Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

"Miss, please, we have to let you go in and clean up now." The same maid said, her voice full of urgency and worry. She didn't understand her young lady's urgency. She had never seen her young lady run so recklessly.

Li Xueyue was always calm and graceful. She was proud of her perfect etiquette and calmness. Almost all the maids in the house knew about this.

Li Xueyue exhaled in shock, and ran her hands through her hair in annoyance, grabbing her bun. A simple touch was enough to make the last remaining hair accessory fall off.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she struggled to breathe. Even breathing normally was difficult, especially when her lungs felt like they were on fire and her throat was as dry as the southern desert.

She leaned against the pillar of the Li family's gate, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She was doing everything she could to distract herself from the pain in her heart. It was as if a knife was stuck in her heart, twisting and sinking deeper and deeper, and waves of pain spread throughout her chest.

"Have I lost him?" She closed her eyes in pain and whispered to herself. Her hesitation just now pushed him away.

"You've lost your dignity, that's for sure," said a disapproving voice.

Li Xueyue raised her head suddenly, only to see Duchess Wang Qixing frowning in disappointment.

"Ouch..." Duchess Wang Qixing sighed heavily. "You are such a mess."

“I am…” Li Xueyue lowered her head in shame and muttered. She couldn’t accept the Duchess’ disapproving look. She regretted abandoning the rules of etiquette taught by the Duchess when she could have hired a tutor or a governess.

Duchess Wang Qixing kindly taught Li Xueyue the etiquette of being a lady. Li Xueyue is always grateful for everything her mother has done for her. She hopes to repay the Duchess's efforts with her usual elegance and calmness. But now, look at her performance.

"I'm not mad at you," said Duchess Wang Qixing. "I'm just disappointed."

Li Xueyue nodded in agreement. She didn't dare to respond. It was one thing for her mother to be angry, and another thing to be disappointed... The latter was much worse than the former.

Duchess Wang Qixing sighed. "Clean yourself up and then come with me for a walk in the garden," she instructed sternly, leaving no room for argument.

- - - - -

Before long, Li Xueyue was bathed, cleaned, and dressed up. The problem was that her knee was scraped and bleeding.

A doctor was immediately sent for, and the maids did their best to bandage her knee. She could walk just fine, but she frowned whenever she put too much weight on that leg.

"It's okay. I'll ask the imperial physician to take a look after this trip." Li Xueyue said as she flattened her Hanfu, pushed open the door, and saw the Duchess waiting outside the room.

"Are you ready?" Duchess Wang Qixing asked.

Li Xueyue nodded speechlessly.

"Everyone, please leave." Duchess Wang Qixing ordered everyone present. They bowed and kept their distance from the two.

"Including the guards in the hallway leading to the Thousand Petal Garden," she announced loudly down the hallway, knowing they would pass on the message.

The guards quickly dispersed. Once the two men were out of sight, they resumed their original positions.

Li Xueyue didn't want to anger the Duchess any more. She quickened her pace until she was half a step behind the Duchess.

"Do you know why I fired everyone?" The Duchess glanced at Li Xueyue and asked.

Li Xueyue shook her head slowly.

"I hate disciplining my children in front of everyone. There's no need to embarrass them like this," said Duchess Wang Qixing. "Especially my daughter."

Li Xueyue paused, and finally raised her head. Even after the scene at the front door, the Duchess still regarded her as her daughter.

"Why are you making a fool of yourself?" Duchess Wang Qixing asked as they turned the corner. The small wooden door leading to the Thousand Petal Garden was clearly visible.

"I didn't mean it." Li Xueyue said gloomily as she walked, staring at the ground. She really hadn't thought about the social consequences of chasing him like a lovesick man. She was afraid of losing him, and that was the only thing that bothered her, nothing else.

"Xueyue, I taught you better than this." Duchess Wang Qixing gently rebuked. "Is this the behavior of a lady?"

"No." Li Xueyue shook her head, but her mother sighed. She pushed open the garden gate and they walked in. The air was filled with the fragrance of blooming flowers.

"You must remember one thing." The Duchess paused and turned to face Li Xueyue.

Li Xueyue raised her head, revealing eyes full of regret.

Hearing her mother's shameless words, Li Xueyue opened her mouth in shock. She shook her head silently. "No." She felt like she had heard this sentence before.

"That's right." Duchess Wang Qixing had a blank expression. "Then why are you chasing after the commander?"

"He chased me when I left him in the market square. I thought it was time to return the favor."

"How lovely." Duchess Wang Qixing smiled drily. "That's not how it works. For every ten steps they take, you only have to take one step. If they want you, they have to prove it to you."

Li Xueyue listened to the Duchess' words quietly. Whether Xueyue agreed or disagreed with the Duchess' words, she kept her mouth shut and did not express her opinion.

“You’ve fallen into his push-pull game. Don’t be fooled again.” It sounded like a suggestion, but the serious look on Duchess Wang Qixing’s face said otherwise.

"do you understand?"

Li Xueyue bit her lower lip and turned her gaze away from the Duchess. "Isn't this unfair? A relationship is not one-sided, but two-sided."

“If he wants you, nothing is unfair.” Duchess Wang Qixing sighed. “I remember when I was in your situation. I made the same stupid mistakes that you demonstrated today.”

"What do you mean?" Li Xueyue asked curiously, tilting her head.

Duchess Wang Qixing started walking again, and this time, Li Xueyue was beside her. "When the Duke was young, he was a very handsome and charming man. Many mothers wanted their daughters to marry him, and many women also thought he was the most suitable bachelor."

Li Xueyue thought of the quiet Duke and his simple smile. Like the Duchess, he had aged completely.

“What is there for him not to like?” Duchess Wang Qixing chuckled, but her face was cold and her eyes were desolate. An unpleasant memory came to mind.

“He showed an interest in me and showered me with gifts and attention that I could never understand.” Duchess Wang Chil-sung beamed as she recalled her youth. A beloved princess trapped in her room like a beautiful bird, longing only to meet the knight in shining armor who was destined to become Prime Minister.

"But then I let my guard down, I became desperate for him, and I became dependent on him to leave the palace. When I showed my dependence on him, he suddenly turned cold towards me."

Duchess Wang Chil-sung shuddered when she thought of herself in her youth: a poor princess dressed in all the world's wealth. The one thing she lacked was her freedom.

The only time she could leave this stifling palace was when the Duke came to visit and planned to take her to the capital. Gentle, lovely, and honest, the Duchess wanted nothing more.

"It was a game of push and pull. The more he pushed, the more I pulled. I was completely and utterly in love with him, but that's when he lost respect for me. Do you want to know why?"

Li Xueyue shook her head.

“I gave him the reaction he wanted. I chased him. I lowered myself for him. Once a man knows he has the upper hand over you, he loses respect for you.” Duchess Wang Qixing turned sharply to Li Xueyue.

"You must not make the same mistake I made. You must not give in to this push and pull. When Yu Zhen pushes, you don't pull. You pull him to the ground."

Li Xueyue blinked in surprise. Isn't this unfair...? But the Duchess was speaking from experience.

She swallowed. Not everyone's experience was the same.

"Do you understand?" Duchess Wang Qixing asked.

Li Xueyue nodded silently.

"Okay." Duchess Wang Qixing smiled. "Of course, I don't mean to literally drag him to the ground, but I believe you understand what I mean. You are a smart girl."

Li Xueyue did not respond.

"Yu Zhen is such a good man. I can't find a better suitor for you, but I believe you see his problem?"

Li Xueyue sighed softly. "He is the second prince and the commander-in-chief. There must be some vicious women in Han who are vying for his attention."

"I think so too. In Hanjian, every mother with a suitable daughter will try every means to catch that man." Duchess Wang Qixing frowned. "Just like every mother hopes to get a duke."

Her lips furrowed in a frown as the unpleasant memories came to her mind. It centered on a mean-spirited woman who wanted it all, even if she had the best bachelor in the entire country.