"The Grand Tutor left this Princess just like that? Isn't that inappropriate...?" She knew that it would be harmful if Xiao Yuxuan and Duan Jingyang met, but in order to win Xiao Yuxuan's gratitude she's willing to make a mistake. Of course, this was on the premise that Xiao Yuxuan and Duan Jingyang wouldn't be able to play any tricks.
"Yuxuan has lost his composure... Princess, please come in. Yuxuan will finish the complete tune of 'Butterfly Flower'..." Avoiding Duan Zitong's burning gaze, Xiao Yuxuan turned around and walked to the table. He picked up the brush and began to scribble.
At the side, Duan Zitong looked at Xiao Yuxuan, who looked like a direct descendant of immortals. That fanatical possessiveness engulfed her entire body like some venomous poison. She swore to herself the she would definitely obtain Xiao Yuxuan.
Early in the morning, the night mist gradually began to dissipate. The sky was slightly blue, and the stars seemed to hide behind a fine, almost transparent silk, faintly discernible.
General Xiao Manor
Around breakfast time, Duan Muyan walked into the main hall.
"Wangfei, please have a meal..." Steward Zhou respectfully greeted her as she entered. Before the old Duke left, he was asked to take care of the Princess Consort.
"Thank you… Where's the Prince?" Duan Muyan surveyed the surroundings, but there was no sign of Xiao Jinfeng.
"Reporting to Wangfei… His Highness should be arriving soon." Steward Zhou said, but he found it unusual because normally, the Prince of Qi would be at the dining hall at this hour.
After sitting for almost an hour, Xiao Jinfeng still had not appeared.
"Steward Zhou, the Prince, he…" Just as Duan Muyan was speaking, Su Jinxiu walked in with lazy steps.
"Steward Zhou! I have been looking for you. There's a new order coming from the Prince. He said that from now on, His Highness' meals will be delivered directly to his room. Because according to His Highness, he could not eat with people he hates." With a disdainful glare, she glanced at Duan Muyan before turning around to leave.
"But Xiu'er, has His Highness already eaten?" Duan Muyan slowly rose up as her beautiful eyes dimmed. She knew that Xiao Jinfeng rejected her, but she didn't expect him to reject her so much.
"What? You don't have to care, Royal Concubine!" Su Jinxiu's coquettish voice came out as Qiu Yue took a step forward.
"Jinxiu Elder sister, don't forget who you are talking to!" Her tender voice carried out a trace of reprimand as Qiu Yue furiously looked at Su Jinxiu.
"Hmph! Esteemed Wangfei, don't misunderstand. These are the words of the Prince. I am just repeating what His Highness said…" The coldness in Su Jinxiu's eyes disappeared as she spoke with a wronged expression.
"Its fine, I'll have to trouble you to tell His Highness that Mu Yan will be eating in her room from now on… Yue'er, let's go." A faint light flickered in Duan Muyan's eyes, as a trace of gloom flashed past.
She originally didn't mind, so why would she care about Xiao Jinfeng's attitude now?
Seeing Duan Muyan's figure gradually disappearing into the distance, Steward Zhou walked up to Su Jinxiu and coldly spoke.
"Xiu'er! In the end she's still the Wangfei, so pay attention to your tone and manners!" Steward Zhou's words were just a slight reprimand to Su Jinxiu.
"Steward Zhou is right. Xiu'er knows her wrong…" Su Jinxiu was very clear about the Steward's position in the Xiao Family. If it wasn't necessary, she wouldn't like to be in his bad side, so there was no harm in saying a few humble words.
"As long as you know your wrongs…" Steward Zhou sighed deeply as he walked, unable to stop himself from lamenting with what was happening right now.
When they returned to the bedroom, Qiu Yue couldn't help but asked. "Wangfei, it's not that Yue'er is being a blabbermouth, but the old Duke has already passed the Dragon Staff to you. With the situation just now, if you will not be going to punish Sister Jinxiu now, she won't be putting you in her eyes anymore!"
Duan Muyan pursed her lips and smiled, a trace of bitterness flashing past her eyes.
"Forget it, she said she had no ill intention. Why should I care about her? Just let her be…" It wasn't that she couldn't feel Su Jinxiu's hostility, but she was clear that if she would take this small matter of impoliteness, their relationship could reduce to a freezing point, and this was something she didn't want to see.
"Wangfei… there are some things that Yue're doesn't know whether she should say it or not… If I am wrong, I hope Esteemed Wangfei would not rebuke Yue'er…" Qiu Yue's clear eyes flashed and spoke with utmost sincerity.
"Why would I rebuke you? In this entire Xiao Manor, you are my only friend…" Seeing Qiu Yuer wanting to say something, Duan Muyan couldn't help but find it funny. In her eyes, Yu'er was still a child.
"Wangfei, the truth is, I have been wondering… Yue'er could tell that the Wangfei also had someone in her heart. Since that's the case, why didn't you run away from the Prince of Qi and be with the man you love. If Wangfei did that, then Wangfei would not have to suffer this humiliation... Since Wangfei came in the General's Manor, her days had been difficult. And due to her relationship with the Prince of Qi, most of the servants did not dare to get close to Wangfei. Before, the old Duke was still around and could uphold justice for Wangfei, but now that the old Duke has left. Who would uphold justice for Wangfei..." As Qiu Yue spoke, her eyes moistened, and her voice choked with emotions.
"Stupid Yue'er! What's going on? Didn't you just say that I have the Dragon Staff? So, no one will do anything to me with it. I can protect myself, and I can also protect Yue'er. Don't worry… Enough already, don't cry…." When Duan Muyan saw Yue're like this, a trace of astonishment and gratitude flashed past her heart.
Duan Muyan believed that her concessions and tolerance would be able to slowly dispel the hatred in Xiao Jinfeng's heart. Even if she couldn't live the life she wanted, she would at least not have any more problems. However, things went contrary to her wishes.
In the kitchen, Xiao Jinfeng carefully opened the carved red pine wood cabinet. However, in the next moment, his expression became exceptionally unsightly!
"Old Li!" Xiao Jinfeng's cold voice was laced with anger, and his cold eyes turned serious. He called the kitchen manager over and pointed at the dishes in the cupboard.
"What's going on?! Why are there less than half of Shi Rou's chopsticks?" After Chu Shirou had passed away, Xiao Jinfeng had washed and dried personally the utensils and dishes she usually used and placed them in the cupboard, not allowing anyone to touch them.
"This… This old servant does not know... He has never touched the things here!" when Li Ping saw that several bowls were missing from the cabinet, he was shocked!
"Doesn't know?! You were the one in charge of the kitchen, yet you don't even know what was missing?! If you don't know, then you don't need to stay longer!" Xiao Jinfeng's black eyes were like daggers as he glared at Li Ping.
"Uh… This old servant deserves to die… But just now… Just now, the Wangfei came over saying that she was to get lunch. This old servant was busy… so…" Li Ping saw that Xiao Jinfeng was angered and answered truthfully, but he was too frightened in his heart.
Everyone in the Manor knew that these tablewares could not be touched by anyone without asking permission from the Prince of Qi, but the new Princess Consort was not informed of the matter.
Before Li Ping could finish speaking, Xiao Jinfeng had already left the kitchen in a fit of rage and was rushing towards Duan Muyan's room.
In the bedroom.
"You are a Princess Consort; how can you go into the kitchen. If the servants saw this, they would tittle-tattle again! It's all Yue'er's fault. Because if she only had watched out what she has been eating this past few days, her stomach would not get sick and put Wangfei in a difficult situation.… Wangfei, please forgive Xiu'er for giving you problems…" Qiu Yue looked at the dishes on the table and could not help but feel guilty.
"Isn't it the same no matter who will fetch it from the kitchen? Since its just the two of us, there's no need to set it separately. As for the others… Let them be… Sit down, the food is getting cold. Your stomach hasn't been feeling well these past two days. So I've specially ordered the kitchen to make some light food." As she spoke, Duan Muyan personally scooped a bowl of porridge and passed it on Qiu Yue.
"Yue'er thank Wangfei…" Looking at the hot porridge that Duan Muyan passed over, Qiu Yue's eyes reddened, and a warm feeling flowed through her heart. This was the first time someone had served porridge to her since she was young. But just as Qiu Yue was about to receive the bowl, she suddenly felt the bowl was extremely familiar!
"Oh no! It's the previous Wangfei's bowl…" Without waiting for Qiu Yue to finish speaking, the door was kicked open by someone from outside. With a 'pah' sound, Duan Muyan's hands subconsciously trembled, and a crisp sound rang out as the porcelain bowl fell to the ground.
The moment Xiao Jinfeng barged in, he saw Chu Shirou's favourite porcelain bowl crashed into the ground to small scattered pieces. Suddenly, the image of Chu Shirou's pale face, snow-white face suddenly appeared in his mind, lying on her bed without any signs of life, just like this bowl of fate.
His heart felt as though it had been pierced by a thousand sharp blades.
Xiao Jinfeng's gaze chilled as he rushed forward towards Duan Muyan. However, he was stopped by Qiu Yue kneeling on the ground.
"Your Highness, please calm your anger. It was Yue'er who deserved to die. She forgot the rules of the manor and mistakenly gave the Main Wangfei's porcelain bowl to her mistress. Yue'er' had wrong the Main Wangfei… Prince—Ugh!" Before Yue'er could even finish her sentence, her entire body was thrown aside by Xiao Jinfeng. Like a fallen leaf in the wind, she smashed into the wall, causing blood to flow out from her forehead.
"Yue'er…!" Duan Muyan looked at Qiu Yue, who was convulsing on the ground, and she was about to rush forward to support her when Xiao Jinfeng viciously grabbed her by the wrist!
"What?! You didn't dare to accept your mistake that you need a maid to take the blame for you?!" His bone-piercing voice caused Duan Muyan to tremble involuntarily. At this moment, Xiao Jinfeng was like a devil from hell, his entire body was exuding a dangerous aura. His black eyes narrowed slightly, showing an incomparably sinister coldness.
"I don't know what Your Highness is talking about, but I beg Your Highness to let go. Yue'er, she…" Duan Muyan frowned, but Qiu Yue's body was still trembling uncontrollably. If she didn't treat her soon, she was afraid that Qiu Yue wouldn't be able to take it. But how could she not sense that she could no longer protect herself...
Hearing these words, Xiao Jinfeng ignored Duan Muyan's struggling and used his hand to smash her jaw against the wall!
"You don't know?! How could you not know? Didn't anyone tell you that this porcelain bowl only belongs to Shi Rou?! No one had told you that other than this Prince, no one is allowed to touch it?! How dare you shatter it! You deserve to die!" Xiao Jinfeng ruthlessly spoke, his voice was filled with rage, his icy blade like voice entering Duan Muyan's ears one word at a time.
As the strength in his hands increased, Duan Muyan felt as though her lower jaw was being squeezed by a pair of iron pincers. In an instant, it felt as though her jaw was about to shatter! The extreme pain caused Duan Muyan to be unable to refrain herself from moaning.
"Ugh… Painful… I deserve to die…I deserve to die… Then strangle me…. I just want to save Yue'er… she is innocent…." Duan Muyan slowly closed her eyes, waiting to die…. She had never been afraid to die, and there was even a hint of expectation... 'Mother, I am coming to see you...'
Tears quietly flowed down her face. The moment she closed her eyes, a hint of a smile suddenly appeared on the corner of her lips. So sad, so lonely...
Just as Xiao Jinfeng was about to increase his strength to help her accomplish her wish, a tear fell on his hand. The scalding heat, which was like magma, suddenly awakened Xiao Jinfeng's consciousness.
"You want to die?! It's not that easy!" Xiao Jinfeng suddenly flung out his hand, and that figure fell to the ground like a messy leaf falling from the wind.
Blood immediately flowed out from Duan Muyan's forehead. It was dazzling, so glaring, and the blood slowly flowed down along her almost bluish-coloured face into her collarbone, turning into a life-stealing mana ball. It was extremely shocking!
"Ugh… Yue'er… Yue'er… Forgive me…"
Duan Muyan ignored the pain in her forehead and used all her strength to crawl towards the unconscious Yue'er. She didn't even spare Xiao Jinfeng a glance.