Never return to Beijing
Yinxing bowed her head respectfully and walked away backwards. Xiaodie, who was opposite her, glanced at Yu Yadan's expression, hesitated for a moment, and then also walked away.
A few breaths later, Ginkgo and Little Butterfly had both walked several feet away.
Fu Zhiqiao asked, "Why should I be proud?"
Yu Yadan was taken aback, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes, as if she hadn't expected Fu Zhiqiao to ask her a question in return.
"Miss Yu, why don't you understand? The person you're supposed to beat has never been me!" Fu Zhi Qiao sighed deliberately, her light and airy tone making Yu Ya Dan feel like she'd been slapped in the face again.
Her hand, hidden in her sleeve, slowly clenched. Yu Yadan was unwilling to admit that she had lost the upper hand. In order to save face, she tried her best to speak in a calm tone: "Even without me, the Prince's Mansion would not look down on a merchant's daughter like you."
It seems Yu Yadan has really run out of tricks. She doesn't have many new words to say and can only attack her by bringing up her background.
Little did they know that Fu Zhi Qiao was not a native of the Great Wei. She never felt inferior because she came from a merchant family. Using her family background to belittle her could not hurt her in the slightest.
Knowing that Yu Yadan had left Beijing to live a simple life in a temple and wouldn't appear before her for a long time, she endured it due to the difference in their social status and background.
Yu Yadan was backed by Yu Haoying, the Minister of Rites. For her to rashly rush up to Yu Yadan for revenge would be like throwing an egg against a rock. But seeing Yu Yadan's arrogant attitude, still not recognizing the situation, and continuing to act domineeringly in front of her, then she shouldn't blame her for "killing her spirit."
Fu Zhi Qiao casually cracked her knuckles. Her lips curved into a smile, but her eyes were icy as she asked, "Are you sure I can't marry into the Prince's mansion?"
Yu Yadan's face was extremely pale. When she met Fu Zhiqiao's deep gaze, she felt a genuine sense of fear.
However, it only lasted a moment before she quickly calmed down.
Fu Zhi Qiao took in Yu Ya Dan's reaction and said calmly, "Just as Miss Yu said, without you, the biggest obstacle between me and the Crown Prince is gone. Miss Yu is exceptionally intelligent. Why don't you guess who said they would marry no one but me in this life and make me their future queen?"
As a woman herself, Fu Zhiqiao knew what words would strike Yadan's heart most deeply.
She smiled faintly, her words icy cold: "Speaking of which, I should thank you, Miss Yu, thank you for making room for me."
As expected, Yu Yadan was enraged, shouting, "Shut up!"
Fu Zhiqiao put her index finger to her lips and made a shushing gesture. "Miss Yu, please don't get agitated. This is on the street! Miss Yu's shrewish behavior is really unseemly."
Yu Yadan turned her head and glanced around. A few people were passing by on the street, and when they saw the two beauties standing face to face, they all cast curious glances at them.
Seeing the focused gazes around her, Yu Yadan's anger, which she hadn't even had a chance to vent, froze on her face. Her father had warned her not to cause any more trouble, so she could only swallow her anger.
Unable to vent her anger, Yu Yadan's face turned bright red.
Fu Zhi Qiao scoffed inwardly. What goes around comes around. Yu Ya Dan's current disheveled state is nothing more than karma. Compared to her falling off the cliff and being on the verge of death, Yu Ya Dan's suffering is nothing.
"The daughter of a high-ranking official, she throws her dignity to the ground, chasing after a man who doesn't love her, begging for his affection, and using underhanded means to take lives..."
"Shut up! Is it wrong for me to pursue my own happiness?"
"There's nothing wrong with pursuing happiness, and you can pursue yours, but why do you want to harm me? Why do you want to kill me?"
Yu Yadan was speechless and couldn't say a word.
"If a man cares about you, no one can take him away. But if he doesn't care about you, no matter what you do, even if you use every means, you will not win his heart."
Fu Zhiqiao glanced at her and said, "Yu Yadan, you're pathetic!"
Yu Yadan, as if she had been deeply humiliated, raised her hand, wanting to slap Fu Zhiqiao hard.
Fu Zhi Qiao wouldn't let her have her way. She once again intercepted Yu Ya Dan's hand in mid-air, her tone cold: "Miss Yu, it's best not to push your luck. Have you forgotten about hiring someone to kill? I haven't forgotten. What if word gets out..."
Yu Yadan's face turned ashen instantly, a fleeting look of guilt flashing in her eyes. She forced herself to remain calm: "You...you didn't die, did you?"
Yu Yadan's thinking is easy to understand: you're not dead yet, so I can't be considered a murderer.
A hint of mockery flashed across Fu Zhiqiao's eyes.
The silent mockery deeply stung Yu Yadan's sensitive nerves. She had lost her former noble demeanor and her face turned fierce: "It was you, you forced me to do this! You stole everything that originally belonged to me."
Yu Yadan's inner defenses have crumbled. "I just wanted to take back what belonged to me, what's wrong with that!"
"You bribed an assassin to kill me, seemingly to win back the one you love, but in reality, it was just for your own selfish desires. You didn't love Xie Zhuo as much as you claimed. You were more afraid that you couldn't compete with a merchant's daughter, afraid that you wouldn't become the Crown Prince's consort, which is why you couldn't wait to poison me and put me to death."
Unable to win, afraid... these words crashed down on Yadan's heart like a heavy boulder, making her tremble with fear.
“A woman from a noble family actually lost to a merchant’s daughter whom she looked down upon the most. Yu Yadan, you don’t love Xie Zhuo as much as you say you do. You just don’t want to admit that you lost, especially to me.”
With each word Fu Zhi Qiao uttered, Yu Ya Dan's expression grew increasingly grim.
No, that's not it. I just want to take back what's mine!
Yu Yadan was trembling with anger. She wanted to fight back and loudly rebuke Fu Zhiqiao for making false accusations, but for some reason, her mouth opened and closed, and her throat seemed to be blocked. She couldn't say anything to refute him.
Fu Zhi Qiao's cold voice reached her ears, "Miss Yu, you come from an official family, are loved by your parents, and have received instruction from famous teachers since childhood. You are both talented and beautiful... It's just a pity that no matter how beautiful your appearance is, it cannot hide your ugly soul."
Fu Zhi Qiao's disgust shot straight at Yu Ya Dan like shards of ice, making her tremble all over.
“The conditions at Futu Temple are harsh. The eldest daughter of the Minister’s family will have to spend the rest of her life there. How pitiful! By the way, Miss Yu, remember to repent to Buddha for your sins and start anew.” Fu Zhi Qiao moved closer to her and said in a voice that only they could hear, “Yu Ya Dan, don’t even think about returning to the capital. As long as I, Fu Zhi Qiao, am here, you will never be able to come back.”
“No, no…” Yu Yadan shook her head blankly.
Fu Zhiqiao continued to fuel the fire: "I'll make sure you never return to the capital. Do you think the Crown Prince will help me?"
"You!" Yu Yadan was utterly enraged, so much so that she almost fainted from holding her breath.
"What do you mean, 'you'?! Yu Yadan, you should be glad I didn't die. Otherwise, with someone's life on your hands, how could you really sleep at night?" After saying that, Fu Zhiqiao turned and left without waiting for Yu Yadan's reaction.
Yu Yadan's appearance was just a minor incident and did not affect Fu Zhiqiao's shopping mood at all. She called out to Yinxing, "Let's go, the steamed buns taste best when they're fresh out of the pan; they won't taste good when they're cold."
*
Yu Yadan stood there, stunned, momentarily bewildered, unsure how to react.
Ever since she learned that she was to be engaged to Xie Zhuo, she regarded Xie Zhuo as her own possession. Her long-cherished wish had come true. Yu Yadan was like a lion guarding its food, and anyone who got close to Xie Zhuo would be torn to pieces by her.
Knowing that Xie Zhuo had no other women around her, she was secretly delighted. Even after learning that Xie Zhuo had no feelings for her, Yu Yadan remained devoted to him.
Xie Zhuo was someone she had longed for for many years. She believed she could warm his heart; she was certain she could warm this cold stone with her sincerity. Just when she thought she could get what she wanted, Fu Zhi Qiao appeared.
Fu Zhi Qiao's appearance brought Yu Ya Dan an unprecedented crisis. She didn't know how Xie Zhuo and Fu Zhi Qiao got along, but she knew very well that Xie Zhuo would never treat Fu Zhi Qiao with the same indifference he showed her.
One is the heir of a royal family, and the other is a noble lady from a prominent family. They are clearly the most well-matched couple.
Xie Zhuo had never been close to him. Every time she saw him, she acted like a gentleman, polite but indifferent.
At first, Yu Yadan thought Xie Zhuo was just cold and aloof, so she didn't pay much attention. But then she discovered that Xie Zhuo would smile gently when facing Fu Zhi Qiao, carefully help her into the carriage, and take ruthless revenge on those who had hurt her...
He gave all his tenderness to Fu Zhi Qiao alone.
Fu Zhi Qiao's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Ya Dan's head, leaving her feeling cold all over.
It turns out that Fu Zhi Qiao had never taken her seriously. The reason she was able to bully, humiliate, and kill her was not because of her own strength, but because of the confidence her family gave her.
If she disregards her status as the eldest daughter of the Minister's family, what else does she have that gives her an edge over her opponent?
In terms of beauty, she was indeed inferior to Fu Zhiqiao. For a woman from a noble family, beauty was the least noteworthy advantage.
In terms of talent, elegance, and overall qualities, she could say that she was absolutely no less than Fu Zhi Qiao. However, she also knew in her heart that when she, as the daughter of an official, was compared with Fu Zhi Qiao, who came from a merchant family, she had already lost.
Yu Yadan's eyes darted around blankly, and a layer of moisture quickly welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.
She seemed to have lost all her strength and couldn't even stand up straight.
"Girl, are you alright!" Xiaodie rushed to Yu Yadan's side in two strides and quickly helped her up.
Yu Yadan leaned her weight on Xiaodie's shoulder; she was jealous of Fu Zhiqiao, though she was unwilling to admit it.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but Yu Yadan took a deep breath and forced them back. She couldn't let anyone see her in such a wretched state.
Fu Zhi Qiao's words kept flashing through Yu Ya Dan's mind, and a certain string in her mind trembled.
Born into a prestigious family, she was pampered and indulged in luxury from a young age. Given such privileged circumstances, why would she compete for someone who doesn't love her? Why would she waste her energy using underhanded tactics to harm someone?
She can love and hate fiercely, but she must never belittle herself.
Thinking about what she had done to win back Xie Zhuo, Yu Yadan suddenly felt ridiculous. She had trampled her own dignity and pride underfoot.
Yu Yadan felt a lump in her throat. The prince's favorite person was Fu Zhiqiao, not her. She wouldn't even have had the chance to step onto the stage, let alone outdo someone else.
"Miss, it's time to go, or it will be too late," the coachman's anxious voice rang in her ears.
A wave of regret washed over her. With a complicated expression, Yu Yadan glanced in the direction Fu Zhiqiao had gone, where she was no longer seen.
Was I really wrong?
She kept asking herself this question, but unfortunately, no one could give her an answer.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
