But that's you, not me.
She curled her lips slightly and said in a calm voice:
"I don't like tea. Bring me a cup of coffee instead."
The maid Xiao Qin froze for a moment, then her tone carried a hint of smugness:
"Young Madam, this is freshly brewed Biluochun tea, incredibly expensive. Besides, the Master loves tea and can't stand others wasting it."
A servant actually dared to talk back to the Madam and even tried to deliberately provoke her? She raised the corner of her lips into a graceful, composed curve and cast a quiet glance at Lu Qing, who appeared oblivious, continuing to sip his tea as though he hadn't heard anything.
Seeing this, Xiao Qin grew even more emboldened. Look, the Young Master clearly dislikes the Young Madam. Her behavior was entirely justified!
Watching Qin Miaomiao pick up the tea as if preparing to take a sip, an unmistakable glint of schadenfreude flashed in Xiao Qin's eyes. The water was just boiled—if she took a sip, her mouth would surely get burned!
With this woman's temperament, if her mouth got scalded, she would surely erupt in fury. Then, her unbecoming antics, perhaps even her uncontrollable curses, would make the Young Master dislike her even more!
Xiao Qin felt quite satisfied with her little scheme and even adopted an innocent expression, just waiting for her moment of triumph! Waiting for the Young Madam to smash the cup in humiliation!
At the last moment, however, Qin Miaomiao suddenly gave her a gentle smile and said in a soft tone:
"Since you don't want it wasted, then you should drink it yourself."
This... this completely defied expectations!
Xiao Qin was startled and quickly waved her hands, stammering, "No, no, this tea is too expensive. How could I dare drink it?"
Qin Miaomiao turned her gaze to Lu Qing, smiling as she said, "Husband, it seems that the words of this Young Madam carry no weight at all."
Her face naturally carried a delicate charm, her tone infused with a trace of irony. But her voice, as smooth as silk, was particularly pleasing to the ear. Especially the way she called him "husband"—Lu Qing found it quite agreeable. He shot the maid a cold, emotionless glance, which instantly made Xiao Qin's legs feel weak. She hurriedly brought the tea to her lips.
In a panic, she took a sip, and as expected, the boiling water scalded her tongue. Her hand slipped, and the teacup fell to the ground with a sharp crash, shattering into pieces.
Xiao Qin's face turned ghastly pale with fright, and she instinctively moved to kneel. But before she could, Lu Qing's icy voice rang out:
"Housekeeper Li."
Housekeeper Li stepped forward at once and reprimanded her sharply: "What do you think you're doing? Clean up this mess immediately! Young Master, Young Madam, my apologies—it's my fault for not disciplining her properly."
Lu Qing gave him a sidelong glance—just one look—but Housekeeper Li felt a chill run through his entire body. As an old hand in the Lu household, he understood Lu Qing's resolute nature all too well. That glance alone was enough to signal his displeasure. However, since the maid happened to be a relative of his, he could only summon his courage and plead on her behalf.
"Young Master, she's new here and hasn't quite learned the rules yet. I assure you, I will discipline her thoroughly. You there—go apologize to the Young Madam immediately!"
As he spoke, Housekeeper Li grabbed Xiao Qin and dragged her forward.
But Xiao Qin felt deeply wronged. What had she done wrong to deserve this? And why should she have to apologize to this woman? Was she worthy?
However, the Young Master's icy fury had already terrified her to the brink of collapse. Reluctantly, she cast a fleeting, resentful glance at Qin Miaomiao and forced herself to say:
"I'm sorry, Young Madam. I'll go brew a cup of coffee for you right away."
Qin Miaomiao noticed the grievance in her gaze and found it amusing. This way, it made her seem spoiled and hard to please.
Before she could respond, Xiao Qin had already hurried off. Soon afterward, the mess on the floor was cleaned up, and she returned promptly, carrying a cup of coffee. The aroma was delightfully rich.
This time, she respectfully placed it in front of her, adopting a much humbler demeanor, and said:
"Young Madam, your coffee."