After selling off Green Button, Qi Jinxuan replaced her personal maid with Red Sleeve. Wei Dongling sighed silently to herself. Red Sleeve was never one to be trifled with. She was prone to causing trouble, and the originally kind - hearted Qi Jinxuan might very well be led astray by her.
Qi Jinxuan had been hiding in the shadows, planning only to see Prince Yun off on his way. But unexpectedly, she witnessed the two people embracing tightly. Her eyes blazing with fury, she glared at them and snorted, "Wei Dongling, is this what you've been insisting all along, that you have no other feelings for Prince Yun? Have you no shame at all?"
Bombarded by Qi Jinxuan's scolding, Wei Dongling sighed silently in her heart and couldn't utter a single word.
Jingzhe drew his soft sword from his waist with a swift motion and stared coldly at Qi Jinxuan and her maid. He had never said a single harsh word to his Miss Wei. Who did this other woman think she was to criticize her?
Moreover, what if Miss Wei had a few lovers?
Wei Dongling: Don't overthink it. I wouldn't dare! Young Master Yu would break my legs!
Seeing Jingzhe draw his sword, Red Sleeve, whose aura far surpassed that of Green Button, stepped in front of Qi Jinxuan protectively. She sneered at Wei Dongling, "Miss Wei! After all, the Qi Mansion took you in. The eldest young lady has been kind to you all this time! What? Is this how you show disrespect to the young lady? Not only have you stolen the young lady's betrothed, but you also dare to brandish a sword at her?" Just now, she and Qi Jinxuan had witnessed the embrace clearly. At the same time, Red Sleeve was well - aware of the jealousy and hatred in Miss Jinxuan's eyes.
Wei Dongling glanced at Jingzhe, and Jingzhe silently took a couple of steps back while holding his sword.
Wei Dongling always remembered the kindness of the Qi Mansion, but thinking about the matter of Green Button being sold, she felt a burning anger inside. She glanced at Red Sleeve and said coldly, "The Qi Mansion took me in, so I naturally show some deference to Miss Qi. But who do you, Red Sleeve, think you are? A mere maid daring to insult me? Today, for Miss Qi's sake, I won't stoop to your level. But please, Miss Red Sleeve, don't make unfounded accusations in the future. Otherwise, don't blame me for slapping you."
Hearing this, Red Sleeve's face turned ashen with anger. Just as she was about to retort, she caught a glimpse of the glinting soft sword in Jingzhe's hand behind Wei Dongling. She swallowed the curse words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Seeing her personal maid being verbally warned by Wei Dongling, Qi Jinxuan was extremely displeased. Her clear eyes were filled with hatred. With a dark face, she roared, "Isn't what Red Sleeve said the truth? You've been telling me that you have no other feelings for Prince Yun, but then you're hugging him in public! Wei Dongling, what do you take me for? Prince Yun is my fiancé!"
The imperial edict had been issued, so Qi Jinxuan was right. Shangguan Yun had indeed hugged her in public. Although Wei Dongling found this extremely offensive, she was at a loss for words. She could only snort and say, "Miss Qi, let me say it one more time. I already have someone I like, and I have no intention of competing with you for a man!" Besides, whether Prince Yun would marry her was another matter entirely.
Qi Jinxuan lowered her eyes and looked at the bright red nail polish on her fingertips, sneering, "Then you're really fickle - minded! It's your business if you don't care about your reputation and hug someone casually, but if you dare to get involved with my man, I won't be polite to you."
"You!" Wei Dongling's face turned ashen with anger.
Red Sleeve covered her lips and chuckled softly, "Well, you can know a person's face but not their heart! Miss, don't bother arguing with such a shameless person."
Before Wei Dongling could react, Jingzhe flashed out quickly and returned behind her in an instant.
Red Sleeve's hairpin and the hair bun on her head were cut off by a sword and clattered to the ground, accompanied by strands of black hair floating down. Only then did Red Sleeve let out a shrill scream and burst into tears on the spot. One's body and hair were gifts from one's parents. This person had cut off her long - cherished hair without hesitation. It was like cutting off a piece of her flesh!
Wei Dongling glanced at Red Sleeve, who was kneeling on the ground, holding the cut - off hair and wailing. She said coldly, "I've already told you to watch your mouth. If there's a next time, it won't be just your hair that gets cut." This warning was not only for her but also for her mistress.
Seeing her personal maid being humiliated, Qi Jinxuan's face instantly flushed with anger. She roared, "Wei Dongling! Don't go too far!"
Wei Dongling glanced at Qi Jinxuan and snorted, "So what? You casually found an excuse to sell off Green Button. Isn't that going too far? Do you know that she was sold into a brothel? If I had been a bit later last night, her life would have been ruined!"
Sold into a brothel? Qi Jinxuan's face turned green and then red. She felt a faint sense of fear in her heart. But seeing Wei Dongling's upright appearance at this moment, her chest felt tight with anger. Qi Jinxuan said unhappily, "Green Button was originally a maid in my Qi General's Mansion. Since she served me poorly, I sold her off. It's not for an outsider like you to interfere!"
Wei Dongling's face turned black with anger. She roared, "That gold ring was originally a reward from me. How could you wrong her like this?"
Qi Jinxuan sneered, "It's clearly stated in the Qi Mansion's rules that servants are not allowed to accept rewards from outsiders without permission. Otherwise, they will be regarded as thieves."
Wei Dongling felt a dizzy spell. There really was such a rule in the Qi Mansion! A few years ago, a servant received a reward from an outsider and was then framed for theft. So, from that time on, Second Master Qi had added this rule.
When Wei Dongling rewarded Green Button with the ring, she had completely forgotten about this matter. She never expected that Qi Jinxuan would use it as an excuse to sell off Green Button.
It was truly exasperating.
Qi Jinxuan gave Wei Dongling a half - smiling look and said softly, "Wei Dongling, I proposed that we marry into the prince's mansion together. That was me looking up to you and deliberately trying to reconcile with you. But you're just so ungrateful, taking my kindness for malice."
Wei Dongling looked at her in disbelief. Where had the gentle and kind Qi Jinxuan from the past gone? She didn't even care about the years of loyalty from Green Button for this matter! Wei Dongling said heart - brokenly, "Just because I didn't agree to you, you didn't care about Green Button's life! How could you become so..." So strange. Was this still the Qi Jinxuan she knew?
Qi Jinxuan covered her lips and chuckled softly, "So what? Dongling, don't misunderstand. I didn't treat Green Button this way because of your intimacy with the prince. Green Button was rather dull and didn't listen to instructions. She made no progress in my Qi General's Mansion. So I thought it would be better for her to be sold off. After all, it would be a bit of a waste for her to be a servant by my side all the time."
She still said she wasn't jealous of her getting close to Prince Yun!
Wei Dongling felt heart - broken. It had only been a few months since they last met, and Qi Jinxuan had become so unreasonable! She had mastered these underhanded and scheming tactics so effortlessly!
Seeing Wei Dongling's face changing with emotions, Qi Jinxuan felt extremely gratified. She waved her hand at Red Sleeve and said, "Stop crying. For old times' sake, let's not argue with her. Let's go back."
Red Sleeve nodded while sobbing with red eyes. She glared at Wei Dongling and Jingzhe fiercely before helping Qi Jinxuan into the carriage.
Wei Dongling watched them get into the carriage and drive away in a daze. A feeling of sadness welled up in her heart.