Lin Xue sat on a wooden swing suspended between two sturdy trees in the garden. The ropes creaked gently whenever she moved, and the warm afternoon sunlight settled over her face. For once, she had nothing to do but enjoy the breeze and listen to the birds singing in the branches above her.
Yet, despite the peaceful surroundings, her thoughts refused to remain at rest.
She released a long, troubled sigh and tilted her head towards the sky.
That man.
The handsome man who wanted to marry her.
Why couldn't he simply agree to leave her alone?
She pushed herself gently with her feet, allowing the swing to move back and forth while she considered her unfortunate situation. Yesterday, she had been enjoying her freedom. Now, she had a man insisting that he wanted to marry her, and she had absolutely no idea how to convince him otherwise.
Her sigh grew louder.
Across the garden, the four maids were occupied with their usual duties. One was watering the flowers, another was tending to the plants, while the others were arranging the garden and clearing away fallen leaves.
The sound of Lin Xue's exaggerated sigh caught their attention.
They exchanged glances before abandoning their tasks and hurrying towards her.
"Third Miss, what is wrong?" the yellow maid asked, concern written across her face.
Lin Xue continued swinging for another moment before answering mournfully.
"That man who wants to marry me."
"The man who wants to marry my young miss?" the pink maid repeated, her eyes widening with interest.
Lin Xue stopped the swing with her feet and nodded miserably.
"He said he wants to marry me."
The four maids exchanged looks. Their young mistress had finally met her fated partner, yet instead of celebrating, she looked as though someone had announced the end of the world.
The yellow maid suddenly raised a practical question.
"Young Miss, does he have money?"
Lin Xue blinked.
She had been thinking about his handsome face, his unreasonable determination, and the trouble their glowing marks had caused her. Somehow, she had forgotten to consider something rather important.
Money.
She slowly rose from the swing and straightened her clothes.
"I didn't ask him," she admitted. After a moment, she added, "But he looks wealthy."
The yellow maid gave her a doubtful look.
"Young Miss, appearances can be deceiving. He might only be pretending to be rich."
Lin Xue's eyes widened.
"What?"
"Did he give you any gifts?" the maid asked.
Lin Xue nodded.
The pink maid immediately covered her mouth, while the others looked at their mistress with growing concern.
"Young Miss, you may have been deceived!" the yellow maid declared.
Lin Xue staggered backwards as though she had just received a devastating blow.
"Are you saying my future husband is a poor man?"
Before anyone could answer, she pressed a hand to her forehead and began to sway.
"Ah, the heavens are cruel! I have barely begun my life, and already I must suffer such a tragedy!"
"Young Miss!"
The maids rushed forward just in time to catch her as she pretended to faint into their arms.
For a moment, they held her in alarm. Then Lin Xue's eyes suddenly opened.
"How will I buy all the things I want?" she wailed.
The maids stared at her.
Lin Xue closed her eyes again and sagged dramatically in their arms.
"I cannot believe this. I refuse to believe it. My future husband cannot be a poor man!"
"Young Miss, please get up," the purple maid pleaded, struggling to support her weight.
But Lin Xue was already imagining a terrible future in which she would have to count every coin before buying anything she liked. The very thought was unbearable.
She sprang upright so suddenly that the maids nearly stumbled.
"I need to see him! I must see him immediately!"
The yellow maid nodded with fierce determination.
"When we meet him, we will beat him up!"
Lin Xue paused and looked at her.
"That's a good idea."
The other maids nodded in agreement, apparently taking the matter far more seriously than it deserved.
Then the yellow maid offered another suggestion.
"But, Young Miss, even if he turns out to be poor, you don't have to marry him. You can remain single, and the Old Master will continue spending money on you."
Lin Xue went still.
Slowly, her expression changed. The despair disappeared from her face, replaced by the bright smile of someone who had just discovered a treasure.
"That's right!"
She clapped her hands, excitement returning to her voice.
"Why didn't I think of that earlier?"
Her grandfather loved her dearly. As long as she remained unmarried, she could continue enjoying her freedom and living comfortably at the Lin Mansion.
More importantly, she had finally found a perfectly reasonable excuse to reject the man who had been troubling her.
Lin Xue lifted her chin triumphantly.
"Yes! I already have a reason not to marry him!"
The maids looked at one another, unsure whether they should celebrate her discovery or remind her that she had not even confirmed whether the man was poor.
Lin Xue, however, was beyond listening to reason.
"Yessss!" she cheered, throwing both hands into the air.
For the first time since meeting her handsome, troublesome soulmate, the future seemed bright again.