Ye Ling?
Was it a coincidence?
"Yan'er, what's wrong with you?"
"Yan'er?"
"Yan'er?"
It wasn't until Ye Qingluan called her name three times that Zhao Shuning came back to her senses.
"Ah, it's nothing."
Ye Qingluan let out a sigh.
"You don't need to be afraid. I just recalled those things from the past and felt a bit emotional. Mother respects your opinion and will never force you to do things you don't like."
Zhao Shuning absent - mindedly picked up the wooden comb and put it aside.
Grandpa? What kind of person was he?
Zhao Shuning had never met him, but she always felt that he couldn't be a bad person.
"Yan'er, after we go out later, there may be quite a few people waiting to laugh at you. You don't need to pay attention to them. Even if you can't practice, your status is still higher than theirs."
Zhao Shuning replied straightforwardly, "Mother, you don't need to worry about this. I'll handle it well."
Ye Qingluan stood up.
Zhao Shuning used rouge to cover the swelling around her mother's eyes.
"Mother, you were the most beautiful woman in Ruoqiang back then, full of charm. No matter how many years have passed, you're still high - above. In front of others, you must never show any timidity."
With such a delicate face, just a little touch - up made her breathtakingly beautiful again.
"Now, it's Yan'er who is teaching me this lesson."
Zhao Shuning smiled but said nothing.
Outside, the sky gradually darkened.
One by one, the gorgeous lanterns were lit up.
Several delicious dishes were being served on the table.
Zhao Shuning and Ye Qingluan talked for a long time. They didn't stand up until a gentle voice came from outside.
"Sister, Brother Hao sent me to invite you out."
When Ye Qingluan heard this, her face changed.
Zhao Shuning understood immediately.
The scandal of the baby - swapping had not been revealed yet. This Liu Yuan was so good at acting innocent that it was truly astonishing.
No one responded. Then the voice outside said again, "Sister, you'd better come out quickly. Don't make Brother Hao embarrassed."
Ye Qingluan stood up but was pushed back by Zhao Shuning.
"Yan'er?"
"Mother, let me handle this."
"You?"
"Trust me. I won't let anyone bully my mother, Luo Feiyan's mother."
Perhaps the determination and protectiveness on Zhao Shuning's face were too dazzling. For a moment, Ye Qingluan was in a daze, and Zhao Shuning had already walked to the door.
With a creak, the door opened.
Zhao Shuning looked at Liu Yuan in front of her and then at Yingniang beside her.
Seeing that it was Luo Feiyan who opened the door, there was not much joy on Liu Yuan's face. She said directly, "Feiyan, I'm here to find your sister. The marquis is waiting for her in the front hall."
After saying that, she was about to step past Zhao Shuning and walk directly into the room.
Ye Qingluan would not make things difficult for Liu Yuan out of consideration for Luo Hao's face. That was Ye Qingluan's generosity, but she wasn't Luo Feiyan. She was Zhao Shuning, and she was not a kind - hearted person.
Seeing Liu Yuan striding directly towards the main room, Zhao Shuning reached out and grabbed Liu Yuan's outer robe.
"Rip!" Liu Yuan's outer robe was torn into two halves by Zhao Shuning.
Zhao Shuning was very strong. With this tug, the clothes were torn, and Liu Yuan fell flat on her back.
"Ah—"
A scream.
"Yingniang, Yingniang—"
Qiu Ying quickly helped Liu Yuan up and took off her own coat to cover Liu Yuan.
Zhao Shuning, however, threw the torn pieces of the robe at the two of them and then clapped her hands neatly.
"Miss, how could you play tricks on your aunt like this?"
"Slap!"
Zhao Shuning was not polite at all. As soon as Yingniang opened her mouth, she slapped her across the face.
"You!"
Liu Yuan was stunned, and Qiu Ying couldn't say a word. She covered the half of her face that was stinging from the slap and looked at the young girl in front of her in shock.
It had only been three months since they last saw each other.
But the young girl in front of them seemed to be a completely different person.
"Feiyan, how could you hit Yingniang? Yingniang is from my household. How have you become so unreasonable? If the marquis knows how unreasonable you are, you may have to spend half of your one - month vacation in the ancestral hall."
Zhao Shuning looked at Liu Yuan.
This woman didn't seem as weak as Luo Feiyan had described.
Judging from the way she spoke, she was full of energy and in good health.
Zhao Shuning didn't even look at Qiu Ying, who had been beaten by her. Instead, she stared straight at Liu Yuan.
Liu Yuan felt a bit creepy under her gaze.
She quickly said, "What are you looking at me for?"
Zhao Shuning stretched out her hand and said calmly, "Aunt Liu, you should also watch your words. In a noble family, the rules are strict. As you said, the ones who can discipline me are my father and mother. What does your low - class servant have to do with me?
"My mother is the mistress of this marquis's mansion. Naturally, her courtyard is not a place where just anyone can enter. This low - class person beside you didn't even wait for my mother's summons before trying to rush in. What? Do you really think of me as a mere decoration? Or do you think of the rules of the marquis's mansion as a decoration?"
Zhao Shuning now thought that
putting on an overbearing act and being a villain was really exhilarating.
Although she had to be a bit formal when speaking, just thinking about how her actions would annoy the other party made her feel good.
"You? Feiyan, after all, Yingniang is—"
"Shut up!"
"What did you say? Luo Feiyan, I'm your aunt, your elder. Do you want to teach me a lesson too? Where is the justice in what you're doing?"
Saying that, Liu Yuan was about to wipe away her tears.
Ye Qingluan was afraid that her daughter would be bullied and was about to step forward.
But Zhao Shuning stretched out her hand and stopped Ye Qingluan.
Ye Qingluan didn't understand but didn't take another step forward.
"Aunt, you can cry. You'd better cry louder. Anyway, I'm used to being scolded by my father since childhood. Even if he is attracted by you now and I can't resist, I'll just get a whipping. But tonight's banquet is no ordinary occasion. The distinguished guests are all well - known people. You can just make a scene. Then, when Father loses face, I don't need to tell you what your fate will be, right?"
Hearing this, Liu Yuan immediately stopped crying.
Zhao Shuning continued, "Also, don't claim to be my elder. In a noble family, I understand the rules. You, like this, once paid respects and served tea to my mother. You only got a place in the marquis's mansion with my mother's guidance. For our Luo family, you're just a concubine of my father. The status of a concubine has always been only a bit higher than that of a steward. At best, you're still a servant of our Luo family. How dare you have the nerve to claim to be my elder?"
Liu Yuan was so angry that her lips trembled.
Her hands also wouldn't listen to her.
The young girl in front of her was fearless.
Her eyes were bright.
Every word she said seemed reasonable, and when put together, Liu Yuan couldn't think of a single word to refute.
How did the cowardly Luo Feiyan suddenly become so tough?