The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 133 - 132

Chapter 132

Amid the awkward atmosphere in the hall, the members of the Mu family sat quietly, not daring to say a word. They could only wait for the head of the household, Elder Mu Furen, to make a decision on this matter.

Mu Jie glanced at her grandmother before shifting her gaze towards the three women on the other side of the room. Her small palms were damp with sweat.

Even her grandmother was at a disadvantage now. If this continued, there would surely be trouble ahead...

While Mu Jie was discreetly watching the three, she noticed that Mu Qin Shuang was also staring at her. The other’s gaze was chilling and terrifying, carrying a malevolent glint that made the one being watched tremble.

Mu Jie quickly looked away, immediately lowering her eyes to her lap. The cold gaze from the young girl just now was still vivid in her memory, making her shiver.

That gaze...it was too frightening!

She feared that she might have accidentally displeased the other, hence receiving such a terrifying look!

From now on, she would have to be more cautious...

Meanwhile, Mu Qin Shuang, sitting on the other side of the room, concealed the malevolent glint in her eyes when she saw her half-sister avert her gaze. Only an empty, emotionless look remained.

After Elder Mu Furen calmed down, she sighed and reluctantly said, "Fine, I’ll have someone send the account books and keys to you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Bai Lijun’s face showed hesitation, seemingly disagreeing, which greatly displeased Elder Mu Furen.

"Do you have a problem with that? The account books must be checked for accuracy before being handed over to someone else to prevent any future issues,"

Elder Mu Furen explained coldly, narrowing her eyes at the woman before her and speaking in a frosty tone, "...Or is there an urgent matter requiring you to immediately manage the account books?"

"Mother, you are overthinking it,"

Bai Lijun said with a laugh, a mysterious smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. "Then I’ll wait for the account books and keys tomorrow."

Elder Mu Furen did not respond, merely staring at Bai Lijun’s triumphant demeanor while suppressing her own anger. She never thought that after she had lived to this age, she would still have to endure such bully and oppression from a woman of the younger generation.

Now, while she was still alive in the house, Bai Lijun bullied and oppressed them this much. If one day she was no longer around, how much worse would her granddaughters be treated in this household...

Xie Yang, noticing that Elder Mu Furen had agreed, submitting to Bai Lijun’s pressure, decided to change the subject to ease the tense atmosphere in the room.

“Previously, the Master mentioned organizing a celebration for the Furen and the two young misses. I assume the Furen is in charge of arranging this event, correct?”

Bai Lijun looked at Concubine Xie with a peculiar expression for a moment before responding, “Yes, last night, my husband agreed to let me handle the arrangements for this banquet personally.”

“This banquet will surely be grand. If there’s anything we can assist with, please let us know,” Xie Yang said with extra politeness.

After observing Bai Lijun’s changes, even Elder Mu Furen was bullied by her. Then, how could she, merely a concubine, confront her?

The best course of action now was to avoid trouble and wait quietly for an opportunity...

Bai Lijun didn’t respond, just a smile tugging at her lips, appearing indifferent to the other’s words.

Seeing the atmosphere in the room relax, Lan Yi, who had been silent, gathered the courage to start a conversation.

“By the way, Furen, I noticed yesterday that if I’m not mistaken, both the Second and Sixth Young Misses were injured before. However, now they seem fully recovered without any trace of injury. They had met with a divine doctor, right?”

At those words, Bai Lijun’s face froze immediately. Mu Luofei, who had been indifferent to the events in the room, was momentarily taken aback, as was Mu Qin Shuang.

While the three exhibited strange reactions, Lan Yi didn’t notice at all and continued speaking, hoping to flatter them.

“It’s really fortunate that the young misses met a divine doctor, allowing the Second Young Miss to heal her injured right leg completely. I still remember that the doctor who examined her said the leg injury was so severe that even if it healed, she wouldn’t walk normally. But now, she seems perfectly fine.”

Had Lan Yi not brought it up, the people in the Mu manor would have nearly forgotten about it. Her words garnered much attention from everyone in the room, including Elder Mu Furen.

“Moreover, Heaven has truly blessed the two young misses. If not for the divine doctor, I fear the wounds on their faces would still be there. But look at them now, both the Second and Sixth Young Misses have beautiful faces with no scars.”

The more Lan Yi spoke, the colder the faces of the three mother and daughters became. Yet, Lan Yi remained oblivious and continued speaking.

"This could be called a silver lining after the storm, wouldn’t you say? After going through such distressing events, the two young misses have now grown up healthy and beautiful. And now, the Second Young Miss has even become the Lady, while the Furen has been appointed as the Second Rank Lady. Such fortune for all of you!"

Lan Yi finished speaking with a wide, flattering smile, hoping to hear words of approval from the three mother and daughters. However, she waited and waited but received no response, leaving her perplexed.

Hadn’t she flattered them enough?

Little did Lan Yi realize that her words were not flattering at all but instead poked at the sore spots of the past that the three wanted to forget.

Xie Yang, sitting nearby, smirked at Lan Yi’s ignorance. She had noticed the odd reactions from the three women ever since Lan Yi’s first sentence.

If this woman had been more observant and intelligent, she would have realized that her words were like stirring up trouble!

How foolish!

The atmosphere in the room grew tense again. The members of the Mu family remained silent, their eyes on the three women, seemingly waiting for an explanation about this matter.

"Concubine Lan...really knows everything,"

Bai Lijun finally spoke with a cold voice, a faint smile on her lips that was anything but warm.

"As Concubine Lan said, after we were sent to the temple, we met a divine doctor who treated Fei’er and Shuang’er until they fully recovered."

Bai Lijun’s words cleared the doubts in everyone’s minds. Many in the room felt a twinge of envy for the three mother and daughters’ good fortune in finding a divine doctor and rising to their current high positions.

"You are truly fortunate," Lan Yi said enviously, though she tried to hide her feelings, she couldn’t completely conceal them.

"Fortunate?"

Mu Luofei repeated, her voice trembling, glancing at the other party with her dark gaze, making Lan Yi taken aback in shock.

"Whether it’s fortunate or not...we know best."

Mu Luofei’s icy tone sent chills down everyone’s spine. Before Lan Yi could comprehend her mistake, Mu Luofei spoke again.

"Yesterday, Aunt Qi from the palace reminded everyone about proper etiquette. But it seems Concubine Lan didn’t pay attention. Today, you have made the same mistake."

"W...What did I do wrong?" Lan Yi felt a bad premonition growing as fear began to grip her heart.

"I am now Lady Ping An, not the Second Young Miss! Even my father, mother, and grandmother must address me as Lady. But you, a mere concubine, called me the Second Young Miss. Have you forgotten the proper etiquette, or do you intend to insult me!?"

The moment Mu Luofei’s words ceased, Lan Yi was thrown into utter panic. She had indeed forgotten about this.

Not only Lan Yi but everyone in the room was equally startled. None expected that Mu Luofei, who had been silent all this while, would speak up with such threatening pressure.

Even Elder Mu Furen was stunned by her granddaughter’s demeanor. Just a day ago, this granddaughter of hers seemed gentle, sweet, and precious like a cherished flower. Yet now, she appeared cold and haughty.

Was this...really her granddaughter?

Seeing her grandmother’s confused gaze, Mu Luofei pursed her lips slightly and feigned a sigh of concern.

"It’s not that I intend to flaunt my authority, but if even the people within the household cannot be made to follow proper etiquette, what will outsiders say about the Mu family’s ability to discipline its members?"

Mu Luofei’s tone had softened somewhat, but it still carried an icy undertone. Her words seemed to explain to everyone in the room that her earlier remarks were out of a genuine desire to remind the family members, not out of malice.

Elder Mu Furen felt immediate relief. It turned out her granddaughter did not intend to act arrogantly but merely wanted to instruct the family members properly.

Earlier, she had feared that her granddaughter had lost her way!

Thankfully, she hadn’t...

Mu Luofei glanced at her grandmother’s relieved expression before turning to meet her mother’s eyes, signaling her to continue expressing their pent-up frustration towards Lan Yi, who had touched upon their painful past.

If it weren’t for the fact that it wasn’t yet time to reveal her true self, Mu Luofei wouldn’t tolerate pretending to be a gentle, docile granddaughter any longer!

"It’s fortunate that we are within the Mu household; otherwise, people would know just how ignorant our family is, unable to adhere to even basic etiquette. How disgraceful,"

Bai Lijun said, making Lan Yi lower her head in shame and fear. Being reprimanded so directly in front of everyone in the hall made her too embarrassed to meet anyone’s eyes.

"I...I apologize. I was wrong."

"Do you think just an apology is enough? What’s the point of having rules then?" Bai Lijun retorted sharply. However, before she could continue, Elder Mu Furen interjected.

"That’s enough. If there’s no further business, return to your quarters."

Bai Lijun glanced coldly at her mother-in-law before a sinister smile spread across her face. "You must be tired, Mother. We won’t bother you any longer. I’ll take care of the remaining household matters."

"You..."

Elder Mu Furen frowned deeply, nearly tying into a knot. She had only intended to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-blown conflict, but Bai Lijun’s words seemed to exclude her, ensuring she couldn’t interfere in the other’s affairs.

How dared she humiliate her!

Bai Lijun paid no mind to Elder Mu Furen’s demeanor. She stood up leisurely and said, "You all heard her, didn’t you? Now, let’s disperse and return to our quarters."

"As for you, Concubine Lan, come with me to my quarters. I’ll ’educate’ you on proper etiquette myself."

After saying this, Bai Lijun immediately turned and walked out of the room. The remaining people exchanged confused and bewildered glances before eventually dispersing and returning to their own quarters.

"You’re also quite fortunate. The Furen herself is going to educate you. Don’t keep her waiting," Xie Yang taunted after stopped in front of Lan Yi, her mocking tone snapping Lan Yi out of her daze.

"You!"

Lan Yi glared at her with displeasure, but Xie Yang didn’t care. She turned and walked out of the room nonchalantly, leaving Lan Yi standing there with a tense expression.

Taking a deep breath to calm her fear, Lan Yi quickly headed to Bai Lijun’s quarters as ordered.

After everyone had left the room, Mu Jie also made her way back to her quarters. However, as she was walking, a small figure suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"S...Sixth Young Miss."

Lu Xin curtseyed, stammering with a trembling voice. She still remembered vividly the cruelty of this young miss and couldn’t stop herself from fearing the small figure before her.

Mu Jie pulled her maid to stand behind her before stepping forward to face her half-sister. In the hall earlier, she had sensed Mu Qin Shuang’s displeased gaze. It seemed her guess was correct; otherwise, the other wouldn’t have waited for her like this.

"Do you have something to discuss, Sixth Sister?" Mu Jie maintained a cautious distance from the other, her tone even and composed.

Mu Qin Shuang looked Mu Jie up and down with a peculiar expression, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Sixth Sister? Do beggars like you now dare to consider yourselves my siblings?"

Mu Qin Shuang’s voice was full of undisguised contempt and mockery. However, Mu Jie showed no reaction, only the past memories where she had been bullied by the three mother and daughters so frequently that it had become routine flashed through her mind.

"If you’re displeased, then I’ll call you Sixth Young Miss..." Mu Jie quickly changed her address to avoid any further trouble. She had no desire to get into a conflict with the three women now if she could avoid it.

"I’ve only been away for a short time, and a beggar like you has already forgotten your place! No matter if you have nice clothes to wear, good food to eat, or even if you’ve moved into my elder sister’s large quarters, it won’t change the fact that you’re nothing but a beggar!"

Mu Qin Shuang’s words dripped with sarcasm, accompanied by a malevolent smile. She stared at the person before her, hoping to see a change in her demeanor, but Mu Jie remained silent and unresponsive.

"If Sixth Young Miss has nothing else, then I’ll take my leave," Mu Jie responded, uninterested in the other’s insults and unwilling to stay and endure more.

As Mu Jie and her maid were about to walk past Mu Qin Shuang, the latter spoke again, causing Mu Jie to pause momentarily.

"A beggar who has no mother like you will never amount to anything! The quarters you live in, the clothes you wear, the food you eat—everything you have now—my sister and I will take it all back."

"Enjoy what you have now to the fullest because soon, you won’t have the chance..."

Mu Qin Shuang said, laughing softly before revealing a sinister smile. Her eyes briefly flickered with cruelty before the expression faded.

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