Afternoon, fourth period, inside a music classroom that looked abandoned—
“…Alright, no need to say more. Get on the carriage with me.”
Meng Wan’ge arrogantly extended her palm, showing a look of disdain.
Su Wanli stood on a wobbly chair and spoke downward:
“It’s just a ball. I’ll take you along.”
“Cut!”
“Sister, I…”
“You’ll only embarrass our family if you go to the imperial palace.”
Then she stepped forward and placed her hand into Su Wanli’s.
Upon hearing this, Meng Wan’ge, playing Cinderella, took a deep breath. Su Wanli turned her palm into a finger and pointed it at the corner of Meng Wan’ge’s lips.
“If you dare say another word, I’ll leave you at home. Otherwise—”
“I understand, Sister. I’ll do my best!”
—
After one chapter of the script ended, Xiao Fen, who was holding a clapperboard and pretending to be important, immediately stood up. She clapped the clapperboard together once and then cheered to the two girls in the center of the classroom.
“Perfect! As expected of Boss Su and Boss Meng… Meng Wan’ge! You’ve perfectly recreated the scene I imagined as a director! To be honest, when I was still a playwright, the expressions, the dialogue, and the… that I had in mind were exactly like yours!”
“…Nonsense, isn’t this the script Meng Wan’ge wrote?”
Su Wanli rolled her eyes disdainfully at Xiao Fen.
“You call yourself a playwright? What do you have to do with this script now?”
“Oh, then let me rephrase. When I first read the script, I already imagined this scene in my head! Anyway, it’s absolutely perfect. If there’s still something lacking, it’s only your costumes!”
Xiao Fen sized up Su Wanli and Meng Wan’ge as she spoke.
“Hmm, for Cinderella, just putting on a dirty maid outfit is enough. But the stepsister’s clothes are a bit troublesome. According to the background story in the script now, the stepsister should at least wear a classical aristocratic gown…”
“Hehe, you don’t have to worry about that. I’ll just pick a suitable evening gown from my own closet. As for Cinderella’s maid outfit…”
“…Wait.”
Cinderella, meaning…
Meng Wan’ge’s maid outfit!
Su Wanli’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she quickly shifted her gaze to the brown-haired girl beside her who was still seriously studying the script.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, Miss Su?”
Noticing Su Wanli’s gaze, Meng Wan’ge snapped her script shut with a “smack,” then blinked at Su Wanli and said with a smile:
“I think Zhang Shiyu’s suggestion just now was pretty good. According to the original work’s setting, Cinderella is indeed in the position of a servant at home, so wearing a dirty maid outfit seems appropriate.”
“I-it’s nothing! I don’t think so either! Who’s discussing that with you? I was just imagining you…”
As she spoke, suddenly feeling something was off, Su Wanli silently shut her mouth and averted her gaze, but couldn’t help stealing glances at Meng Wan’ge’s figure from the corner of her eye.
…Now that I think about it, even though I am the sole heir of the Su family, the nominal master of this lowly maid Meng Wan’ge, still…
Meng Wan’ge has seen me in a maid outfit, but I’ve never seen Meng Wan’ge in one!?
Just imagine it: her soft, slender hair adorned with a fluffy black-and-white headband, lace-trimmed skirt fluttering with every move, white leather shoes on her feet, and white knee-high stockings wrapping her slender calves…
Faced with a Meng Wan’ge like that, no matter what I asked of her, she would let me have my way, and she would respectfully bow to me and call me “Master”…
Oh no, I mean “Big Sister.”
“…Heh, hehe…”
“Hmm? Miss Su, what did you just say?”
Meng Wan’ge lightly raised an eyebrow at Su Wanli and gave a gentle, warm smile.
“Ahem, nothing. Just a slip of the tongue. Stop digging.”
Realizing she had slightly lost control over her expression, Su Wanli hastily slapped her forehead and coughed lightly to the others.
“Anyway, don’t worry about the clothes. Meng Wan’ge and I will pick them at home tonight and bring them tomorrow for rehearsal. As for the extras, Xiao Fen, just pick some random clothes. Don’t forget to make the backdrop too.”
“Yes!”
Unnoticed, the sky outside the window had gradually darkened, and it was nearly 6 PM.
Looking at the clock hanging at the front of the classroom, Su Wanli silently stretched toward the ceiling and waved to everyone.
“Alright, time’s about up. Let’s stop here for today. Dismissed!”
At Su Wanli’s command, Xiao Fen and the others began to pack up and leave the classroom, leaving only Su Wanli and Meng Wan’ge in the space.
“Let’s go, Meng Wan’ge. We should head home too. When we get there, I’ll have Zhang Ma find a suitable maid outfit for you, and see if it fits.”
“Mm, understood.”
With her usual calm smile, Meng Wan’ge nodded slightly to Su Wanli and stepped out of the classroom ahead of her.
…Not resisting at all?
Hmph, acting so composed. This girl is clearly a main heroine with a halo favored by the World’s Will—wouldn’t she feel humiliated when Meng Wan’ge bows and scrapes to me in a maid outfit?
Actually, when I think about it, there have been plenty of things recently that should have made Meng Wan’ge feel humiliated, right?
Never mind her barging around Baiying Academy with me or beating up Bai Guihe at the Bai Family Banquet—in the eyes of the school’s teachers and students, Meng Wan’ge and I are in an… unspoken relationship, aren’t we?
Li Yunsheng calls Meng Wan’ge and me “Little Lovers,” Xiao Fen and the others naturally call Meng Wan’ge “Boss Meng,” and the school forum is always filled with outrageous rumors fabricated about the two of me and Meng Wan’ge.
Has Meng Wan’ge… never felt angry, resentful, or ashamed about any of this?
Putting myself in her shoes, if someone spread rumors about me being together with someone I hated, I would be furious. Just like Bai Guihe was about those things he did to me earlier—that’s no exception.
Thinking about it, Su Wanli suddenly felt uncertain.
—School hours really drain a person’s energy. I’m someone who’s good at hiding emotions and always putting on my best face. If I hadn’t coincidentally fallen seriously ill before, I would never have seen Meng Wan’ge’s vulnerable side.
Just as Meng Wan’ge admitted herself last night, she’s really good at covering up her exhaustion in various ways so others can’t tell how tired she is.
So, looking at the brown-haired girl standing naturally at the classroom door, waiting to return to the Su family together, Su Wanli found herself unable to take a step for a moment.
…While I was secretly delighted by those rumors, was Meng Wan’ge… feeling disgusted, wanting to get rid of me, and keep her distance as much as possible?