Wu Zheng watched Lin Xue leave, her steps so light that she seemed ready to skip all the way down the mountain. She had barely gone a few paces before she began humming to herself, evidently delighted with their arrangement.
He remained where he was, watching her retreating figure with a faint smile.
A moment ago, she had been interrogating him about his wealth as though his entire worth depended on the contents of his purse. Now that he had agreed to take her shopping, she looked as though she had won a great victory.
What a peculiar girl.
He wondered how she would react when she discovered that the man she intended to test was the wealthiest person in the kingdom. Perhaps she would be impressed. Perhaps she would find another reason to refuse him. Knowing Lin Xue, he could not rule out the latter.
The thought amused him enough to make him look forward to the following day.
Meanwhile, Lin Xue had already begun imagining all the wonderful things awaiting her.
Shopping!
Beautiful clothes, sparkling jewellery, delicious snacks, and countless other treasures filled her thoughts. If Wu Zheng truly had money, tomorrow promised to be an interesting day. And if he did not, she would simply have to reconsider her options.
By the time she reached the Lin residence, she could barely contain her excitement.
Rather than risk being stopped at the main entrance by someone who might report her return to her grandfather, Lin Xue headed straight for the wall surrounding her courtyard. After checking that no one was watching, she gathered her skirts and climbed over with practised ease.
She landed lightly on the other side and dusted off her hands.
Perfect.
Then she turned towards her courtyard and stopped.
Four maids stood waiting for her.
The pink maid clasped her hands anxiously, while the blue maid kept glancing towards the entrance. The purple maid appeared torn between searching for their missing mistress and informing the family patriarch. Xu An, the yellow maid, stood at the front, her face creased with worry.
The moment they spotted Lin Xue, all four hurried towards her.
"Young Miss!"
Their collective cry nearly made her jump.
Lin Xue blinked at them. "What?"
Xu An reached her first. "Where have you been? We have been waiting for you for hours! What if the Old Master discovers you are missing again?"
The other maids joined in, asking whether she had eaten, whether anything had happened to her, and why she had climbed over the wall instead of returning through the gate.
Lin Xue barely registered their questions. A grin spread across her face as she walked past them, humming cheerfully on her way to the swing beneath the tree.
The maids stared after her before hurrying to follow.
"Young Miss, are you listening to us?"
Lin Xue settled onto the swing and grasped the ropes. With a gentle push of her feet, she set it moving, her smile growing wider with each pass.
"Young Miss?"
She paid them no attention.
Xu An exchanged a look with the others. Their mistress had disappeared for hours, returned by climbing over a wall, and now seemed so pleased with herself that she could hardly contain it.
Something had clearly happened.
But what?
Xu An crouched beside the swing, trying to catch her mistress's eye. "Young Miss, please tell us what happened."
Lin Xue's grin widened.
Then, without warning, she threw her head back and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"I AM RICH!"
The four maids froze.
For several seconds, the courtyard fell silent.
Xu An slowly straightened. "Young Miss... what did you just say?"
Lin Xue laughed, pushing herself higher on the swing. "I said I am rich!"
The pink maid stared at her in bewilderment. "But, Young Miss, you have always been rich."
"Exactly!"
Lin Xue pointed at her triumphantly, delighted that someone had finally understood.
"I have always been rich, and now I am going to become even richer!"
The four maids exchanged bewildered glances.
How was that possible?
Their mistress was already the cherished granddaughter of the Lin family patriarch. She had never lacked food, clothing, jewellery, or spending money. If anything, the Old Master indulged her so much that the household servants sometimes wondered whether there was anything she could not get away with.
What could have happened to make her celebrate her wealth as though she had just discovered a hidden treasure?
Xu An placed her hands on her hips. "Young Miss, please explain yourself."
Lin Xue swung forward, laughing as though she had been waiting all day for someone to ask.
"Tomorrow, I am going shopping!"
The maids exchanged another set of glances.
Shopping?
That was what had made her so happy?
Before any of them could question her further, Lin Xue leaned forward, her eyes shining with mischief.
"And do you know who is paying?"
None of them answered.
She paused, savouring their curiosity.
"My future husband!"
The four maids gasped.
Lin Xue burst into laughter, kicking her feet as the swing carried her forward. She could already imagine the beautiful things she would buy and the expression on Wu Zheng's face when she presented him with her list of demands.
Tomorrow, she would discover just how wealthy that handsome man really was. If his purse proved as impressive as his face, perhaps she would consider keeping him around a little longer.
After all, a girl had to think carefully before choosing a husband.
Especially when shopping was involved.