When Qi Yuan returned to the rear meditation courtyard, she heard Wang Chan’s sobbing coming from inside the room.
Weren’t they here to look at a marriage match?
How did she suddenly end up crying for no reason?
Qi Yuan’s heart sank, and she quickly hurried up the steps and entered the room, immediately seeing Wang Chan standing by the window.
Madam Lu was so angry her chest hurt, and she scolded in a deep voice: “I brought you here to look at a match, not to force you to marry! If you don’t like it, then we’ll drop this marriage! Why are you crying?”
Wang Chan hadn’t intended to cry, but when Qi Yuan arrived, for some reason the grievance she felt could no longer be hidden. With a wail, she burst into tears: “His sister said that at the Buddha Lantern Festival, the one who went missing was me…”
This matter was a psychological shadow for Wang Chan.
She had only just managed to overcome it.
But during this meeting, not only had the other party’s sister openly slapped her in the face, she had even brought up the old incident again.
She was so angry she couldn’t control herself, her entire body trembling.
Madam Lu was also stunned.
Originally, she had deliberately made the excuse of going to view murals together with the wife of Duke Cheng, leaving space for Wang Chan and the Ninth Young Master of Duke Cheng’s residence to be alone.
So that they could understand each other better.
But who would have expected that when she returned, Wang Chan was covering her face and running away crying.
She immediately felt displeased.
After all, it had not been easy for her to find a family of equal social standing, and the Ninth Young Master of Duke Cheng’s Ling family, Ling Chuhan, was about the same age as Wang Chan and also good-looking.
A woman’s marriage is never easy; finally encountering such a suitable candidate.
Naturally, she didn’t want her daughter to miss it just because of a fit of temper.
But she had not expected there to be such a story behind it.
She frowned and couldn’t help asking, “What did you say?”
This time, besides Ling Chuhan, the Eighth Miss of Duke Chen’s residence had also come, that was Ling Chuhan’s elder sister, Ling Qiang.
Previously, Madam Lu hadn’t paid attention to Ling Qiang, only remembering her as a somewhat arrogant-looking girl.
But she had not expected Ling Qiang to bring up what happened at the Buddha Lantern Festival.
She immediately realized that her daughter had been wronged, and anger surged within her.
Since the Wang family and Duke Cheng’s Ling family were here for a marriage meeting, it meant that both sides’ elders were satisfied and willing to form an alliance.
If they were willing, why bring up such a matter to humiliate someone?
Clearly, no one outside was mentioning this anymore.
Even if it was mentioned, most people believed that the one who went missing was Wei Qingyang, and that Wei Qingyang had secretly met a lover, which caused the citywide search.
The Ling family especially shouldn’t bring it up!
If they did, it meant they simply looked down on Wang Chan.
No matter how much Madam Wang wished her daughter to marry into a good family, she would never allow her daughter to be humiliated like this!
She couldn’t help asking, “What exactly did she say?”
Qi Yuan also looked toward Wang Chan.
Wang Chan was so angry she was nearly breaking down: “She said I have no self-awareness and no sense of shame! That I’m clearly… clearly a worn-out shoe, yet still want to harm Ninth Young Master Ling!”
She cried so hard she could barely breathe.
What happened back then was not something she had wanted, she was also a victim.
Why use vicious words like promiscuous and worn-out shoe to describe her?
This was not only what Wang Chan wanted to ask; Madam Lu also wanted a clear explanation.
She immediately turned to leave.
But before she stepped out the door, the Ling family arrived first.
Duke Cheng Shizi’s Madam brought her son and daughter over. Seeing Madam Lu, she quickly stepped forward: “Elder sister! This foolish child of mine spoke improperly and caused Miss Chan grievance. It is truly our fault!”
As she spoke, she sternly scolded Ling Qiang: “Idiot! Come over and apologize at once!”
Ling Qiang bit her lower lip and stepped forward, suppressing her dissatisfaction and disgust as she perfunctorily gave Wang Chan a brief bow: “I spoke wrongly. Don’t take it to heart.”
Although it was an apology, her eyes were practically looking at the ceiling, there wasn’t the slightest sincerity.
Wang Chan took a deep breath, pressed her lips together, and was about to speak.
But Qi Yuan grabbed her arm and coldly looked at Ling Qiang: “What did you just say?”
Ling Qiang had only come to apologize under pressure, and after doing so she was already impatient to leave. Now being stopped again by Qi Yuan, she immediately sneered: “I said I spoke wrongly. What, are your ears not working?”
She had previously been friends with Liu Mingzhu and had always looked down on Qi Yuan.
Especially after Wang Chan began spending time with Qi Yuan, she disliked Wang Chan as well.
This time Wang Chan even wanted to arrange a marriage with her younger brother. Just thinking about it made her feel disgusted, how could she allow this marriage to succeed?
Hearing Qi Yuan question her, she curled her lips into a half-smile: “Birds of a feather flock together. If Miss Qi truly wants what’s good for Wang Chan, then spend less time with her. Otherwise…”
Madam Lu was almost furious to death.
She couldn’t help demanding of Duke Cheng Shizi’s Madam: “Is this the upbringing of your Duke Cheng residence?”
Were they here to form a marriage, or to make enemies?
Duke Cheng Shizi’s Madam was also extremely angry and immediately turned to scold: “Shut your mouth! Apologize to Miss Qi and Chan Jie’er immediately!”
Ling Qiang sneered: “Mother, a person must have integrity. Grandmother also said this marriage won’t work, yet you insist on pushing it!”
Duke Cheng Shizi’s Madam trembled with anger, not knowing how to respond for a moment.
All household matters were controlled by the Duchess Cheng, and for many years the children had also been taken to be raised at her side.
Instead, as their biological mother, she could only retreat everywhere.
This time she had finally tried to personally decide her son’s marriage, yet her daughter was undermining her at every step.
But Ling Qiang wasn’t afraid of her mother at all. She coldly laughed: “If she can do it, why be afraid of people talking about it? Only you, Mother, don’t mind…”
Before she finished speaking, Qi Yuan had already stepped forward in several strides, grabbed Ling Qiang’s collar, and pressed her down onto the nearby table.
Everyone was stunned.
Ling Qiang felt utterly humiliated: “B*tch, what are you doing?!”
“Say again what you said earlier.” Qi Yuan pressed her face onto the tabletop and leaned down to look at her coldly. “It has already been confirmed that the one who went missing at the Buddha Lantern Festival was Wei Qingyang. The authorities have acknowledged it, and those who deserved to die have already died. Yet Miss Ling speaks so confidently…”
She let out a light laugh, but her eyes were icy: “Could it be that Miss Ling is also involved in this matter?”
Ling Qiang immediately retorted: “What nonsense are you talking about?! You’re the one involved!”
“If you’re not involved, then what evidence do you have to prove that the one who went missing at the Buddha Lantern Festival was Wang Chan?!” Qi Yuan suddenly raised her voice. “Exactly how did she offend you for you to destroy her reputation with such baseless accusations?”
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