"Mother! Don't beg her!" Su Yueyue had lost her wits in anger. She tugged hard at Wang Manwen's hand and tried to rush forward to strangle Su Mingyu's neck.
Su Mingyu didn't dodge. She just stood there like an outsider, looking down at Su Yueyue haughtily. "I've already sent someone to invite the King of Yu. If you wish for him to see you in this state, you may continue to make a scene."
"However," Su Mingyu stared coldly at Su Yueyue, who was in floods of tears, with little tenderness in her tone. "You should know what kind of person the King of Yu is. If you keep acting like this, not to mention being a concubine, you won't even be qualified to be a chambermaid."
Su Mingyu's words were harsh and decisive. They were like a strong dose of medicine that completely woke Su Yueyue up.
She wiped the tears off her face and stared at Su Mingyu with red - rimmed eyes. "Why are you helping me?"
"Finally regaining your senses," Su Mingyu sneered coldly. "If it weren't for Father, I wouldn't want to meddle in your mess at all."
"You!" Su Yueyue's face darkened. "Su Mingyu! If you don't want to help, that's fine. I didn't ask you anyway. Why do you have to insult me like this?"
"I haven't even called you stupid yet. Why are you in such a hurry?" Su Mingyu didn't give Su Yueyue a good look at all. "Listen carefully. I'll only say this once. You decide for yourself."
"At this moment, you have no other choice. Even if it's just to be a concubine, you have to marry! And you should be grateful for it!"
Su Yueyue's eyes widened in shock. "What!"
"Su Mingyu! What on earth is your motive! I'm the daughter of a grand secretary, the most beautiful girl in the capital. Am I only fit to be a concubine?"
Su Yueyue was so angry that she wanted to devour Su Mingyu.
Su Mingyu glanced at her coldly without showing any mercy. "That was before. Now you're nothing but a promiscuous woman who had an affair with a man in broad daylight. Apart from the King of Yu, do you think any decent family would marry you?"
Su Mingyu's words were like whips, lashing hard at Su Yueyue's face. It stung, but there was nothing she could say in rebuttal.
"Even so... I'm not willing to be a concubine! I'd rather die!"
Saying that, Su Yueyue waved away Wang Manwen's hand and was about to smash her head against the pillar.
Wang Manwen was extremely anxious, but Su Mingyu just snorted. "Go ahead and die. Once you're dead, you'll have nothing."
"People will only say that you're ungrateful. You don't even want to be the concubine of the King of Yu, who is a candidate for the crown prince. The future imperial noble consort or even the empress will have nothing to do with you."
"Empress?" Su Yueyue looked at Su Mingyu blankly. "But I'm just a concubine... not even a side consort..."
Su Mingyu raised her eyebrows. "What's so difficult about a concubine becoming a side consort? There's no official consort in the King of Yu's mansion, and he has no heirs. As long as you give birth to a child safely, it'll be the King of Yu's first son. Becoming a side consort is just a matter of course. Wouldn't Consort Ning allow it?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I still have a son." A glimmer of hope suddenly lit up in Su Yueyue's eyes. "Even if I'm not carrying a son, I can make it so."
Seeing that Su Yueyue finally regained her wits, Su Mingyu's thin lips curved slightly. "So, do you still want to marry now?"
Su Yueyue nodded eagerly. "Marry! Marry! But... I've made such a big scene today... What about the King of Yu?"
"You don't need to worry about this." With a snap of her fingers, almost all the servants in the Su Mansion came.
They swarmed in and in a short time, they had cleaned up Su Yueyue's room and even restored the original arrangement of some items.
Su Yueyue stared at all this in astonishment. "You... you've been prepared for this."
Su Mingyu frowned. "Don't thank me. It's all for Father."
Just as Su Mingyu finished speaking, a maid came to whisper something in her ear. Su Mingyu nodded and then turned her gaze to Su Yueyue. "Are you ready?"
"The King of Yu is here? But I look like this?" Su Yueyue quickly tried to tidy up her hair and clothes.
Su Mingyu stopped her. "It doesn't matter. Second Aunt, you cooperate with Su Yueyue later. Pretend that you don't like her marrying there. A mere concubine is not worthy of our most beloved daughter of the Su family."
Wang Manwen was stunned. Looking at Su Mingyu's calm and composed manner, it took her a long time to react.
"I... I understand."
She never thought that Su Mingyu was much more capable than she had imagined.
In such a situation, Su Mingyu had changed their mother - daughter's situation with just a few words.
But since Su Mingyu was so calculating, why had she never shown it before?
Her mother and daughter had bullied Su Mingyu, but she had never fought back.
... No.
When exactly did it start that she could no longer get the better of Su Mingyu?
When did this girl, whom she had once looked down on so much, grow into such a person?
Wang Manwen couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine. A sense of fear, like being slowly boiled in warm water, came over her. For some reason, Wang Manwen was certain that she couldn't outwit the girl in front of her.
Just as Wang Manwen was immersed in fear, Su Yueyue suddenly hugged Wang Manwen tightly. "Mother... I really want to marry the King of Yu. Even if it's just to be a concubine, I don't care."
Hearing Su Yueyue's sobs, Wang Manwen finally came to her senses.
She turned around and slapped Su Yueyue. The crisp sound was extremely loud, startling everyone. The room fell into silence for a moment.
Su Mingyu comforted softly, "Second Aunt..."
"Shut up! Who do you think you are to speak!" Wang Manwen glared angrily at Su Mingyu and then looked coldly at Su Yueyue. "You're my precious daughter, the second young lady of the Su family, the most beautiful girl in the capital. How can you condescend to be a concubine!"
Su Yueyue's face was extremely ugly. "Mother! I only like the King of Yu. Whether it's a concubine or not, I want to marry him!"
"Absurd!" Wang Manwen's face turned even darker. "I won't allow it! Marriage is arranged by matchmakers and parents. I won't allow it!"
"Mother!" Su Yueyue cried until she was almost out of breath. But she still held Wang Manwen's hand tightly, looking extremely pitiful. "Even if you don't bless me, I'll still marry!"
"You!" Wang Manwen was so angry that she lost her mind. Just as she was about to raise her hand to hit again, a tall figure rushed in and grabbed her hand.
Wang Manwen was startled. "You..."
The words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back. "The King of Yu?"
The King of Yu's face was gloomy. "What is the lady doing to the person of this king?"
Wang Manwen quickly knelt on the ground. "Forgive me, Your Highness. This old woman just doesn't want her daughter to be wronged."