Lan Miao was just approaching the hall with Shuang Le when she heard Lan Xin's overbearing and bossy voice coming from inside.
Her words clearly reached Lan Miao's ears. Lan Miao felt a sudden sense of disgust. As she stepped into the room, she saw Lan Xin had already stood up and was raising her hand towards Shuang Xi, as if about to teach the girl a lesson.
Shuang Xi's cheeks were flushed red, looking full of defiance.
"Stop!" Lan Miao shouted coldly.
At this, Lan Xin turned around. Her look at Lan Miao was tinged with a bit of pride and mockery, but her raised hand didn't stop.
Lan Miao knew that Shuang Xi wouldn't let herself be bullied, but she still rebuked Lan Xin coldly.
"This is the Marquis's Mansion. I won't allow you to act so wildly here. Otherwise, I'll have you beaten out."
There was an undeniable authority in her calm voice. Shuang Xi came to her senses and quickly ran behind Lan Miao, standing on one side of her with Shuang Le on the other.
Only then was Lan Xin really afraid and stopped her hand.
She stared coldly at Lan Miao as the latter sat down gracefully. Lan Miao exuded a natural elegance in every gesture, and her delicate features were flawless.
She's just a widow. Why does she deserve all this?
They're both daughters of the same father. How can they be so different in looks and temperament?
And those two damned maids are even more outrageous.
"You're all from the Lan Mansion. When you return there in the future, if you still don't listen to your master, I'll have mother sell you off at any time." Lan Xin refused to be outdone and threatened them.
Lan Miao's beautiful eyes flitted about. Ignoring the threat, she calmly said, "The contracts of Shuang Xi and Shuang Le are in my hands. Even if we return to the Lan Mansion, they're still mine. Even mother has no right to decide their fate."
"If you still refuse to tell me your purpose, please leave." Lan Miao added.
Lan Xin saw that Lan Miao didn't seem to be bluffing.
Thinking of her purpose for this visit, she blushed with anger. Especially seeing Lan Miao's unmoved expression, she got even angrier and blurted out what was on her mind.
"Aren't you about to return to the Lan Mansion? Why do you still act like this is your territory? Have you no shame at all? You've been a widow for five years, yet you still dare to beg father to take you back. You're so immoral. How could the Lan family have such a shameless person like you?"
Shuang Xi gritted her teeth in anger. If it weren't for Shuang Le holding her back tightly, she would have rushed up to tear Lan Xin's mouth apart.
"Madam is still the great madam of the Marquis's Mansion. You're not allowed to insult her like this. Miss Lan Xin, as an unmarried young lady, aren't you afraid that we'll spread the word about your behavior?"
"You dare!" Lan Xin sneered.
Mo Yun and Mo Cao behind her also stood up, looking as if they were about to start a fight.
Lan Miao, sitting in the upper seat, let out a sneer.
How could she not see through Lan Xin's intentions?
Lan Xin simply thought Lan Miao was an eyesore now that she was about to return to the Lan Mansion. So she came here to insult her on purpose to make her give up the idea of going back.
"Enough! I'll tell father every single word you've said. You're so trouble - making. I'll suggest to father to find you a far - away marriage so that you'll be far from Luojing. How does that sound?" Lan Miao's smile was deep, and with just one sentence, she had Lan Xin in her grasp.
Lan Xin trembled with anger.
What she cared about most was her own marriage.
She came here to provoke but was actually being controlled by Lan Miao. Her marriage wasn't something Lan Miao could decide with just a few words.
"You... you're dreaming. Father is going to send me into the palace. The emperor has taken a fancy to me. I'll soon be a noble consort. If you ruin my good deed, I won't forgive you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Lan Miao, who had been calm just now, suddenly stood up. The chair behind her creaked loudly.
Lan Miao, who had remained unmoved in the face of insults, now had a terrifyingly calm face. The warmth that was usually in her eyes had disappeared, replaced by a burning fire. She stared blankly at Lan Xin and said word by word, "You said you're going into the palace?"
"This concerns the emperor. How dare you make up such a story? Aren't you afraid of causing trouble if this gets out?"
Lan Miao's tone was very serious.
There was also an unusual sense of urgency in her seriousness.
Shuang Xi had a vague idea. On the night of the anniversary of the master's death, Madam was rescued by the emperor himself. Although Madam had never said anything, Shuang Xi vaguely understood that there was some kind of connection between the emperor and Madam.
Could all this be because of Miss Lan Xin?
Then Madam would be so pitiful.
Lan Xin was also startled by Lan Miao's tone. A look of panic flashed across her face, and her momentum weakened. She didn't want to say this either, but Lan Miao's words were really annoying. She just couldn't hold it in.
Lan Xin was about to fight back when she heard Lan Miao question again.
"You've never seen the emperor. How could the emperor take a fancy to you?"
"I saw the emperor at the queen mother's birthday banquet. So what? If you could be liked by the young master of the Marquis's Mansion, why can't I be liked by the emperor? Do you think everyone likes you?"
Lan Xin was so angry that she was on the verge of exploding but had nowhere to vent her anger. She wished she could bite Lan Miao a few times to relieve her hatred.
So, is that really the case?
Lan Miao felt a knot in her heart and also felt that something was wrong.
Her face turned deathly pale. She held onto the chair and slowly sat down, seemingly lost in her own thoughts and ignoring Lan Xin's words.
Seeing Lan Miao's state, Shuang Xi guessed Madam's concerns. She immediately splashed the tea on the table at Lan Xin. With a splash, Lan Xin's head and face were covered in tea leaves and water. "Come on, drive them all out."
This was really turning the world upside down.
"You bitch. How dare you... "
Mo Yun and Mo Cao were also stunned and quickly came up to wipe their young lady clean. Fortunately, the tea was cold. If it had been hot, their young lady would have been disfigured.
Lan Xin gritted her teeth in anger, but the servants outside the courtyard rushed in immediately when they heard the commotion. A few of them stepped forward, and the leader asked softly, "Madam, is something wrong?"
"Drive them all out..." Shuang Xi roared angrily.
Lan Miao was sitting on the chair. By now, she had regained her senses. She nodded slightly at the servants, and her expression was as calm and distant as ever.
That meant she really wanted to drive them out.
The servants made a gesture of invitation to the disheveled Lan Xin and her two maids and said awkwardly, "Miss, please. Don't make things difficult for us."
"Fine, fine... "
"I'll tell mother and father that you drove me out. You actually dared to drive me out. You'll never return to the Lan Mansion." Lan Xin held a handkerchief in one hand and pointed at Lan Miao with the other. Her angry expression made her look hideous.
"Go ahead and tell them. After you do, father won't let you out of the house for the rest of your life." There was a rare hint of sarcasm in Lan Miao's expression.
"..."
Lan Xin had nothing to say in rebuttal. She really had no way to stay any longer. With her two maids, she left dejectedly under the siege of the servants.
It wasn't until they left that Shuang Le said worriedly, "Madam, I'll go and tell them not to let this get out."
"Okay..." Lan Miao nodded faintly.
Shuang Le left quickly with a handful of silver coins after receiving the order. Shuang Xi quickly walked over and supported Lan Miao's shoulder. Even though the sunlight was shining on Lan Miao's face, her jade - like and porcelain - like skin still looked lifeless.
"Madam, are you sad?"