With a crisp 'smack', Fang Lina's palm struck her solidly, leaving five clear fingerprints on Xia Yihan's pale face. She didn't look at Fang Lina, but stared straight at Ye Zimo. Her gaze seemed to say, 'Are you satisfied now?' Ye Zimo's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly, but in an instant, he resumed his usual expression as if he had seen nothing, turning his head back to continue exercising on the treadmill. The butler hurriedly shouted at Fang Lina, 'Since when is it your turn to teach a lesson? Get back in line!' Fang Lina felt immensely satisfied to have hit Xia Yihan herself. Zhao Tianai and Sun Mengmeng, seeing the handprint on Xia Yihan's face, also felt a sense of satisfaction. She deserved to be hit for daring to openly seduce the Crown Prince. If it weren't for the fear of being fired and losing their chance, they would have surrounded her and beaten her severely, ideally disfiguring her hate-inducing face. Xia Yihan's face burned with pain. She bit her lip, took two deep breaths, and then silently went to get a towel and tray, standing back in line with the others as if nothing had happened. Ye Zimo didn't need to look to know that her demeanor was unchanged. This kind of calm and self-control always aroused a desire to challenge in others.

He couldn't help but wonder what had made her willing to become a pawn. He instructed the butler to arrange for someone to investigate, but there wasn't much useful information, making it difficult to deduce her motives. Regardless of the reason, her existence was an affront to his intelligence, and he wouldn't be blamed for showing no mercy. After exercising, Ye Zimo wiped his sweat with Fang Lina's towel, a subtle gesture that led the butler and all the maids to believe that the Crown Prince approved of his treatment of Fang Lina. Several jealous women seemed to have found a backer and began plotting how to drive Xia Yihan out. After serving Ye Zimo breakfast, he didn't go out and instructed the butler that there would be important guests coming today. 'You may address him as Mr. Hai, and see to it that the etiquette is impeccable.' 'Yes!' The butler replied with utmost respect. After saying this, Ye Zimo went to his study. The butler knew that once he was in his study, he usually didn't need anyone to attend to him, so he instructed the maids to do other chores. When the tailor delivered the clothes, the butler gathered everyone and distributed them according to the names on the labels inside the clothes, two sets for each person. 'These two sets of clothes are for washing and changing. Starting today, no matter what the occasion, you must wear your uniform. Anyone who does not wear it, or comes out in dirty or damaged clothes, will be punished, and in serious cases, I will have them leave. Do you understand?' The butler asked in a raised voice. 'We understand!' Everyone answered in unison. 'Now go back to your rooms to change, and gather again in ten minutes!'

On the way back to her room, Fang Lina, Zhao Tianai, and Sun Mengmeng gathered together and whispered to each other for a while. Xia Yihan walked ahead quickly, entered her room, and just as she was about to change into two sets of clothes she had placed on the bed, Liu Xiaojiao suddenly called her from the doorway. 'Yihan, could you come out for a moment?' 'Coming.' She walked out of the room, and Liu Xiaojiao pulled her aside, whispering, 'Does your face hurt? Fang Lina was too much, she hit me last night too, but not as hard.' Xia Yihan frowned and asked, 'Why did she hit you?' 'Last night I wanted to go out and help you mop the floor, but I was discovered by her as soon as I stepped out, so... never mind, it doesn't hurt, let's not talk about me. I saw them just now, it seemed like they were discussing how to deal with you, be careful.' Xia Yihan nodded seriously, held Liu Xiaojiao's hand, and said, 'I'm really sorry, don't worry about my affairs, your own safety is most important.' I won't let you suffer this slap in vain, rest assured, but she didn't say this out loud. 'Go back and change your clothes quickly,' Xia Yihan reminded. 'Yes, if I'm late the butler will scold again, I'm most afraid of seeing his gloomy face.'

After Liu Xiaojiao finished speaking, she hurried back to her room, and Xia Yihan also returned to her own room. As she pulled the zipper on the side of her dress and reached for the clothes on the bed, she could never have imagined that what she grabbed were just a few pieces of shredded fabric... She found it somewhat unbelievable, and when she went to grab another dress, it was also shredded. Xia Yihan clutched those large pieces of shredded fabric, really wanting to rush out and argue with those women, and she also wanted very much to complain to Ye Zimo. But she understood better than anyone that the Ye family would turn a blind eye to Fang Lina hitting her, and they would not care about this matter at all. And the butler, he would always act based on his speculations of the Ye family's intentions and would not help her either. Ten minutes would soon be up, and she threw down those shredded fabrics and ran out, just as Liu Xiaojiao had finished changing clothes and came out of her room. 'Xiaojiao, could you lend me your set of clothes to wear for a moment?' she asked eagerly as she approached. Liu Xiaojiao was taken aback, then said, 'Sure, but my clothes are so small, you won't be able to wear them.' As the two were talking, Jiu Jiu came over, and upon seeing that Xia Yihan was still wearing her white dress, she asked in surprise, 'Why haven't you changed your clothes yet?' 'Mine has been cut by them, it's already in tatters. Jiu Jiu, could you lend me the one you change into? I'll wash it clean and return it to you tonight.' 'What? That's too much! Go complain to the butler!' Jiu Jiu exclaimed. 'It's useless,' she said softly. 'Alright, you wear mine first, follow me.' Before Xia Yihan went to change clothes, she said to Liu Xiaojiao, 'Hurry up, the butler is going to get angry.'

“No, Yihan, Jiujiu and I will wait for you. If all three of us are late, the butler won't single you out,” Liu Xiaojiao said righteously. Finally, there were these two to help her, and Xia Yihan felt her heart wasn't so cold anymore. Jiujiu was a few centimeters taller than Xia Yihan, and the dress she wore on her was loose and baggy. When the three of them ran to the assembly place, the butler indeed had a dark face. Fang Lina saw that Xia Yihan was actually wearing a maid's uniform and glanced at Zhao Tianai, thinking to herself, it was clearly cut off, how could she still have one to wear? Zhao Tianai also found it strange; she was the one who did it herself, both pieces were cut. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the one she was wearing didn't fit at all, and Fang Lina noticed it too. She coughed lightly to remind the butler. “Yo, how come all of our uniforms fit just right, and only Xia Yihan's is so big?” The butler's face darkened, and he asked, “Xia Yihan, what's the matter with your dress?” Xia Yihan answered calmly, “My two dresses were cut and can't be worn, this one is borrowed.” The butler looked at her, then at the other girls, and asked perfunctorily, “Who cut her dress?” Zhao Tianai muttered softly, “Who would dare to cut her dress? You know very well, she's always thinking about how to seduce Mr. Ye every day. Maybe she thinks it's not good for seduction to wear the same as us, so she cut it herself.” The butler thought for a while and said, “That's not unreasonable. Xia Yihan, it's your fault for not taking good care of your own uniform. There's no need for other excuses, I won't believe them even if you say them.”

Xia Yihan smiled bitterly in her heart, not at all surprised by the outcome. 'Oh my, butler, I seem to remember you saying that if anyone's uniform had a problem, they should be sent out, right?' Fang Lina said, followed by Zhao Tianai adding, 'Exactly, these are the rules you set. If someone breaks them right after they're established, and you don't punish her, who will listen to you in the future?'