In the long corridor with upturned eaves, at the intersection of the corner and the steps, Song Luo stood there haughtily, while Mu Yao was sitting on a bench not far away.
Seeing Qu Yue appear, Mu Yao kicked off the ground and stood up. Stepping in an unladylike pace, she walked to Song Luo's side and hooked her arm.
When Qu Yue saw them, a sense of unease stirred in her heart.
But this was the only way to the teahouse, so she had to steel herself and take a step forward. "Mother, younger sister."
Her slightly trembling voice, coupled with her eyes that she never dared to raise, naturally made her seem inferior.
Song Luo looked down at Qu Yue condescendingly. Seeing this, she sneered. "You little slut. You're quite eager to see the emperor!"
Qu Yue's pupils trembled violently. She quickly shook her head and explained. "I'm not."
She had just taken a nap. Before going out, she only simply washed and groomed herself. Her long black hair was simply coiled up at the back of her head, with a few strands hanging down on her cheeks, fluttering gently in the wind, making her facial features look more delicate and three - dimensional.
Moreover, she had a soft - looking face. Her submissive appearance was even more endearing.
Even the wind seemed to favor Qu Yue especially. When it blew towards Song Luo and Mu Yao, it almost messed up all their hair.
The angrier Mu Yao got while trying to tidy her hair, the more fiercely she cursed. "This wind is so annoying!"
Qu Yue raised her eyes and gently reminded. "Mother and younger sister are standing in the wind."
This place was at the intersection of two corridors, and they were standing on a high place. It was hard for the cross - wind to bypass them.
Mu Yao was already annoyed by Qu Yue's charming appearance. Hearing this, a fire of anger burned from the bottom of her heart. "When did it become your turn to tell us what to do?"
"Just because you got a reward, do you really think you're the young mistress of the Marquis Mansion?"
Qu Yue's face turned pale with humiliation from Mu Yao's blatant contempt. She subconsciously apologized. "I didn't..."
The more she gave in and the more humble and gentle her attitude was, the angrier Mu Yao became.
How could such an unseemly person be carried to the guest courtyard by the emperor himself?!
Filled with anger, Mu Yao walked up to Qu Yue on her own initiative. She pinched Qu Yue's chin with her fingers and squeezed it hard. "You immoral thing. Get rid of your improper thoughts!"
Qu Yue winced in pain. Her facial features wrinkled tightly. Her beautiful peach - blossom eyes squinted, showing a glint of tears. Her eyes were full of pleading.
She timidly took a step back and shook her head to defend herself. "Sister, have you misunderstood me?"
"Misunderstood?" Mu Yao sneered. She increased the strength in her hand, wishing she could crush Qu Yue's face and disfigure her!
Her fingernails dug into Qu Yue's fair and tender skin. "I'm warning you. The emperor has already chosen me to be his concubine. Be smart and know what to say and what not to say."
With a sudden force, she threw Qu Yue away like garbage.
Qu Yue's face was already in great pain. Suddenly being pushed, she lost her balance and fell backward. She subconsciously tried to grab the passing maid to steady herself, but the maid dodged mercilessly, and she fell to the ground.
She propped her hands on the ground and slid for a short distance. Her palms were skinned and bleeding.
She didn't even dare to cry out in pain. She quickly propped herself up and stood up, lowering her head and answering in a muffled voice. "I know."
Mu Yao felt a burst of pleasure in her heart. "The emperor's rewards for me are even more than your reward!"
Song Luo interrupted. "Alright. Why are you talking so much nonsense to her?"
"I'm just afraid that some people have endless petty thoughts." Mu Yao rolled her eyes.
There was a crescent - shaped mark on Qu Yue's face where she had been pinched. It was faintly stinging. Just as she was about to reach out to soothe it, a burning pain came from her palm, and it was also sticky with a lot of dust from the ground. Immediately, her eyes turned red with grievance.
She choked with sobs. "I didn't."
"Regarding today's reward, the Marquis and I can temporarily not blame you." Song Luo said grandly. "As long as you can keep the emperor for dinner."
Her condescending tone made Qu Yue, who was already aggrieved, feel even more sad.
Asking her to keep the emperor for dinner was no different from sending her to her death.
As everyone knew, Xie Qichi was well - known in the court for hating flattery.
Previously, there were officials who had offered him jewels, fine wines, and beautiful women. In the end, their entire families were exiled and their whereabouts were unknown.
The fact that he had come to Mu Yuan's funeral in person was already an honor for the Zhaoping Marquis Mansion.
Asking him to stay for dinner would be going too far.
If she was asked to keep the emperor for dinner, she might even be stripped of her title and beheaded in public tomorrow.
After some thought, Qu Yue carefully said. "Mother, it's not suitable to keep the emperor today..."
She inexplicably felt a sense of danger and even raised her hand to protect her head defensively in advance.
"When did it become your turn to teach me what to do?"
As she had predicted, before she could finish her sentence, Song Luo had already rushed up to her in a few steps and suddenly raised her hand.
Slap!
The loud sound of the slap echoed in the corridor.
Qu Yue's hand still maintained the position of protecting her head, but her face was embarrassedly tilted to the left.
Five clear and deep palm prints appeared on her fair cheek.
Her heart was soaked in grievance. Her nose felt sour, and her vision was instantly blurred by tears.
"I... I didn't mean to refuse you... I just thought it was inappropriate on such an occasion today..."
Qu Yue was scared. She lowered her head, not daring to let them see her crying, for fear of arousing more dissatisfaction.
Mu Yao stood on the steps haughtily. Looking at Qu Yue's embarrassed appearance, she smiled contentedly.
Inappropriate? This was the best opportunity for her to test the emperor's feelings.
Song Luo's expression was sinister. The hand that had slapped Qu Yue gradually tightened into a fist.
She gritted her teeth. "It's harder to ask you to do something than to reach the sky."
The stinging pain on her slapped cheek became a lesson engraved in her memory.
Qu Yue's body trembled with fear. She nodded repeatedly. "I'm sorry..."
Song Luo reached out her hand and poked Qu Yue's forehead. "The Marquis Mansion has provided you with food and shelter for three years. Are you still reluctant to do something for us today?"
"Today, either you hand over your reward or you keep the emperor for dinner. Choose for yourself."
She was too lazy to waste any more words on her.
Qu Yue bit her lower lip humbly. This reward was clearly what she deserved...
Just as she was hesitating, Mu Yao's silver - bell - like laughter came into her ears. "Mother, she actually made a choice."
"Sister, what do you mean..." Qu Yue suddenly raised her head.
Mu Yao's lips drooped. She shrugged casually. "I said you're so self - important. You really made a choice."
She stared at Qu Yue with a piercing look in her eyes. "This is what you should do for the Marquis Mansion. Without our family, you'd be nothing. Do you understand?"
No, it wasn't.
Qu Yue silently retorted in her heart.
In fact, she had always been secretly working to subsidize the Marquis Mansion.
In recent years, there had been large - scale expenditures on the Marquis Mansion's accounts. It was actually on the verge of bankruptcy. If it weren't for her going out to work to support the family, they might have run out of food long ago.
Qu Yue's voice was as soft as a mosquito's. She almost exhausted all her strength to ask. "But... didn't mother just say that I could choose?"
Mu Yao was speechless. "You're so stupid. Can't you tell good from bad?"
Song Luo waved to the servant. "If you don't do it, then you'll die."
Qu Yue's pupils shrank. She couldn't die!
The image of the servant who had framed her this morning was still engraved in her mind. She instantly felt a chill all over her body.
She immediately replied in a trembling voice. "I... I'll try my best."
As soon as she finished speaking, her chin was suddenly lifted.
Looking into Mu Yao's ordinary face that relied entirely on makeup, her heart skipped a beat.
Mu Yao's smiling face was full of malice. "Oh, your face is swollen from the slap."
Qu Yue suddenly had an idea. "Please rest assured, sister and mother! I will never say anything wrong in front of the emperor!"
"I really! Really! Won't say anything wrong!"
Song Luo curled her lips, satisfied. "If you can't keep the emperor tonight, it'll be your fault."
The two of them gradually left, leaving Qu Yue alone in the corridor.
How was she supposed to keep the emperor...