127. Chapter 127: Have you not had enough of playing the guest, you lowly wench?

Fu Yan watched as Fu Tianci scampered off happily with the candied fruit, a triumphant smile blooming on her face. She hurried back to her room to tidy up, and before long, she and her maid were sneaking out of the estate, though they pretended to be doing so quite openly. Where was she in such a rush to go?

Naturally, she had only one destination in mind today: the Prince Rui estate to see Li Rui. Fu Yan had a matter of great importance to discuss with him.

This was the only solution she could conceive of. She hoped that Li Rui would "help" her escape the imperial selection, thereby fulfilling her own desires as well. To her, it was a perfect win-win situation.

She arrived at the Prince Rui estate brimming with excitement, only to have the steward brush her off with the excuse that the Prince was not in. But today, Fu Yan would not give up until she saw Li Rui; she was prepared to force her way in if she had to.

"Brother Rui, where are you? Yan-yan has something she must tell you."

Fu Yan marched straight ahead until she reached the study, calling out Li Rui's name—her voice urgent, yet filled with a practiced, honeyed softness.

As she reached the study door, she prepared a sweet, bashful smile, fully expecting to see Li Rui the moment she pushed it open. Instead, she found Zhang Xiaolan inside. Her expression soured instantly.

"It’s you again, you lowly wench! Haven't you overstayed your welcome yet? Get out of here and crawl back to wherever you came from!"

Fu Yan still remembered their encounter from a few days prior and felt a stinging resentment toward Zhang Xiaolan. Finding her here in the Prince Rui estate when she had come specifically to see Li Rui made it impossible to maintain a pleasant demeanor; her mood plummeted instantly.

"I appreciate your concern, Miss Fu, but you are overly preoccupied with the affairs of others."

Zhang Xiaolan was long accustomed to such remarks. She had been enjoying a quiet moment of reading, and having her mood spoiled like this was nothing short of irritating.

"You... fine. I won't lower myself to argue with you today. Where is Brother Rui?"

Fu Yan had failed to gain the upper hand again, but though she was furious, she had not forgotten her purpose for being there. She swallowed her temper, knowing that this was a royal estate and it would not do for Li Rui to hear her throwing a tantrum.

"How would I know?"

Zhang Xiaolan had no desire to converse with Fu Yan. She offered a dismissive reply and rose from her chair, intending to leave. With her reading mood ruined, she decided it would be better to go elsewhere and avoid further contact with the woman.

"You lowly wench, stop lying! You are in the study, and Brother Rui is nowhere else to be found—where else could he be?"

Assuming Zhang Xiaolan was deliberately being difficult, Fu Yan grew incensed. She blocked Zhang Xiaolan's path and demanded an answer.

"I told you, I do not know. Why don't you ask someone else?"

Zhang Xiaolan truly did not know where Li Rui had gone; he had been there earlier but was called away on business, and she hadn't thought to ask where. Furthermore, she felt no obligation to answer Fu Yan. With that, she brushed past her and walked out of the room.

"Stop right there! I told you to stop!"

Fu Yan could no longer contain herself. Beside herself with rage, she turned and chased after her, barking orders as if she were a mistress commanding a servant. Zhang Xiaolan did stop, but not out of submission; she stopped to goad her further.

"This is the Prince Rui estate, not the Prime Minister's residence or the Ministry of Rites. I have no reason to obey you, Miss Fu. Why don't you head back? If I see Brother Li, I will be sure to tell him you were here."

Zhang Xiaolan offered this "kind" reminder of where they were. Though she did not know why Fu Yan was looking for Li Rui, she was well aware that Fu Yan viewed her as a romantic rival. Even though Fu Yan was a high-ranking official's daughter, Zhang Xiaolan was not intimidated, and she spoke with deliberate intent to provoke her.