Chapter 51

Li Qingluo suddenly lost her appetite.

Her maternal grandmother, just like Qu Shi in her past life, naturally favored Li Qingzhu more, so she never once gave Li Qingluo a proper look.

Now that they're calling her out, what good could come of it?

Is it to have her serve Qu Shi or Li Kechuan?

Those two probably don't even want to see her, so they must want her to serve that old lady, right?

Li Qingluo then had Que'er go out to refuse.

"Granny, our young lady has heard that the mistress and the eldest son have run into trouble, and now she's anxiously pacing back and forth in her room."

"But our young lady has broken out in a big rash today; if we risk going to see the crowd, we might drag them into trouble, and then wouldn't this manor be even more chaotic?"

The messenger was the senior maid Chang from Chunzaitang.

Usually she is fierce and intimidating, very dignified.

Upon hearing Que'er's explanation, she immediately decided it was nonsense and didn't believe it at all.

"You wretched maid, dare to deceive me? I came by the Old Lady's order; today the young lady may not want to go out, but she must!"

Chang Yaya thought Que'er was just a little maid and reached out to slap her face.

Que'er raised her hand and seized her in a grip.

"Hey? You old fogey! I was being polite, yet you dare to lay hands on me?"

"How dare you come to our Hongfenguan acting arrogant, without even seeing who I am, the young miss? You want to tear my mouth apart—I'll tear yours first!"

Que'er reached out and grabbed Chang Yaya's hair, tearing it to shreds.

When the maids behind Chang Yaya reacted and lunged to help, Que'er kicked each of them, still holding Chang Yaya's hair, and slapped each maid in the face.

Meanwhile, the two guards at Hongfenguan's gate just stood aside watching the spectacle, with no need to intervene.

"Get lost! If you come any closer to our Hongfenguan, I'll make each of you just like her—raving lunatics today!"

Chang Yaya screamed in pain, "Zhi wa!", reaching out to grab Que'er, but Que'er dodged every attempt.

"Que'er, don't get entangled with her."

Li Qingluo finally spoke up then.

Que'er snorted coldly, kicked Chang Yaya aside, and said, "Scram!"

Chang Yaya, holding her utterly askew, disheveled hair, felt like crying.

She had served in the Jiangjun Fu for decades, yet had never suffered such injustice!

Today, in front of those little maids, she was made to lose all face.

"You, you all, just wait—this isn't over!"

Chang Yaya dropped her harsh words and was about to leave, but Li Qingluo had Que'er go and drag her back.

Held down in the courtyard, Chang Yaya looked at the Second Miss before her and her heart leapt with fright.

This, this is completely different from the Second Miss who just returned to the manor a few days ago—worlds apart!

When did she become so beautiful?

Leaving aside her fair complexion, which is like night and day, her delicate features also carry a heroic air—how could she still have that former ugly, impoverished look unfit for society?

Now she actually bears somewhat the bearing of a young lady.

Chang Yaya's heart involuntarily trembled with fear; Li Qingluo, without courtesy, said, "You came to our Hongfenguan to cause trouble and strike people; I originally didn't want to deal with you, let you go, but you don't know gratitude, dare to show off and threaten me—you're slapping my face, thinking I'm easy to bully?"

Chang Yaya's heart pounded wildly; thinking that she, after all, is a master, though unfavored by the lord and lady, now has the Old Lady's backing, she instantly went limp.

"Second, Second Miss, you are magnanimous, generous… please, spare this old slave…"

"This old slave is merely obeying the Old Lady's order… she, after all, is your maternal grandmother, and you cannot but heed her words…"

Li Qingluo: "Nonsense. Do you think that with these words I'll just comply and let you off?"

"Besides, you are now a member of my Jiangjun Fu, yet you obey the words of that Qu family old lady—you're basically a traitor eating from inside and stealing from outside!"

"And you still dare to meddle in my affairs—what the Zhongyi Hou Fu heard has nothing to do with me."

"Furthermore, remember: in this Jiangjun Fu there is only ever one Old Lady, and that is my grandmother!"

Seeing that she was not easily fooled, Chang Yaya dared not utter another word.

She didn't want to be dealt with by Que'er again, so she instantly became meek.

Li Qingluo: "Still want me to wait? Wait for what? Wait for you to find me endless trouble?"

"I tell you, either scram quickly, or take another round of punishment—your choice!"

Que'er: "I've told you, Granny. Our young lady has broken out in a rash today; if she provokes someone, it'll be trouble. You insist on barging in—if you feel any itch when you go back, don't think it strange."

"Oh dear, I feel an itch on my back—Cui Er, quickly take a look?"

Chang Yaya's face turned white from fright.

"Unjust! She was clearly seized and brought in!"

Immediately, she felt something wrong with her own body.

Not daring to complain another word, she scrambled up and rolled away.

Watching Chang Yaya, scared witless and rolling about, Que'er and Cui Er laughed until they could hardly straighten their waists.

"Look at her, doesn't she resemble a big winter melon? Hahaha..."

"And she's long and round too."

The laughter from the courtyard made even a servant boy under a distant tree outside chuckle.

Zhuang Wei frowned at the servant boy, who hurriedly explained, "Third Master, that courtyard is very lively. It feels even more bustling than the daytime operas."

"Third Master, the Old Lady heard that the Second Miss is unwell, so she sent you to check on her. Yet you found a spot, fell asleep, and now it's almost dark."

"Will you ever get over it?"

Zhuang Wei stared at the Hongfenguan with a puzzled expression.

He wondered why the voice of the Li mansion's second young lady felt oddly familiar.

He seemed to have heard it somewhere before.

Furthermore, she didn't seem to cherish their Zhongyi Hou Fu as much as they claimed.

"Strange." Zhuang Wei shuddered all over, instantly straightening his back.

He stared at the swaying firelight in the darkness, murmuring: "Why is this Jiangjun Fu so quiet?"

The servant also finally realized: "Right. Today is not only the Mid-Autumn Festival, but also the General's Lady's birthday, isn't it? In past years it was so lively it almost overturned the heavens—why is today..."

Aside from the already quiet laughter in the courtyard, the entire Jiangjun Fu seemed to have sunk into a dead pool.

Dead silence.

It was as if everyone had lost their voice.

Zhuang Wei, who had been forced to come, immediately clenched his fists, turned, and strode away.

He had never wanted to come to this Hongfenguan.

He didn't even want to lay eyes on that person.

Li Qingluo heard the gatekeeper granny say that a young master accompanied by a servant had visited outside the Hongfenguan.

Li Qingluo wondered: "So late, are there still guests who haven't left the manor?"

However, she didn't take it to heart.

She simply turned her head and continued to cuff Cui Er and Que'er: "What day is today? If you laugh so rudely again and get caught, I won't be able to protect you if you're reported! Do you understand?"

Both knew they were wrong, kneeling properly: "Yes, miss. We know we were wrong."

Lancang Courtyard.

Old Lady Qu, who had been guarding the courtyard, heard Granny Chang say that Li Qingluo refused to come out; Old Lady Qu's face instantly filled with disbelief: "Such a big thing has happened at home, and she still won't come out!? What kind of heart does she have? So wicked and ruthless."