

’The more they bickered and fussed, the more serene she had to appear.’

Seeing the woman actually just walk away like that, a faint trace of anger flickered in Zhou Junlin’s dark eyes.

“Don’t you dare leave!”

He took several steps forward, about to grab Song Lianhe’s arm.

Just then, a pebble shot through the air—

“Master, look out!”

The instant Gu Ha cried out, Zhou Junlin reacted, sidestepping to dodge it.

A small pebble rolled across the ground.

Song Lianhe stared at the pebble, her expression somewhat dazed.

Behind her, there were footsteps.

A man in black robes, his hands clasped, strolled over. His wide sleeves occasionally billowed in the wind.

The man didn’t even glance at the others in the hall. He walked straight up to Song Lianhe, lowered his gaze, took her hand, and gently enclosed it in his own palm.

As if he were holding a priceless treasure.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep