I stood up and turned to leave.
"Stop right there! I haven't given you permission to leave!" she screamed hysterically behind me.
I stopped, turned back, and looked at her. "What do you think you are? In this world, apart from Mai Qi, who will blindly obey your commands, no one actually listens to you. The people flattering you around you aren't praising you, but the power behind you. That isn't yours. Even Mai Qi understands this logic, yet you're still here parading in borrowed authority—how utterly ridiculous! Why does Mai Qi listen to you? Because she's your daughter, the only person in this world who genuinely cares about you. You can force her, squeeze her dry, and drain her, but you've never once thought about how to love her! One day, you'll lose even this daughter."
Chapter 131