The Lazy Villainess

"Milady? Milady!"

'Ugh. What?'

"It's time to wake up, breakfast is in half an hour!"

'Five more minutes…'

"Milady you cannot be like this!" said Chi Lou, anxiously, "We are in the palace!"

Oh right. So it wasn't a dream. Yesterday did happen. I grudgingly get up and since I see no one else awake, and the fact that I am half asleep, I allow Chi Lou to help me bathe and put on my very simple dress which was just plain light blue with no embroidery.

Chi Lou didn't even complain about my dressing choice, she was just happy I allowed her to actually do her job. She styled my hair into a simple bun with a single ornament that matched my light blue dress, under my direction.

I wore no make up, but still looked pretty, and seeing that the other girls were just getting up, I went with Chi Lou to get some breakfast. The halls were almost all empty except for maids and guards going in and out of places.

Chi Lou guides my sleepy self to the dining hall. Oh how I wish I had coffee! Chi Lou opens the door to the dining hall and it is just being set up by the maids. Other than the maids, Chi Lou and me, there is no one else here.

I sit down anyway and almost go to sleep, that's how tired I am.

'Sister? What are you doing awake so early?'

I look up to see that my brother is standing in front of me. I smile sleepily, but next to him is none other that Jin Qingye himself.

I snap awake at that point and bow towards him. 'This Lady didn't see you there. I am Song Laing, Lord Qingye.'

He looks surprised that I know him. It seems like he doesn't recognise me from the year before. My brother looks unhappy for some reason, but Qingye just smiles.

"Nice go meet you too Lady Song. Please just call me Qingye."

'I don't think that would be appropriate sir…'

"Oh but I insist…"

'I don't really want to call you anything KID. I am older than you for God's sake! Mentally anyway…' I think internally. 'If Qingye doesn't mind then…' I say softly.

"What are you doing awake so early? You never are awake!"

'Oh you know brother, they say that early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy wealthy and wise.'

"Who ever said that?"

'Oh well, guess I just made a new proverb.'

He shakes his head as a maid brings me some hot congee and some vegetables as I requested. This was the food that I ate before work every morning and I wanted to eat it again. Since no one was here yet, the kitchens had time to specially make me some food. Ignoring the two dumbfounded boys in front of me, I dig in.

The other students pile in and are surprised to see the Prime Minister's son and my brother at the same table as me. As if I need enough attention, the students notice my simple food and start whispering. I roll my eyes, this was bound to happen…

I quickly finish eating, because I want to catch the moment where Roqing and Tian Mo finally fall in love. Just as it was in the book, the girls all line up to go to our first lesson of the day, which is etiquette. The boys go to military training, and coincidentally, the royal training grounds are right beside the open gardens where the girls learn etiquette.

My cousins are obviously right next to me as always, and are gossiping about the princes which I don't mind, but seriously, they have no taste whatsoever. Just as I think everything is going to plan, Roqing comes up to me and bows. "Lady Song, thank you for being so nice to me!" she says.

I am startled for a moment and my cousins stop talking and look curiously at her. But seeing Roqing's smile unlocks a protective instinct in me and reach and softly touch her face, startling her.

'With such a pretty face, who wouldn't?' I say smiling, and that makes her blush. 'Won't you be my friend Lady Wu?'

She is dumbfounded for a moment and then there are tears in her eyes. I am quite taken aback seeing her tears. 'Hey, don't cry…' I say wiping her tears, 'People will think I'm bullying you…'

She bawls her eyes out rushes to give me an enormous hug. I freeze up as I'm not used to her hug, but seeing her absolutely let out all her sorrows on me, I return her hug, and I spot my cousins about to tear up watching my interactions. Thank god no one else is around, as they have all already went ahead to their lessons. She finally stops crying, and looks up at me.

"Call me Roqing!"

I laugh, 'Okay Roqing, meet my two cousins, Shie and Sui'

"Nice to meet you too Lady Song and Lady Song!" Roqing says, bowing to them, but Shie and Sui go and hug Roqing. "Any friend of our cousin, is a friend to us! Call us by our names!" says Sui.

I suddenly realise something, we are late to class. 'We are late! Come on, we can make it!'

We start running, and just like in the book, the Prince and his attendants were coming our way at the same time.

And here we are quickly walking towards the gardens when suddenly, Roqing walks right into Tian Mo. She stumbles a bit before falling backwards, when the prince grabs her waist to prevent her from falling. They stare at each other's eyes and I feel happy just watching a magical scene. I grab Shie and Sui's hand, who are frozen looking at the scene, and tug on them to leave Roqing and Tian Mo alone. While we are running, I turn back to see Roqing's terrified face looking towards me. Mo is still looking at her, so I give her a wink and mouth 'Well see you in class' to her before running off with the still shocked Shie and Sui.