The Princess That Bullied Me Cries On My Legs Every Day - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Outside, the rain paused in fits and started in gusts, howling like vengeful specters.

Autumn was the low season for Xiangling Town, and there were currently no guests staying at Yu Xian Inn.

The entire inn held only herself, along with a fallen, delicate young lady who had arrived at her door in the dead of night.

Yu Xian pushed open the door to a room where numerous oil paintings and paints were on display—all pieces she had created during her leisure time. There were the sprawling hundred-acre rice fields of early spring, mountain valleys dyed crimson by late autumn, Xiangling Town during its bustling peak and quiet off-seasons, as well as the elderly punt-pole boatmen of Xiangling she had crossed paths with…

Yu Xian picked up a paint tray, squeezing out smooth, full mounds of paint across it before grabbing a palette and using a palette knife to mix the exact shade she wanted.

In the adjoining bathroom stood the young lady, currently washing up. The rushing sound of running water poured into Yu Xian’s ears.

Before long, the sound of the shower ceased, and the art studio door was pushed open.

Following the noise, Yu Xian lifted her gaze. Ming Ruixi was dressed in her pajamas, standing barefoot at the entrance, a trace of struggle and internal conflict flickering across her radiant, delicate face.

Ming Ruixi squeezed her lovely eyes shut, the condition she had agreed to half an hour earlier flashing through her mind.

“What’s the condition?”

“Be my human canvas.”

Ding-ding-ding—

A sudden chime of bells rang out. Ming Ruixi looked up at the woman standing in the center of the art studio, suddenly jarred by the realization that they were no longer classmates sitting in the same university lecture hall, but strangers bound by deep resentment and bitter grudges.

Undeniably, Yu Xian’s features were exquisite, and her figure had always been tall and slender. Standing with a palette in one hand and a paintbrush resting against her thigh, her expression was impossible to decipher. Perhaps it was the aura of poverty and bookish introversion she had worn in the past that had caused people to unconsciously overlook her looks, leaving behind only the impression of a meek, easily bullied poor girl.

“Why are you still standing there?”

Yu Xian sat before the easel with her knees pressed together. Seeing this, Ming Ruixi gritted her teeth and began undressing. Casting aside all her haughty pride, she walked over and sat upon Yu Xian’s lap, becoming a canvas waiting to be smeared at will.

The brush dipped into the pigment, the very first stroke landing directly between Ming Ruixi’s collarbones, instantly eliciting a shudder of shame from the delicate young lady.

Yu Xian lifted her eyelids, taking in the reaction. Beneath her brush, the brown pigment slowly spread out into two branches, meandering toward the upper curve of her chest.

Time slipped away minute by minute. Once the branches were completed, Yu Xian switched to another brush and mixed a pale pink shade; she intended to paint a Palace Pink plum blossom across her chest.

Palace Pink plum blossoms possessed multiple overlapping petals and bloomed in dense clusters, appearing breathtakingly gorgeous in full blossom.

And at the very center of the blossom’s pistil…

Yu Xian gazed at the rosy bead mere inches away, set against a plump, snowy expanse flushed with a faint pink hue.

Her eyes darkened slightly as she brought down the brush—

With their multiple overlapping petals, Palace Pink plum blossoms required a distinct technique: the brush had to sweep from the petal’s edge down to its base, demanding numerous intricate strokes that alternated between heavy and light pressure.

As a result, the metal ferrule of the brush inevitably brushed against that rosy pistil time and time again.

From the very first stroke, Ming Ruixi had been strung tight with tension, her collarbones strained rigid, her teeth gritted as she kept her face turned away.

When Yu Xian painted the first petal, the young lady abruptly whipped her head around, glaring at her with wide, furious eyes as if Yu Xian had committed some unspeakable, treasonous crime.

She raised her hand high, ready to strike, accompanied by an enraged, delicate shout: “Yu Xian, who gave you permission to touch my chest?!”

In a flash of lightning speed, Yu Xian raised her hand and clamped down on her wrist, her expression freezing over like frost.

Her memories instantly snapped back to one week before Eldest Miss Ming’s birthday banquet. Yu Xian had accompanied Ming Ruixi to a designer boutique. The young lady had mentioned that her family had custom-ordered two formal gowns well in advance, and she was there to try them on for fit before choosing her favorite.

While trying on the dresses in the fitting room, Eldest Miss Ming couldn’t reach the back zipper and ordered Yu Xian to come over and pull it up.

Yet for some reason, the gown that should have fit perfectly refused to zip up no matter what. Thinking the front hadn’t been adjusted properly, Yu Xian reached from behind beneath Ming Ruixi’s shoulder to adjust it, inadvertently brushing against her breast.

Eldest Miss Ming had flown into an instant rage, violently shoving Yu Xian away. Caught off guard, Yu Xian tumbled to the floor, looking up at the humiliated, furious heiress who hurled biting ridicule straight at her: “Who gave someone like you permission to touch my chest?!”

“Let go of me!” Unable to break free, Ming Ruixi raised her other hand to deliver a slap, only to be intercepted by Yu Xian once more, who crushed both wrists in a bone-shattering grip.

The palette clattered to the floor, ruined and unusable.

“Ming Ruixi, Eldest Miss Ming.” Yu Xian’s voice was frigid, her thin lips pressed into a tight line as she looked up at the delicate young lady sitting in her lap. “Do you still think you’re that exalted heiress?”

“If you don’t want to stay, get the hell out.” Yu Xian stood up. Ming Ruixi nearly lost her balance; in her stumble, Yu Xian released her grip on her wrists, and Ming Ruixi fell to the floor, catching herself with both hands against the ground.

“Leaving is fine by me! Who’d ever want to stay in your rundown shack anyway?!” Eldest Miss Ming’s pride remained unyielding as stone, standing proud and defiant.

Under the light, several red marks bloomed across her snow-white skin where she had been gripped. Her glamorous, striking face was filled with pure disdain and hostility toward Yu Xian.

“Where can’t I go? As if I need your pity!”

With that, Ming Ruixi stood up and grabbed the pajamas. Realizing they belonged to Yu Xian, she hurled them indignantly to the floor. Walking barefoot to the bathroom, she rinsed the paint from her body, changed back into her damp black velvet gown—not forgetting even the black velvet gloves—slipped on her high heels, and hurried downstairs without looking back. The door swung open with a bang, then slammed shut with another loud thud.

With that, Yu Xian was once again the sole occupant of the inn.

Expressionless, Yu Xian crouched down, picked up the palette and paintbrush, and set them on the desk. Only after cleaning the floor spotless did she turn and leave the art studio, pulling the door shut behind her with one hand. The bedroom and studio shared the same hallway; after two steps, Yu Xian’s peripheral vision caught an object lying on the floor.

Walking over to pick it up, she realized it was the strand of bells from the young lady’s ankle.

Twenty-three small bells. Unlike ordinary store-bought bells, these had clearly been custom-crafted by a master artisan with exquisite workmanship. The surface of every single bell was engraved with the seal character for “Rui,” proclaiming exactly who its owner was.

The bells were strung along a cord woven from multiple red threads, intertwined with strands of shimmering gold wire that added an air of luxury.

It matched Ming Ruixi’s style completely.

Yu Xian gave it a gentle shake. A sequence of chimes rang out, sounding almost as if Eldest Miss Ming were incessantly scolding her.

Frowning, Yu Xian set it on the desk and paid it no more mind, returning to her room to get ready for bed.

Sitting at the edge of the bed and preparing to lie down, she suddenly caught sight of a distinct, darkened, dried patch on the white chenille fabric across her knee.

Puzzled, Yu Xian rubbed it with her fingertips and brought it to her nose, only to catch a faint musky fragrance.

Still not understanding what it was, it wasn’t until she touched the tip of her tongue to it that she suddenly realized—this was the young lady’s fluid…

Flustered, Yu Xian snatched her hand away, grabbed the water glass from the desk, and gulped down several mouthfuls in rapid succession to soothe her burning embarrassment.

…

A bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, illuminating the pitiful figure of Eldest Miss Ming in stark clarity.

She huddled, shivering beneath the eaves in front of Yu Xian Inn.

She had no money on her, had lost her phone along the way, and had finally managed to find this place by asking for directions—only for rain to pour down midway. She had jogged all the way from Xiangling Town, completely soaked to the bone.

Ming Ruixi was terrified of thunder and lightning. The moment she had stormed out the door in a fit of rage, a bolt of lightning had struck down against the distant mountains, making her instantly regret acting on pure impulse.

At the very least, she should have stayed for the night. After all, she had let that woman paint on her body—even if it hadn’t been finished, she had still gone through with it. She had sacrificed so much, only to end up with nothing in return.

Yet the door was already shut, and she had no way back inside.

Finding a slightly sheltered corner, Ming Ruixi sat down with her forehead resting against the base of the wall. She took off her high heels; the wind and rain couldn’t reach her for the moment.

The instant quiet settled in, the events of the past week rushed back to her mind.

Her parents had brought home a girl of the same age, claiming that this newcomer was their true biological daughter.

“Then what about me? Who am I?”

She simply couldn’t believe such an absurd scenario could ever happen to her. Real and fake heiresses—she hadn’t believed a single word.

Not until her parents produced the DNA test results matching the other girl did she finally accept that this ridiculous joke was reality.

Her parents had told her: “Ruixi, you and Wen Ya were switched at birth in the maternity ward. We can’t find your biological parents either. But Ruixi, we will still treat you like our own daughter.”

Treat her like their own daughter? Pure nonsense. Everything that had once belonged solely to her was split in half for that girl named Wen Ya. The pampering and affection that had been hers alone were redirected entirely to the newcomer. No one noticed her feelings, her needs, or her spoiled demands anymore.

The princess crown upon her head had been removed by the parents who had raised her for over twenty years and placed onto another girl.

In the end, she had been kicked out onto the streets. When local hoodlums harassed her, she had barely escaped being violated. Out of desperation, she sought out friends from school who used to be close to her, only to discover every single one of them had seemingly transformed into different people overnight—treating her with cold indifference, pretending they didn’t know her, or even mocking and jeering that she finally had her day coming.

Until someone told her that Yu Xian had opened an inn in Xiangling Town. She recalled how well she had taken care of Yu Xian in the past, giving her so many generous tips; there was simply no way Yu Xian would turn her away.

And so she had trekked across mountains and rivers to this remote little town, seeking shelter. Who could have guessed this woman would dare humiliate her like that? Utterly ungrateful! A total ungrateful wolf!

Recalling the scene in the art studio, Eldest Miss Ming burned with shame and fury. Yet no matter how she cursed and condemned, her voice was swallowed whole by the torrential downpour.

Exhausted from shouting and consumed by hunger, fatigue, and drowsiness, she finally slipped into a deep slumber.

…

The following day, the skies cleared.

The distant mountain ridges surrounding Xiangling Town were crisp, clear, and bright.

Yu Xian got up early to prepare breakfast. Preferring a light diet, she cooked a bowl of fresh congee, accompanied by a fried dough stick and half a glass of milk.

After eating, she sent the finalized princess-syndrome character design to the client, who expressed absolute satisfaction and promptly paid the remaining balance.

Yu Xian picked up her art supply box from the studio, preparing to head out to the nearby hills for outdoor sketching. Behind the hills lay a lake that, after the rain, would be enveloped in an ethereal mist like a fairyland. The last time she had seen such a view was half a month ago, and she had finally waited for another rain.

Changing into comfortable, simple casual clothes, she prepared to head out.

Standing at the door and turning around to lock it, her peripheral vision caught a silhouette in the corner, freezing her hand as she turned the key.

Yu Xian walked over. The fiercely proud young lady from the night before was currently asleep in the corner beneath her roof’s eaves. Her well-proportioned legs were slightly bent; the slit of her black velvet dress fell open to expose her jade-like, luminous skin. Her neat, rounded toes were smeared with dirt, though it did nothing to detract from the petite elegance of her bare feet.

Her breathing was steady, her complexion faintly pale.

Every time Yu Xian looked at the young lady’s face, she couldn’t help but marvel at how blessed she had been by nature.

As someone who studied painting, she understood better than anyone what bodily posture and bone structure looked best and most harmonious. Ming Ruixi possessed precisely that rare bone structure—the soft tissue on her face rested in perfect proportion over her delicate bone framework, radiating expressive charm with every glance, truly picturesque in every detail.

Pity she was plagued by severe princess syndrome, leaving much to be desired.

Remembering that slap, Yu Xian’s gaze hardened.

She had no reason to feel sympathy for a spoiled heiress who had once humiliated her.

With that thought, Yu Xian stood up, picked up her art box, and prepared to head out to sketch.

“Hungry…”

A voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz drifted from the corner. Yu Xian stood in place and watched for a few seconds, observing coldly as the fallen young lady woke from hunger.

The gnawing ache of hunger overpowered the cold seeping through Ming Ruixi’s body. Seeing Yu Xian, she immediately turned her face away, refusing to look at her.

Taking in the gesture, Yu Xian found it almost amusing: “Eldest Miss, the rain has cleared. Aren’t you going back to be your high-and-mighty heiress?”

Ming Ruixi’s face flushed red and pale by turns, acutely aware that Yu Xian was mocking her fall from grace: “Yu Xian, I don’t care about your rundown dump! If it hadn’t been too dark to see the road last night, I wouldn’t have slept here for a second!”

Yu Xian said calmly, “Right. My modest place isn’t fit to accommodate Eldest Miss Ming’s exalted presence. Please head back, or you’ll miss the train to the city.”

Ming Ruixi snapped, “Yu Xian! You don’t have a shred of sympathy! After how well I took care of you back then, giving you so many tips so you’d have money to buy paints!”

Yu Xian merely looked at her in silence. Over twenty years of life had taught her that trying to debate morals with a self-centered person was a complete waste of time.

Such people always had an arsenal of excuses to morally guilt-trip others.

Yu Xian asked, “So, Eldest Miss, when are you leaving my house?”

“You!” Ming Ruixi was infuriated by her flat, impassive tone. How had this woman become so sharp-tongued? She hadn’t been like this at all in the past.

“Fine, I’m leaving! Staying a second longer is nothing but bad luck!”

Ming Ruixi slipped on her high heels. Perhaps due to sheer starvation, she stumbled slightly before getting them on properly. Tilting her haughty chin high, she brushed past Yu Xian and strode toward the courtyard gate.