Metamorphosis of an Ugly Girl – Part One

Qingqing had never heard her name praised in such a way. At the Lin residence, she felt like an overlooked weed herself. Hearing Li Qin’s words, she felt deeply moved and elated. Her eyes brightened, and she tentatively asked, “Even if that’s true, weeds can’t compare to flowers. Flowers are the true masters, attracting attention.” Li Qin responded, “There’s a poem that says, ‘Planting beans at the foot of the southern mountain, the grass thrives while the bean seedlings are sparse.’ This shows that with effort and courage, you can outshine even the ‘masters’.” Qingqing asked, “Really?” Li Qin nodded, his eyes full of conviction, making her feel at ease and trusting. Qingqing suddenly remembered something and asked, “What about you? Why are you called Li Qin?” Li Qin replied, “My father hopes I will be diligent in governance and love the people, so he named me ‘Qin’.” Qingqing, seeing his serious expression, couldn’t help but giggle, “Do you think you are a crown prince? Diligently governing the people, hah…” Li Qin, hearing her words, didn’t mind and laughed along, “My father was just casually saying it, dreaming. How could I possibly govern diligently?” However, the attendant disagreed and wanted to scold Qingqing, but was stopped by a look from Li Qin. Qingqing then asked, “Why did you come out?” Li Qin explained, “My father said I did poorly on the exam and wanted to punish me. My teacher wouldn’t help, so I got angry and left with the attendant to gain some experience.” He pointed to the attendant behind him, “His name is Xiao Dengzi.” Qingqing couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter, “Xiao Dengzi? If you were the crown prince, wouldn’t he be… an eunuch?” They looked at each other and both burst into laughter. Xiao Dengzi retorted, “What’s wrong with being an eunuch? Are eunuchs not human?” Qingqing, still laughing, said, “Xiao Dengzi, I’m not talking about you, just joking. Besides, he can’t be the crown prince, and you certainly can’t be an eunuch.” Xiao Dengzi seemed to find it reasonable, scratched his head, and laughed along.