Chapter 5: 5 Picking a Fight

On the quiet night, there was only the rustling of leaves in the wind. Past memories appeared before her eyes like a revolving lantern. Qin Su rose, casually threw on a piece of clothing, and stood by the window waiting for dawn.

Throughout this night, the memories of the young Qin Su were etched into her mind like needles, causing a dull ache in her heart. She had to calm herself to sort through the memories belonging to two different souls.

Having not slept all night, she let out a long, faint sigh toward the dimming horizon; there was sorrow and helplessness, but not a trace of hesitation.

Tightening her small fists beneath her robes, Qin Su pulled into a smile of determination. The Qin Su of the future would no longer be weak.

When Ming Yu entered the room early in the morning, she found that Qin Su had already risen. Setting down the washbasin, she wrung a towel to semi-dry and handed it over, asking with concern, "Miss, you woke up so early today; you should have slept a bit longer."

Qin Su took the towel to wipe her face and gave a thin smile, her dark eyes faintly shimmering with mockery. "I'm just afraid someone won't be able to wait."

Though Ming Yu did not understand, she did not ask further. She tidied the bedding, offered a morning greeting, and prepared to go make breakfast.

Before she could leave, a greeting accompanied by a burst of hurried footsteps rang out in the courtyard. "Good morning, Madam."

Ming Yu stood frozen in place, at a loss. Madam... why would she come at this hour? Although she didn't know how Qin Su had escaped danger yesterday, Qin Qin's actions had left her with lingering fears. Madam arriving so early in the morning certainly couldn't be good news. Ming Yu furrowed her brows and instinctively stood by Qin Su's side; no matter what happened, she had to protect the Sixth Young Lady.

Qian Yunniang and her group headed straight for Qin Su's quarters. The scattered servants surrounded the room so tightly it was airtight. Seeing this display, the unease in Ming Yu's heart grew even stronger.

In contrast, Qin Su calmly picked up her teacup and focused on tasting the tea, completely unbothered by the small chaos caused by Qian Yunniang's arrival.

As if sensing a piercing gaze, Qin Su tilted her head slightly to observe the newcomer. She wore an exquisite, detailed sea-blue gown with lifelike patterns; her hair bun was adorned with golden hairpins that swayed, their reflections glinting so brightly they made one's eyes ache.

Narrowing her eyes, once she saw Qian Yunniang's face clearly, she couldn't help but offer a silent compliment. Although she was already over forty, with proper maintenance, Qian Yunniang looked no more than thirty at most. There was infinite charm in her features, and the upturned corners of her eyes were alluringly beautiful. It was no wonder the old man surnamed Qin had doted on her exclusively for so many years.

While she was observing Qian Yunniang, Qian Yunniang was observing her just as well. Feeling Qin Su's gaze fall upon her, anger surged from the depths of her eyes.

"Presumptuous! Is this how you learned your manners? You don't even offer greetings to your elders?"

"I don't think Concubine Qian cares much for my greetings, does she?" Qin Su smiled faintly, retorting calmly.

A collective gasp rang out. The maids could not believe that Qin Su actually dared to utter the words "Concubine." Who in the Qin family didn't know? What the Madam hated most in her life was this status as a second wife. After the Madam moved to the villa outside the city to reside permanently, she never interfered in the Qin family's affairs. Since Qin Su's mother had passed away early, this was the only female head of the household left in the manor. Over the years, under the instigation of those with ulterior motives, everyone had called Concubine Qian "Madam." Even the Master and the Eldest Young Master had tacitly accepted Concubine Qian's status; it was merely a matter of lacking a formal title. As it turned out, today the Sixth Young Lady had suddenly ripped open this wound, slapping Qian Yunniang in the face.

Qian Yunniang felt a lump of indignation stuck in her chest, unable to swallow it or push it down. Seeing that something was wrong, the maid beside her stepped forward to support her, whispering a reminder, "Madam, the Third Young Lady is still lying in bed..."

Upon hearing this, Qian Yunniang's eyes suddenly widened. She pushed the maid's hand away and pointed at Qin Su, scolding harshly, "You insolent girl, showing no respect to your elders and having no regard for your siblings! To actually do something so depraved—crippling your sister's hand! Do you have no respect for this family anymore? Do you have no respect for your father?" At the thought of her Qin'er crying until she couldn't catch her breath all night, her heart felt as if it were being burned by fire.

Being hit with such a heavy accusation, Ming Yu was startled. "Madam, how can you say such things about the Miss? The Miss didn't do anything..."

"Shut up!" Seeing Ming Yu speak, Qian Yunniang scolded repeatedly, "I haven't even had the chance to teach you a lesson, yet you're already impatient to teach me? As the Sixth Young Lady's maid, instead of properly stopping your mistress, you instigated her to do such a thing! If I don't teach you a lesson today, this house truly will have no rules left." She then turned to the waiting maids and issued a cold command, "Drag her out and give her a hundred lashes. Expel her from the Qin family; she is never to step foot through the gates of the Qin residence again!"

A hundred lashes? Would anyone even survive to leave alive? Ming Yu thought, her face turning deathly pale.