Wen Mingyao walked along the road, sunlight filtering through the dense layers of leaves and falling upon her jade-like, luminous face.
Though it was a bright, sunny day, she felt an uncontrollable chill spreading through her body.
From Xiao Liu’s stumbling manner when he came to her home to notify her, to the female soldier who had just entered the ward…
Wen Mingyao’s mind suddenly became clear.
So, Zhou Zhuo wasn’t too busy to eat—it was because his beloved moon was injured, and he had to stay at the medical camp to take care of her.
And everyone around him knew about it…
As she walked, Wen Mingyao seemed to have lost her soul.
The solemn and dignified grand hall, the vast and orderly training ground, and the soldiers sweating profusely as they trained…
All seemed to blur out of focus.
As she neared her doorstep, a series of rough, urgent knocks echoed in her ears—violent and relentless, one after another.
Wen Mingyao forced herself to focus and looked closely. It was a middle-aged woman holding a child. Her gaze fell on the child’s back, and she suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
“What are you doing? If my door gets broken, will you pay for it?” Seeing the door being pounded so fiercely, Wen Mingyao couldn’t help but frown.
The two knocking turned around at the sound of her voice. When their eyes met, Wen Mingyao instantly recognized them—it was Qian Dabao.
Granny Qian had originally planned to stay at her daughter’s house for just two or three days before returning, but her grandson caught a cold, so she ended up staying a couple of extra days.
Who would have thought that as soon as she returned this morning, she would hear that her precious grandson had been bullied—and by a capitalist’s daughter, no less.
How could this be tolerated?
“Ah, so it’s you! How dare you hit my grandson!” Granny Qian rolled up her sleeves and swung her arms.
Wen Mingyao was instantly infuriated to the point of laughter.
She truly couldn’t understand it. That day, she had merely grabbed the child by the collar and dragged him out of the house. How, in this woman’s eyes, had it become an act of violence against her precious grandson?
So, this grandmother and grandson shared the same trait—blaming others for their own misdeeds.
Still, she wasn’t afraid.
After all, during her years in Haicheng, what kind of scoundrel hadn’t she seen?
“Auntie, as for whether I hit your grandson or not, I think you should ask him properly,” Wen Mingyao said with a smile, blinking her eyes.
Then, she glanced at Qian Dabao beside her, her voice as gentle as ever. “Lying isn’t a good thing!”
Their eyes met, and Qian Dabao stared straight at her, his pitch-black pupils seemingly veiled with a gloominess that didn’t belong to his age.
Granny Qian, leading Qian Dabao, blocked her path with her sturdy, robust body, her voice sharp and loud.
“You little wretch, what do you mean by that?”
Of course, she knew this woman hadn’t hit her grandson, but so what?
Who would have thought that a trick that had always worked before would fail in front of this woman?
Starting off at a disadvantage wasn’t a good sign.
How could she control the situation in the future?
Today, she had to seize this opportunity and press down hard!
Just a down-and-out capitalist’s daughter—she had plenty of tricks to make this little wretch suffer.
The smile on Wen Mingyao’s lips vanished instantly. Her eyes lowered, and her gaze turned cold.
She hadn’t had time to eat today and had no energy to argue with her.
“Auntie, let me tell you one more time—I never laid a hand on your grandson!” After saying this, Wen Mingyao looked at her coldly. “Step aside!”
Granny Qian planted her hands on her hips and lifted her chin high.
Ever since she had arrived with her grandson, no one in this residential compound had dared to slight her.
“You little hussy, just because you say so, I have to step aside? Who do you think you are?” Granny Qian’s triangular eyes narrowed, her hands on her hips as she glared at Wen Mingyao with an overbearing air.
“Today, I’ll let everyone judge—what right does a capitalist’s young mistress like you have to hit my grandson, and what right do you have to live in this residential compound?”
Wen Mingyao stared at her calmly for a long moment before suddenly smiling.
She was already in a bad mood. Zhou Zhuo was one thing—after all, they were husband and wife.
But what right did this woman have to call her “little hussy” over and over, slandering her like that?
She had already given her face earlier, but clearly, this woman didn’t want it.
Wen Mingyao pinched the soft flesh at her waist hard, her lips quickly turning downward, her voice trembling lightly, delicate and pitiful.
Her eyes reddened in an instant, a thin layer of tears quickly welling up in them.
She bit her lip tightly, tears hanging on the verge of falling, her shoulders trembling slightly.
“I saved some of my own rations that day and gave your grandson half a steamed bun made of white flour.”
Wen Mingyao sniffled, feigning a sob. “Was that wrong too, for you to call me a little hussy over and over?”
“What have I done wrong? I’ve only been here a few days, and you already want to drive me out of the residential compound…”
At first, Granny Qian was stunned by her sudden change in demeanor, her mouth slightly agape, unable to utter a word.
But as she listened, something felt increasingly off.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of fabric peeking from the corner of the wall and quickly realized what was happening.
Well, well!
This little hussy was putting on an act after all!
No wonder she had the face of a seductress—always resorting to those bewitching tricks, using her to gain sympathy.
At this thought, Granny Qian’s anger flared, and she lost all reason.
“You little hussy, I’ll show you for pretending! Today, I’ll let everyone see what kind of heart lies beneath that seductive face of yours!”
She grabbed Wen Mingyao’s wrist with such force it seemed she meant to crush it.
Wen Mingyao gritted her teeth, suppressing the groan that threatened to escape her throat, her voice clearly tinged with a slight sob.
“Auntie, you’re hurting me. Let go!” Wen Mingyao struggled fiercely.
In the tussle, Granny Qian lost her footing, staggering momentarily, allowing Wen Mingyao to break free.
Wen Mingyao took the opportunity to fall heavily to the ground, the tears she had been holding back now streaming down her cheeks.
The hard pavement scraped against her skin, quickly breaking the skin on her arms and knees, with tiny beads of blood seeping from the scrapes.
Wen Mingyao couldn’t help but hiss in pain—this time, it really hurt!
She had been brooding over her unhappiness, wondering how to vent it…
Since this old woman was so relentless, she couldn’t blame her!
If she liked to extort others, then she should get a taste of her own medicine—the frustration of being unable to speak up even when wronged.
Wen Mingyao lifted her chin slightly, looking at Granny Qian through tear-filled eyes, her usually soft and delicate voice trembling faintly.
“Auntie, why did you come to my doorstep, grabbing and pushing me without even asking for an explanation? What have I done to offend you?”
She pushed herself up from the ground with difficulty, wiping her reddened eyes.
Then, her nose twitched slightly, her voice full of grievance. “That day, your grandson bumped into me. I saw he was just a child and didn’t hold it against him.”
“But you keep bullying me over and over again. Do you really think I’m made of dough…”