Ji Xinhe laughed out loud, suddenly understanding why Princess Chaoyang had been so eager for her to come. She had prepared such a vicious move, and it must have taken a lot of effort.
As for Lady Ding, with her "shocked" expression, it was all fake. She was nothing more than a chess piece that Princess Chaoyang had found. She had come all the way to the capital city, and all she wanted now was to become a knife in the princess’s hand. And yet she had the nerve to look so surprised, was she trying to deceive Ji Xinhe or herself?
"Xin He! My dear daughter! Where have you been? I almost went mad looking for you!" Lady Ding’s crying started immediately.
Seeing her like this, Ji Xinhe almost forgot how wicked this woman was to her in the past. this woman who tried to swindle her for money, who drove her to desperation, who used to call her ’mean person’ , and now, she was pretending to be so affectionate and called her daughter.
As if she was afraid others would not know her identity!
With Lady Ding’s piercing cry, the effects were extraordinary. Everyone in the garden was stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief. The young ladies, who always lived a carefree life, were now shocked and changing expressions.
Even as a maid to carry their shoes, such a vulgar woman would be unworthy! But this person could call Ji Xinhe a ...daughter .
Princess Chaoyang was the first to "understand" the situation. With a gasp, she exclaimed, "I just remembered, Xin He, you grew up in the countryside when you were young. This person, might she be your mother?"
She deliberately didn’t mention "foster mother" but chose "mother" to pin Ji Xinhe’s identity to a humble family background, leaving her with no hope of improving her status.
Upon realizing this, people looked at Ji Xinhe with an involuntary contempt.
With Princess Chaoyang backing her, Lady Ding’s momentum grew stronger and her cry even louder, "Xin He! My dear daughter, I finally found you! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for days! Don’t waste time, come home with me!"
Princess Chaoyang sneered maliciously, "Dear Xin He, I heard Le Yuanhou talking about how pitiful you were without a mother’s love since young, so he kept you close and protected you. Unimaginable, you have a mother, look at how much she cares for you! And you had the heart to abandon her? What can I say, those from humble backgrounds forget their roots as soon as they see wealth and honor, even abandoning their own mother when living in a Marquis Mansion."
At these words, a low ripple of laughter went around. Whoever this story would have landed on, it would be a joke!
Lady Ding was performing enthusiastically, while Ji Xinhe stood calmly, not reacting at all, her expression unchanging. Her eyes were as deep as a dark well, making it impossible for anyone to see what she was thinking.
For some reason, Lady Ding felt a bit disheartened. She had always had an underlying fear of Ji Xinhe, which is precisely why she was afraid of her. If it weren’t for the princess stepping in to back her up, she would not have had the courage to provoke her.
But Ji Xinhe showed no emotion, leaving Lady Ding unsure of what to do. Of course, she did not expect any sympathy from Ji Xinhe, but at the very least, she should have shown some panic or shame!
To know that her appearance today, according to Princess Chaoyang, was a slap in the face for Ji Xinhe!
Lady Ding had been making a fuss for a while, but Ji Xinhe had shown no reaction, and Lady Ding’s heart grew skeptical, her own spirit weakening, unsure of what to say.
Princess Chaoyang glared at Lady Ding with impatience before clearing her throat loudly.
At this, Lady Ding remembered that with the princess supporting her, what did she have to fear?!
Even if Ji Xinhe was very powerful, she couldn’t offend the princess!
And thinking of the potential rewards after this ordeal, even if she just clung to the money tree that was Ji Xinhe, she could still enjoy endless wealth and honor!
Lady Ding, who had gone mad with poverty, could not let go of this chance!
With a hardened heart, Lady Ding clenched her teeth and tearfully grabbed Ji Xinhe’s sleeve, sobbing, "Xin He, you are so merciless, enjoying a luxurious life in the capital city while abandoning your poor parents and siblings. Do you know, your sister had to become a concubine for a grand elder, all because of our poverty!"
Princess Chaoyang’s expression became even more mocking: "Tsk tsk, Le Yuanhou really didn’t know you well at all when he said you were a lone, helpless and lonely child. He never thought that you have a horde of siblings, and it’s so lively too! Since your sister has become a concubine for someone, you... "
Of course, you can’t be a match for Mu Houchu! 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
Lady Ding clung to Ji Xinhe’s sleeve while sobbing, not daring to look into Ji Xinhe’s eyes.
Ji Xinhe’s face gradually turned cold: "Let go."
Lady Ding shuddered at the icy tone but held on tightly.
Everyone in the garden watched her as if they were watching a farce, not wanting to miss such a good show.
"Xin He, aren’t you heartless? She is your mother, and you haven’t seen her for days! She’s been crying like this, and you still have the nerve to scold her for not letting go? Why don’t you console her a little?" Shen Yilin sneered.
Although she said it, there wasn’t a hint of sympathy for Lady Ding in her tone, only disdain.
Why would they have so much compassion? As far as they were concerned, Lady Ding was just a knife that could be used to hurt Ji Xinhe, and she didn’t even count as a person.
Ji Xinhe looked at Lady Ding with cold eyes: "I said, let go." It was a warning now.
She hated being threatened the most in her life!
Why did Lady Ding have the courage today? Not only was Princess Chaoyang backing her, but she also knew that Ji Xinhe wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful to her so-called "mother" in public. At the very least, she would have to pretend to be filial. Otherwise, she would invite gossip in the capital city and become the sort of person Princess Chaoyang described.
A selfish, greedy, and vain person who abandoned her poor family for wealth and honor.
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