"Madam..." Xue Xingyue’s words were cut short as Madam Jiang blocked her view.
Madam Jiang’s expression was flustered. "Xing... Princess Xingyue, please leave first. This humble woman has something to discuss with the Young Master."
Xue Xingyue glanced at the two indistinct figures behind the curtain. Even without lifting it, she knew what was happening. But since Madam Jiang was trying so hard to stop her, she decided to pretend ignorance.
Unfortunately, some people weren’t about to let Madam Jiang have her peace. "Aunt, why... why are you here?"
Madam Jiang detested Jiang Xiu Yi to the core, but with Princess Xingyue present, she couldn’t say anything. She could only retort, "Be quiet. The Princess is here, and you dare to shout? You have no manners at all."
Madam Jiang thought her words would awe Jiang Xiu Yi, but she never expected Jiang Xiu Yi was waiting for this very moment.
"Princess? Princess Xingyue?" Jiang Xiu Yi exclaimed.
Madam Jiang ignored Jiang Xiu Yi and turned to Xue Xingyue. "Princess, this child has been spoiled by this humble woman. When we return home, this humble woman will surely discipline her. I hope the Princess will overlook this."
"It's nothing. Since there's nothing else, this Princess will take her leave!" Xue Xingyue said, preparing to depart.
"Princess, please stay." Jiang Xiu Yi suddenly cried out and emerged from behind the curtain.
Madam Jiang glared fiercely at Jiang Xiu Yi and whispered, "Go back."
Jiang Xiu Yi was not intimidated by Madam Jiang. Instead, she knelt down with a thud, crawling towards Xue Xingyue, weeping. "Your Highness Princess, this commoner implores you to fulfill my union with the Young Master! Please!"
Hearing this, Madam Jiang was furious. She strode forward, slapped Jiang Xiu Yi, and roared, "Jiang Xiu Yi, have I been too lenient with you, that you would spout such nonsense here?"
Jiang Xiu Yi shook her head. "Aunt, Xiu Yi is not spouting nonsense. Xiu Yi has already consummated her relationship with cousin."
Madam Jiang felt a surge of blood, her head swimming. She pointed at Jiang Xiu Yi, her voice trembling with rage, "You... say that again?"
Jiang Xiu Yi cried, enunciating each word, "Xiu Yi has already consummated her relationship with the Young Master."
"Slap..." Madam Jiang delivered a harsh slap to Jiang Xiu Yi, her whole body trembling with anger. "Jiang Xiu Yi, I always believed I treated you well as your aunt. Why must you bring disaster upon me and upon the Ningguo Duke’s Mansion?"
Jiang Xiu Yi sobbed, "Aunt, it is my fault. It is my fault that cousin and I could not control ourselves. It is my fault that cousin and I are deeply in love..."
"Silence, just be silent..." Madam Jiang commanded angrily.
Jiang Xiu Yi, hearing this, raised her head to look at Madam Jiang’s furious eyes, which seemed ready to devour her. Yet, she remained undaunted. "Aunt, it's done now. You can hit me or scold me as you please."
"You..." Madam Jiang was so angry she wished she could strangle Jiang Xiu Yi.
Jiang Xiu Yi looked at Xue Xingyue, who had been watching everything with such cold indifference since she arrived. She couldn’t understand, facing such a situation, wouldn’t she be angry? Seeing another woman with the Young Master, wouldn't she lose control? Why was she so calm, as if it had nothing to do with her?
"Your Highness Princess, I beg you to show some mercy and fulfill my union with the Young Master!" Jiang Xiu Yi said.
Xue Xingyue remained silent, her gaze coolly fixed on Jiang Xiu Yi. Though her eyes were as cold as frost, there was no trace of anger in them.
Just then, Meng Jiangming on the bed woke up. He clutched his head and sat up, looking around. He was startled by the figures in front of the curtain.
As he was about to speak, he heard Jiang Xiu Yi’s voice.
"Your Highness Princess, this commoner knows she is not worthy of the Young Master, so she dares not hope the Young Master will take her as a concubine. This commoner only wishes to stay by the Young Master's side. I implore Your Highness to grant this."
With that, Jiang Xiu Yi gritted her teeth and kowtowed twice on the ground, with great force.
Meng Jiangming heard Jiang Xiu Yi kowt so forcefully. He thought about how he had just taken his cousin’s virginity, and now she was being forced to kneel and beg. And she wasn’t begging for status, only to stay by his side. Were even such small things to be denied?
Thinking this, Meng Jiangming got off the bed, casually threw on an outer robe, and walked out.
Jiang Xiu Yi’s gaze flickered. She kowtowed twice more, her expression pitiable. "Your Highness, I beg you to fulfill this."
Meng Jiangming’s eyes fell upon the redness and swelling on Jiang Xiu Yi’s forehead. Her tear-streaked face, with its swollen brow, looked so heartbreakingly lovely.
An inexplicable desire to protect surged within him. He stepped forward, grabbed Jiang Xiu Yi, and pulled her behind him. He then raised his head to meet those eyes, which were as cold as frost.
It was a look of indifference, detachment, and utter lack of concern.
Meng Jiangming thought that upon hearing Jiang Xiu Yi’s plea, Princess Xingyue, even if not furious, would at least show some reaction. Yet, the Princess Xingyue before him was entirely aloof, exuding a sense of being miles away, not at all the look of someone angered by this matter.
For some inexplicable reason, Meng Jiangming felt an unprecedented sense of shame. He could feel that Princess Xingyue did not care about him at all, nor about who he slept with.
Thinking this, a sense of anger welled up within him. He said coldly, "Xiu Yi, you do not need to beg anyone. I have taken your virginity. From this day forward, you are my person. No one has the right to drive you away or punish you."
"No... Cousin, you cannot. Princess Xingyue is the jewel of the heavens. We cannot do this. Cousin, move aside, let me beg the Princess again." Jiang Xiu Yi tried to step out from behind Meng Jiangming.
"Beg? Beg whom? You are my person, and I do not permit anyone to touch you," Meng Jiangming said, looking at Xue Xingyue word by word.
"Meng Jiangming, you..." Madam Jiang, upon waking from her faint, heard Meng Jiangming's words and felt a sharp pain in her chest.
Meng Jiangming shuddered. He looked behind him and saw Madam Jiang glaring at him with fury.
"Mother, why are you here?" Meng Jiangming was stunned. He hadn't seen his mother at all.
"Meng Jiangming, hurry up and apologize to Princess Highness." Madam Jiang said angrily.
Meng Jiangming replied, "Mother, I have done nothing wrong. I..."
Madam Jiang slapped him, her voice filled with disappointment. "Jiangming, I never knew you were such a muddle-headed person. I... I must beat some sense into you today."
With that, Madam Jiang continued to slap Meng Jiangming across the face.
Seeing this, Jiang Xiu Yi quickly stepped forward to shield Meng Jiangming. Madam Jiang, seeing Jiang Xiu Yi, became even more enraged and slapped her face. Jiang Xiu Yi endured the pain in silence, not daring to say anything to Madam Jiang.
She looked at Xue Xingyue, who was indifferently watching everything, and said, "Your Highness, are you just going to watch the Young Master get beaten?"
Xue Xingyue, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. Her gaze was clear and cold, her tone icy. "Miss Jiang, don't you think you are the least qualified person to say that?"