Yan Ru's expression was a little panicked. "I also don't know. I saw her come in with Wu Qiong Qiong. Third sis let's hurry and leave. I don't want to stay here anymore."
The more she saw Yan Ru like this, the less Yan Yan wanted to leave. During this period of time, Yan Yan had gotten to know Yan Ru quite well. Although she was a little delicate, she was still overall a good girl. She wouldn't start arguing with others for no reason. Perhaps she was bullied?
Yan Yan's personality was this way. Those she approved of, she would take under her wing. Even if they weren't sisters, she still wouldn't let them get bullied in consideration of Xue-shi's face.
"Who bullied you?"
It was at this time Wu Qiong Qiong spoke up. "Violent girl is unrestrained and crudish and vicious as expected. Don't act like you want to beat someone up. We're not your estate's servants!"
There were many implications in these words. Yan Ru grabbed Yan Yan tightly and begged quietly: "Third sis, let's go. Don't stay here any longer."
Liu Shu Yi said in dissatisfaction: "Wu Qiong Qiong, who are you talking about?"
"The person in question knows very well." Qu Qiong Qiong very condescendingly smirked, her eyes filled with Schadenfreude. "Yan Yan, you aren't young anymore. It's about time to discuss marriage, but who would dare marry someone like you!?"
Yan Ling's face was flushed. "I've already explained several times. My third sis isn't someone like that. Don't listen to Yan Qian's lies."
Hearing up to this point, Yan Yan pretty much understood. Her eyes swept over the crowd and then looked at Yan Qian who shrunk into the corner. Yan Qian's expression was very strange. There seemed to be fear, but also a lot of excitement. Her eyes were filled with malice. Feeling Yan Yan looking at her, she hurriedly burrowed into the corner and put on a trembling appearance.
Seeing this, the crowd broke out into discussion. Their gazes at Yan Yan became even weirder. Wu Qiong Qiong looked very smug. This violent girl finally suffered a loss at her hands!
"Yan Yan, I thought you were just hotheaded, but who would have thought you were so malicious!? You've truly expanded my horizons. What proper lady would act like you? How atrocious!"
Wu Qiong Qiong put on a righteous appearance and the crowd looked revolted. They only refrained from critizing due to being concerned about their own status or perhaps due to Yan Yan's background.
Only now did Yan Ru sobbingly explain things to Yan Yan.
It turns out that not long after they left, Wu Qiong Qiong had come back along with Yan Qian. The moment Yan Ru saw Yan Qian, her head was about to explode. Seeing her together with Wu Qiong Qiong gave her a feeling of foreboding.
As expected, Wu Qiong Qiong pulled a few people over and told them something and they all started getting into discussions one by one. The misses sitting with them also went over.
The banquet had yet to begin and several guests hadn't arrived yet. Several misses would enter every so often. People wanted to join in on the liveliness, so whether they knew Yan Yan or not, they all started gossiping.
Only then did Yan Ru know that Yan Qian had told Wu Qiong Qiong a lot of bad things about Yan Yan.
Things like she was vicious, and would beat servants and even two doctors had been beaten away by her. She also said she was overbearing and rude, and never respected her elders. She would always talk back to her grandmother, and even her father's concubines were afraid of her. She made one kneel in the courtyard in front of everyone, and they all feared her like wolves and tigers....
Yan Qian only spoke the truth, but they were all taken out of context. But this made it impossible to accuse her of lying. Yan Ru's eyes turned red out of panic. Yan Ling had wanted to explain but no one was willing to listen. Yan Qian put on a pitiful appearance, along with Wu Qiong Qiong and Pei Jia Yu fanning the flames, which resulted in the scene from before.
Liu Shu Yi was gobsmacked after listening.
Yan Yan pursed her mouth tightly and didn't speak.
"Ah Yan, did you really do all that?"
Yan Yan looked at Liu Shu Yi, her gaze dark. "Do you trust me? There's a reason for all of it."
Liu Shu Yi hurriedly nodded. "We've played together since we were children. I trust your character."
Yan Yan's brows relaxed. She suddenly smiled. She had a pair of extremely beautiful almond eyes that slightly slanted upwards. Her fine and exquisite brows radiated charm as they were raised. Because of this smile, she exuded a charm that didn't suit her age.
She took a step and walked over. The crowd immediately retreated to either side. Yan Yan walked over directly to Yan Qian. Yan Qian was unsettled, wanting to move but not daring to.
"Third sis, don't hit me....ah...."
Yan Yan moved swiftly. She stretched out a hand and grabbed Yan Qian's collar, lifting her up in front of her eyes. Yan Yan was taller than her to begin with, making her look weak and pitiful.
The crowd cried out in astonishment. Some of the more timid ones covered their mouths with handkerchiefs in fright. Yan Yan held Yan Qian with her left hand as she patted her face with her right.
"Don't want me to hit you? I thought you were a smart one, and wouldn't take the initiative to provoke me!"
Yan Qian panted urgently, her voice trembling. "You, you let go...."
Wu Qiong Qiong ran over and put on a brave front: "Yan Yan, what do you want to do? You want to hit your concubine sister in front of everyone? I've never seen such a vicious and malicious person!"
Yan Yan ignored her and continued speaking to Yan Qian: "Thoroughly venting everything feels good, right? Have you considered the consequences?"
Her attitude was very leisurely. She hooked a chair over with her foot and sat down. Yan Qian was actually forced onto her knees in front of her, her small face raised towards her.
She started slapping Yan Qian's face over and over. She didn't hit hard but the sound was very crisp.
This sort of scene tested the limits of these noble ladies' endurance. Which estate didn't have concubine daughters and principal daughters? It wasn't like principal daughters never dealt with concubine daughters before. But such fangs bared and claws brandished behavior in front of everyone has never been seen before.
Some servants ran in and tried to softly persuade her to stop.
It turns out that the Wangxian Pavilion faced the Yaoyue Terrace. Several of the noblewomen in the terrace by the window had seen what was happening. When the matter spread, a master from the estate had ordered the servants to come stop things. Soon, people would start arriving.
This matter had blown up already and Yan Ru was already frightened to tears. She tightly held the worried looking Yan Ling's hand.
Liu Shu Yi persuaded Yan Yan with trembling voice: "Ah Yan, forget it. Even if she really started rumors, it can be dealt with later. Don't do it here. Your mom is probably going to arrive soon."
How could Yan Yan not realize this? But if this matter wasn't handled now, this bucket of feces would definitely be dunked onto her head. Her anger couldn't be restrained anyway, and since her reputation was already ruined, she figured she might as well ruin it thoroughly.
She smiled at Yan Qian who had a hint of joy in her eyes. "What? Waiting for someone to save you? Didn't you make me sound very malicious? Don't you know when I lose my temper, I've never cared about anything? Tell me, if I choked you to death right now, would someone ask for my life in repayment?"
At some point, Yan Yan's hand had already moved around Yan Qian's throat. She rubbed over and over again, as though pondering where she should start squeezing. The sounds of chairs falling sounded repeatedly. Some timid people could no longer endure and had run off.
Yan Qian's gaze became horrified, her voice dry and piercing. "You dare?"
"What do you think?"
Yan Qian already felt the hand on her throat slowly tightening. Her heart contracted and her pupils dilated. She finally couldn't control her terror anymore and pulled at Yan Yan's hand. Her tears flowed out and messed up her face.
"Let go, let go...."
"I beg you, let, let me go...."
"Big sis Jia Yu, big sis Wu, save me...."
Wu Qiong Qiong and Pei Jia Yu had already been scared witless. How would they dare to provoke this devil incarnate in front of them anymore? They both stood far away.
A series of footsteps sounded and Shen Yi Yao's voice could be heard from far away.
"Ah Yan....."
Shen Yi Yao ran in the lead. This woman whose skirt never swayed when she moved was staggering as she ran over. There were quite a few noblewomen behind her. Seeing the situation, they were all stunned.
"Ah Yan, hurry and let go!"
Yan Yan raised her head and shot her a dazzling smile.
"Mom, do you know? Yan Qian said I'm vicious, overbearing and unreasonable. Furthermore, I always talk back to my elders and grandmother has fainted several times from anger because of me. Oh right, I also beat the servants, and I've even beaten two of the estate's doctors out of the estate. Oh right, I'm also harsh to the estate's concubines. I either punish them to kneel or send them off to nunneries...."
Shen Yi Yao was in disbelief. She glared at Yan Qian and then looked at Yan Yan.
Yan Yan was very calm, her words unhurried. Yan Yan wasn't like this normally. Her words usually came clear and fast. Even Shen Yi Yao had never seen her like this before.
Tears misted Shen Yi Yao's eyes. She said in a trembling voice: "No, no, mom's Ah Yan isn't like that. Yan Qian, how could you say such nonsense...."
"Mom, no need to explain. No one will believe it. People only believe thrilling things, things that make their blood boil, things that they can gossip about. They wouldn't care if there's a reason for anything."
She lowered her head and smiled again at Yan Qian. "You've achieved your goal. My reputation is ruined. Since my reputation is ruined, shouldn't I do something to make it a reality?"
"No, no, no...."
A stench of urine wafted out. It turns out Yan Qian had wet herself from fright.
Despite this, she didn't dare relax. She felt Yan Yan was like a crazy person. Why did she never react like other people? Shouldn't she be blushing and trying to explain under such circumstances, and end up making matters worse instead? Or perhaps, shouldn't she have stopped when the elders came.....
Why is she still trying to choke her to death?
Will she die?
"Third sis, I know my wrongs. I shouldn't have spread rumors wanting to ruin your reputation...."
"I beat the servants?"
"No, those were spies placed by my concubine mom."
"I beat doctors out of the estate?"
"No, no, they were bribed by my concubine mom."
"I punished Concubine Lan to kneel?"
"That was because she disrespected the madam!"
"I sent your concubine mom to the Qingpu Nunnery?"
"It was grandmother who did that because she embezzled public funds and stole your mom's dowry...."
Speaking to this point, Yan Qian was already a mess of tears. All her defenses had been torn apart and she hadn't noticed that Yan Yan had already withdrawn her hand. She sat on the floor by herself.
Only when a palm ruthlessly slapped her across the face did she see the situation clearly. There was disgust and disbelief, as though she were a filthy rat. Only then did she realize what she had said and suddenly felt like the sky was falling.
Yan Yan flicked her fingers. "Hitting you is really dirtying my hand, but not hitting you causes my resentment to pent up!" She looked at Pei Jia Yu in the crowd and smiled. "This is the good thing raised by your Pei household's daughter. Do you feel like your horizons have been broadened? My mom let bygones be bygones and didn't come to the Pei household to look for trouble, but you guys ended up clawing back at us."
Pei Jia Yu stammered, "Don't talk nonsense. She's surnamed Yan, not Pei...."
"Also, Wu Qiong Qiong, how does it benefit you to incite Yan Qian into ruining my name? Did it make you feel good?"
Wu Qiong Qiong looked panicked. "I didn't incite her, she did it herself...no, it was Pei Jia Yu, she said this would ruin your name and it would be easier to deal with you in the future...."
The rest of the words weren't spoken due to a slap landing on her face, making her fall onto the floor.
"Ah Yan......"
Wu Qiong Qiong wanted to die from the pain. She clutched her face and shrieked: "You dare hit me?"
"I just did. What of it?"
At this time, a cry of "well struck!" sounded out.
Hearing this voice, Yan Yan's nose turned sour.