Chapter 33 A Scene Unfolds

Chapter 33 A Scene Unfolds

At this moment, the matriarch was sipping tea.

The room had ice basins placed around, and maids fanning her. After a few sips of flower tea, the matriarch's recent irritability had subsided considerably.

Suddenly, a maid's voice came from the door, filled with surprise and urgency: "Miss Xin You—"

The matriarch's hand holding the teacup paused as she looked towards the door.

Xin You walked in quickly and bowed to the matriarch. "Grandmother, Qingqing is leaving Shaoqing Mansion; I've come to bid you farewell."

The matriarch's head buzzed, and she blurted out, "What happened now?"

Xin You remained silent, wiped her eyes, and walked out carrying a bundle.

Xiaolian followed closely behind, carrying an even larger bundle.

Blood rushed to the matriarch's head, and she shouted, "Quickly stop Miss Xin You!"

The maids and servants at the door immediately blocked Xin You, saying, "Miss Xin You, let's talk things over calmly."

Xin You turned around and met the matriarch's darkened face, then lowered her eyes.

It was then that the matriarch noticed the torn sleeve.

At this moment, the second lady Zhu also arrived. The matriarch asked her directly, "What is going on here?"

Zhu did not want to get involved in the conflict between the two young ladies and hurriedly said, "Your daughter-in-law doesn't know the details either, but according to Yunyan—"

She hesitated for a moment, but her sympathy for Xin You prevailed, and she continued, "They say Yunhua hit Qingqing."

The matriarch's face darkened further. "Call all three girls here."

A maid went out to summon them, and the matriarch comforted her granddaughter, "Qingqing, if your cousin has done anything wrong, tell Grandmother. Grandmother will discipline her, but you mustn't talk about leaving Shaoqing Mansion so easily."

"Earlier, my second cousin stopped me in the garden and slapped me. Thinking of how Lady Qiao was divorced because of me, I didn't want to argue, so I returned to Evening Serenity Abode with Xiaolian. But my cousin wouldn't let it go and chased after me, tearing my clothes," Xin You recounted with a sense of grievance.

"That insolent brat!" The matriarch slammed the table in anger.

The three girls arrived one by one. First came the third lady Duan Yunling, then the fourth lady Duan Yunyan, and finally the second lady Duan Yunhua.

Seeing the situation, Duan Yunhua glared fiercely at Xin You.

That wretched Kou Qingqing had indeed come to complain to Grandmother.

Seeing her reaction, the matriarch grew even angrier. "Yunhua, did you hit your cousin in the garden?"

With so many witnesses present, Duan Yunhua could not deny it and bit her lip, saying, "She forced Mother away and was gloating in front of me—"

"Silence!" The matriarch coldly interrupted. "Where did you hear such rumors? Lady Qiao was divorced because of her own actions. What does your cousin have to do with it? Your cousin is the victim, yet you not only feel no remorse but also hit her in public and tore her clothes. Have you learned nothing but rudeness?"

Hearing about tearing the clothes, Duan Yunhua protested, "Grandmother, I didn't tear her clothes! I just grabbed her sleeve to ask her clearly, but it tore so easily."

"Even if unintentional, it shows your recklessness. Apologize to your cousin!"

Duan Yunhua, full of reluctance, had to yield under the matriarch's icy gaze and looked at Xin You. "Cousin, I—"

Before she could finish, Xin You coldly said, "I won't accept your apology. The humiliation of tearing my clothes is something I'll never forget."

Duan Yunhua, never having faced such harsh words from a peer, became furious. "Kou Qingqing, don't be ungrateful!"

Xin You looked at the matriarch. "Grandmother, my second cousin slapped me and tore my clothes, thinking an apology would suffice. Imagine how many conflicts Qingqing would face living in Shaoqing Mansion. It would only bring chaos to the entire mansion. It's better to let Qingqing leave and live elsewhere."

The matriarch couldn't agree to letting her unmarried granddaughter live outside. She glanced coldly at Duan Yunhua. "Qingqing, don't worry about this. From now on, I won't let your second cousin approach you."

Xin You slowly shook her head. "Living under the same roof, how can we avoid each other? If you confine my second cousin, I can't bear it. We all know why Lady Qiao was divorced, but if it's known that my second cousin was punished because of me, what would people say?"

Xin You's gaze swept over everyone, and she gave a bitter smile. "In the end, they would say I can't tolerate others. Grandmother, you know better than anyone how terrible rumors can be. If you truly care for Qingqing, let me leave."

"Where would you go if you left Shaoqing Mansion without any other family?" The matriarch was growing impatient.

She hadn't expected her usually obedient granddaughter to become so troublesome since the incident with Lady Qiao.

Aside from safety concerns, how would outsiders view Shaoqing Mansion?

Xin You lowered her gaze, hiding her coldness. "Even if not in Shaoqing Mansion, you are still my family. People know I'm a cousin of Shaoqing Mansion and wouldn't dare bully me."

"Qingqing, stop being unreasonable."

The matriarch's firm stance was exactly what Xin You had anticipated, and tears fell as she heard these words. "Consider it my unreasonable behavior, but I can't stay in Shaoqing Mansion anymore."

With that, Xin You turned abruptly and rushed out carrying her bundle.

The matriarch, Zhu, and the three sisters were stunned.

After a moment, the matriarch snapped back to reality, stood up, and shouted, "Quickly stop Miss Xin You!"

By then, Xin You had already reached the corner gate, pursued by a group of maids and servants.

The matriarch rushed out and saw two servants restraining her granddaughter. Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, Xin You broke free and ran out the gate.

Outside was a bustling street.

The matriarch's vision blurred, and she nearly collapsed.

"Matriarch, be careful!"

The matriarch pushed away those supporting her. "Quickly bring Miss Xin You back!"

At this hour, it was still some time before nightfall, and the heat of midday had passed, so there were quite a few people on the streets. Suddenly, they saw a group surge out from Shaoqing Mansion, but before they could get a clear look, the group retreated back inside.

What's going on?

People immediately stopped and began to speculate curiously.

The matriarch finally arrived, her face livid as she looked at her granddaughter who had been pulled back just in time: "Qingqing, do you still care about your reputation with actions like these?"

The young girl, held by the maidservants, lifted her head slightly, her calm demeanor belying her earlier impulse to run away with a bundle: "Grandmother, are you talking about Qingqing's reputation or Shaoqing Mansion's reputation?"

The matriarch's face twitched, infuriated by her granddaughter's audacity, and she said coldly: "Miss Duan is agitated. Please escort Miss Duan back to Evening Serenity Abode to calm down."

Upon hearing this, Duan Yunhua almost clapped in delight.

Kou Qingqing was being put under house arrest by her grandmother!

She had thought Kou Qingqing was capable of something more, but apparently, that was all there was to it.