The girl's words instantly drew sneers from several people.
"Exactly!" one said. "The father is as cunning as a fox, but his daughter is a fool and a coward!"
"It's really hilarious!"
As if they had found an opportunity, they took turns hurling sarcastic remarks at Yun Xi.
Yun Xi remained calm, but Yu Zhu was so angry that she trembled. Just as she was about to retort, the girl interrupted her.
"Shut up! You three ugly hags! Who said I was going to side with you?" the girl snapped.
The three of them immediately turned ashen-faced.
"Who are you calling ugly hags?!"
In an instant, they sprang up in anger, their eyes bulging as if they were about to tear the girl apart.
But the girl put her hands on her hips, showing no sign of fear. Her voice was clear and loud.
"Don't you look in the mirror before you go out?"
Then, she pointed her delicate finger.
"Your waist is as thick as a bucket, but you still try to sway your hips. Have you ever considered how others feel when they see you?"
"Your face is full of pimples, but you still apply so much powder. Are you trying to look like the city wall of the capital?"
"And you! No matter how wide you open your eyes, they're still as small as mung beans! Your mouth is wide, and your nose is flat. Are you a human or a fish?"
The girl hardly took a breath as she spoke. Yun Xi, holding onto Yu Zhu's arm, was already laughing so hard that she was lying on the table.
Oh my God! Where did this livewire come from? Her stomach was about to cramp from laughing!
Look at those people's faces. They were turning all sorts of colors, as if they were a dyeing workshop!
"You! You little wild girl, you've gone too far!"
The three of them were so enraged by the girl's words that they rolled up their sleeves and were about to grab the girl's hair.
But the girl was as light as a swallow. She bent down and easily dodged their hands. Then, she waved her fist at them provocatively.
"Come on! Let this young lady beat you into pig heads! Then you won't have to wear all that overpowering makeup!"
Looking at the heroic girl, the three of them looked at each other, at a loss.
Finally, they touched their faces, uttered some harsh words, and scurried away.
This girl was Zhen Bao, the daughter of a general. She had five older brothers, all of whom were outstanding young military officers. Zhen Bao, the sixth child in the family, was known for her wild personality and lack of education. She was often looked down upon by the students at the girls' academy.
But because of her quick temper and tendency to fight at the slightest provocation, the other girls were afraid of her.
To avoid being beaten into pig heads, the three girls decided to steer clear of this troublemaker for now.
"Hey! Stop laughing! I wasn't trying to defend you!"
After the three girls left, Zhen Bao walked up to Yun Xi's table. Seeing that Yun Xi was still shaking with laughter, she frowned.
Just as she disliked those three girls, she also disliked Yun Xi.
Everyone knew that Yun Xi's father was a notorious traitor, a person that her father and brothers hated.
So, she felt that she should share the same hatred as her family.
If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't hold back today, she wouldn't even have bothered to talk to Yun Xi!
Yun Xi composed herself, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and took out a piece of dried beef from a paper bag in her sleeve. She offered it to Zhen Bao.
"Spicy dried beef. Do you want some?"
Yu Zhu looked at her young mistress in surprise. Her mistress, who was usually stingy about sharing food with others, was actually offering her favorite snack to a stranger. It was really unbelievable!
Zhen Bao was slightly taken aback. She frowned, took the piece of dried beef that Yun Xi offered, and curled her lips.
"I'm not so easy to buy off!"
With that, she took a bite of the dried beef. It was slightly spicy, moderately salty, and very chewy.
"You'd better stop eating."
Yun Xi reached out her hand, pretending to snatch the remaining half of the dried beef from Zhen Bao. But Zhen Bao quickly turned around and shouted.
"Hey! Once you've given something to someone, you can't take it back!"
Yun Xi burst out laughing. Before Zhen Bao could get angry for being tricked, she took out the whole paper bag of dried beef from her sleeve and spread it out on the table.
"Do you want to eat some together?"
Yun Xi raised her eyebrows and invited Zhen Bao with a charming smile.
Zhen Bao hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Let's get one thing straight. I look down on you."
Zhen Bao picked up a piece of dried beef and stuffed it into her mouth, saying bluntly.
Yun Xi nodded. She grabbed a piece of dried beef and didn't stop talking.
"But I like you."
Zhen Bao choked on the dried beef when she heard this. She was immediately choked by the spiciness and coughed violently. She stared at Yun Xi in disbelief.
"Are you stupid? I've already said that I hate you, but you still like me? Don't you have any backbone?"
As the daughter of a general, Zhen Bao's only wish was to stay in the military camp, train with her brothers, and go to battle to kill the enemy. She also hoped to become a female general one day.
But unfortunately, her mother had sent her to the girls' academy to learn female virtues with a bunch of vain and hypocritical young ladies. It was killing her!
Those young ladies sneered at her for being wild and unruly, and she hated their affectation.
Finally, there was a girl of the same age who said she liked her, but she turned out to be the daughter of a big traitor!
"Like is like. What does it have to do with backbone?"
Yun Xi smiled and patted Zhen Bao on the back to help her catch her breath. She said matter-of-factly.
"It's as if you're so full of backbone when you're eating the food given by someone you hate."
Zhen Bao was at a loss for words. She looked at Yun Xi contemptuously.
"Did you set me up?"
She had thought that Yun Xi was a timid and cowardly person who would never fight back when bullied.
Who would have thought that she was as cunning as her traitorous father!
But Yun Xi's black eyes sparkled, and she smiled innocently.
She had seen that Zhen Bao was a straightforward person who would always seek revenge. Although she had mocked her, there was no malice in her heart.
Zhen Bao took another angry bite of the dried beef.
"If you're so eloquent, why didn't you defend yourself just now?"
No wonder her father always disliked people who were good at arguing. Their Zhen family were all straightforward people who couldn't argue with others!
Yun Xi quickly picked up the last piece of dried beef and chewed it contentedly. Her words were a bit slurred.
"The more angry you are and the bigger your reaction, the more you'll fall into the other person's trap. I'm not going to let them have their way."
"What do you mean by that?"
Zhen Bao stared at the dried beef in Yun Xi's hand longingly, feeling a bit unsatisfied.
Yun Xi waved the dried beef in her hand and ate it slowly on purpose.
"Laozi emphasized the principle of 'overcoming the hard with the soft' many times in the Tao Te Ching. Sometimes, going head-to-head may not lead to a good result. The truly powerful are those who are gentle on the surface but tough on the inside, not those who are too straightforward and show off their sharpness!"
When the time was right, she would surely strike a fatal blow!