Previously, Sun Miaomiao had always appeared obedient in front of Bai Nuanxi, using this deceitful facade to extract many benefits from her! But once trouble befell the Huo family, Sun Miaomiao's ugly nature was laid bare!
Her eyes were filled with disdain, and the sight of it made Bai Nuanxi's heart pound with unease. In this life, at this moment, she had not yet met Sun Miaomiao. Their acquaintance was supposed to happen much later; for now, they were still strangers.
"Every flower has its admirer. Refined things are naturally appreciated by refined people. You can't expect a junk collector on a street corner to understand poetry!" Bai Nuanxi scoffed, setting down her chopsticks. "What's more, even some beggars understand poetry and literature, whereas some people... fall far short of that!"
"Who are you? How dare you talk to me like that?!" Sun Miaomiao, being rebuked in front of her companions, immediately felt humiliated and glared angrily at Bai Nuanxi.
Bai Nuanxi was even bolder. Compete in influence? With Huo Muchen, the great boss, who could rival her? Compete in presence? That wasn't about who could shout louder! As an actress, Bai Nuanxi believed she carried quite a bit of presence herself.
"Who I am is none of your business. You have that foul mouth to comment on others, and yet, if I say something about you, will it really peel off a layer of your skin?"
At that moment, an elderly lady appeared at the doorway. "What's all this racket? Can the banquet still go on like this?!" Her presence was commanding, and her sharp eyes swept through the buffet area, leaving no trace of cloudiness. The guests outside followed her, evidently eager to witness the commotion.
Bai Nuanxi saw her and thought, oh no, it's Huo Muchen's grandmother—the matriarch of the Huo family!
The life of the Huo family matriarch was nothing short of legendary. It was rumored she had been a spy, though no one knew the specifics of her work. However, it was clear her hands were no strangers to blood. Moreover, the matriarch was particularly fond of Sun Miaomiao, who had grown up around her knee.
Bai Nuanxi gritted her teeth; this didn't seem to be in her favor.
Seeing no one answer, the matriarch's expression darkened. "What's going on here? Am I interrupting something?"
The matriarch walked in with a straight posture. "Come, Miaomiao, tell me what's going on here!"
Sun Miaomiao sniffled, her face full of grievance, and shook her head without saying a word.
Seeing her demeanor, Bai Nuanxi cursed inwardly: Damn it! What a nuisance!
Just moments ago, she had been arguing fiercely, but now, in front of the matriarch, she was playing the part of a wronged woman. Who was she putting on this demure act for?
"Speak! Miaomiao, if you've been wronged, say so, and I will get to the bottom of it!" The matriarch tapped her fingers and sat down, patiently watching Sun Miaomiao cry.
After crying for a while, Sun Miaomiao finally sniffled and said, "I... I just happened to see a chessboard and some pieces. I made a casual remark, and then this person came out and scolded me!"
Bai Nuanxi rolled her eyes. Seeing Sun Miaomiao's outstretched finger, she almost wanted to slap it back down!
A casual remark? Ha, you really dare to say that!
If you lived in a village, you'd probably have called over the whole neighborhood to watch the show by now!
Your so-called casual remark—no one could bear that!
Upon hearing Sun Miaomiao's words, the matriarch immediately became furious. "You? Hmph, from the moment you stepped into the Huo family, I disapproved of you, and now you dare to bully Miaomiao! Do you only pick on the weak?"
Bai Nuanxi sneered; her anger flared up so much that she didn't even give face to the matriarch! What was there to fear? She had backing, and if worse came to worst, she could have her supporters confront the old lady! "Madam, I married Muchen, not you. I don't see why I need your approval."
"You... what did you just say?!" The matriarch, clearly not expecting Bai Nuanxi to retort, angrily slammed the table twice and then coughed heavily.
"Grandma! Grandma, are you okay?" Sun Miaomiao immediately rushed over to pat the matriarch's back, glaring resentfully at Bai Nuanxi with an expression of anger she dared not express, making her appear quite pitiful.
After a few moments of silence, Sun Miaomiao finally mustered the courage to speak, "How could you treat Grandma like this? She's old and can't take the stress. As a younger generation, don't you know the importance of respecting the elderly and caring for the young?"
"Respect the elderly?" Bai Nuanxi snorted. "Hah... For me to respect the old, shouldn't I see her caring for the young first?"
Bai Nuanxi's eyes widened, "Since she doesn't like me, I see no need to waste my efforts trying to please someone who will never like me! When I first came into this family, she chose to shut the door in my face, leaving me outside all night. She should have known then that our relationship... would never be amicable!"
Back then, although Bai Nuanxi was forced into the marriage and always thought of escaping, she couldn't leave right away. So, to make her stay more comfortable, she had hoped to build a good relationship with the matriarch, hoping the matriarch might send her away.
But the matriarch had chosen to shut her out.
The matriarch didn't even know why Bai Nuanxi had come to see her. She simply disliked her!
Bai Nuanxi had seen through it all. She didn't need to please anyone, especially the man beside her, who wasn't as terrible as she had thought.
Everything had been clouded by her biased perspective.
With those blinders removed, Bai Nuanxi found herself looking at Huo Muchen more favorably. At least, in how he treated her, there was certainly a degree of care!
Wasn't he much better than those two-faced hypocrites?
"You..." The matriarch clutched her chest, struggling to breathe, clearly shaken by anger. But after all, she was getting on in years. Being confronted so directly, her blood pressure spiked, leaving her unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Bai Nuanxi then uttered a shocking statement: "Madam, let's make things clear—are you trying to push me out and have Sun Miaomiao replace me as the Huo family's mistress?"
Many present gasped audibly. Was this something that could be said so openly?
Was it really appropriate to say such things in front of a senior?
Wasn't that a bit too bold?
What did Bai Nuanxi have? Just a small Bai family behind her?
The Bai family, in comparison to the Huo family, was like a tiny ant, easily crushed under a finger!