"What was that sound?"
Su Yuxi, who had just sat down, suddenly stood up upon hearing the noise.
"It sounds like Third Sister," Su Zirong said, walking to the door and listening carefully. She recognized it as Su Xiuer's voice.
"What happened?" The shrill sound was very uncomfortable for Su Yuxi's ears.
As the two were wondering, a maidservant ran in from outside.
"This is bad, Eldest Miss, Second Miss! Third Miss is being beaten by that Gu Qianying outside. If you don't go quickly, she might be beaten to death."
The few of them were pampered young ladies who had been doted on since childhood. Although Gu Qianying hadn't used much force, Su Xiuer still let out a pig-like scream. The servants naturally assumed she was being killed.
Upon hearing this, Su Yuxi and Su Zirong hurried out. As they stepped out, they saw Su Xiuer sitting on the ground in the long corridor, being struck by Gu Qianying.
Although it was Su Xiuer's fault for today's events, seeing her sister being beaten, Su Yuxi quickly stepped forward to intervene.
"Gu Qianying, what are you doing?" Her voice successfully drew Gu Qianying's attention, and her actions paused.
"Can't you see what I'm doing?"
Seeing her arrogance, Su Yuxi directly ordered the servants to step forward and stop this woman.
"You all, hmph, I'm afraid you can't touch me."
Gu Qianying was not afraid of the people approaching her. Instead, her counter-threat intimidated the servants who were about to advance.
This woman had beaten the three young ladies before, indicating she had some abilities.
With her words, no one dared to step forward for a moment.
"What a bunch of useless people," Su Yuxi said, preparing to draw her whip and attack Gu Qianying.
However, she had overlooked that Duan Xifeng was beside Gu Qianying.
Seeing Su Yuxi about to make a move, Duan Xifeng leaped to her side.
The distance between them closed again, and Su Yuxi immediately remembered the incident of being harassed a few days ago.
Seeing her elder sister frozen, Su Xiuer quickly cried out from the side.
"Eldest Sister, this woman is beating me without any reason. You must not let her off lightly."
After receiving so many blows, Su Xiuer's mouth was still not honest. Although Gu Qianying hadn't continued hitting her, she had struck three points on her body, causing her to scratch herself uncontrollably.
"What... what did you do to me?" Su Xiuer asked, scratching her body and looking at Gu Qianying with fear in her eyes.
"Nothing much. I saw that you get itchy skin if you're not disciplined for a day. I kindly pressed your pressure points, so you can scratch yourself more."
Seeing how vicious this woman was, Su Zirong, who had been about to speak up, lost her spirit.
With Duan Xifeng by her side, she no longer argued.
Gu Qianying could finally speak calmly.
"Miss Su, I have no intention of opposing you from beginning to end, but you have repeatedly challenged my bottom line. Today, Su Xiuer framed me first, and when her plan failed, she had Su Ming beaten to lure me out. My patience is limited. If your Su family dares to provoke me again, don't blame me for not being polite to all of you."
Her gaze was not only directed at the person on the ground but also at Su Yuxi and Su Zirong.
This was the second intense direct confrontation between the four of them, but being in the palace, Gu Qianying did not want to go too far.
Su Xiuer, seeing that her elder sisters were no longer responding, finally shut her mouth.
"Eldest Miss Su, you are a smart person. You should know that nothing is more important than the upcoming competition. If we make too much noise here, Her Majesty the Empress will surely know, and then it won't be just me who is blamed."
Her words were indeed reasonable. The rain had stopped, and the second part of the competition was about to begin. If anything went wrong at this moment, they would all be implicated.
Thinking of this, Su Yuxi put away her whip. "Hurry up and help Third Miss into the house."
The situation today could not be escalated. Su Yuxi was a sensible person and knew when to retreat.
A large group of people returned to the house. Gu Qianying also left the corridor. As she passed Su Ming, she saw his body bearing the marks of being beaten, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
If it weren't for Su Xiuer's people accidentally seeing her last night, she wouldn't have thought of having Su Ming frame her today, and he wouldn't have been injured.
"Thank you for today. I will remember this kindness." As she spoke, she took out a bottle of top-grade wound healing ointment from her embrace.
When Su Cheng was beaten before, this was what she had used to treat his body. Today, Su Ming had saved her, so she naturally gave him a whole bottle.
"This medicine is extremely effective. Apply it to the wound daily after returning, and it will heal within three days."
Looking at the medicine bottle placed in his hand, Su Ming quickly cupped his hands in thanks.
Gu Qianying had already left, and Su Yuxi had returned to her room. Thinking of the humiliation she had just suffered, she paced to Su Xiuer and slapped her across the face.
"If it weren't for you today, we wouldn't have endured such humiliation repeatedly. I'm telling you, Su Xiuer, control your mouth from now on. Don't provoke Gu Qianying lightly, and don't have any more crooked ideas. If you want revenge, wait until we leave the palace."
Her warning made Su Xiuer resentful, but at this moment, her body was in pain and itchy, and because she was her elder sister, Su Xiuer had no spirit left.
Covering her slapped face with one hand and scratching her body with the other, she nodded repeatedly.
"Eldest Sister, I understand. I won't do this again."
Su Zirong, who had been silent all along, quickly stepped forward to support Su Xiuer when Su Yuxi left.
"Third Sister, don't blame Eldest Sister. She is also thinking for the Su family. If she wins against that Gu Qianying and becomes a court physician in the future, her status in our Su family will be different. Even Mother will have to show her some respect. Don't be angry with her."
Hearing this, Su Xiuer bit her lips tighter. Su Yuxi already had everything, so why did she still want to be a physician and control the Su family?
Filled with resentment, she didn't notice that while Su Zirong was persuading her to endure and compromise, the cunning on her face was not hidden at all.
After bidding farewell to Su Ming, Gu Qianying had Duan Xifeng and Xiao Yihao return first, while she herself strolled back.
As she walked to the end of a small path, she was startled by the sudden appearance of Su Cheng.
"Why are you always appearing out of nowhere?" Logically, Gu Qianying's martial arts were not weak, but for some reason, she hadn't noticed Su Cheng following her on these two occasions.
Seeing that she seemed startled, Su Cheng nervously scratched his head. Unable to comfort her, he could only apologize profusely.
"I apologize, Miss Gu. It's all my fault."