Chapter 1 The Beginning

Dusk was gathering, and the sky was adorned with brocade-like rosy clouds. Inside the side room of the Xiaozhu Courtyard, the Arhat bed was enclosed tightly, sealed off from any draft.

Yu Qingwu lay half-reclined on the bed, her face gloomy, her eyes sharp and icy. Through the curtains, she vaguely saw several figures approaching.

"You wretch! Kneel!" Shen Ge was kicked to the ground by his father, Shen Zongyuan, the moment he reached the bed.

Shen Zongyuan was furious.

Of course, he wasn't angry because Shen Ge had caused Yu Qingwu to be violated, but because it had caused the Rongguo Duke's Mansion to lose face.

He had just stepped out of the palace gate today when he heard about his son Shen Ge's scandal.

He didn't dare lift his head all the way back.

At this moment, the more Shen Zongyuan looked at Shen Ge, the angrier he became. He kicked him hard in the back and then looked at the figure behind the curtain, as if deliberately saying it for her to hear. He pointed at Shen Ge and cursed, "You rebellious son, from today onwards, you will kneel before your A-Wu sister's bed and repent until she forgives you."

"A-Wu, it's all your Second Cousin's fault. Your Second Cousin is sorry to you. You must not think badly of yourself. Don't worry, even if your face is disfigured, even if you are no longer chaste, you are still the Second Young Mistress of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. This will never change."

At that moment, Shen Ge's mother, Xu Shi, also stepped forward. She held Yu Qingwu's hand through the curtain and made a solemn promise. While speaking, she began to sob softly.

If Xu Shi hadn't deliberately emphasized the word 'chaste,' Yu Qingwu might have actually believed her concern.

Without leaving a trace, she withdrew her hand. Yu Qingwu's eyes were cold, but her voice choked with sobs as she replied softly to the people outside the curtain, "Rest assured, Aunt. A-Wu will never commit suicide, nor will I break off the engagement with Second Cousin. Although I am saddened, I do not wish for the Rongguo Duke's Mansion to bear the infamous reputation of abandoning someone after they've outlived their usefulness, nor do I wish for people to accuse Second Cousin of being ungrateful."

Gentle words, seeking compromise.

These few words stunned both Xu Shi and Shen Zongyuan.

Their purpose in coming to Xiaozhu Courtyard today was very simple: to stimulate Yu Qingwu under the guise of concern, to force her to propose breaking off the engagement, or even better, to directly shame her into committing suicide!

But now, this girl was actually threatening them in return!

Xu Shi's face stiffened, and anger surged straight to her heart. Through the curtain, she glared at Yu Qingwu furiously, but she couldn't say a word.

Seeing that Xu Shi wasn't speaking, Yu Qingwu opened her mouth again, still gentle and soft, "Aunt, Uncle, I want to rest. Please go out first. Also, I don't want to see anyone during this time. Please tell Grandmother for me."

"Uh, alright."

"Then you rest well..." Xu Shi looked unwilling, but she didn't dare to say another word.

This little bitch was right. Now that rumors were flying around, if she died or broke off the engagement at this time, her son would inevitably bear the infamous reputation of being ungrateful and heartless, and it might even affect his career.

The thought of such a used flower becoming his daughter-in-law filled Xu Shi with frustration.

Shen Zongyuan and his son Shen Ge felt even more disgusted, but in the end, they didn't dare to say another word. On the contrary, in order to have an explanation for the outside world, Shen Ge would inevitably receive a beating.

Disgraced and ruined, yet they still had to provide for her with good food and drink. This family must hate her to death.

Yu Qingwu looked up at the bed frame and suddenly laughed. As she laughed, tears rolled down her cheeks, mixed with blood, both hot and painful.

But she didn't care. As long as she could avenge her parents, it would be worth it even if she were crippled. What did disfigurement matter?

This was just the beginning.

In the dimness, Yu Qingwu wiped away her tears and slowly fell asleep, listening to Shen Ge's miserable screams.

Shen Ge received a thorough beating. In the dark night, he howled miserably and shrilly, losing all his usual refined and humble demeanor.

Beaten and humiliated, Shen Ge didn't have the face to go out for a long time.

It wasn't until the day of the Old Madam Shen's birthday that he reluctantly went to the front hall to help.

Yu Qingwu had also been recuperating in her room for nearly a month, but the scars on her face were still very obvious.

Early winter was approaching, and the weather was getting colder.

Yu Qingwu was wrapped in a cotton robe, sitting quietly in front of the dressing table.

The maid Yuzhu stood behind her, staring at the face in the mirror that had been eaten away by earthworms, her face filled with worry. "Miss, what should we do? Today is the Old Madam's birthday banquet. You can't possibly go to the front yard with a veil, can you?"

"Yuzhu, you can go down first. I'll take care of it myself," Yu Qingwu said softly, waving her hand.

Yuzhu was slightly stunned and retreated.

Yu Qingwu got up, took out her brush and ink from a box, and returned to the vanity mirror.

Since she couldn't cover it up, she might as well draw a peony covering half of her face...

"Your face is already like this, and you still dare to paint recklessly."

"Yu Qingwu, aren't you afraid of getting infected?"

Just as Yu Qingwu's hand touched the ink, an arm suddenly reached out from behind her and knocked the brush from her fingers to the ground.

The man's familiar and wicked voice made Yu Qingwu's body stiffen. She turned around abruptly, and when she saw that chiseled face, her complexion instantly turned pale. She shouted at him sternly, "You… how did you get in here? What do you want to do again?"