Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“You are nothing but a bastard daughter of the Chen Family! How could you possibly be worthy of becoming the sister-in-law to a legitimate daughter of the Chen Clan of Qinghe!”

Cui Zishu likely hadn’t expected me to talk back. The Noble Families were obsessed with bloodlines and legitimacy; that sense of hierarchy was etched into their very bones. Now that she was being refuted and mocked by a lowly illegitimate daughter she usually looked down upon, she naturally found it impossible to accept.

I mimicked the steward’s expression, looking askance at her. “I don’t know anything about the Chen Clan of Qinghe. I only know the commoner Cui Family. I may be a bastard, but I have the Chen Clan of Gusu backing me. You, on the other hand, have nothing left to rely on. By that logic, your family is the one marrying up.”

The Chen Clan of Qinghe prided itself on etiquette, virtue, and a long scholarly heritage. They could spout endless lectures on grand principles, but unfortunately, when it came to being a bully who relied on someone else’s power, they weren’t half as skilled as I was.

I had merely spoken a few truths, yet she already couldn’t take it. Her face, already flushed from the biting wind, deepened in color.

She stared at me intensely, yet her eyes betrayed a hint of helplessness and vulnerability. She looked exactly like a white cat I had rescued when I was a child; if not for the blood on its fur, I never would have spotted it in the snow.

Back then, the cat had worn this exact expression-clearly terrified, yet forcing itself to look fierce.

“Madam, my name is Qingshan. It is getting late; please rest early. I will take Young Master Chen to his quarters now.”

Qingshan, the loyal servant, spoke with a respectful tone. At his reminder, my younger brother immediately nodded.

“Sister, I’m sleepy. I want to go to bed.”

He let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes.

I nodded. There was no rush, anyway.

As for that cat, I had left it out in the snow for three days before finally bringing it inside to save it.

“Whose side are you on? Why are you favoring an outsider?!”

Facing Cui Zishu’s interrogation, Qingshan replied helplessly, “I am a member of the Cui Family, of course. But Madam is not an outsider…”

Cui Zishu left him with nothing but the sight of her back. She slammed her door shut with a bang, causing the accumulated snow to slide off the roof. Her voice sounded muffled through the wooden panels.

“She is not the Madam of the Cui Family! She never even bowed with my brother!”

Qingshan gave a steady, composed smile. “The young mistress has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Please do not take it to heart, Madam.”

I nodded. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not her decision to make, anyway.”

Qingshan looked thoughtful as he glanced toward the room. “Then I shall leave the Master in your care, Madam.”

His voice carried a hint of solemnity.