Chapter 7 Face-Slap by the Lake
The carriage rolled slowly and finally reached the Grand Princess's residence.
The moment we stepped through the gate, Jiang Zeyu couldn't help reminding me, "I'll go see my colleagues first. I'll come find you right after.
"If anyone bullies you, just tell me."
He kept murmuring, and the more he talked, the heavier the worry on his face grew.
In the end, he couldn't hold back. "How about we just go back? What if you get bullied?"
Seeing him stop and turn to leave, I quickly grabbed his hand. "Relax, relax. No one will bully me.
"If someone really does, I'll come complain to you."
Are you kidding? We had already walked in. If we turned around and left, rumors that Jiang Zeyu and the Grand Princess didn't get along would flood the capital by the next day.
He usually seemed so steady. Why was he so impulsive now?
Jiang Zeyu stood there, torn for a long while, then finally let out a long sigh. "I'll come find you right away.
"Wait for me obediently."
"Okay, okay, okay." I nodded obediently.
Watching Jiang Zeyu's figure walk away, I stood in place for a moment, then found a corner seat and sat down.
Of course, no one at the banquet came over to talk to me either.
After all, the noble young ladies of the capital looked down on my status as an Adopted Daughter and refused to befriend me.
But I didn't care about this cold treatment at all. I even welcomed it.
I didn't have to deal with those barbed words or constantly keep up appearances. I was happy to be free.
I wished they would just ignore me.
After sitting at the banquet for a while, I got quite bored.
So I stood up, planning to find a quiet, empty place to stay.
I came to a silent lakeside and stood by the water, staring blankly at the surface.
"Yo, isn't this the Chancellor's Adopted Daughter? What? Finally kicked out by Jiang Zeyu?" A familiar, annoying voice rang by my ear.
I instinctively furrowed my brows tightly.
Looking up, sure enough, it was him—the illegitimate son of the Vice Minister of Revenue, my mortal enemy Song Qing.
This guy was jealous of Jiang Zeyu, yet he bullied the weak and feared the strong, not daring to cause Jiang Zeyu trouble.
So he set his sights on me and picked fights with me every day.
Of course I wouldn't just let him bully me.
So back and forth, our grudge was formed.
"Why aren't you talking?
"Being excluded doesn't feel good, does it? If you're willing to be my concubine, maybe I'll show mercy and help you.
"Otherwise, someone of your status is destined never to fit in with us." He looked at me triumphantly.
I frowned in disgust.
Only a few days apart, and this guy had gotten more and more arrogant, almost climbing onto my head to shit.
I glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, I couldn't help flashing him a sinister smile.
"Why are you smiling so disgustingly?" He shuddered, face full of revulsion.
I stepped forward a few paces, quickly closing in. In his terrified gaze, I grabbed his hair and slapped him across the face twice with loud cracks.
With anyone else, I might not dare act so easily, afraid I couldn't win.
But facing Song Qing, this soft-legged shrimp hollowed out by wine and women, I figured I could handle it.
Besides, he had insulted me to my face. I wasn't some soft bun who would just take his abuse.
He was slapped until stars swam before his eyes and fell to the ground covering his face.
"You tigress will never get married.
"You're not even worthy of being my concubine." He yelled loudly.
Just as my extremely mother-insulting words were about to come out, an enraged voice appeared behind me first.
"Where did this shameless thing come from, still having the face to ask Jiaojiao to be a concubine?" At some point, Jiang Zeyu had appeared.
He strode forward and blocked in front of me, carefully scanning Song Qing up and down, left and right.
After a moment, he showed an expression of extreme disdain. "An indecent man doesn't deserve to enter my family's door. Even if he delivers himself to the door, we don't want him.
"Our Jiaojiao is going to marry the best man in the whole world."
My gaze toward Jiang Zeyu gradually brightened.
Jiang Zeyu's mouth was still as sharp as ever.
Under Song Qing's resentful stare, Jiang Zeyu stepped forward and viciously kicked him twice.
"That'll teach you to have a cheap mouth." He sneered coldly.
"Jiaojiao, let's go. Ignore this dirty man." Jiang Zeyu took my hand and turned to leave.
While Jiang Zeyu wasn't paying attention, I secretly turned my head and rolled my eyes hard at Song Qing behind us.
The word "disdain" was written all over my face.
On the way back to the residence, Jiang Zeyu was unusually silent.
"What's wrong with you?" I poked his arm.
He had suddenly gone quiet. I wasn't used to it at all.
"Has he been bullying you all this time before?
"It's my fault. You were being bullied and I only just found out." His face was full of self-blame, and as he spoke, his eyes reddened.
"No, no, no. It's not your fault.
"I wasn't bullied. He never got the upper hand with me." I hurriedly wiped his tears.
Honestly, Song Qing's mouth was a bit cheap, but I was no less so. I was even more venomous than him.
He was just a guy who bullied the weak and feared the strong. He talked big but didn't dare actually do anything.
In my eyes, he was just a clown jumping around in front of me, a seasoning for my boring life.
The reason I hadn't told the family was because I could handle it for now. I didn't want Parents to worry.
Besides, if one day I really couldn't handle it, I wouldn't be stupid enough to hide it. I would definitely tell Parents.
And if nothing else, there was still Jiang Zeyu.
Even though he often wore a cold face, he wouldn't just watch me get bullied.
"Stop crying." I looked helplessly at my usually cold Older Brother crying like a pear blossom in the rain.
Before, I never saw him cry this much.
And he was the overpowered male lead with a smooth official career all the way. How could he be this delicate?
Seeing him cry until he almost convulsed, I quickly patted his back.
"I—I won't cry anymore." He sobbed twice.
"Good." I couldn't help stroking his head.