“Yun’er…”
The second wife's eyes reddened as she watched her daughter's behavior. She looked at Mo Lan with complicated thoughts. Not only did the old lady have doubts about her, but she herself had some doubts as well. That's why she didn't try her best to stop the old lady's behavior. In the end, it was Mo Lan's fault.
“My dear girl, Yun’er truly cares for you. She genuinely didn’t know what happened just now. It’s all my fault as her mother.”
"Ha~, whether you're the mistress of the house or the mother, you're quite pathetic. The whole mansion knows that I'm Zhao Ziyun's savior, yet you let everyone in the mansion treat me like this. How is that any different from humiliating your daughter? Or do you also suspect that my motives are impure?"
Mo Lan looked at the Second Madam's flickering eyes and curled her lips into a smile. "The infighting between your families has nothing to do with me, and I have no obligation to be a pawn in your struggles. The old lady is targeting me simply because the First Madam is kneeling in the ancestral hall, disgracing the Zhao family. The First Madam's mistake is unforgivable, so she's taking it out on me. Do you think I can accept that?"
"How you fight, how you scheme, how you check and balance each other has nothing to do with me. Don't drag me into it and ruin the reputation of your scholarly family."
"······"
When the second madam heard Mo Lan point out the crux of the matter, her face turned pale. She guessed that the old lady wanted to use Mo Lan to remind her to pay attention to family harmony.
She never expected that the young woman would show the old lady no respect at all.
The power struggle between the first wife and the second wife has never ceased over the years. Why is it that even though I clearly won today, it's more humiliating for her than if I had lost?
Seeing her mother's embarrassed expression, Zhao Ziyun burst into tears.
"Mother, how could you be so foolish? Grandmother wanted to punish both of them equally, how could you agree to that? My sister is being wronged for no reason, but aren't you being wronged too, Mother?"
"...Mother misunderstood." The Second Madam pressed her handkerchief to the corner of her eye and gave Mo Lan a weak smile. "I'm sorry for making you suffer. I admire your courage."
“I’ve always been bold. You don’t have the guts to make me compromise without reason. So, may I leave now?” Mo Lan stroked the pointer in her hand, glancing coldly at the gatekeeper lying on the ground.
The gatekeeper received Mo Lan's gaze, and his curled-up body tensed up instantly, his face filled with terror.
Zhao Ziyun looked at Mo Lan's expression and wanted to say something, but was stopped by the Second Madam. "Miss Mo Lan, we are sorry for today. Tomorrow morning, I will take Yun'er to Fengqiao Restaurant to apologize."
"No need. We're strangers anyway, so there's no point in seeing each other again." Mo Lan waved the pointer in her hand and walked away without looking back.
The two stood at the gate, watching Mo Lan's figure disappear into the night, speechless.
Walking back onto the street, looking at the bustling crowds and the brightly lit shops on both sides, Mo Lan's sullen mood began to improve.
Although the people in the Zhao family couldn't contain their anger, they still made people uncomfortable.
At this time, around 5:45 PM, the streets were at their liveliest, and Jiang County's nightlife was just beginning. As Mo Lan walked, she wondered whether to go back to Fengqiao Restaurant for dinner or just find a random tavern.
In the dim light, laughter and cheerful voices filled the air. It must be said that Jiangjun is a truly prosperous and bustling city.
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