Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
âAhem.â
The elderly lady seated on the long bench cleared her throat, her voice carrying the weight of years. âSo this is the wild young lady from Jackdom?â
âYes, mother,â replied Wang Qing, stepping back. Her face swollen, she forced the words out. âThis is Rong Qi, the eldest daughter of the Rong family, whom youâve never met before. Rong Qi, arenât you going to greet your grandmother?â
The superiority in Wang Qingâs tone suggested that Rong Qi was a lesser human being.
âA greeting?â Rong Qiâs eyes flickered, and a slight smile curved at the corner of her lips. âWhy, is your family royalty? Do you have a throne for me to inherit or something?â
Xu Yi, standing behind them, couldnât contain his laughter. He said, a little too cheerfully, âPerhaps they think theyâre from the House of Aisin Gioro or something.â
Their sarcastic remarks turned the elderly ladyâs face a shade of ashen green. With a thud, her cane hit the ground.
Xu Yi stifled his laugh, and curiously observed the haughty and self-important âDowager Empress.â
The elderly lady looked disdainfully at Rong Qi. âJust as I thoughtâuncultured, a bumpkin! No manners at all! Clearly, youâve had a mother to give you life but not one to raise you properly.â
âYour sister, Feiyu, found out about her fatherâs accident yesterday and immediately came to the hospital. She hasnât even been attending classes, her eyes are red from exhaustion. And you? You arrive late and then act so improperly! Youâre an embarrassment. Donât ever claim to be a granddaughter of the Rong family! I canât afford to lose that much face!â
The elderly lady, Mrs. Rong Sr., originally hailed from a rural background. It was only after her son, Rong Tianshi, received assistance from Chu Jing that she rose from her humble origins to become the matriarch of a prestigious family. Perhaps because of this swift rise in status, she looked down on rural folk. She reveled in her newfound superiority and used it to put others down. However, she couldnât tolerate anyone bringing up her roots.
Back when Chu Jing was still around, Mrs. Rong Sr. had always been bossy toward her. However, Chu Jing was a fierce and straightforward woman who would not put up with any nonsense, which led to a strained mother-daughter-in-law relationship.
It was during that time when Rong Tianshi, smitten with Rong Qiâs mother, managed to send Mrs. Rong Sr. back to the countryside, keeping her out of sight and out of mind. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
But Wang Qing seized this opportunity to get into Mrs. Rong Sr.âs good graces, flattering her. Even going so far as to feign illness to lure Rong Tianshi back. If not for that, Wang Qing couldnât possibly get another chance to see Rong Tianshi.
Now, seeing Rong Qi behave the same way toward her, Mrs. Rong Sr. was instantly reminded of Chu Jing, making her dislike for Rong Qi even more evident, bordering on repulsion. Rong Feiyu, who was sitting there, looked at Rong Qi with a sarcastic smirk, while Wang Qing wore a smug expression.
Only Rong Qi remained unflustered. She softly chuckled, âWell, youâre right. I did have a mother to give birth to me, but not one to raise me. And did they tell you that your son has severed all paternal ties with me? So, even if I bring shame, it has nothing to do with the Rong family.â
âSevered paternal ties?â Mrs. Rong Sr. looked at Wang Qing, her face full of astonishment.. She demanded, âWhatâs the meaning of this?â