Perhaps it was Mo Lan's probing gaze that was too intense, because Xiong Yanyan seemed to sense it and turned around to look. When she met Mo Lan's eyes, her expression changed drastically.
His originally pale face suddenly became multicolored, and in the end, his body couldn't help but tremble and sway.
Seeing her witness his most embarrassing and pathetic moment filled him with shame and made him feel utterly ashamed.
"Madam, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" The young maid beside her looked at her anxiously, while the old woman next to her gave her a disdainful look and spoke in a very dismissive tone.
“Madam, if you feel this is inappropriate, you should return to the manor as soon as possible to avoid suffering such grievances outside.”
At this moment, Xiong Yanyan was completely focused on Mo Lan, and she didn't hear a word the maids and servants were saying.
She held the handkerchief in her hand and twisted it into a dried, salted vegetable shape.
Why is she here?
Why did she come?
Will she disrupt her peaceful life?
Thinking of the days she had endured humiliation and hardship, she forced herself to calm down and said in a deep voice, "Aunt Chen, go and call a car to pick me up at the tea stall across the street."
Chen Ma glanced at the shed across the street, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction, but she still turned and left, saying, "Please wait a moment, Madam, this old servant will be right back."
Watching Granny Chen walk away, Xiong Yanyan straightened her clothes, tidied her hair, and slowly walked over, holding a handkerchief in one hand and supporting the arm of her maid, Xiangcao, with the other.
Seeing Xiong Yanyan approach, Mo Lan raised an eyebrow and waited, watching her sit down opposite her. Her maid then took out a handful of copper coins and handed them to the elderly couple at the teahouse.
"Please do me a favor. This is for everyone's tea. My wife can rest here for a bit."
"Sigh, I've already sent them away."
Women in wealthy families have many taboos, which they understand. There were hardly any tea drinkers to begin with. After the old woman brought out the teapot and explained the reason, no one objected. They could drink a cup of tea for free without paying. The men glanced at Xiong Yanyan and then got up and left.
Only a few women remained. The old woman hesitated for a moment, then turned around and went back, sitting by the stove and watching the fire intently.
"Why are you here?" Xiong Yanyan glanced at Mo Lan, still feeling the embarrassment from earlier. Her eyes were slightly red, but her face was stubborn.
"Just passing by," Mo Lan looked her up and down. "Why didn't you fight back when you were being bullied?"
Before she could even suppress her embarrassment, it was brought up again, leaving Xiong Yanyan's face and heart filled with shame and anger.
"None of your business?"
"Never mind what I said." Mo Lan picked up her teacup, took a sip, and prepared to get up and leave.
"Stop! What are you doing here?" Xiong Yanyan shouted.
She didn't believe Mo Lan's words. Just passing by? What kind of fool was she? Knowing she was in Guan County, why would she dare come over? What good intentions could she possibly have?
"You're so young and not deaf, do I have to keep repeating myself?"
Seeing her frightened expression, Mo Lan raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"This aristocratic family is indeed a good place to temper people. What an arrogant person he was, in just two years he has turned into a sheep."
Xiong Yanyan: "..."
Thinking about her life and then back to the past, Xiong Yanyan's eyes suddenly reddened, and she dug her fingers into her palms to keep herself from losing control.
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't bully you. The person who bullied you is still in the shop across the street. Do you want me to help you get revenge?"
Are women who are tough on the outside but weak on the inside only good at bullying their own families?
"What do you know? My affairs are none of your business." Looking at the nonchalance and indifference in Mo Lan's eyes, Xiong Yanyan felt a pang of sadness. She used to be fearless too…
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