Did I just ask something incredibly rude to Young Master Baiyi?

I... I really did something awful...

I knew full well that as a maid, I shouldn’t pry into Young Master’s personal privacy. Yet I broke the rules in the maid code.

Am I being too much...

Dressed in a tight-fitting maid uniform, Xiao Ling stood outside the clothing store with her head bowed, looking utterly dejected. She held the reins of a horse taken from the stable.

This horse looked different from the others in the stable.

Unlike the other horses eating hay and drinking water together, it was the strangest of all.

While the others ate, it stood quietly aside, its eyes fixed on beautiful women passing by on the street.

When the other horses slept, it leisurely found an empty spot and lay there in a very dashing pose.

Clearly, this horse was anything but normal.

But Xiao Ling didn’t know how she got swindled by the stable owner.

Somehow, she ended up buying this strange horse to help pull her master’s clothes.

Sigh, I’m such a failure.

“Young lady, I see your brows furrowed, your forehead dark, sighing softly, acting all nervous. You must have something weighing on your mind,” a strange voice whispered in Xiao Ling’s ear just as she sighed helplessly.

Startled, she jumped up and frantically looked around to see who was speaking.

But after turning a full circle, she found no one nearby, let alone anyone talking.

“No need to look. It’s me.”

The horse beside Xiao Ling stretched out its hoof, gesturing for her attention.

“You... you can talk!”

“Hmph! What, is there some rule in this world that says horses can’t talk?”

Incredulous that someone doubted its handsome, debonair self, the horse proudly lifted its head, showing disdain.

“No, no, no! That’s not what I meant. I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Horse. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Hmph! That’s more like it.”

Flustered, Xiao Ling didn’t even think properly before bowing to apologize.

“By the way, Mr. Horse, you said I have something on my mind. How did you figure that out?”

I don’t know if Xiao Ling was scared witless or just naturally a bit slow. She actually took this strange horse seriously.

Wow, this was getting way too exciting.

“Hmph! Call me ‘Bro Horse,’ and I might tell you.”

After hearing Xiao Ling, the horse proudly lifted its head, wearing a carefree, dismissive, and annoyingly smug expression.

Luckily, no one was around. Otherwise, a talking horse would cause quite a stir and draw a massive crowd.

“Horse... Bro Horse?”

Still, Xiao Ling cautiously glanced around and whispered the words in a tiny voice.

“Perfect!”

With its vanity satisfied, the sly horse flashed a cheesy grin, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth.

“So, Mr. Horse. How did you know I have something on my mind? And do you know how to solve it?”

Poor, naive Xiao Ling actually believed this strange horse and bombarded it with key questions, leaving it momentarily stumped.

But as a talking horse, how could it be fazed by such simple questions?

“Hmph hmph, young lady, I bet your worries are about a man—and a very important one at that.”

To appear smart, the horse saw Xiao Ling’s worried face and recalled the mares in the stable going crazy lately with spring fever.

So, it cleverly bluffed its answer.

“Mm-hmm, you’re so smart! The owner was right when he said you’re the smartest horse in the entire empire.”

Sure enough, this horse was indeed clever. And it guessed right—her worry was about prying into her master’s privacy.

“Hmph hmph, of course.”

Hmph, who am I?

The smartest talking horse in the entire empire—no, perhaps the whole world.

My handsome intellect came from accidentally swallowing a pill that fell from a black-robed merchant’s cargo while I was helping him transport goods.

That’s how I gained such wisdom and the ability to speak.

Then, based on my years of experience, this young lady must be caught up in what humans call love, with communication barriers and emotional gaps.

That’s why she has such an anxious, troubled face.

I guessed right. Damn, I’m so clever.

“So, Mr. Horse. What should I do?”

Xiao Ling looked at the strange horse with excitement and anticipation, hoping it would suggest a good way to apologize properly to Young Master Baiyi.

“Hmm, based on my brief observation of you, young lady, I think you need to be more proactive.”

That’s right. This girl clearly looked like a naive maiden who knew nothing about love.

But with my excellent guidance, she could become a CEO, marry a rich handsome guy, and reach the peak of life.

Huh? What’s a CEO?

“Proactive?”

So, I lack proactivity? If I’m more proactive, will Young Master see the sincerity in my apology?

Yes, as a maid, I should be more proactive in apologizing to Young Master Baiyi.

But even if I’m proactive, what exactly should I do?

After hearing the horse’s words, Xiao Ling sank into deep thought.