Feeling the long breaths and faint rouge scent from the woman before her, Miss Luâs body shivered suddenly, she retreated three steps, stammering.
"Zhu, Zhu... sister."
"Donât call me sister, I should be calling you sister." Zhu Pingniang glared at Miss Lu.
Just after she touched up her makeup, thinking the Ni Zi took a long time, and felt todayâs rain was odd, she wanted to pick up the girl earlier.
But then, the Ni Zi was there speaking ill of her.
"Itâs alright for me to be hungry for a moment, isnât it?" Zhu Pingniang smiled.
"..." Miss Lu swallowed, gently retreating with a parasol: "Sister, this is a misunderstanding."
"No worries, I deserve to starve." Zhu Pingniang smiled warmly, then quietly, a short whip appeared in her palm, she skillfully twirled it in her hand, then tilted her head: "Ni Zi, what did you just say about me to Ms. Yun?"
Miss Lu: "..."
Seeing Miss Lu not speaking, Zhu Pingniang suddenly realized: "Oh, you said... Iâm a bad woman, warning Xu Changâan to be careful of me?"
Zhu Pingniang was truly speechless.
Such words, just say casually usually, but in Yun Qianâs presence, doesnât it ruin her plans?
"Ms. Zhu, I was just speaking casually, the gentleman didnât respond either." Miss Lu retreated continuously as Zhu Pingniang approached, she whispered: "Besides... itâs the boundaries when you were with the gentleman at noon, that werenât handled well."
"Still arguing, you ungrateful person!!" Zhu Pingniang heard Miss Lu still reasoning and got enraged, she swung her hand hard, the short whip suddenly accelerated, snapping on the rain-soaked ground with a crisp sound.
Then, the whip splashed with water rebounded onto Miss Luâs skirt leg.
Zhu Pingniang really hit when she did, even though it was just rebounding off the ground, the force was strong enough to be fierce.
On Miss Luâs fair calf appeared a bright red mark, enough to make an average girl cry.
Zhu Pingniang angrily pointed at Miss Luâs face, scolding: "Clearly, other peopleâs Ni Zi always support their kin, yet why is your elbow pointing outward!!!"
Though she knows what she did wasnât good, itâs not up to her own child to criticize, right?
No matter how she thinks, even if she did something wrong, Miss Lu should unwaveringly stand by her side.
Helping kin instead of reasoning, isnât that common sense for a girl?
Speaking of herself being a bad woman to Xu Changâan, thatâs surely wrong.
Seeing Zhu Pingniang getting angry, losing that previous indifferent demeanor, Miss Lu instead breathed a sigh of relief.
Leg burning hot with pain, but long used to it.
With her sometimes mischievous nature, sheâs been whipped like a spinning top since young, but after growing up, to maintain her dignity, Zhu Pingniang rarely hit her.
Now this time, it actually feels nostalgic.
Moreover...
The key is, after Zhu Pingniang cracked the whip, her anger visibly dissipated.
Miss Lu tilted her head, softly saying: "Sister is right, you say... if Miss Qin was by your side, she would support kin rather than reason, wouldnât she?"
"Nonsense, QinâEr would surely support me..."
Zhu Pingniang said, then met Miss Luâs half-smiling gaze, snorted, and said no more.
Though whatever she says Qinling will surely stand firmly by her side, yet that girlâs existence is extremely dangerous to her.
Indeed.
Zhu Pingniang appears high and mighty, but still feels Qinling is dangerous, because having such a daughter who she canât bear to hit or scold, even if neglected, would always be thinking about her... The key is this girl always thinks about âeatingâ her, hard not to be dangerous.
"See, I said sister canât do without Miss Qin." Miss Lu sighed: "Sister, if you think Iâm not thoughtful enough, let Miss Qin return, then I would have someone to compete with, so I wouldnât be fearless, relying only on your love and speaking ill of you behind your back."
"Stop pleading for QinâEr." Zhu Pingniang walked over, wrapped the whip in hand and pressed it on Miss Luâs shoulder, puzzled: "You and QinâEr havenât truly met, always speaking for her, why."
"Because Miss Qin... no." Miss Lu seriously said: "Because Ms. Qin helps kin not reason, with her around, sister wouldnât be bullied."
"Bah, who dares to bully me." Zhu Pingniang spat.
"...Me?" Miss Lu pointed at her own face.
"..." Zhu Pingniangâs eye twitched, she raised her hand and twisted Ni Ziâs arm, watching Miss Luâs mouth twitch involuntarily, then said: "So, whatâs the truth?"
"The truth..." Miss Lu sighed: "I suppose itâs a warning from the past, a lesson for the future."
"Oh? So this time you donât say a warning from the past, please think thrice."
Miss Lu shook her head: "At this moment, thinking thrice doesnât work, need someone to support."
"What do you mean?" Zhu Pingniang was puzzled.
Miss Lu pointed to the sky with one hand: "Sister always thinks I speak well for Miss Qin, but in fact... Iâm helping myself."