Chapter 343: Deeply Hurting Her Feelings

Chapter 343: Deeply Hurting Her Feelings

After Cheng Lanying was sent back to Bishui Garden, she sobbed uncontrollably.

When her mother learned that Cheng Lanying had angered her father again and been punished, she was so frustrated that she twisted her ear and hit her.

But the physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in Cheng Lanying's heart.

Her father had hurt her.

Her father had truly shattered her heart!

When she was released yesterday, she followed her mother's advice to confront her father, but she was filled with resentment.

However, as she sweetly interacted with Cheng Yunshuo, he responded, and today when they flew kites together, her anger had nearly vanished.

She believed her father still loved and cherished her.

After all, in the entire Marquis’s Mansion, only she received such treatment.

But today, he had genuinely hurt her.

The worst part wasn't being confined or punished to copy books; it was his favoritism toward Cheng Suying!

How could he show such favoritism!

"Stop crying! What’s the point of all this crying!" Li Bihan, seeing Cheng Lanying crying non-stop, stopped hitting her and glared at her in disgust, "How many times have I told you not to act out with your father! How dare you!"

"Waaah—"

"Waaah—"

Cheng Lanying couldn’t stop crying.

Li Bihan glared at her in disgust. "You’re just plain stupid! Hopelessly dumb!"

She had long known that Cheng Yunshuo didn’t truly dote on her daughter.

But superficial favor was enough.

As long as Cheng Yunshuo could appear to cherish her on the surface, she could still benefit from him and make everyone in the Marquis’s Mansion respect and value her.

But her foolish daughter mistook this superficial favor for real affection.

She had repeatedly told her to just act as her father liked.

But she was just so stupid!

She couldn’t tell who mattered!

Today, she even considered setting a trap to hurt Cheng Suying!

This foolish girl was lucky her father handled it. If the lady from the main courtyard had found out first and dealt with it, she would have been worse off than today!

"You were lucky today, having your father judge and punish you by making you copy books for half a month. If that lady had found out, even I couldn’t save you!"

"Cheng Suying is not someone you can mess with! Usually, I have to clean up your messes because of your sharp tongue. How dare you provoke her!"

Li Bihan was furious and scolded her harshly.

As she scolded, Cheng Lanying's sobs gradually subsided.

"You're just stupid! Mindless and oblivious! How could I have given birth to such a foolish daughter!"

"At least I'm not like you, groveling like a servant every day!" Cheng Lanying, soaked in her mother's verbal abuse, looked up at her with red eyes.

Li Bihan was momentarily stunned by her daughter's retort. When she snapped back, her anger flared even more. "What did you say?"

"I said you grovel like a servant!" Cheng Lanying raised her head, turning the grievances she had suffered from her father toward her mother. "If I were the legitimate daughter of the first wife, would I have to endure such treatment? It's all because you're a mere concubine, always trying to please others. It's because of you that I don't receive Father's respect!"

"Cheng Lanying, you've been completely spoiled!" Li Bihan, furious, grabbed a nearby cane and began to whip Cheng Lanying fiercely.

The room was immediately filled with Cheng Lanying's loud wails.

When Cheng Yunshuo arrived at Bishui Yuan, he heard the cries from within.

"What's going on in there?" he asked Xiaoju.

Xiaoju lowered her head and replied, "Concubine Li is disciplining the Second Miss."

Hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo rubbed his temples, annoyed, not bothering to intervene. He glanced at Xiaoju and said, "Pack some of the tea your mistress makes for me every day. I'll take it to the barracks."

"Yes," Xiaoju replied respectfully, turning to fetch the tea from the kitchen.

Li Bihan never revealed the ingredients of her tea to anyone. She was careful and precise in her work, and since the servants' contracts were held by Lu Lingyun, she didn't trust them. So, Xiaoju thought it was just regular tea.

When Cheng Yunshuo asked for it, she went to retrieve it.

After handing the tea to Cheng Yunshuo, he listened to the increasingly loud cries from inside and said to Xiaoju, "Later, tell your mistress that's enough. She shouldn't keep hitting the child."

"Yes."

Cheng Yunshuo left with the tea.

On his way out, he instructed Qingfeng to deliver the tea to Lu Lingyun, while he went out of the estate to clear his head.

Meanwhile, Lu Lingyun had just got Cheng Suying to rest and was sitting quietly when Qingfeng brought the tea over.

Lu Lingyun looked at the package of tea, just like the one Nanny Wan brought, and smiled, casually gave Qingfeng a silver ingot as a tip.

"Thank you, young mistress!"

"There's no need to thank me. If you watch where he goes and when he comes back, and take good care of the Crown Prince, I'll be even more grateful," Lu Lingyun said with a smile, looking at Qingfeng.

Qingfeng's eyes flickered, immediately understanding her implication.

She wasn't just asking him to take care of Cheng Yunshuo or watch his movements—she wanted him to report Cheng Yunshuo's whereabouts to her!

Qingfeng nodded eagerly, clutching the silver ingot. "Yes, yes, I will definitely take good care of the Crown Prince, keep track of his movements, and make sure you're at ease, young mistress!"

With this, he accepted the task.

Lu Lingyun then offered Qingfeng a cup of tea and sent him away.

Back at Bishui Yuan, Li Bihan was so angry with Cheng Lanying that she continued to beat her, making the girl cry until her voice turned hoarse. Just then, Xiaoju entered.

"Concubine, stop! The Crown Prince was just here and said discipline her but don't hurt the Second Miss," Xiaoju advised.

When she heard Cheng Yunshuo had come, she put down the rattan cane in her hand and looked at Cheng Lanying, who was lying on the couch with her bottom bruised, still fuming. "Don't even think about eating tonight!"

This girl had the nerve to yell at her—she was asking for it.

Cheng Lanying whimpered, hurt but stubborn, a chip off the old block, and turned her head away in defiance.

Li Bihan, seeing this, became even more furious and wanted to give her another beating, but her raised hand eventually lowered. She stormed out, her face white with rage. At this moment, she thought of Cheng Yunshuo again, "Where did the Crown Prince go?"

"The Crown Prince has gone out."

Hearing that he had gone out, Li Bihan frowned and remained silent. At least he wasn’t off with some lowly concubine in the back—that would’ve made her even angrier.

"Did the Crown Prince say anything else when he was here?" she asked offhand.

Xiaoju thought for a moment, "Oh, right, the Crown Prince asked for some tea that you brewed."

Li Bihan, who’d just started to cool off, froze like she’d been struck by lightning. "What!"

"The Crown Prince asked for some tea that you brewed..." Xiaoju could tell her mistress was about to blow and spoke cautiously.

"You actually gave it to him?!"

Xiaoju was frightened. "The Crown Prince said he wanted to bring some to the barracks, so I grabbed it from the kitchen..."