11. Slapping someone ruins your own hand.
◎Why pretend you can't stop?◎
Can a timid, weak, sickly child who is unloved by his father and whose mother died young turn his life around?
Before meeting Feng Ran, Madam Liu would have said with absolute certainty that it was absolutely impossible!
How many young ladies from wealthy families have died in grand mansions? It's just a matter of a white cloth and a couple of tears, and then they're never seen again.
But Feng Ran's current demeanor and aura sent a chill down Liu's spine. What went wrong? This sickly woman should have been dying soon, so how could she be so lively and energetic, getting in her way?
Now that this sickly woman has married into the Dingbei Marquis's household and become the heir apparent's wife, I thought she was no longer a threat to me. But I never expected that her return visit would give her such a rude awakening.
Out of respect for the Prime Minister and the reputation of the Marquis of Dingbei, she could only swallow her anger for the time being, secretly vowing in her heart, "Wu Fengran, do you think everything will be fine once you marry into the Marquis of Dingbei's family? A princess consort who has not received proper education as a legitimate daughter of a noble family, let's see how you handle the social interactions in the inner court."
Liu forced a smile, her face tense as she walked alongside the Prime Minister, ignoring Feng Ran and the others.
The two elders walked in front, with Feng Ran and Duan Jingchuan following behind, and Wu Fengqing, a younger child, on either side.
Wu Fengqing wondered to himself why his father was so cold. According to the rules, shouldn't Wu Fengran pay her respects to his mother, and shouldn't the heir be staying in the front hall to talk with his father? Why is it that the strict separation between men and women is no longer necessary, and they are now sitting together to eat?
She was an unmarried woman, and given her special status, she should have avoided suspicion, but she didn't want to go back in such a humiliating way.
That little slut Feng Ran actually dared to give her mother a hard time. Since that's the case, she needs to let the young master know Feng Ran's true colors and not let him be deceived by her.
Thinking of this, Wu Fengqing softened her expression, adjusted her pace slightly, and finally walked side by side with Duan Jingchuan.
Because of Duan Jingchuan's problem, Feng Ran usually doesn't get too close to him, but she also doesn't stay too far away, about an arm's length away.
Wu Fengqing moved closer without any hesitation, clearly less than an arm's length away, her sleeves almost tangling with Duan Jingchuan's.
Wu Fengqing never expected that the person who reacted the most was not Feng Ran, but Duan Jingchuan.
In unfamiliar surroundings, Duan Jingchuan was always on guard, cautious, and eager to be aware of everything around him.
Although he didn't immediately notice Wu Fengqing's unusual slowing down, he reacted instantly, taking a small step closer to Feng Ran and distancing himself from Wu Fengqing.
Feng Ran then realized that Wu Fengqing had actually gotten right under her nose.
This must be trouble. Feng Ran immediately activated her battle preparation mode, waiting for the opponent to unleash their power.
As expected. Seeing Duan Jingchuan's avoidance, Wu Fengqing actually quite approved of Duan Jingchuan, thinking that he was a very polite person and was avoiding suspicion.
She couldn't get any closer, so she smiled slightly and presented her perfect profile to Duan Jingchuan. Her voice was truly like pearls falling on a jade plate, melodious and graceful.
"Your Highness, my sister has been somewhat mischievous since childhood. She doesn't like to study and speaks rather crudely. I hope Your Highness will be lenient with her."
The way she looked at Wu Fengran made it seem as if she wanted to say that Wu Fengran was ignorant, uneducated, and had no manners whatsoever as a young lady from a prominent family.
This way of apologizing while gossiping about others has been taken to the extreme.
However, Feng Ran didn't catch the underlying meaning in Wu Fengqing's words. In her opinion, although what Wu Fengqing said was somewhat untrue, it made some sense.
How could the original owner have had the opportunity to study? She learned to read from her wet nurse. As for her unruly nature, she was indeed quite unruly. She never called the Prime Minister's wife "Mother" and never interacted with others. In the eyes of her elders, this was considered disobedience.
Feng Ran just didn't understand why Wu Fengqing said those things to Duan Jingchuan. What was the point? Shouldn't he have just confronted her if he disliked her?
Feng Ran secretly observed Duan Jingchuan's reaction and found that Duan Jingchuan did not seem to be listening to Wu Fengqing's words at all. He was walking slowly with his head down, as if all his attention was focused on the road under his feet.
Clearly, Wu Fengqing also observed this.
She clenched the embroidered handkerchief tightly with her fingers. Young Master Duan certainly hadn't looked closely at her face. Her beauty was renowned throughout the capital; which noble young man wouldn't be stunned upon seeing her? Thinking this, Wu Fengqing took a few extra steps, moving to the side and slightly in front of Duan Jingchuan.
"Why doesn't Your Highness reply to Qing'er? Are you angry with me? I know that everyone was happy when they first heard that Your Highness wanted to marry me. But since you are the eldest daughter of the main wife, and you don't usually leave the Prime Minister's residence, few people know that. That's why everyone mistakenly thought I was the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family. Now that you have married Your Highness, I can only silently wish you well." After saying this, she picked up her embroidered handkerchief and gently covered the corner of her eyes, her eyebrows instantly turning red.
Because Wu Fengqing was blocking his way, Duan Jingchuan had to stop walking. However, he did not look up, but instead glanced at the scene in the garden and listened to Wu Fengqing talking to himself with a blank expression.
Feng Ran may be slow-witted, but he is not. Everyone knows the truth about the substitute marriage.
Right now, this Miss Wu is clearly embarrassing his wife. What is her intention in saying these things in front of him?
But Duan Jingchuan didn't know how to refute it. When he was preparing the memorial yesterday, he hadn't prepared anything to talk about with Miss Wu.
Thousands of words fill my mind, yet not a single one can be uttered.
Feng Ran had been listening to the drama for a while, but she was still a little confused. What did Wu Fengqing mean by this? Was she saying that she regretted not marrying Duan Jingchuan?
This is a bit hard to understand. "Isn't it because you and the Crown Prince are so entangled that you can't get out of bed, and your mother is offering to let me get married in order to help you replicate her success story? What are you pretending to be so unable to let go of here?"
Feng Ran never leaves things she doesn't understand to be asked about tomorrow; she usually clarifies them on the spot.
Duan Jingchuan, who was still hesitating about what to say to Wu Fengqing, suddenly widened his pupils. He looked down at Feng Ran's mouth, which was constantly uttering words. The sweat that should have been on his tightly clenched palms disappeared in fright. Why did his wife's words sound so wrong?
The combination of the first and second halves of the sentence made Duan Jingchuan blush.
His wife was indeed very straightforward.
Xiong Qi and Xiu'er, standing behind, clenched their fists tightly and bit their lips, afraid that they would burst out laughing.
Seeing the change in the expression of the second young lady of the Wu family, it was truly satisfying. She herself was not upright, yet she spoke in a sarcastic manner. Don't think they didn't see it. The second young lady of the Wu family's eyes lit up when she saw the young master. She had already become entangled with the crown prince, yet she still came to curry favor with the young master. She was truly despicable.
In contrast, the Crown Princess, who also comes from the Prime Minister's family, is much more likable because she speaks frankly and is upright.
Wu Fengqing was slightly stunned for a moment because he hadn't expected Feng Ran to speak so crudely, but it only lasted for a couple of breaths.
After realizing what had happened, she flew into a rage, her gentle and virtuous image completely gone, her face contorted with rage. If these words got out, she would have no reputation left. This little slut was definitely up to no good. Did she think she could challenge her after leaving the Prime Minister's residence if she wasn't taught a lesson?
"Shut up, you bitch! How dare you slander my reputation with your bare words!" After saying that, he suddenly slapped Feng Ran across the face.
*Slap!* That's the sound of a slap.
Ah! That's Wu Fengqing's scream.
The entire scene was instantly frozen in shock.
Upon hearing the commotion behind them, the Prime Minister and Lady Liu stopped in their tracks, only to be caught off guard by Wu Fengqing screaming. They were puzzled.
Duan Jingchuan reacted with the fastest speed he had ever used, pulling Feng Ran behind him while taking two steps back.
Xiong Qi and Xiu'er were not expected that Wu Fengqing would make a move so suddenly, and they immediately stood in front of the Crown Princess.
The whole scene was very strange.
Feng Ran remained expressionless, but a terrifying vortex lurked in her eyes.
Wu Fengqing's reaction was quite strange. Even though it was Feng Ran who was hit, she kept screaming while clutching her right hand.
The maidservant following behind hurriedly stepped forward to check, only to find that Wu Fengqing's hand was swollen like a steamed bun.
Duan Jingchuan was also checking Feng Ran's face and found that his wife's face was still fair and smooth, without any signs of being beaten, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It must be that Miss Wu is not very strong.
But he was also very angry. His wife had been beaten right under his nose. How could this be?
Just as he was about to demand an explanation from Wu Fengqing, he was suddenly stunned to see Wu Fengqing's right hand, which was swollen like a steamed bun.
this...
Apart from Wu Fengqing's screams, the scene was quiet for a while.
Xiong Qi couldn't help but think to himself, "The Crown Princess really has a thick skin! Miss Wu's hand is badly injured, but the Crown Princess hasn't even changed her expression."
After a slight pause, Feng Ran gave a strange laugh.
"Ha, I knew I'd be punished for saying the wrong thing, but I didn't expect to be lectured for telling the truth. Wu Fengqing, you're very good, and I also like to win people over with virtue."
After saying that, she pushed aside Duan Jingchuan, Xiong Qi and the others who were blocking her way, dislocated Wu Fengqing's jaw to stop her screams, and then kicked Wu Fengqing into the pond three meters away.
There was a loud bang.
"Ah, you little bastard, how dare you hit my Qing'er!" Liu Shi, disregarding her image, rushed towards Feng Ran. Just now, she turned around and saw Qing'er screaming, and the people from the Dingbei Marquis's mansion were surrounding Qing'er. Then, Feng Ran kicked Qing'er away.
At this moment, she couldn't care less about being dignified or proper; all she wanted to do was tear Feng Ran apart.
Feng Ran thought that Liu's fierce and aggressive posture meant she was about to put on a show of scratching and clawing.
Feng Ran originally planned to go up and kick her again, so that the mistress and her daughter could go to the river for a bath and sober up.
Before she could even get her feet ready, Duan Jingchuan pulled her close again, shielding her completely.
At this moment, Prime Minister Wu also hurried over, his brows furrowed, clearly puzzled by the current situation.
Before the Prime Minister and Lady Liu could speak again, Duan Jingchuan grabbed Feng Ran's wrist tightly and acted first.
“She was the one who was rude to the lady first; the lady is not at fault.”
If it weren't for the fact that the socially anxious girl's hand was sweaty as she gripped it, she would have cheered for her.
Her husband truly lived up to his reputation as her provider; she loved his protective instincts.
A note from the author:
Haha, I'll eat my hat if you can guess the female lead's background.
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