Gu Qinlan didn't say much; her heart was filled with eager anticipation for welcoming her loved ones.

She hurried toward the gate, her steps firm yet light, like a spring breeze caressing the surface of a lake.

A few steps behind Lesser Cold, I gently helped up the stumbling Beginning of Winter.

“Miss Lidong, Madam is truly acting out of desperation. If you truly wish the young lady well, then follow Madam’s arrangements. Otherwise, the ultimate victim will be the young lady, and you will inevitably be implicated.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Han hurriedly chased after her master.

As Li Dong watched Gu Qinlan and the others walk further and further away, her heart filled with unbearable grief, and tears welled up in her eyes. She understood all the reasons, but what could she do? Since she had chosen to follow the young lady, she had to put her first, otherwise her own life would become increasingly difficult.

However, the lady is absolutely right. If the young lady does not change her temperament, she will surely encounter major setbacks in the future.

Li Dong had already made up her mind. She wiped away the tears on her face and went to the kitchen, bringing out dish after dish of food.

At this time, the kitchen was bustling with activity. As night fell, there were very few ingredients left in the kitchen, and the cooks could only choose from the available materials to cook. Although it was not as meticulous as their usual cooking, the dishes were still quite delicious.

Zheng Huiyi was a spoiled woman who was picky by nature. So when Li Dong served the simple dishes, she immediately flew into a rage, knocked the tray to the ground, and spilled the food everywhere.

Zheng Huiyi was furious and roared like thunder: "That Gu Qinlan, how dare she try to fool me with such shoddy food! And the servants in this mansion, they are all sycophants!"

Li Dong was terrified and quickly comforted her, "Please calm down, young lady. This food is not meant to fool you, it's just that..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was met with a resounding slap, her cheek burning with pain and her ears ringing.

Zheng Huiyi glared at Li Dong, her eyes wide with anger: "Are you speaking up for that bitch?"

Li Dong shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face: "Miss, you've misunderstood. It's really not what you think, ah..."

Immediately afterwards, another slap landed.

Zheng Huiyi glared at Li Dong fiercely: "Are you going to betray me too? That bitch Gu Qinlan is now all-powerful, do you want to join her side as well?"

Li Dong, tears streaming down her face, shook her head desperately: "No, Miss, I would never betray you. I am your maid, and I will always obey your orders. I will never have any disloyal thoughts."

Zheng Huiyi ignored her explanation and grabbed items from the table, throwing them at her: "Get out! Get out of here! Didn't you want to go to that bitch? Go, leave right now!"

The pain rendered her unable to move. At this critical moment, the servant outside the door, worried about her safety, mustered his courage, rushed in, and struggled to drag her away from the scene.

As the door slammed shut again, a storm raged through Zheng Huiyi's room once more. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a day and a night, and now, exhausted from emotional turmoil, hunger and fatigue made her dizzy.

Hunger intensified her cravings for food, and her sense of smell became unusually acute. The overturned dishes emitted an enticing aroma, making her swallow hard again and again.

She could barely control herself; her feet moved involuntarily toward the food, and she repeatedly tried to reach out and grab the delicious treats that hadn't even touched the ground. However, a sliver of dignity and reason remaining deep within her made her forcefully stop herself.

The resentment in her heart burned like a raging fire, growing ever stronger. She was the eldest daughter of the prestigious Prince Duan's mansion; her ancestors and father were all brave and fearless generals. Since birth, she had been the jewel of the Zheng family. When had she ever suffered such humiliation!

Why should she endure such humiliation in her own home!

All the pain and resentment stemmed from that bitch Gu Qinlan! Ever since she stepped into the Zheng family, my life has gone downhill. Now, my mother is bewitched by her, and my brother is siding with her.

So, what am I then? Just a joke?

No! She absolutely cannot continue to endure this bullying here!

Her mother wasn't home, her brother was far away on the frontier, and she couldn't rely on her three heartless nephews and nieces at all. If she didn't find her own way out, she would be tortured to death by Gu Qinlan sooner or later!

Escape! That was the only thought in her mind.

After a while, she shouted loudly, "Someone come here! Lidong, get your ass in here right now!"

Li Dong, who had been waiting outside the door, heard his master's summons and hurriedly asked the two guards for help, requesting them to open the door and let him in.

The two servants felt sorry for Li Dong. They whispered to her, "Sister Li Dong, you should ask the young lady what she needs from outside the door. Otherwise, you'll definitely be beaten again once you go in."

They witnessed firsthand that Li Dong's face had been swollen and disfigured from the beating.

Li Dong gave them a smile that looked more like a grimace: "If I don't go in, I'm afraid the young lady will make an even bigger scene. Madam is entertaining distinguished guests, and if word gets out about this, it will be a great loss to Madam's reputation."

The two servants thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed the case. So they discussed it and decided to open the door and let Lidong in, while also reminding her: "If the young lady attacks again, you should run out immediately. Don't just stand there and take the beating."

Lidong responded almost inaudibly.

She pushed the door open and entered, and as the door quietly closed, the room fell into silence.

Li Dong looked around but couldn't see Zheng Huiyi. A sense of anxiety rose in her heart, and she quickly raised her voice and called out, "Miss, where are you?"

Just then, she suddenly felt a slight movement behind her. Before she could react, Zheng Huiyi sprinkled a handful of powder behind her. Caught off guard, Li Dong watched as the powder drifted into her nostrils. She only managed to inhale twice before feeling dizzy and her body swayed a few times. Finally, her legs gave way and she collapsed heavily to the ground.

"Bang bang bang—"

The servant outside noticed that there was no sound from inside the room for a long time, and became suspicious, so he went up and knocked on the door.

"Sister Lidong, how is the eldest daughter?"

Before the words were finished, a crisp slap echoed from inside the room, followed by Zheng Huiyi's scolding: "Get out of here! You're a piece of trash. You can't even handle such a small matter. What use are you to me!"

Immediately afterward, an object slammed against the door, and Zheng Huiyi roared angrily, "What are you banging on! If you bang on it again, I'll break your hands! Get the hell out of here and don't bother me!"

The two servants shrank back in fright and quickly took a few steps back, avoiding the doorway.

The sounds of fighting and cursing came from inside the room again. Two servants whispered among themselves, "The young lady is really too cruel. Sister Lidong has really suffered a great injustice this time."

"Sigh, what can a servant like me do? Do you think everyone has the good fortune of those people in Gu Qinlan's courtyard?"