"On what grounds? Everything I've done has been with the Bai Li family's consent. Have you obtained theirs?"
Gu Qian Ying rarely spoke so aggressively, but after so many recent events, she felt a pang of sympathy for Bai Li Su and had completely fallen out with Song Yu Er.
"You!"
Song Yu Er was furious and lunged forward, intending to slap Gu Qian Ying. Gu Qian Ying didn't dodge, waiting for the blow to land. This would give her a perfect excuse to tell Bai Li Su why she was late.
However, to everyone's surprise, the slap never landed on Gu Qian Ying's face. Instead, it struck Ouyang Qing Lin.
Ouyang Qing Lin and Duan Xi Feng were preparing to take Xiao Yi Hao to the market. As they reached the rear garden, they witnessed the scene. Without a second thought, Ouyang Qing Lin rushed forward to shield Gu Qian Ying.
Gu Qian Ying felt a twinge of guilt, realizing she had once again become a burden to Ouyang Qing Lin and the others. She hadn't expected them to suddenly appear from behind.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Duan Xi Feng was taken aback by the turn of events. He glared at Song Yu Er with displeasure, his expression turning somewhat grim and even menacing.
Duan Xi Feng was the most patient and kind among their group, but Gu Qian Ying cherished his most admirable quality: his protectiveness of those he cared about.
"You!? How dare you speak to me like that?"
Song Yu Er was beside herself with anger. Every time she tried to lay a hand on Gu Qian Ying, these two men intervened. Every time she attempted to have someone secretly escort Gu Qian Ying away, her plans were thwarted. She couldn't tolerate such a situation. After all, she had to be wary of Gu Qian Ying and Bai Li Su, fearing Gu Qian Ying might seduce Bai Li Su. If she couldn't marry into the Bai Li family smoothly, things would become dire, and her father would no longer favor her.
She absolutely refused to let such a thing happen. She had to deal with Gu Qian Ying completely after Bai Li Su recovered. Otherwise, these men, one after another, were being utterly captivated by Gu Qian Ying's alluring face, which truly annoyed her.
"Brother, why aren't you helping me?"
Seeing that she couldn't contend with the two men before her, Song Yu Er turned, grabbed Song Pan Yang's hand, and complained.
"This..."
Song Pan Yang was in a difficult position. On one hand, there was the woman he fancied; on the other, his sister. He didn't know what to do.
"Hmph, I knew it. I'll tell Father when I get back, and he'll punish you!"
Song Yu Er began her spoiled tantrum again. But for the moment, Song Pan Yang was at a loss.
"You woman, you're always bullying my mother. Little Uncle, hit her!"
Xiao Yi Hao, who had been in Lu Zhu's arms, could no longer stand it. This woman was always bullying his mother and now she was pretending to be good. He truly detested her.
He decisively jumped down and ran to Duan Xi Feng's side, tugging at his sleeve. He pointed at Song Yu Er with his little hand, his face filled with indignation.
However, even though Duan Xi Feng was protective, he found it difficult to resort to violence against a woman. He didn't know what to do.
"Xiao Yi Hao, are you telling the truth?"
Ouyang Qing Lin asked.
Xiao Yi Hao nodded vigorously. Of course, he was telling the truth. This woman's family was always opposing his mother.
Ouyang Qing Lin took a few steps forward and looked at Song Yu Er with a cold expression.
Song Yu Er was startled. She clutched Song Pan Yang's hand, looking at them in disbelief. She hadn't expected them to actually dare to lay hands on her, a woman. This truly surprised her.
"Who do you think you are, daring to lay hands on my sister?"
Although Song Pan Yang liked Gu Qian Ying, he couldn't stand by and watch them attack his sister. He instantly became enraged, pulling Song Yu Er behind him and preparing to confront Ouyang Qing Lin and the others head-on.
However, he knew his martial arts skills weren't particularly high. If they were to engage in a direct confrontation, he might not have any advantage. Thus, with his hands behind his back, he gestured to his personal guards, signaling them to quickly find reinforcements.
But before any conflict could erupt, a man wearing a moon-white robe and a white jade crown appeared from behind.
From a distance, he appeared elegant and handsome. Gu Qian Ying hadn't expected Song Wu Ji to bring people with him.
Was he here to help Song Pan Yang today?
Gu Qian Ying lowered her gaze and pondered silently, saying nothing.
Unexpectedly, Song Wu Ji, along with his entourage, walked over and first pulled Song Pan Yang and Song Yu Er away.
Gu Qian Ying found this action rather exasperating. To be honest, Song Wu Ji was more troublesome than Song Pan Yang. The schemes in his mind were more intricate than Bai Li Su's. If one were to truly compare, Gu Qian Ying wasn't sure she could outwit Song Wu Ji.
But why did he suddenly appear today to help her? This made Gu Qian Ying recall a saying: "A weasel visiting a chicken for New Year's has no good intentions." Seeing the obvious smile on Song Wu Ji's face now, he was letting her off the hook so easily, even though she had offended his brother and sister?
"Please forgive us. My younger brother and sister have been spoiled by my father and are rather willful. They may have offended you today. As their elder brother, I apologize on behalf of both of them."
Song Wu Ji bowed with his hands clasped, appearing genuinely sincere. Gu Qian Ying never imagined he would apologize to her. In their previous encounters, although Song Wu Ji was gentle and refined, as the eldest son of the King of the Western Regions, he possessed an inherent pride. How could he apologize to her?
Gu Qian Ying pondered for a long time but couldn't figure it out. After much thought, the most prudent course of action was to inform Bai Li Su about this matter. After all, his mind worked incredibly fast, and he might be able to decipher some of it.
However, when Gu Qian Ying recalled what Bai Li Su had told her earlier, she strongly suspected that Song Wu Ji had already found the secret manual, which was why he was acting so brazenly now, even willing to humble himself and apologize.
If that were the case, it would be quite problematic.
The group remained frozen in place for a moment.
In the front hall,
The Bai Li couple were about to find Gu Qian Ying to inquire about the patient's condition when they heard the commotion in the rear garden.
"Husband, what's happening in the back? It's so noisy. Could it be that the distinguished guest and the county princess have gotten into a fight?"
Madam Bai Li clutched her handkerchief tightly, her face etched with worry.
She had always known that the county princess was not one to be trifled with. Now, she was causing so much trouble. If her son didn't wake up, she would blame it on the county princess.
Master Bai Li sighed. If he had known the Song family was so difficult to deal with, why had he agreed to this in the first place?
"Let's go, Madam. Come with me to the back to take a look. We must ensure no harm comes to the distinguished guest."
Master Bai Li slowly rose and walked towards the rear garden. In just a few days, he had aged considerably.