When the door opened, Zhang Ma was the one who came in. She frowned disapprovingly at Aunt Lan and sneered, "Miss Qing Yan's leftovers are for Miss Yusha? Miss Yusha is not a garbage bag, meant to carry all kinds of trash!"
"Zhang Ma, what do you mean by that?" Aunt Lan was somewhat angry. Madam prepared two servings of bird's nest according to the different tastes of the two young misses. But Zhang Ma's words made it sound like Miss Qing Yan had leftovers and didn't want them, so they were given to Miss Yusha.
"Anyway, our Miss Yusha isn't hungry and won't eat them!" Zhang Ma said with irritation before slamming the door shut.
"You..." Aunt Lan was quite upset. What kind of manners did this person have?
After Zhang Ma closed the door, she approached Li Yusha and said, "Miss Yusha, I drove her away."
Li Yusha sat in front of the dressing table, looking at her pretty face that had been nurtured with money for eighteen years. She spoke indifferently, "Ignore her."
"This is outrageous! How dare that servant treat you like someone who would eat Miss Qing Yan's leftovers? Isn't that an insult?" Zhang Ma was furious and stood up for Li Yusha, saying, "You are still the young miss of this family, the daughter acknowledged publicly by the master and madam. How can she treat you like this? Watch me, I'll deal with her!"
Li Yusha gently reminded, "Zhang Ma, don't forget, you still have the video at Qing Yan's place. We should stay low-key in the next few days."
Even though she was extremely disappointed by her mother's favoritism, her tone became subdued. "Even if we want to teach them a lesson, it's not something we should do at home."
Her elder brother could sense her hostility towards Qing Yan, and if their parents noticed it...
Her days would be even more difficult.
If she wanted to do something, she should do it outside!
"I knew Madam was deceiving us. Their biological daughter has returned, and to this family, you are just an unrelated outsider. If they cared about you, they wouldn't even withhold a bowl of bird's nest! Isn't this clear favoritism?" Zhang Ma continued, venting her frustration for a while before adding, "Before Young Master spoke with you tonight, he specially planted Gesang flowers, which she loves the most, on Miss Qing Yan's balcony."
"Gesang flowers?" Li Yusha was somewhat surprised. Her elder brother was doing such a romantic thing; it didn't seem like his style at all. Could it be that Qing Yan asked him to do it?
"He did that to make Miss Qing Yan think of him every day. It shows that he really cares about this younger sister of his!" Zhang Ma's words further saddened Li Yusha. "I know," she replied despondently.
"Didn't the young master say he treats everyone equally? Then why does Miss Qing Yan have flowers, and you don't? Didn't he claim that everything he gives to Miss Qing Yan now is what you've had in these eighteen years? Like gardening, you've never had such an experience!"
Li Yusha lowered her head, feeling even sadder in her heart. She had thought her older brother's words tonight made some sense, and she started to doubt whether she had been wrong before, whether she had been too harsh on Qing Yan...
But now, these incidents, big and small, were enough to break her heart.
"Planting such worthless flowers, isn't she afraid of lowering the status of our family? This is the home of the country's wealthiest! Even the cheapest variety in the garden costs tens of thousands. She's so plain herself, even the things she likes are plain! Isn't she afraid of making a fool of herself by planting them for everyone to see?"
Zhang Ma couldn't hold back her frustration and continued scolding, "She's really not a person of high standing! If she wants to garden, she could do it indoors for her own enjoyment or have someone pick a bouquet to put in her room. Why does she have to plant them outside to annoy others? Isn't that just showing off intentionally?"
Li Yusha's mood was weighed down to the extreme.
"Madam, including what the young master said to you tonight, it's all just deceiving a child! You must not believe it! If you do, you'll be fooled!" Zhang Ma said, deliberately lowering her voice, "If Qing Yan hadn't returned, you would be the only young lady of the house. When you get married in the future, wouldn't your dowry fill up ten streets? But what did Madam say last time? The grandeur of the occasion will be only slightly bigger than what Mu Jingjie had!"
Her sister had received eight billion in dowry, along with twelve houses and twelve cars.
"Are they trying to dismiss you with such measly things? How can that be? Didn't they claim to treat you like a biological daughter? At the very least, your dowry should be as grand as that of a biological daughter," Zhang Ma said, pausing for a moment before continuing in a gentle voice, "During the time the young master is away, we can create some trouble to make Madam resent Qing Yan! Whether it's within the family or outside, as long as we achieve our goal..."
Li Yusha raised her long eyelashes with some uncertainty, "But the young master is well-informed..."
What if he found out and kicked her out of the house?
"It's not like we're plotting to harm her physically or financially, we just want Qing Yan to face some difficulties! We can't keep all our grievances to ourselves while she enjoys herself up there, right? Besides, if there's no evidence later, even if the young master suspects something, he won't directly blame us!"
"Then do you have any good ideas?" Li Yusha asked softly, carrying her anxiety with her.
"I feel...," Zhang Ma leaned in close to Li Yusha's ear and spoke at length. Seeing that Li Yusha didn't react much after listening, Zhang Ma grew a bit anxious. "Miss Yusha, if you want to become the phoenix among people, gain the attention of the master and the young masters, and have a future with Young Master Si, you must be resolute and take a bold step!"
Li Yusha pondered over it but still felt uneasy. Although she wanted to teach Qing Yan a lesson and make her suffer a bit, her elder brother's words from last night echoed in her mind, creating a thick wall of hesitation and fear, preventing her from crossing it.
"Just think about what Qing Yan did after coming back, the actions of the master and the young masters... Isn't that favoritism?" Zhang Ma continued to encourage her, "What else could it be?"
"But..." Li Yusha was still conflicted.
"Miss Yusha, you must plan for your own future!" Zhang Ma said, "Don't worry, even if something happens, I'll take the responsibility for you."
"Zhang Ma, you..." Li Yusha was moved, unexpectedly finding comfort from a servant more than from her so-called family, and she was overwhelmed with emotions.
Zhang Ma patted her chest, guaranteeing, "I will take everything upon myself when the time comes."
"Zhang Ma..."
"I've already regarded you as my own child in my heart," Zhang Ma spoke with sincerity, "Even if I have to risk my life, I will fight for your best interests. I am the person who cares about your well-being the most in this world!"
After being touched by her words, Li Yusha finally made a decision.
The next morning, Li Yusha's elder brother, Li Yuaufu, received a call from the hospital, saying that their mother's health had slightly improved in various aspects. They speculated it might be because of the acupuncture administered by Qing Yan yesterday.
Delighted, Li Yuaufu, along with Song Qiaoying, got ready and rushed to the hospital with the medicine Qing Yan gave them.
Not long after, the college entrance exam results were available for inquiry, but due to the overwhelming number of people accessing the system, it crashed shortly after being opened.