"Tomorrow, you're coming along to meet the Prime Minister's nephew at the Prime Minister's birthday celebration. Prepare something decent-- No, sophisticated to wear. If you don't have anything like that then I can arrange for it," says the She-Demon. Her nose high in the air, talking down to me. Her posture is conceitedly straight and proud. I really hate her attitude.
I don't care to answer and stand perfectly still with hands together. The words out of my mouth would just make everything worse.
"Why aren't you responding?!" She bellows.
I roll my eyes.
Nanny Ma pulls my sleeve, "Young Miss, answer your mother."
I flash Nanny Ma a hateful expression. "Nanny Ma, that woman is not my mother. Do not refer to her as such in my presence."
"How dare you?!" She-Demon stands while pounding her palm on the stone table in our small courtyard before pointing angrily at me. Her flimsy sleeves flatter about with jewels jingling loudly.
I'm being lectured by this pitiful mortal who claims to be my mother. Not only has she treated me like unwanted filth my entire life, she forcibly appointed herself to be my mother.
I remember everything about my birth.
It was an excruciating experience to be a helpless infant with the mind of a hundred-year-old soul. And I was aware of everything that went on around me. My mother died shortly after giving birth to me, and she was a mere servant in lowly Magistrate's home. As the She-Demon was infertile with no child of her own, she in name became my mother. My father was already married to her for seven years before I was born.
I don't even want to mention my father in this lifetime. He's the worse father out of all the fathers I've had. The best being my father Chen Mu Feng, my winery worker father, then my Uncle-father Li Haozhi, then that farmer father that abandoned me when I was a blind child... Right, and then this guy.
Nanny Ma begged me to behave. "Young Miss, please."
"She is the Madam of this house with no blood kin. She should be addressed accordingly, no?" I lecture.
"Xiao Tong, you ungrateful brat. After all I've done for you! Wait until I tell your father!" The She-demon warns.
"Please do let him know, so he'll punish me by not allowing me out for another month."
"You--"
"I'll take my leave."
I hear noisy nonsense and insults from behind as I make my way to my quarters. The only place I could lounge without a care in the world!
Nanny Ma tags along a step behind. "Young Miss, I really do wish you wouldn't do as you please when speaking with Madam. She's a scary woman."
I scoff, "She's not scary at all. When I anger her, all she does is pout, throw a fit, and tell father."
"It's best to aim for harmony when living together as a family."
"Family? I've certainly retained bad luck with that."
Back in my room, I jump onto the daybed, placing my arms above a pillow while reading a fascinating novel about a witty female detective and her black bellied romance interest who happens to be a rebel Prince.
Nanny Ma folds my clothes into my drawers.
Over my shoulders, I say, "Nanny Ma, don't bother with that. I'll do it."
"You say that but you never do."
"I do things on my time."
"You said you would feed Fei Fei yesterday, but you got caught up in reading your novels and forgot."
"Oh! I did. Did you feed her?"
"Of course, I did."
I throw my book to the side. Walking over to a napping Fei Fei, I pet her furry white body.
This little cat is Gao Yi Fei's spirit. She was able to travel to the Mortal Realm with me. I asked Sharp to construct a body for her while here because I wouldn't be able to see her ghostly form. I plan on returning her to her body once convenient.
By now, I'm at the age of fifteen. I could leave home and do what I want. I really don't care about my father's reputation or the need to uphold the responsibility of a daughter. I do, however, care about Nanny Ma.
My father's concubine has given birth, so my Nanny Ma will be busy from here on out. I waited for the birth of the child to leave Nanny Ma with a good foundation in case they blame her for my departure. In any case, I won't sit still if they hurt her, but they probably won't. Although a servant, she knows all there is to the Yang family. It would be a huge loss to lose her.
And then there's Chuju, my maidservant from when I was a child. She's only three years younger me and has no sense of independence. She idolizes me to an extent where I'm completely dumbfounded by, but at least I can trust her.
Luckily I have been reborn in a lively town near the capital city. Jianghu doesn't seem to mix well with the royal family, and so I haven't met anyone from my past life.
News does travel and I keep an ear out for the latest. Bleak Night has come back with full force taking control of Jianghu. The Immortal Sects now answer to the orders of Bleak Night. That demon is shamelessly parading his demon sect with this infamous reputation, and I'm glad I have nothing to do with it.
Little by little, I've saved enough to start a new life somewhere far from here. Once I return Yi Fei back to her body, I'm going go travel the world.
But before any of that, I will play nice and attend the Prime Minister's birthday celebration. It's the least I can do before leaving this house forever.