Metamorphosis of an Ugly Girl – Part One

Fourth Prince followed behind, listening to her mutterings with a mix of amusement and exasperation. He finally managed to grab her, only for her to dash off to look at more trinkets. “My lady, can’t you just settle down for a moment?” Qing Qing, running, turned back and quickly covered his mouth, “I’m your servant now; how can you call me ‘lady’?” Fourth Prince shook his head helplessly, bowing, “My mistake, Master Servant.” Qing Qing burst into laughter, then nervously pulled at Fourth Prince, fearing they might attract attention. “Hey, what’s that over there? Why is it so crowded!” Before Fourth Prince could respond, Qing Qing had already run to the front of the crowd, and he had no choice but to follow. Her spirits were high, unlike the melancholy she often displayed in the palace; it was as if she had returned to her childhood timidness but with less weakness and more joy. As a child, she feared the Lin family; in the palace, she had to guard against others harming her, putting on a facade of toughness. But Fourth Prince knew well that she suffered more than anyone inside. With the Lin family, the Empress Dowager, and Li Qin pushing them into desperate straits, anyone would resist, striving for self-improvement. Yet, the happiness Qing Qing showed at that moment was unprecedented, so innocent and pure, like a child’s, that even the sunlight seemed to lose its luster on her smiling face. Did this mean that all he had done was wrong? (End of Part One)