Nonsense! She’s Not a Bad Woman! - Chapter 61

The air was deathly still. The servants in the mansion didn’t dare to breathe, but Qiao Wanyan remained composed, completely at ease.

Qiao Yihuan clutched her face in disbelief. She had been hit before, yes, but never had someone dared to act so brazenly—slapping her in front of others without leaving even a shred of face. Did Qiao Wanyan really think she was no different from a maid in this house?

“Qiyun, are you alright? It’s my fault… I dragged you into this.”

Jiang Qiyun froze. The hidden sadness in Qiao Yihuan’s voice tugged at his thoughts, snapping him back to the present.

A hot sting burned across his face—Qiao Wanyan hadn’t held back at all.

His expression darkened. “You can hit me all you want, but seeing you strike Sister Yihuan today? I’ll never let this go!”

Qiao Wanyan chuckled softly, unfazed. “And what can you do? What exactly can you do to me? You’re the young marquis of Jing’an House, and I’m the legitimate daughter of the Shangshu Mansion. My father leads the foremost family of the gentry! What power do you have to ‘not let me go’? What dare you do?”

Since she was a child, her father had told her she was born to live a life of comfort.

As long as she was happy, she could do whatever she wished. If trouble arose, her father would handle it.

He had spent most of his life ensuring his beloved daughter could live freely, without limits.

The confidence that had always existed in her heart could never be shaken by a few sharp words from Jiang Qiyun.

“Just you wait!” Jiang Qiyun said through gritted teeth.

Qiao Wanyan lowered her gaze, sizing him up with a glance filled with unrestrained mockery. She said nothing, simply turning to walk away.

Silent ridicule hit harder than any words could—it left the other party utterly embarrassed.

Jiang Qiyun took a few quick steps to block her path. “You think you can hit someone and just walk away? Not a chance! Apologize to Sister Yihuan, or don’t even think about leaving today!”

Qiao Wanyan raised her head slightly, looked at the young man in front of her, and with a swift motion, delivered another slap.

Seeing him frozen in place, she pushed him aside with force—she didn’t even bother to walk around him to leave.

“Good dogs don’t block the way. Get lost.”

Zi Yuan looked at him with disdain. Heh, how’s that?

One slap would have been enough, but he insisted on putting himself in a position to get another. That was just asking for it.

Qiao Yihuan, filled with guilt, sent Jiang Qiyun off, inwardly realizing that it was still the Crown Prince who could truly help her.

After seeing Jiang Qiyun off, she personally escorted Liu Yanran to temporarily stay at her little mother’s estate.

Madam Wu scowled angrily. “These were sent by His Highness the Crown Prince, and you two little hussies treat them so lightly? Tomorrow, I’ll have Yihuan tell the prince and see about punishing you for having no sense!”

Even before Qiao Yihuan had stepped through the door, she heard her little mother’s familiar voice. She glanced at Liu Yanran beside her, feeling a little embarrassed.

But there was no helping it—that was her little mother, the one who had raised her.

Everyone could scold her little mother, but she couldn’t.

Liu Yanran, however, didn’t have a hint of amusement. In the novel, the heroine’s little mother was an oblivious woman with the thinnest patience, utterly ignorant.

She had no love for her own daughter, only viewing the girl as a tool to live a wealthy life.

To avoid being a maid, she climbed into the heroine’s father’s bed. To become the Crown Prince’s mother-in-law, she forced the heroine to seduce him and follow her old path.

Fortunately, the heroine had strong morals and didn’t listen to her.

“Mother, what are you doing? Xu Momo and Madam Zhou serve you with all their hearts, so how can you speak about them like that?”

Madam Wu’s eyes lit up the moment she saw her daughter, and she hurriedly put on a smile, taking a few steps forward. “Ah, my little golden nugget! You finally have time to come see me. How have you been recently? Has the Crown Prince been treating you well? Did he say anything about marrying you as the Crown Princess?”

Qiao Yihuan felt slightly embarrassed. Wu Shi finally noticed, and raised an eyebrow. “And who is this girl?”

“She’s my friend, Mother. Her name is Yanran. She’s come to the capital without a place to stay, so I thought she could stay here temporarily.”

Wu Shi scrutinized her from head to toe without hesitation. “Friend? What kind of friend? Yihuan, I’m telling you, don’t let any random woman attach herself to you. Be careful—they might try to use you to get close to the Crown Prince!”

Qiao Yihuan furrowed her brows. “Mother, what are you saying? Yanran isn’t that kind of person. Xu Momo, please prepare a room for my friend to stay in.”

Xu Momo nodded. “Yes, Miss.”

Xiao Ying stepped forward. “Miss Liu, please follow me. I’ll take you to put your things down.”

Qiao Yihuan then took her mother’s hand, guiding her into the room, careful that she wouldn’t say anything embarrassing in front of others.

“Yihuan, how’s the Crown Prince treating you lately? Not long ago, when you were still in Yongzhou, he even sent over a lot of gifts! Oh my, such a noble husband! You mustn’t let your guard down!”

The household already had one little shrew causing trouble, and now she had a new, charming friend. How could this child not be cautious?

Qiao Yihuan spoke softly, “His Highness treats me very well. No matter what, I’m in his heart. Don’t worry, Mother.”

Wu Shi could hardly relax. The whole capital was talking about how that little troublemaker saved the Crown Prince. In the future, she would undoubtedly be the Crown Princess—how could Wu Shi sit idly by?

“Listen to me, you should go and get intimate with the Crown Prince as soon as possible! Just like I did—though I don’t live openly in the Shangshu Mansion now, I’m still called ‘Miss.’ The process doesn’t matter, only the result counts!”

Men were like that—if she could stay in the Shangshu Mansion, would her father continue spoiling that little golden brat from the Wu family? Men having three wives and four concubines was normal, but she was jealous and monopolized her father.

Qiao Yihuan’s cheeks flushed red. “Mother, stop! His Highness likes me and will surely marry me.”

Yanran had also reminded her—she was the protagonist of this world, and everything revolved around her.

She would become the Crown Princess, then the Empress.

All obstacles would be cleared by others, without her lifting a finger.

Wu Shi, seeing her daughter’s lack of ambition, was furious. “You useless little girl! If I had given birth to a son instead, would I even have to worry about these things?”

Even a concubine’s eldest son, or a legitimate eldest son, would never have been left in a remote estate with no status.

Had she not caught the Crown Prince’s attention by chance, this girl would have long been married off at Wu Shi’s whim.

“Make sure you become the Crown Princess and get me out of this place! I’m sick to death of this life. Once you’re the Crown Princess and bring me out, I want to see that little brat from the Wu family still acting arrogantly in front of me!”

From now on, she would be the Crown Prince’s mother-in-law!

And what was the Wu family? Even her father would have to treat her with respect!