Three days later, at the Spring Banquet, outside the entrance of the Eldest Princess Manor—
"Look, isn't that Yun Feiwan, the concubine-born daughter who fell out of favor immediately after marrying the Third Prince?"
"That’s her. Rumor has it the Prince sent her straight to a brothel on their wedding night; she probably isn't even pure anymore. Look, the Third Prince didn't even bother to accompany her. If I were her, I’d be too ashamed to show my face in public..."
Two young ladies draped in expensive silks stood outside the manor, pointing their fingers at Yun Feiwan as she stepped out of her carriage, their faces masks of disdain and scorn.
"Who are you two to speak so disrespectfully to the Prince’s consort?"
Yisan, the maid, rushed forward in a fury. "Don't you fear your tongues rotting for spewing such filth? My mistress is nothing like what you say!"
Hearing this, one of the girls—a haughty-looking woman in pink—rolled her eyes aggressively. "Hmph, and what are you? How dare you put on airs before us? You’re just a low-born concubine’s daughter, and even your poor legitimate sister’s reputation has been tarnished because of you. If Gu Ruoxi weren't so kind-hearted and kept you in her thoughts as a sister, you would have been cast aside long ago!"
"Exactly, exactly," the other woman chimed in. "A concubine’s daughter deserves to marry into the Imperial Prince's Estate? We are the ones who were meticulously raised as noble ladies! Don't think that marrying into the Estate makes you superior. A mountain pheasant can never become a phoenix, and it's all for nothing if you can't even win his favor."
The two sang in harmony, their eyes brimming with contempt.
So, they were just two brainless birds being led by the nose.
In the original story, this same scene played out: the unloved heroine was harassed by noble ladies at a banquet, and being poor with words, she could only endure it in silence. It was precisely this cowardly behavior that led others at the banquet to isolate and mock her even further, eventually triggering the disdain of the male lead, Xuantian Ze.
Too bad for them, I am not the original owner of this body.
I’m not putting up with this bullying!
"Yisan! Beat her until her mouth is smashed!"
Yun Feiwan pointed weakly at the girl in pink. Her voice remained soft and delicate, yet her words left no room for negotiation.
Good grief, where did these random extras come from? If a tiger doesn't show its teeth, do they really think it's a Hello Kitty?
"Yes, Mistress."
Receiving the order, Yisan rolled up her sleeves and moved to grab the woman’s hand.
"You... you... you dare? I am the legitimate daughter of the Ministry official, the Wang family! You have no right to touch me! I will tell my father and have him report you!"
"My mistress said she’s going to beat you, and beat you she will!"
Yisan had spent her childhood begging and performing on the streets; her grip was far stronger than that of any ordinary official's daughter. She seized the girl's wrist and raised her hand to strike—
"Wait!"
A soft, delicate voice drifted from afar. The crowd froze, and as they looked toward the source, it was none other than Gu Ruoxi!
In that moment of hesitation, Yun Feiwan quickly adjusted her state, and before anyone could react, she swung her hand—
*Slap! Slap!*
Two crisp, stinging slaps landed squarely on their faces.
Wait for what? She wasn’t going to wait. If she wanted to hit someone, she’d do it now!
A sudden silence fell over the entire scene; everyone was stunned. Every face was etched with the word "incredulity," as if Yun Feiwan’s actions were the most unreasonable thing in the world.
Normally, when someone says "wait," everyone should stop, listen to what the other person has to say, and then decide whether to proceed. It’s like hitting a pause button on a television drama—everyone freezes, which, naturally, causes the golden opportunity for an attack to be missed.
But clearly, this wasn't a TV drama, and Yun Feiwan had no intention of following the predetermined script. Rather than stupidly dragging things out and causing more trouble, it was better to be decisive—settle scores and grievances on the spot!
"You... how dare you hit me!"
After a brief shock, the girl in pink’s eyes bulged, wide as copper bells. "You vixen! You low-born trash, how dare you strike a legitimate daughter like me? You..."
"What about me? Do I need to pick an auspicious day to hit you?" Yun Feiwan grabbed the girl's raised hand, blinking her eyes with feigned grievance. "My hand hurts so much. Your face has injured my hand."
It was quite an effort to maintain her delicate, innocent-flower persona at a time like this.
"Oh, Mistress! Your hand is all red! It must have been hurt by her thick skin! *Hoo, hoo*... let this servant blow on it for you." Yisan earnestly cradled Yun Feiwan’s hand in her own and blew on it gently.
See? The person who truly cares about you will worry about your hand hurting even if you were the one hitting someone else, unlike those who only regret things after everyone has left.
"Sister, this is the Princess Manor. How can you be so reckless and unruly?"
Seeing that things weren't going as she had hoped, Gu Ruoxi hurriedly stepped forward to intervene. "I am sorry. My sister lost her mother at a young age, she is straightforward and cannot bear to be slighted; she has been spoiled by our mother and has lost her sense of etiquette. I hope Miss Wang will not take offense. As her elder sister, I apologize on behalf of our Minister’s Estate."
What a heavy accusation to dump on her. In just a few words, she had branded Yun Feiwan as the party at fault. Her calculations were precise: first, she cemented the reputation of her concubine-born sister as arrogant and vengeful; second, she highlighted her own image as virtuous, gentle, and kind.
Sure enough, the girl in pink hurried to help the crouching Gu Ruoxi up, but turned to glare viciously at Yun Feiwan. "Sister Ruoxi, how could this be your fault? It’s all this poisonous woman’s doing. To think they were both raised in the same Minister’s Estate—there is truly a difference between a well-bred legitimate daughter and a low-born concubine’s daughter! I won't hold this against you, but I will..."
"Oh dear, I feel so dizzy."
Before the girl in pink could finish, Yun Feiwan interrupted her. She rubbed her temples, leaned weakly against Yisan’s shoulder, and spoke softly.
"Yisan, I think I’ve fallen ill. I’m feeling dizzy and nauseous."
"Mistress! Are you alright? Shall I call a doctor?"
Amidst Yisan’s worried gaze, Yun Feiwan coughed twice and parted her pink lips. "I’ve caught a sickness where I feel like vomiting if I don't speak the truth! It’s strange, my sister once told me she looked down on the Wang family girls the most~ She said they don't have a father with a high-ranking position, yet they spend all day putting on the airs of legitimate daughters, as if they were worthy of being called sisters to the daughter of a Minister."
Under the influence of the Truth System, she poured out the thoughts in her head: "Oh, that’s right, and that lackey—I don't think she looks that ugly, so why does my sister always mock her behind her back, saying she looks like a pig?"
Yun Feiwan patted her chest, her voice filled with a faint, melancholic sadness. "Sigh, some people are so foolish, acting as champions for others. My sister was right, after all—they really have no brains."
"Gu Ruoxi, is this true?"
The girl in pink had forgotten about the slap she’d just received; her chest heaved with fury. "I treated you like a sister, I stood up for you, and you were mocking me like this behind my back? You disgust me!"
"Yun! Fei! Wan! Shut your mouth! You are spouting nonsense!" Gu Ruoxi’s expression shattered into panic, her hands gripping her handkerchief until her knuckles turned white. "It’s not like that, Miss Wang, we’ve known each other for so long, how can you listen to only one side of the story? Give me a chance, let me explain!"
*Ding!* "Detection: Host has successfully induced strong emotional fluctuation in the target using the Truth System. Would you like to force the target to speak the truth?"
The system’s soft, childish voice chimed in. Yun Feiwan paused, then mentally answered with renewed vigor: "Use it! Use it on Gu Ruoxi!"
"Activation successful. 30 points deducted."
"Fine! Then I will listen to your explanation once! If that vixen is lying to me, I will settle both old and new debts at once!"
Seeing the other girl’s expression soften slightly, Gu Ruoxi let out a long sigh of relief. She shot a cold, imperceptible glare at Yun Feiwan, then gently took the girl in pink’s hand, offering a fake, forced smile.
"Miss Wang, actually, I..."