In the quietude of the Gong residence, I, Shuang Shuang, served as a beacon of knowledge, a tutor to the young master, yet under the scrutinizing gaze of Madam Xie Weihuan, I found no favor. "Why linger after lessons?" she would sneer, her words laced with the sting of alcohol and her disdain palpable in the air. Unfazed by her contempt, my response carried the weight of defiance, "Mr. Gong's wishes tether me here, to better shepherd the young master's intellect."
Madam Xie's disdain for the presence of female staff, particularly those who dared encroach upon the proximity of Gong Li'an, knew no bounds. Her irritation, palpable, manifested in a tempest, her actions sweeping the tabletop clean in a fit of rage. With venom in her voice, she castigated, "Your facade betrays your intentions, clear your presence and let this be our last encounter."
The shattering of glass heralded the distress of young Gong Jue, who sought refuge in my embrace from the tempest that was his mother. With a triumphant smile, I shielded him, an unspoken victory in the silent battle waged within these walls.
Her fury unabated, Madam Xie endeavored to pry Gong Jue from my hold, marking his tender skin with the evidence of her wrath, his cries piercing the veil of silence. This tumult did not go unnoticed, drawing forth Gong Li'an from his seclusion.
"What is this chaos?" his voice, a blend of authority and ice, cut through the tension. Madam Xie, quick to cast blame, pointed her accusatory finger at me, her words a tangle of deceit and manipulation.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Yet, it was I who parried with truth, "The concerns for the young master's well-being weigh heavily upon Mr. Gong's heart, hence my continued presence as a guardian of his intellectual growth."
In that moment, I stood resolute, a guardian clad in the guise of a tutor, my expression a carefully crafted tapestry of innocence and resilience, designed to evoke a knight's protectiveness.
Caught in my carefully woven web of vulnerability, Gong Li'an found himself momentarily adrift in contemplation. His resolve, when it returned, was cloaked in a sternness directed not at me, but at the instigator of this discord. "The aroma of inebriation clings to you yet again. Given your habitual neglect, let Xiao Shuang assume the mantle of care. Escort young Jue to sanctuary."
His command, though directed towards me, was imbued with an unexpected gentleness, a stark contrast to the storm that raged within Madam Xie's eyes. As I ascended the staircase, a single tear, a silent testament to my plight, escaped the confines of my resolve, unnoticed by the eyes that followed my departure.
The shadows of the corner concealed my departure from their view, and only then did the echoes of their contention reach my ears. A smile, born of satisfaction and anticipation, danced upon my lips. For in the heart of conflict, I found not despair, but the promise of a reckoning.
In the sanctity of the nursery, I tended to the wounds inflicted not by chance, but by malice. As sleep claimed Gong Jue, his trust in me remained steadfast, a silent vow binding us in our shared solitude.
And thus, the stage is set, Madam Xie. The prologue of your downfall has been penned, not with ink, but with the resolve forged in the crucible of your making. Step by painstaking step, I shall dismantle the world you've built upon your treacheries.