Chapter Seventy-Eight: Making Threats
Liu Ye was knocked so hard she staggered, covering her face in complete bewilderment.
She had always been arrogant and domineering in this mansion because of Song Sangyu's influence, and had never been treated like this before.
"You...you dare hit me!"
Song Yiqiu frowned and sneered:
"What's wrong with hitting her? How dare a lowly servant girl speak ill of her master? It seems she's forgotten all the rules she learned."
Liu Ye was both surprised and angry. She turned to look at Song Sangyu with a wronged expression, her voice trembling with tears:
"Second Miss..."
Seeing her trusted confidante being beaten, Song Sangyu became even more furious and pointed at Song Yiqiu:
"Song Yiqiu! You're so vulgar! You resort to violence at the slightest disagreement. Liu Ye has been by my side since she was little. Hitting her is like slapping me in the face. I'm going to tell Father and Mother, and you'll regret it!"
Seeing her exasperated expression, Song Yiqiu deliberately pouted and, mimicking her usual affected tone, replied sarcastically:
"Oh? Then go ahead and sue me. I'm so scared."
She deliberately looked up to mock him.
"By the way, check the time when you go, if Father and Mother aren't in a bad mood right now."
Song Sangyu was speechless for a moment.
Having just witnessed her elder brother's disgraceful act, her father was furious, and her mother was in a terrible mood. If she were to go and complain now, wouldn't she be walking right into the line of fire?
Seeing that force wasn't working, her eyes reddened, and she forced out two tears, choking back sobs:
“Sister…why do you have to be so sarcastic towards me? I know that you are the legitimate daughter of the family. Although I am not Mother’s biological daughter, I have served her faithfully for seven years and we are as close as mother and daughter…”
“If you look down on me, that’s understandable. But sister… even if you don’t care about me, you should at least respect Mother, right? How can you allow the servants to bully me like this?”
Her voice was loud and tearful, which immediately attracted the attention of the servants who were peeking out from nearby.
"Oh dear, the eldest young lady is bullying the second young lady again..."
"The second young lady is really pitiful. She has to be tolerant in everything she does, and she is always being targeted."
"Exactly, the young lady is too domineering. She just came back from outside and..."
The murmurs at the door grew louder and louder.
Qingzhu said to Song Yiqiu in a low voice with some concern:
"Miss, if this continues, we're afraid we'll really alarm the master and madam."
Song Yiqiu naturally understood that at this critical juncture, whoever caused trouble first would bear the main responsibility.
Instead, she smiled slightly, stepped forward, and feigned intimacy, reached out her hand as if to wipe away Song Sangyu's tears:
"What are you saying, sister? You must have misunderstood. I have always acted with integrity. When have I ever been to such a disgraceful place? These are just rumors spread by petty people in the marketplace. How could you believe them so easily?"
Seeing that she stubbornly refused to admit it, Song Sangyu became anxious:
"I clearly saw you that day..."
Song Yiqiu immediately seized on her words, raising an eyebrow and asking in return:
"Oh? That day? Since you're so sure, could it be... that you were also there that day and witnessed it with your own eyes?"
Song Sangyu's expression changed, and she vehemently denied it:
"I...I didn't! How could I have gone to a place like that!"
Song Yiqiu's smile deepened:
"Since my sister didn't see it with her own eyes, can she arbitrarily judge someone as guilty based solely on hearsay? If this gets out, people who don't know the truth will think that this is how the Song family is raised."
Song Sangye was speechless, unable to advance or retreat, knowing that she would not gain any advantage in the verbal battle today.
She glared at Song Yiqiu hatefully, took a step closer, and threatened her in her ear:
"Sister is really... sharp-tongued. Good, very good. Before the autumn hunt, please be careful, sister. If you accidentally make a fool of yourself... we'll see."
After saying that, he stopped arguing and quickly pulled Liu Ye away.
Watching the two women, mistress and servant, walk away, Bai Mei waved her fist and spat in their direction.
"Tsk tsk, if she can't win an argument, she resorts to threats. That's all the Second Miss is capable of! And that Liu Ye by her side, she's also courting death, daring to follow her so devotedly."
"The last maid who was so loyal to her, Hongxiu, must be overgrown with weeds by now, right?"
Green Bamboo wasn't as optimistic as White Plum; her brow was furrowed.
"I always felt... that the Second Miss's last words weren't just said in anger; there seemed to be a deeper meaning behind them..."
Bai Mei waved her hand dismissively:
"Who cares about the deeper meaning or the shallower it may be? We'll deal with whatever comes our way! Our young lady is so clever, she must have a solution by now!"
Song Yiqiu didn't reply, but just stared in the direction where Song Sangyu had disappeared, her gaze deep and unfathomable.
Late at night, the candles in the main courtyard were still lit.
Song Yiqiu was copying a calligraphy model, starting with a reverse stroke, while Bai Mei carefully wiped her sword beside her.
"The young master is seriously injured this time, so he definitely won't be able to go on the royal autumn hunt." Bai Mei's tone was full of relief.
"At least we have one less person we need to be constantly on guard against."
Qingzhu, who was arranging medicinal herbs nearby, sighed upon hearing this:
"Even if the eldest young master can't go, there's the second young master, the third young master, the fourth young master, plus that covetous second young lady... This is clearly a drop from the eighteenth level of hell to the seventeenth and a half level, but it's still as difficult as climbing to heaven."
Song Yiqiu listened to the two maids' chatter, her pen still flowing, and said calmly:
"Just because the eldest brother can't go doesn't mean that the others can rest easy."
She suddenly paused, as if remembering something, and took a small white jade bottle from under her pillow, handing it to Bai Mei.
"Tomorrow, take this medicine to my elder brother."
Bai Mei took the medicine bottle, pouting, and muttered in dissatisfaction:
"Miss, you're being far too kind! You're still thinking of giving him medicine at a time like this? Look at the young master, he's an ungrateful wretch. No matter how good you are to him, the sister he considers his own will always be that non-blood-related Song Sangyu!"
Seeing her puffed-up face, Song Yiqiu tapped her forehead. She didn't need fake blood ties; the person who truly cared about her was already by her side.
Smiling, he pulled a picture book from under the calligraphy copybook and handed it to Bai Mei:
"Take this with you as well."
Qingzhu glanced at it curiously and said in surprise:
"Miss, this... wasn't this secretly delivered by Lieutenant Zhang a few days ago? He said he went to great lengths to find it, and now... he's just given it to the young master like this?"
"Um,"
Song Yiqiu nodded thoughtfully.
"This was originally prepared for him."
Upon hearing this, Bai Mei was both anxious and curious, forgetting her anger. She quickly opened the picture book, muttering to herself:
"You always give all the good stuff to that heartless young master first! We've been by your side for so long, and we've never seen you..."
"Huh? What are these drawings? Strange-looking... chickens???"
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