Having been pampered and spoiled all her life, Tong Cheng'er naturally has a temper. She wouldn't just silently endure being subtly insulted like that.

So he smiled and said, "Sister Yu, what you're saying is true. If I really lead you to love reading storybooks like I do, then it would be my fault. I can't very well lead you astray like I have!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Tong Xuean, who was fiercely protective of his sister, frowned and said, "Don't talk nonsense. How is reading storybooks a misguided path?"

Liu Shaoyi also said, "Xue'an is right, storybooks can't be considered a misguided path."

Seeing the two of them busy comforting Tong Cheng'er, Yu Sirou felt extremely uncomfortable. In the blink of an eye, her eyes filled with tears, and she said with great grievance, "It was my fault. I offended Sister Tong. I didn't mean anything by it."

Seeing her pitiful look, Tong Cheng'er couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Yu Sirou looked even worse, her voice pitiful and aggrieved as she questioned Tong Cheng'er: "What do you mean by this, Sister Tong? I know I am of lowly status, but I am still an innocent young lady. It is really too much for you to ridicule me like this."

Tong Xuean frowned and remained silent upon hearing this. He was not someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong, but although Yu Sirou looked pitiful, her constant pitiful appearance made him, as a straight man, feel that she was being indecisive and annoying.

Liu Shaoyi was caught in the middle and felt quite helpless and embarrassed. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, so he remained silent.

With a smile on her face, Tong Cheng'er slowly said, "Sister Yu, you really misunderstood me. I just saw that Sister Yu's tears were welling up in her eyes but she couldn't fall down, which I found a bit magical."

“The governess of the family once said that there is a type of woman in the backyard who can precisely control her tears. She can bring them to tears at will and keep them in her eyes without letting them fall. This way, she won’t ruin her makeup and can also show weakness.”

"When I first heard it, I found it unbelievable. It's not impossible for tears to come out of nowhere, and I've seen people like that before. But to control the tears and hold them in your eyes is a bit too difficult. The old lady said that with practice, you can naturally achieve it."

"I heard what the old woman said, but I didn't believe it. Now that I see Sister Yu, I do believe it. It turns out that the old woman wasn't exaggerating. Sister Yu looks so pitiful with tears not falling. Even I, a woman, can't help but feel sorry for her. It's really hard for you to do this."

After Tong Cheng'er finished speaking, Yu Sirou was caught between tears and tears, her whole body stiffening and unable to move.

Upon hearing this, Tong Xuean and Liu Shaoyi couldn't help but look at Yu Sirou, whose eyes were indeed brimming with tears, yet they never fell.

Yu Sirou felt extremely embarrassed by the two men's scrutiny, and tears instantly streamed down her face: "If you don't like me, then you don't like me. Why treat me like this?"

Tong Cheng'er said indifferently, "Your tears are of no use to me. Besides, I never belittle people."

She doesn't treat herself like a human being, so she shouldn't blame others for belittling her.

"You...you..." Yu Sirou was so angry that she couldn't speak.

Tong Cheng'er continued, "I don't look down on you. Before today, I never took you seriously. So how could I look down on you? It's just that I can't stand the slightest grievance. Since you don't know how to speak properly, I'll teach you."

Yu Sirou looked at Liu Shaoyi: "Cousin? Didn't you say you wouldn't let me suffer?"

Liu Shaoyi had mixed feelings.

He had promised not to let her suffer any injustice, but this situation was a bit beyond his expectations!

Liu Shaoyi thought about how his cousin was all alone, and considering his own situation of being alone as well, he felt a deep empathy for her, which inevitably made him somewhat biased.

So he said, "I don't think my cousin has done anything wrong. It seems that Cheng'er's situation is a bit serious."

Tong Cheng'er almost laughed in anger upon hearing this. How could she be so serious about Yu Sirou's shrewish and manipulative words?

So Tong Cheng'er gave Liu Shaoyi a fake smile: "I don't agree with what you said, Young Master Liu. Men may not know this because they are not in the inner courtyard, but people from prominent families are particularly strict in raising their daughters. Such words are not to be taken seriously."

"The reason is simple. Most of the popular stories circulating in the market are about rich young ladies eloping with poor scholars. My family situation is special. My mother loves me and does not ask me to marry into a wealthy family, so she is much more lenient in my upbringing."

"I do read storybooks, but they are all proper detective storybooks. Sometimes my older brothers would flip through them too, but they weren't anything shameful."

“But what did Miss Yu just say? That storybooks are not something virtuous women should read? She has never read storybooks under her mother’s guidance. Doesn’t that mean I’m not a virtuous woman and that my mother is not as good at teaching her daughter as her mother?”

"What, it's not enough to just talk about me, you have to drag my mother into it too."

Who gave her that face?

Tong Cheng'er isn't the type to suffer in silence. She had a hard life in her past life, so she wants to live freely in this one.

Although she received a modern education that emphasizes equality for all, this was ancient times, and she wasn't so brain-dead as to think that everyone was equal in ancient times as well.

If that's really what she thinks, then she's truly demeaning herself!

Her social status and family background are far superior to Yu Sirou's, and I don't know where she gets the nerve to imply that Yu Sirou is not virtuous enough.

I really thought she was a good-natured person who would compromise herself for the sake of saving face.

Of course, Tong Cheng'er doesn't really dare to say everything. If she were of such high status, she wouldn't be so outspoken. But Yu Sirou isn't someone who would make her feel wronged.

Tong Cheng'er's words were indeed very straightforward.

Tong Xuean also realized why he felt something was off about Yu Sirou's words earlier.

Liu Shaoyi had nothing to say after hearing this.

As for Yu Sirou, she was truly heartbroken. Her little scheme had been exposed in public, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.

Actually, you can't say Yu Sirou is brainless.

Yu Sirou lost her mother at a young age and was very good at planning for herself. She had done this kind of acting many times. The reason why her stepmother hated her so much was because her pitiful act in public ruined her stepmother's reputation.

Having been accustomed to this behavior, and given that most young women value their reputation, they wouldn't directly confront each other with such subtle wit, which is why they were caught off guard.

It can only be said that she doesn't understand Tong Cheng'er.

The reason Yu Sirou "died" so tragically was that she acted rashly without being able to hear her opponent clearly.

As for Tong Cheng'er, she chose to resolve things so directly, of course, to save trouble, and it felt so good to directly confront them like that.