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"I know, don't be anxious just yet," the sudden turn of events interrupted her plans, forcing her to take it seriously. "You go get A-Song in here. You shouldn't go out for a while; let Plain Grandmother handle the groceries. If someone recognizes you, things could get messy."
"Yes, I understand," Qin'er replied obediently, then turned to find A-Song. She knew that her lady would surely help the young mistress; after all, she was her biological sister.
"Miss," A-Song asked with concern upon seeing her serious expression, "Is something wrong?" It was rare to see the miss like this, and he genuinely felt worried.
"A-Song, contact Flame. I have something to take care of," she instructed. Flame was a force she had secretly cultivated over the years; she wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary. But here, she couldn't act personally and had to rely on dark forces.
"Understood!" Although A-Song was curious, he followed her orders without hesitation.
Zhu Residence.
"Damn it," the Zhu Clan seethed with anger upon learning how they had arranged their daughter's marriage. "No way! I absolutely won't allow Azure Phoenix to marry that old man who's practically on his deathbed." That old man's age could easily make him Azure Phoenix's grandfather; their hearts were truly ruthless.
It was all her fault; she couldn't protect Qing Luan back then, and now she couldn't protect them either. She felt like a useless mother.
"Sister," Zhu Wujie's wife, a gentle and kind woman, saw her sister-in-law in such pain and softly comforted her, "Don't worry. We'll think of a way to save Azure Phoenix!"
"What other way is there?" Zhu Clan cried in panic, losing composure. "I couldn't protect Qing Luan back then, and now I can't protect them either. I'm the most pitiful mother—so useless that I have to watch my children being pushed into the fire..."
Zhu Wujie watched his sister cry and furrowed his brows in silence for a long time.
"Husband," the heavy atmosphere made Madam Zhu uncomfortable. She gently called out to her man, hoping he could console his weeping sister-in-law.
"Stop crying, sister," the frustration that had been suppressed within him finally erupted. "What good does your crying do? It won't save Azure Phoenix and her sister. If you ask me, they are your daughters, but also that black-hearted man's. He wants to send his daughters into the jaws of a tiger, letting them be ridiculed—let him do it! Let's see if he can hold his head high after this!" Everyone knew that Azure Phoenix was the Legitimate Daughter of the Chen Family.
For the sake of his own future, he was willing to send his own Legitimate Daughter to become someone else's concubine. Even if it happened, she would spend her life being looked down upon.
"He is heartless. Over the years, he has done countless unscrupulous things to climb up the social ladder. Now that this arrangement benefits him, how could he not go through with it?" The person who understood that ruthless man best was her. She knew that the Chen family didn't care about how others spoke of them; as long as they achieved their goals, they would stop at nothing.
"This won't do, and that won't do either. Even if you cry yourself to death, it won't change anything. So think of another way," he said, not because he didn't care about his niece, but because there seemed to be no way forward.
Those who knew about the situation were worried, while those who had successfully plotted against them felt secretly pleased. Only Chen Qingyuan remained calm, as if none of this concerned her at all.
"Azure Phoenix," Huang entered Azure Phoenix's chamber with a smile on her face, signaling the maids to place down the clothes and jewelry. Then she turned gently to the expressionless Chen Qingyuan and said, "Look, these are all prepared for you by your mother. Do you like them?" This stubborn girl never called her mother; she merely stared coldly at her as if she had turned mute, which made Huang grit her teeth in frustration.
Qing Luan's gaze fell upon the jewelry in the red wooden tray—gold pieces inlaid with pearls, hairpins carved from jade beads, bangles sculpted from red agate—gorgeous yet cold, making one feel a chill inside. "What a grand gesture!" she mocked as she looked at the woman waiting for a response.
"Haha," pretending not to notice the sarcasm in her words, Huang smiled warmly. "Of course! You are my daughter; your marriage deserves to be grander. These are carefully selected just for you; they truly match this marriage!" If it weren't for the fact that her daughter’s husband had some status, she wouldn't have bothered bringing these out.
Outside, rumors were already circulating about unfavorable news regarding the master of the house. If she continued to be harsh with Huang, it would only fuel others' gossip.
"Since they are such a good match, why don't you give them to Yan'er instead? Why are you being so nice to me?" Acting as if she knew nothing, she pretended to joke casually: "Yan'er is Aunt Huang's biological daughter. If she knew how well you treated me and how many precious pieces from Guizhou you've given me, she'd probably jump up in anger!" Her tone was calm, but her words struck deep.
"Azure Phoenix," seeing her still refer to herself as Aunt Huang made Huang furious. "I have been legitimized by your father; I am your mother now! You are not allowed to call me Aunt Huang! Do you hear me?" That damned girl—only by destroying you can I quell my resentment.
"My mother is in the Zhu Family," she explained lightly while admiring the furious woman before her. A cold smile crept onto her lips. "Aunt Huang, back then you did everything possible to enter the Chen Family and even became an Aunt Huang; why not give such a good opportunity to your own daughter now?"
"You... Chen Qingyuan, let me tell you, no matter what you say, you will marry, whether you want to or not," she huffed. After giving her a taste of her own medicine, she had the audacity to curse Yan'er. She would not hold back. "Don't expect your lowly mother to come and save you; she can't even save herself!"
"I don't want anyone to save me," Chen Qingyuan replied with a mysterious smile. "I will obediently marry, but... heh, I plan to send a grand gift to Aunt Huang. I hope Aunt Huang will graciously accept it when the time comes!"
Aunt Huang was taken aback by Chen Qingyuan's strange and enchanting smile. She felt a bit flustered and uncertain, but her words remained sharp. "Hmph, everything you eat and use depends on my mood now. What could you possibly give as a gift? Fine, I won't waste any more breath on you; just take care of yourself!"
After saying that, she turned and walked away without waiting for a response. For some reason, standing there made her feel a chilling wind that sent shivers down her spine, leaving her uneasy.
Watching Aunt Huang flee in distress, Azure Phoenix revealed a long-lost smile, tinged with faint sadness and loneliness.
The capital had been quite lively these days; those bored individuals had found plenty of gossip to discuss, making life somewhat flavorful.
The hottest topics lately were the mystery behind the large black cloth across from Tianxiang Restaurant and the marriage of the young lady from the Chen Residence. Some were envious, others angry; expressions varied widely, but none of it affected the unfolding events.
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