The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat-Chapter 24: Don’t Be Afraid

Ever since Li Ji gained the special ability of "Mind Reading," almost all the thoughts he heard were laced with schemes, hostility, and suspicion.

He had grown used to it.

Living at the center of power in the Great Zhou Dynasty, all sorts of conspiracies and schemes were inevitable. He couldn’t possibly escape them.

But Hua Manman was an exception.

She was like an outsider who had stumbled into this world, her thoughts completely out of sync with everyone around her.

She was truly... too strange.

Hua Manman couldn’t believe the great Prince Zhao wouldn’t even bestow a set of bedding upon her. As she inwardly cursed him for being so cheap, she could only lower her standards and pitifully ask for the next best thing.

"If there’s no bedding, a soft pillow would be fine too."

The pillow on the bamboo couch was woven from bamboo.

It was quite cool to sleep on in the summer, but it was too hard for Hua Manman. It was so uncomfortable it made her head ache.

’If I keep sleeping on this,’ she thought, ’the back of my head is going to get flattened.’

Li Ji summoned a Chief Nanny and ordered her to procure a new set of soft and comfortable bedding and pillows.

The nanny didn’t understand his reasoning, but she didn’t dare to ask questions and obediently carried out the order.

Soon, the bedding and pillow on the bamboo couch were replaced with a new set.

Hua Manman sat on it, feeling it on the left and pinching it on the right. It was very soft to the touch, and she was very satisfied.

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. "Thank you for your reward, Your Highness!"

Li Ji actually wanted to tell her that she didn’t need to go to such trouble. If she found the bamboo couch uncomfortable, she could just sleep on the bed. After all, he wouldn’t be coming to her room to spend the night every day.

But the words died on his lips before he could speak them.

’Forget it. For the sake of her saving my life, I’ll just sleep in her room for a few more days.’

’This way, everyone in the Prince Mansion will see how highly I regard her, which should prevent any fools from trying to plot against her in the future.’

That night, Prince Zhao stayed in Hua Manman’s room again.

The maids originally on night duty were sent out by Hua Manman.

She stated that her serving the Prince was enough; there was no need for anyone else to be in the room.

The maids, assuming Lady Hua and the Prince were about to do the "indescribable," all blushed crimson and scurried away.

What they didn’t know, however, was that nothing at all happened between Hua Manman and Prince Zhao.

The two slept in separate beds, a clear line drawn between them.

In a state between waking and sleep, Hua Manman drifted back many years in a daze.

She was only eight years old then. Dad’s company had gone bankrupt due to poor management.

Because of this, Dad fell into a deep depression and drank all day. Every time he got drunk, his personality would change completely. He would become exceptionally violent and cruel, often beating his wife and daughter.

Mom finally couldn’t take it anymore and secretly ran away by herself.

Mom left, but Hua Manman couldn’t.

Her drunken father was like a demon, grabbing her by the hair and slamming her head against the floor.

She struggled and screamed desperately, but her meager strength was no match for a grown man. Her head slammed hard against the ground, and the pain made her wail.

Dad called her a jinx, blaming all his failures on her.

"If it weren’t for you, you damn jinx, my company wouldn’t have gone bankrupt! You’re a menace! A curse! Anyone who gets close to you will come to a bad end! Why don’t you just die?!"

His voice overlapped with Princess Rouwan’s.

Even their expressions as they said those words merged into one.

"You’re a menace! A curse!"

Hua Manman’s eyes flew open as she woke with a start from the nightmare.

The ceiling beams came into view, painted with colorful scenes of blooming flowers that symbolized wealth and honor. All around was silent.

The doors and windows were tightly shut. The room, devoid of light, was incredibly dim, and she couldn’t see anything clearly.

She didn’t know what hour it was and didn’t dare call out for anyone, so she could only quietly raise a hand to wipe her eyes.

’It’s all in the past.’

’Everything is over now.’

’Don’t be afraid.’