Anning turned toward the person that had just spoken and found herself facing a woman who bore some sort of resemblance to Gu Wanqing, only she looked older and far less restrained.
Where Anning's beauty remained Anning of ice, this woman's expression held something harsher, she didn't even bother to hide the disdain she felt towards Anning. Even the way she held her chopsticks made her frown, it looked like she would snap them in half when she deemed fit.
The venom in her tone made Anning scoff inwardly, though she was careful not to let it show too clearly on her face. Before she could say anything, she instinctively glanced at Wanqing, expecting her to help or at least just acknowledge her.
But sadly, the woman in question was calmly sipping her tea, as though none of this concerned her. Anning almost chuckled at her own luck.
Here she was, dragged into a room filled with strangers. Strangers that were currently staring at her like she was some rare creature, and the very person responsible for it just sat there in silence, totally unbothered. The audacity!
Well, fine.
If she was on her own, then she would handle it herself.
She straightened her posture and then forced a polite smile into her lips, one that didn't reach her eyes, and lowered her head.
"I'm a maid, who works under the mistress... I mean, the young miss" Her voice came out smooth and steady enough, though her heart was anything but steady.
The woman's brows lifted just a bit, her gaze moving from Anning to Wanqing, as though demanding some sort of confirmation.
Wanqing set her cup down with a soft clink against the table, her movements unhurried and her face holding that annoying indifferent expression.
"I wouldn't exactly call her my maid," she stated flatly. "She's my slave."
The older woman gasped, her chopsticks slipping from her fingers and falling onto the table with a soft clattering sound. The color drained from her face immediately, and Anning almost felt concerned... almost!
"My Lord," the woman cried, turning to the man seated beside her, her voice rising and octave higher. "I told you, this daughter of ours really wants to send me to an early grave. How could she bring a slave...here?!"
Anning blinked at her reaction, was being a slave that horrendous?
She didn't get to think for long because the man at the table finally moved.
This man was Wanqing's father... General Gu.
He set his chopsticks down gently, picked up a cloth, wiped his mouth before finally lifting his head. Then, his gaze landed on her.
This man, it didn't look like he was merely staring at her. With how intense his gaze was, it seemed he didn't like her too.
Her heart began to pound against her chest, fast and loud, but she refused to look away.
If there was one thing she hated being, that was a coward.
So, she stared back.
The seconds stretched into a few minutes, the silence in the room made it a bit hard to breathe. Then, slowly, the corners of General Gu's lips lifted.
"What's your name?" He asked.
The question caught her off guard. For just a brief second, she didn't respond, but then she straightened just a little more and answered.
"Anning. Lin Anning."
The old man leaned back slightly, resting his chin against his palm as he stared at her with open curiosity.
"It's surprising." He said after a moment, his voice calm and controlled. "That Wanqing actually decided to keep a slave by her side. Especially considering she dismissed every maid and noble lady brought to her, claiming they were too... bothersome."
His gaze gleamed slightly as he added, "What makes you different?"
Anning felt the heat rush up to her cheeks almost instantly. Different?
Was this an interview or something?
As she thought of what to say, her thoughts couldn't help but collide into each other, causing a chaotic mess. Should she tell him the truth? That his daughter bought her because she reminded her of a tiger? Even in her head, that still sounded ridiculous.
Or should she just make something up?
Under his probing gaze, it suddenly became harder to think. She could feel a thin layer of sweat already forming on her back, her fingers curling slightly into the fabric of her dress.
'Calm down.' She said inwardly, it's just a question.
Clearing her throat softly, Anning lowered her head just enough to appear 'respectful', even though her thoughts were anything but that.
"She feels more comfortable around me." She said carefully. "And she made it clear she prefers someone who doesn't treat her like a princess."
As she finished speaking, she heard someone in the room gasp. But Anning didn't pay any mind to that, after all her reason sounded good enough.
Whether they actually convinced the old man was another matter entirely. She didn't dare look up, not when she could feel the atmosphere in the room change.
If she had, she would have seen the brief glance exchanged between General Gu and his wife.
Instead, she just focused on taking deep breaths to calm herself down.
A low hum came from General Gu, one that sounded almost approving and Anning, poor Anning let out an exhale at that.
"Since you're that perfect," he said, his tone unchanged. "Step forward and pour me some tea."
Of course he wouldn't believe her so easily! She screamed mentally, her eyes widening.
Anning bit on her lower lip as she stepped forward, taking slow small steps towards where the old man was seated. The distance between her and the table felt longer than it should have been, with every step she took, she literally became aware of the eyes on her.
Her vision blurred slightly, dark spots creeping at the edges, and she had to force herself to actually breathe.
'This is just tea, Anning! You've got this'
But no, no she didn't. She had never even touched a tea cup in all her twenty-three years of living.
When she finally reached the table, she started at the teapot for a few seconds before carefully picking it up. It was heavier than she expected, the warmth from the tea seeped into her palm as she wrapped her fingers around the handle.
Don't spill it. Do not mess this up!
She leaned forward, tilting the pot slowly, she watched as the thin stream of tea began to flow into the General's cup. The kettle shook just a bit, but she clenched her jaw, steadied herself and focused on the simple act.
The sound of the tea filling the porcelain cup seemed louder than necessary, echoing faintly in her ears.
She was about to fill the cup to the brim, when her hand shook slightly and a few drops of tea fell onto the table.
Her breath caught in her throat at the sight, her heart clenching painfully. It was just a few drops, they wouldn't mind... right?
She lifted her gaze from the cup and just as she thought, they were all staring at her...with nothing but disappointment.