"Why should Madam Wang be angry? It's just a small jewelry shop."
Supported by her maid, Hongxiu walked over with the gait of a proud rooster, then turned to look at Li Youran.
"At worst, we'll have someone smash up her shop. Right here in the heart of the capital, does a small-time merchant dare to cause trouble?"
Hongxiu didn't want to get involved in Wang Xiangyu's mess, but in order to highlight her sense of superiority, she decided to meddle.
"Thank you, Madam, for upholding justice for me. This woman has gone too far."
Upon hearing Hongxiu's words, Wang Xiangyu realized that there was an important person by her side, and dealing with Li Youran would be a piece of cake.
As they were talking, a group of thugs rushed up and started smashing things at Li Youran's shop.
"I'm just teaching you a lesson today. If you dare to act so recklessly in the future, you'll lose your head."
"Smack!"
Before Hongxiu could finish speaking, Li Youran slapped her across the face.
In an instant, Hongxiu's cheeks puffed up high.
"Do you know who I am? How dare you be so insolent? Do you even want to live?"
Hongxiu covered her slapped cheek and gritted her teeth as she spoke to Li Youran.
Since Hongxiu started following the prime minister, no one has dared to be so disrespectful to her.
Suddenly, Hongxiu felt a sense of humiliation, as if she had been slapped by her master when she was a maid.
"I don't care who you are, you little Tom, Dick, or Harry, how dare you cause trouble in my shop! I'll beat you to a pulp!"
Looking at the shop that had been smashed to pieces, Li Youran was overcome with anger and started cursing without thinking twice.
Since Wang Xiangyu is heavily pregnant, it would be unreasonable to hit her, so let's just direct all our resentment at Hongxiu.
As Li Youran spoke, another slap came down, followed by Hongxiu's other cheek bulging up, and then a hard kick was delivered to her lower abdomen.
"Ah..." Hongxiu cried out in pain, and following Li Youran's force, she fell to the ground, clutching her stomach and crying.
"Beat him to death! Beat this arrogant bastard to death! How dare he hit me!"
Upon hearing Hongxiu's words, the few servants who had been staring blankly to the side finally reacted and rushed towards Li Youran in unison.
Li Youran raised her leg high and kicked one of the underlings away.
Seeing this, the remaining three people were a little scared, so they stayed to the side and dared not approach Li Youran.
"Useless thing, come back with me, and I'll get someone to take his dog's head."
Hongxiu said with exasperation, then left with the help of her maid.
Wang Xiangyu, who was standing to the side, turned around and blew a mouthful of saliva at Li Youran.
"Clean the shop thoroughly. Please take stock of the losses."
As Li Youran spoke, he opened the previously recorded roster to find out where this lady lived.
Li Youran had no intention of letting her off so easily; she had to pay for the damaged items.
"Xiao'er, what are you thinking? How can you not like such a good girl like Qingqing? Do you have a girl you like?"
As Madam Xia spoke, she gestured for the maid to leave and closed the door, leaving only the mother and son in the study.
"I heard from your servants that you've been drawing a portrait of a girl lately. Is that true?"
As she spoke, Xia's mother stood up and said to Xia Xiao with a serious expression.
"Your mother told you long ago that as a child of the Xia family, you bear a much heavier responsibility than the sons and daughters of other families."
Upon hearing his mother's words, Xia Xiao cupped his hands in greeting to her.
“I have kept Mother’s teachings firmly in mind, and have been much more sensible than others since childhood. I know that although my Xia family business is large, it lacks a solid foundation. If I want to continue, I must marry Miss Huan…”
At this point, Xia Xiao stopped talking and turned to her mother, pleadingly saying...
"But Mother, I am a person with feelings too. Are you really willing to sacrifice my happiness for the Xia family's future?"
Xia Xiao often heard her parents talk about the various difficulties faced by the Xia family since she was a child.
He was also taken out by his father to train when he was very young. While others were still being pampered in their parents' arms, he was already traveling all over the country with the caravan.
He did all of this willingly, because as children, it's natural to share our parents' worries.
But ever since he had an affair, he no longer felt that sacrificing his own happiness was such a great and glorious thing.
"It seems the servants were telling the truth. Let me tell you, I know the woman in the portrait by name. Don't continue to be obsessed with her. She's just a merchant, far less powerful than our Xia family. Being with her will bring no benefit to the Xia family."
With a gloomy face, Xia's mother spoke to Xia Xiao.
She left immediately after speaking, without giving Xia Xiao a chance to say anything.
"Does our Xia family really have to rely on a woman to survive?"
Xia Xiao shouted loudly at Xia Nu's departing figure.
Xia's mother paused for a moment, then continued walking forward.
When Li Youran stood in front of the Second Prince's residence again, her state of mind was completely different from the first time she stood there.
The first time, she went in with Jiang Qianqian. The second time, she was filled with inner turmoil and unease, but this time it was with a sense of relief.
"Miss Li, you've finally arrived! This servant has been waiting here for a long time."
The head steward was still waiting there, his attitude even more respectful than before. He even bent down when Li Youran was halfway across the threshold, carefully protecting her, afraid that she might bump into something and he wouldn't be able to explain it to the Second Prince's Consort.
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