Chapter 23: The Disabled Young Lady (Twenty-Three)

Chapter 23: The Disabled Young Lady (Twenty-Three)

Yu Yingying’s eyes widened in disbelief, her lips trembling as she stammered, "You—you dare hit me?!"

A loud, crisp slap was the only response, the sound echoing through the room and stunning everyone present.

Su Kui shook her hand, which had turned slightly red from the impact, and said nonchalantly, "Isn't this the solution you were looking for? There it is."

"Despicable! You—you are going too far!"

Su Kui had held nothing back; Yu Yingying’s delicate, pretty face had instantly swollen like a steamed bun, with the thin imprints of fingers clearly visible against her skin.

Wagging her index finger, Su Kui smiled. "No, no, no. I'm afraid you’ve forgotten the old saying: do unto others as they would do unto you."

If someone treats me with respect, I return it tenfold; if they do not, I return the favor in kind. This was Su Kui’s life philosophy. Raised in the circles of the elite, she possessed a pride and a dignity she would never compromise.

She did not want to die, but she refused to live on her knees. If she were to lose her spine, even if she eventually obtained a resurrection potion and returned to the world where her loved ones lived, everything would be irrevocably changed.

She would have lost her dignity and her integrity. How then could she ever face her grandfather, who had taught her from a young age that even as a woman, one must remain strong and unyielding? A child of the Su family must possess an iron-willed backbone to be worthy of the name.

As Yu Yingying’s face twisted with rage and she lunged forward viciously, Su Kui parried with an air of indifference. She seized Yu Yingying’s wrist with a backhand grip and pulled her forward forcefully, delivering another stinging slap.

Leaning close to her ear, Su Kui whispered, her breath soft as orchids: "This slap is to remind you that once you step outside the Prime Minister’s estate, you are nothing. You’d better temper that attitude of yours; I’d hate to see you vanish like a shooting star in the night sky one day."

"Ahhhhh! You bitch—" The pain in her cheek made Yu Yingying’s speech slurred. Her almond-shaped eyes bulged, stripping away any semblance of the charming beauty she had pretended to be just moments before. "I’m going to kill you!"

Su Kui grabbed her other flailing arm, her grip like iron shackles, rendering her completely immobile. Then, while the crowd remained frozen in shock, she shoved her away with great force.

"Lüyao, I’m tired." Su Kui covered her mouth with a small yawn, a single crystalline tear clinging to her long, curled lashes, shimmering with delicate beauty.

"Yes, Miss!" Lüyao replied in a deep voice. No longer showing any courtesy to Yu Yingying, she used the strength she had cultivated since childhood to lift the girl up and toss her out of the room without a hint of mercy.

With a loud thud, Yu Yingying hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The sound shocked the others back to their senses. Their expressions turned pale, and some began to scurry toward the door. Just as they were a step away from escaping, a low whisper from behind brought them to a dead stop.

"My dear ladies, I trust you have all seen and heard everything today. Lady Yu barged into my room without rhyme or reason, struck me, and even clamored to kill me. All of this—"

"You heard it clearly, didn't you? I trust I don't need to teach you how to recount these events, do I? Hm?" Su Kui squinted, her gaze cool as it swept over them. Seeing the young women shrinking like frightened quails, nodding their heads frantically, she smiled with satisfaction. Excellent. It seemed she was becoming increasingly adept at playing the role of the wicked villainess.

"I won't keep you any longer. Please, feel free to leave."

As if terrified that the "demoness" Su Kui might call them back, the group of young women fled in a panic, their faces drained of all color.

Su Kui chuckled behind them, the sound only causing them to run faster.

Lüyao felt a bit speechless; she hadn't even had the chance to step in, yet her mistress had already reduced the others to such a pathetic state. Reflecting on Yu Yingying’s miserable condition, while she felt Su Kui’s methods were perhaps a bit reckless and violent, her heart felt warm. After all, no one had ever stood up for her like this before.