“That won’t do. Your beauty is not a sin. The fault lies with those bad people. You can’t punish yourself because of other people’s sins,” Ye Qingqing advised.

She understood Tia's feelings; that night had hurt her deeply, and she might never be able to get over it.

When many girls are hurt, they tend to blame themselves, blaming themselves for being good-looking, thinking that if they were less attractive, they wouldn't have been targeted by bad people.

She would also blame herself for wearing a short skirt and shorts that day, for wearing a tank top, for going out at night...

There are countless reasons for girls to feel guilty, even more so than they would blame the bad guys. Ye Qingqing believes this is due to the influence of the environment, because it is a patriarchal society.

Moreover, many women are accomplices to male chauvinism.

After the girl's accident, while some people sympathized with her plight, many others said—

"Why would someone wear such a revealing short skirt in public? It's clearly an attempt to seduce men and commit crimes!"

"When this girl drinks in front of a man, she is actually making an invitation. Perhaps they couldn't agree on a price, which is why she called the police to say she was raped."

"Look at that woman, she looks like a prostitute, but she's obviously a respectable person. She deserves to be raped!"

...

These disgusting comments are more damaging than a violent attack, like a dull knife cutting flesh, plunging the injured girls into a vicious cycle of self-blame and self-abandonment, and even leading them to choose death.

Sometimes Ye Qingqing really wanted to spit in those bastards' faces.

Any sexual relationship that is conducted against a woman's will at any time, in any place, and under any objective circumstances is rape.

On what basis is it stipulated that women cannot wear revealing clothes to show off their beauty in public places?

Why is it a rule that women can't go out at night?

This society should be regulating the lower bodies of certain men, not innocent women!

Women should never pay the price for a man's impulsive lust!

Since a man's reason can't control his own organs, he might as well castrate himself and practice the Sunflower Manual instead of keeping himself to harm innocent women.

(I couldn't help but digress a bit, I'm really angry about the persistent problem of women being victimized.)

Tia sighed, "I didn't punish myself. I really don't care about beauty. Now I just want to live an ordinary life."

Ye Qingqing hit the nail on the head: "Since you're not punishing yourself, why won't you be a bridesmaid?"

Tia was speechless and had no reply.

After a long pause, she said self-deprecatingly, "I'm no longer pure. Being a bridesmaid would bring bad luck to Catherine."

“Nonsense, you’re punishing yourself by having such thoughts. The real person who deserves to die is Julie, who hurt you. She’s about to meet God. Alright, I’m not going to waste my breath on you. You have to come a week before the wedding.”

Ye Qingqing angrily kicked Julie, who was standing next to her. This vicious woman was really asking for a beating. Just looking at her made her feet itch. She wouldn't feel relieved unless she kicked her.

"Don't worry, I guarantee she'll arrive a week early," Edward's voice came through.

"What makes you so sure? I'm free... wait... you just said I could buy a plane ticket, but my ID card isn't ready yet... you're lying to me... beep beep..."

Tia sensed something was wrong, and a barrage of questions made Edward panic. He grabbed his phone, hung up, and ran away.

"Stop right there and explain yourself! What's going on with my ID card?!" Tia chased after him just as fiercely.

The other maids watched with envy as the prince chased after them, some even secretly wondering if they should get some freckles or something, since it seemed the prince had a taste for that!