Chapter 17

Chapter 17

“Just you wait!”

Cui Zishu stomped her foot, turned around, and went straight to find Cui Shao.

“Tattletale! All she knows how to do is tattle!”

My younger brother made a face at Cui Zishu’s retreating back.

Cui Shao was home today, which was rare, but he had kept himself locked in his room, writing and drawing heaven-knows-what.

Since he was here, Qingshan was naturally present as well, standing guard outside the room and waiting for Cui Shao’s orders.

Seeing Cui Zishu storm over in a rage, she had completely abandoned the Noble Families’ decorum she took such pride in. She hiked up her skirts, took wide strides, and wore a contorted expression-looking for all the world like a shrewish woman in a wet market picking a fight over a single copper coin.

A flash of surprise crossed Qingshan’s eyes. When he looked at me, his gaze held a trace of imperceptible admiration-it was a first for someone to provoke Cui Zishu to this extent.

But I certainly wouldn’t be the last.

She couldn’t even handle a few remarks; once the Cui Family truly fell, what awaited her would be far worse than mere sarcasm.

Qingshan moved to block Cui Zishu. Cui Shao was busy and did not want to be disturbed.

“Why are even you taking her side? What’s so great about her that you and Brother are both-”

I looked up at her, but unfortunately, before she could finish her sentence, Cui Shao’s voice drifted out from the room. He told her to shut up and go back to her room, saying he would go see her in a moment.

She turned back and huffed at me. To be fair, she did possess the natural aura of a superior. I knew that whether it was the Cui Clan or the Chen Family, if my brother and I had dared to speak to a legitimate daughter like that, we would have been lucky to escape with our lives.

I had to admit, seeing a petty person get their way was truly satisfying for the soul.

However, my joy was short-lived. Cui Zishu had no sense of restraint; she slammed the door shut with a loud *bang*. This courtyard had been abandoned for a long time before the Cui Family arrived, and the wooden doors hadn’t been maintained. They were dry, cracked, and loose. I had just had my brother repaint them a few days ago. While they looked better on the outside, the inside was still the same. After that single slam, the door panel wobbled a few times and fell forward. Luckily, Qingshan caught it before it hit the ground; otherwise, given the state of that wood, it would have surely shattered into pieces.

Argue if you must, but don’t destroy the property! It would cost a lot of silver to replace it.

She really has no idea how to manage a household!

Qingshan held the door panel, looking at me awkwardly before forcing a dry smile. Fine, fine-I could only have my brother fix it. He had learned a bit from the carpenters back at the Chen Family, but he’d only picked up the basics. I didn’t know if he could actually repair it.

Seeing my visible distress over the damage, Cui Zishu seemed to have found my weak point. She mocked my pettiness, calling me a low-class illegitimate daughter who was worse than a maid. It was just a broken wooden door, she said-we could just replace it.

“No! Not a single cent should be wasted!”

I practically roared it. Perhaps because it was the first time she had seen me so angry, Cui Zishu was startled. “Brother has work. Every time he plays the zither…”

Cui Shao suddenly threw open the door. The loud crash startled everyone. He stood at the threshold, breathing slightly hard, the hem of his robe still fluttering from his sudden movement. “Zishu, come inside.”

Though he tried his best to restrain himself and keep his voice steady, the fluctuations were still audible.

He was trembling slightly, sounding almost panicked.