Duanmu Furong's mind kept replaying what had just happened, over and over again, and the more she thought about it, the more hopeless she felt.
As the dignified Eldest Miss Duanmu, she had been utterly helpless when danger struck, rescued by a stranger, and then she had even interrogated and reprimanded her savior. If word of this got out, she would lose every ounce of face she had built up over the years and would have nowhere to show her face in public.
If Duanmu Jinyu found out about this, he would undoubtedly lecture her again for failing to practice her martial arts diligently. Come to think of it, if she had only put a little more heart into her training, she wouldn't have been left in such a passive position when she ran into Fourth Lu. She had always assumed she would never encounter danger, but who knew that such assumptions were useless? If she had just practiced a bit during ordinary times, she would have been able to handle a pressing situation like today's. If Duanmu Furong had been able to beat back that villain, she wouldn't have needed anyone to rescue her; if she hadn't needed rescuing, she wouldn't have misunderstood that young master; if she hadn't misunderstood him, she wouldn't have spoken out of turn; and if she hadn't spoken out of turn, she wouldn't have repaid kindness with enmity.
Chapter 18