Zhao Lian wasn't at all surprised when her maid barged in with that familiar air of arrogance.
"Get up, let's work or young mistress won't be happy. You must serve her as the invisible fool you are." She spat the words like venom, chin lifted as though she wasn't just a servant in another's house, but a queen in her own right.
A maid.
A mere maid had the guts to insult her.
Zhao Lian wanted nothing more than to slap the smirk off her face, but her ears caught a faint sound outside the door—measured, steady footsteps. She froze. She knew that sound.
Mei.
She's here.
What is she doing here?
A sudden spark flared inside her chest. This was a trump card. A chance to use Yue's own tricks against her.
"What are you smiling at?" the maid asked, frowning at the curve of Lian's lips.
Lian blinked. She hadn't realized she was smiling—so immersed was she in the fire of her thoughts that she had forgotten the presence of this ungrateful wretch. The very same maid, according to the system, who had been "taken in" under Zhao Lian's plea years ago, but had since joined the ranks of those who mocked her.
"Nothing. Just your annoying look." Lian tilted her head, eyes sharp. "Did Yue send you here to bully me like always?"
"Of course," the maid sneered with unshakable confidence. "She's the perfect daughter. No one's going to blame her. You? You're her shadow and you'll always be."
"Aren't you worried those words will lead to huge consequences later?" Lian asked softly, her voice deceptively calm.
"What consequences?" The maid laughed. "Yue promised to protect me. All I have to do is make your life miserable. That's enough for me."
Lian studied her, lips curling faintly.
"What did I ever do to you?" she asked, voice low. "If I recall correctly—if not for my begging Mei to allow you to stay in our manor—you would still be crawling the streets in rags, begging for scraps of rotten food."
"Who wants your fake sympathy?" the maid snapped back instantly. "So what if you helped me once? I don't care about any of your goodness. And stop being petty. Nobody loves you. And that will remain a fact."
The words sliced deep. Even though Lian had anticipated them, her chest ached.
But she forced her smile to remain. "Aren't you worried someone might find out about this?"
"Hah! Who cares? Yue is with her friends, being entertained by those your father invited. Your parents adore her. While Mei—she's stuck in her classes, won't be back till dawn. So, I can torture you until then, you despicable ingrate."
Lian sat still. Calm. Calculating. Though she burned inside, she also had a plan—a way to humiliate not only the maid, but the Zhao family itself. And her anchor would be her eldest sister, Mei.
Her thoughts sharpened. Mei was different—rigid, bound by rules. Her very presence could crack this web of favoritism if given the right push.
"Are you sure?" Lian asked, her smile catlike.
"I can bet my life on it." The maid smirked.
"Are you so eager to lose your life that much?"
Another voice cut through the room.
The maid's face drained of all color. She turned slowly, as though her body refused to obey her.
And there she was.
Zhao Mei stood framed in the doorway, tall and poised, her expression unreadable.
"F-first young lady… what are you doing here?" The maid's usual arrogance shriveled instantly.
"What?" Mei's tone was calm, almost cold. "Can't I visit my youngest sister?"
"N-no, that's not what I meant. You… you shouldn't be back by now. You're supposed to be—"
"Studying," Mei finished for her. Her gaze never wavered. "And returning by dawn? I finished early. And I came here. To my sister's room. Because I wanted a real talk with her. Only to be met with the harsh reality she has faced."
The maid trembled, words stuck in her throat.
Mei turned her eyes to Lian, stoic as always. "Lian." Her voice was steady, unshaken, yet something beneath it stirred. "I'll avenge you. You need only recall everything she has ever said about you to our parents. I'll take care of the rest."
Oh, Lian would be glad.
She had a thousand memories. A thousand wounds she could now use.
The maid nearly collapsed, color gone from her face.
In this strange new world, the system had whispered of four great Heavens:
The Broken Heaven – the mortal domain, where the dust of common lives settled thick.
The Heaven of Chaos – the Dark Realm, where shadows reigned.
The Celestial of Glory – the Palace of the Heavens, dazzling and distant.
The Spring Serene Heaven – the road of cultivation, the realm of trials and discipleship.
In the Broken Heaven stood the great Imperial Province City—ruled with an iron fist by its village chief and his three sons, each one praised as paragons of virtue.
Nearby, mansions rose like pillars of pride:
The Lotus Wave Manor, seat of the Zhao family.
The Jade Crystal Manor, residence of the Feng family.
The Cake Manor, where the Lu family presided with riches of trade.
And beyond them were villages, inns, and brothels—a world painted with colors both bright and dark.
But Lian's mind wasn't on these lofty places. Not yet.
Her world was still the Zhao estate.
A place of favoritism and shadows. A place where her parents had always pushed her aside, whispering, "Mei is more suitable. You'll ruin everything if you go."
That was why she had ignored it when the system shows her the brothels and inns.
She wasn't interested. Her plan was what matters more now than memorizing brothels and inns.
And now…
Now came the embroidery celebration.
The celebration was held in the Garden of Twin Orchids, a famed courtyard in the manor where ponds glistened like jade under lantern light, and embroidered silk hung in banners along the pavilions. It was said that maidens of status gathered here to show their skill with the needle, each stitch judged as a reflection of grace and virtue.
Zhao Father sat with older men, laughing over a box of Go stones, discussing politics and irrelevant boasts. Zhao Mother, meanwhile, smiled among elderly ladies, fanning herself as they whispered about family achievements.
The great doors swung open.
In came Zhao Lian.
Her hand gripped the arm of her maid—dragged mercilessly forward, her struggles useless. The sight drew a hush.
Father's eyes blazed. "Zhao Lian! What disgraceful behavior is this? Have you no respect for this household?"
Mother's fan snapped shut. "Truly shameless. You drag servants like criminals before guests? Must you humiliate us at every turn?"
Whispers rippled through the gathered crowd. Disrespectful. Unfilial. Unworthy.
The sting of their words was sharp, but Lian did not flinch.
The maid tried to speak, but her lips quivered.
And then—
Another figure entered.
Zhao Mei.
Her calm, poised figure silenced the room. One glance from her, and the whispers died.
Father frowned, unease creeping into his tone. "Mei… why are you—"
But he stopped. Because the look on her face was unreadable, distant, and cold.
That was the moment all of them realized—things were no longer as simple as before.
The balance of their household had shifted.
Forever.