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At that moment, Zhang Yue couldn't help but speak up, "Miss, the Second Miss has always been unkind to you, yet now she wants to change her marriage. There must be something fishy about this."
Liu Ruyi smiled slightly, as if she had already seen through everything. "Let's not worry about her for now; at least on the surface, it's good news. Come, let's go tell my mother this wonderful news."
Liu Ruyi's mother, Bai Jieqiong, had always been frail and sickly, looked down upon by everyone in the household. Now that her daughter was to marry into the Duke's Residence, she would surely be overjoyed.
With a light step, Liu Ruyi led Zhang Yue toward her mother's room, her heart filled with eagerness to share the good news. However, before she could step through the door, the sound of arguing from within felt like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing her joy.
Li Mama's anxious voice carried a hint of choking emotion. "Aunt Bai is still ill; how can you cut back on her medicine? Isn't that tantamount to taking a life?"
Zhao Mama retorted with a sneer, "She's just an unrecognized old concubine; if she dies, so what?" The sharpness of her words pierced Liu Ruyi's heart like nails.
Liu Ruyi clenched her fists tightly, her nails nearly digging into her flesh. Taking a deep breath to suppress her anger, she pushed open the door and strode inside. Her gaze was cold and sharp as it fixed on Zhao Mama, as if she intended to pierce right through her.
Zhao Mama was in the midst of her tirade when she suddenly felt a chill and looked up to meet Liu Ruyi's furious eyes. Startled, she took a step back, words caught in her throat.
"Zhao Mama, what is your intention in belittling my mother?" Liu Ruyi's face flushed with anger as she tightened her fists and raised her voice slightly.
Zhao Mama showed no sign of weakness; instead, she laughed derisively and glared at Liu Ruyi. "Ha! Your presence here is useless! A mere illegitimate daughter marrying a poor scholar will likely live worse than I do as a housekeeper! You think you can protect this short-lived ghost..."
Before she could finish speaking, a sharp slap echoed through the room. Zhao Mama's face turned instantly red as she stared in disbelief at Liu Ruyi, covering her cheek with trembling hands. "You... you dare hit me?"
Liu Ruyi's gaze was like a blade as it bore down on Zhao Mama. "I am now the fiancée of the Young Lord; do I not have the right to strike you?"
Her voice was not loud but carried an undeniable authority, like that of a high-born mistress reprimanding an incompetent servant.
Zhao Mama stood frozen as if struck by lightning. After a long pause, she finally managed to stammer out in disbelief, "Impossible! The one marrying the Young Lord should be the Second Miss; you are just an illegitimate daughter..."
Seeing this, Zhang Yue quickly pulled out the marriage certificate from her sleeve and thrust it into Zhao Mama's hands. "Here is the marriage certificate; take a good look for yourself!"
Zhao Mama opened the certificate with trembling hands. The clear writing before her eyes made her nearly drop it in shock; her face alternated between red and pale. "How could this be?"
Liu Ruyi ignored Zhao Mama's astonishment and turned to the maid behind her. "Go find someone to sell this old hag off."
"Miss, spare me!" Zhao Mama suddenly fell to her knees before Liu Ruyi, clutching her legs and pleading tearfully. The arrogance she had just displayed vanished without a trace.
Yet Liu Ruyi remained unmoved and coldly shook off Zhao Mama's hands. "You withheld medicine and plotted against my mother; if I do not punish you today, won't that mean the rules of the Liu Family are being trampled underfoot?" Her voice was icy and resolute.
Two servants stepped forward without hesitation and seized Zhao Mama, dragging her away. Her cries echoed down the corridor as they faded into the distance.
Liu Ruyi's gaze swept over everyone in the room before landing on several trembling maids and matrons. Her voice was as cold as ice pulled from a frozen lake. "From now on in the Liu Family, anyone who dares to bully my mother will be opposing me as Lady Gongfu; I will not spare them!" Her tone sounded like a declaration of sovereignty or a challenge for battle that left everyone trembling with fear.
The servants lowered their heads in unison and replied together, "We dare not!"
"Liu Ruyi!" Suddenly hearing her mother's call from nearby made Liu Ruyi turn around quickly and rush to her bedside. She gently supported her mother and felt tears welling up in her eyes filled with concern.
Bai Jieqiong leaned against the headboard, her face as pale as paper, yet a hint of uncontainable surprise flickered in her eyes. "Why did you marry into the Duke's Residence? Is there some trickery involved?" Her gaze roamed over Liu Ruyi's face, as if searching for answers.
Liu Ruyi pulled her mother into an embrace, her voice choked with emotion. "Mother, don't worry. I know what they think. But marrying into the Duke's Residence is real, and it's a good thing. At least it will allow you to escape your suffering sooner." She held her mother tightly, as if by doing so she could bear all the hardships herself and share the burden.
Memories of her past life surged like a tide—those difficult days when Bai Jieqiong endured poverty and the regret of not being able to fulfill her filial duties. Now, all of that transformed into a force propelling her to change everything.
Just then, Liu Rumeng burst in with a flurry of anger, her eyes fixed on Liu Ruyi. "Liu Ruyi, Zhao Mama was given to me as part of my mother's dowry. How dare you sell her off?"
Liu Ruyi smiled faintly, her tone calm as if discussing the weather. "She stole property; she deserves what she gets! If you disagree, we can take this to Father." Her gaze was clear and resolute, as if she had already seen through everything.
Liu Rumeng felt a twinge of guilt under that steady gaze, her voice dropping slightly. "Oh really? You think you're so impressive just because you married into the Duke's Residence? Let me tell you! That Young Lord Yuan Yingwu is nothing but a notorious playboy, which is why I let him go to you. Your hard times are still ahead!" With that, she turned and left, leaving behind a room full of shock.
Liu Ruyi watched her retreating figure with a cold smile at the corner of her mouth. She knew that Liu Rumeng was merely masking her own insecurity while seeking a reasonable excuse for her choices. As for Liu Ruyi, she had her own plans.
Back in her chamber, Zhang Yue looked at Liu Ruyi with concern etched on her face. "Miss, since the Young Lord has a bad reputation, shouldn't you reconsider marrying him?"
Liu Ruyi shook her head firmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "There's nothing to reconsider; I will definitely marry him. The worse his reputation is, the more I stand to gain!" She walked to the bronze mirror and picked up a brush to delicately apply color around her eyes. As she painted, she asked Zhang Yue, "Do I look like someone who's been crying?"
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