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墨書 Inktalez
The two maids were still whispering to each other, engrossed in their conversation, completely unaware that someone was eavesdropping behind them.
It wasn't until they heard a furious shout that they realized what was happening. They hurriedly rushed out from behind the rockery, standing respectfully in place. "Madam."
Liu Susu snorted and asked, "What were you just talking about? What 'Flying Dragon General' and what woman? Speak clearly, or you'll regret it!"
"Yes! Yes!" The maids trembled in fear and quickly spilled everything they knew. "We heard that the Flying Dragon General brought a woman back this time, keeping her hidden away so no one would know! Everyone thinks that she might be..."
The maids cast a fearful glance at Liu Susu. If their master found out they were gossiping about her, it would be a serious offense, especially since Liu Susu was known for her harsh treatment of servants.
Seeing them stammering, Liu Susu grew more irritated and shouted, "What do you mean 'might be'? What’s there to hesitate about? Weren't you just enjoying yourselves a moment ago? Speak up!"
"Yes, Madam!" The maids were so frightened that tears almost spilled from their eyes. They dared not cry in front of their mistress and held back their tears as they stuttered, "Everyone is saying that this woman is the Flying Dragon General's lover and will soon become the general's wife!"
Having said that, the maids quickly lowered their heads, bracing themselves for punishment.
However, Liu Susu's mind was completely elsewhere; all her attention was captured by the title of "general's wife."
Gu Bei had just spoken to her coldly and then turned around to be involved with another woman? This woman must be the reason Gu Bei had been so distant with her!
They had always gotten along well before; Gu Bei had never treated other women specially. She had always been the closest woman to him.
Now, in just over a year, Gu Bei had lost all his previous care and tenderness towards her—all because of this woman!
"Where did you hear this? Tell me the truth, or you'll regret it!" Liu Susu felt an immediate sense of rivalry against this sudden competitor.
Yet she never considered that Gu Bei's previous indifference towards other women stemmed from his lack of interest in them. His gentleness towards her was merely due to the engagement arranged by their elders.
Gu Bei's tolerance for her was simply out of a sense of responsibility; there wasn't much affection between them.
One maid replied, "It's been circulating quietly in the city; people just don't dare to say it openly for fear of angering the general. As for where that woman is staying, I didn't hear clearly, but it's probably on the outskirts of the city."
The outskirts of the city were remote yet beautiful, a favored spot for many wealthy nobles and merchants who built villas there to enjoy the gardens and flowers. Liu Susu was seething with anger.
She never expected Gu Bei to treat this woman so well, even going so far as to buy her property in the outskirts. And this shameless woman had just accepted it without a second thought?
Liu Susu's anger stemmed not only from Gu Bei's cold attitude towards her but also from the humiliation of being overshadowed by a worthless country girl.
As the daughter of the Prime Minister, she had been neglected by her husband after marrying him. She had even lowered herself to visit her former fiancé, only to be met with rejection.
Now, being outdone by an unknown woman was more than she could bear!
"Get out of my sight, you useless bunch of trash!" Liu Susu shouted as she dismissed her maids, furiously clutching a vibrant flower in front of her until it was mangled beyond recognition.
As the daughter of the Prime Minister and Gu Rong's wife, she still had a few useful connections. It didn't take long for her to gather all the basic information about Ye Xiaohan.
Names and addresses were not difficult to find. Within no time, Liu Susu had obtained Ye Xiaohan's details.
"Ye Xiaohan! Just you wait!" Upon learning the address, Liu Susu ordered her servants to prepare a carriage and set off personally to confront her.
She was determined to see what made this woman so special that Gu Bei would treat his former fiancée with such indifference for her sake.
Ye Xiaohan was busy with matters at her shop and hadn’t been going out frequently. When Liu Susu's carriage stopped in front of the courtyard, she happened to be home.
A maid helped Liu Susu down from the carriage while another quickly went to knock on the door.
Before long, the door opened, revealing Liu Yang, who looked at the unfamiliar noblewoman with some confusion.
"Madam, who are you looking for?"
Liu Yang was unsure if she was there for Ye Xiaohan or if she had come to the wrong place.
Liu Susu sized up Liu Yang with disdain in her eyes and said, "I'm looking for your mistress, Ye Xiaohan. Step aside!"
It seemed she considered herself the mistress of the house. Liu Yang didn’t mind; this was his home, and he was more than willing to do things for his family. As for the opinions of others, what did it matter?
“May I ask your esteemed name, madam, so I can inform her?” Liu Yang did not correct Liu Susu’s misunderstanding and asked politely.
Liu Susu raised her chin arrogantly and said, “Who am I? Hmph! Just tell her I’m here regarding Gu Bei’s matter and ask if she will see me!”
Elder brother? Liu Yang curiously sized up Madam Gu before him. This person knew his elder brother and seemed quite familiar with him. Could she be an acquaintance of his brother?
He hadn’t expected his brother to know someone like this; she gave off an air that made it hard to feel any goodwill. He had seen that kind of disdainful look from many wealthy people who didn’t regard commoners as equals.
Could she be an enemy of his brother, too afraid to confront him directly, and instead causing trouble for Sister-in-law?
“Wait a moment, I’ll go inform her.” Liu Yang finished speaking and, without waiting for a response from the person outside, closed the door again and hurried into the inner courtyard.
Liu Susu hadn’t anticipated being blocked outside. Furious, she slapped the maid supporting her: “What kind of master you have is what kind of servant you get! No sense of etiquette at all, yet they dare to dream of climbing the social ladder—like a sparrow trying to become a phoenix?”
Liu Yang ran all the way to Ye Xiaohan. “Sister-in-law, it’s bad! Someone’s come to challenge us!”
From that noblewoman’s attitude, it was clear she wasn’t here for a friendly chat over tea.
“What are you talking about? Who came? What challenge?” Ye Xiaohan lifted her head from the table, looking skeptical.
Liu Yang pointed towards the door. “This time it’s not me! Someone knocked just now, so I went out to check. Guess what I saw?”
“What?” Ye Xiaohan looked at him with disdain, showing no curiosity at all.
Liu Yang tried to create an air of mystery but realized it was futile. He had to simplify his explanation: “There’s a woman outside who wants to talk to you about elder brother!”
“Hmm?” Ye Xiaohan asked in confusion. “What kind of woman? An acquaintance of Liu Bei?”
Liu Yang shook his head. “She looks like a wealthy person; her carriage even had a jade disc hanging from it—definitely valuable. But that woman has a fierce look; she doesn’t seem like a good person. I don’t think it’s anything good. Sister-in-law, should we see her or not?”
"See." Ye Xiaohan said, "Since she has come to us, she must have specifically inquired about our situation; otherwise, she wouldn't know the address here. Even if we don't meet this time, we will have to face her eventually."
Yang thought for a moment and agreed; facing her directly was better than having someone watching them from the shadows. "Alright, I'll go with you."
Ye Xiaohan refused, saying, "You stay here and keep an eye on Qi. I'll go meet her. We don't know much about them, so we should try not to expose ourselves."
Blocking the two of them, Ye Xiaohan went out to open the door alone.
Liu Susu was growing impatient, banging on the door as if she were about to break it down.
With a creak, the door opened from the inside, and Ye Xiaohan stood there with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting, please come in."
She discreetly assessed the noblewoman before her, dressed in fine silk, adorned with gold and jewels, accompanied by a maidservant, and followed by a line of servants as if afraid others wouldn’t recognize her noble background.
While Ye Xiaohan was sizing up Liu Susu, Liu Susu was also scrutinizing Ye Xiaohan.
Unlike Ye Xiaohan's subtlety, Liu Susu's examination was blatant—open and unrestrained.
Upon seeing Ye Xiaohan, Liu Susu felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. She had expected her to be an extraordinary beauty for Gu Bei to abandon her for someone new.
To her surprise, the woman before her was quite ordinary. She barely qualified as pretty; at best, she could be described as merely delicate-looking.
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