After Saving The Disabled Villain, I Was Attacked In Return! - Chapter 53

Jiang Yu turned to look at toward the commotion. Beside a Madam dressed in a vivid red robe, her fair complexion and delicate features striking, stood a rather plain-looking Miss.

The Miss’s face twisted with anger as she spoke, her hostility plain. Jiang Yu guessed that these Madams’ children weren’t easily fooled; she hadn’t even sat down before becoming their target.

Jiang Yu smiled faintly, feigning ignorance as she looked at the Miss. “Sister is right to scold me. Ningning is usually wrong, always staying cooped up in the General’s Residence and refusing to go out. Now that she misses her maternal grandparents, she wanted to come with her mother.”

As Jiang Yu spoke, her expression remained humble, avoiding confrontation. The crowd was surprised by her response.

Her maternal grandfather, holding a scroll, also noticed the change in Jiang Yu. He tilted the scroll slightly, discreetly observing her.

“Meng’er, how could you speak like that? Have you forgotten all the etiquette Mother taught you at home? How could you be outdone by your younger sister Jiang?” The Madam in red scolded gently. Meng’er finally lowered her head, seemingly convinced by the words.

“Meng’er? Gu Meng?” Jiang Yu searched her memory for information about the name and her family background. She finally remembered that Gu Meng was the daughter of Lord Gu and the second daughter of Shen Yun, Shen Xi. She was known for her sharp tongue and short-sightedness.

Since the three sisters were close in age, their children were also around the same age. Jiang Yu looked around and saw only one girl huddled in the corner, seemingly the only other child present.

That made sense. Shen Lian’s son was now of marriageable age, and they were already discussing a marriage proposal with the Princess’s Residence. It was proper to avoid contact with unmarried women to avoid any impropriety.

Madam Grand Secretary noticed the stiff atmosphere and began asking Shen Yun numerous casual questions about family matters. The others joined in, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Jiang Yu slowly approached the girl in the corner.

Qi An followed closely behind. When no one was looking, she tucked the hidden dart in her hand deeper into her sleeve.

If Gu Meng dared to speak ill of Jiang Yu again, Qi An wouldn’t mind arranging her sudden death in the Shen Residence. After all, hidden daggers are harder to detect than overt attacks, and the blame would never fall on her.

Jiang Yu seemed uninterested in continuing the argument, so Qi An refrained from intervening and obediently followed behind her, content to serve as a backdrop.

As Qi An watched Jiang Yu walk toward the corner, she finally noticed a woman who was clearly trying to avoid drawing attention.

“What’s your name?” Jiang Yu asked, her kind eyes shining as she gazed at the woman in the corner. To avoid drawing the attention of the Shen Residence staff, she lowered her voice.

Half-crouching to meet the woman’s gaze, Qi An observed that while Liu Xueyun’s features weren’t strikingly beautiful, there was a gentle warmth that lingered around her eyes and brows.

“I… I’m Liu Xueyun… It’s an honor to meet you, Eldest Miss Jiang…” Liu Xueyun’s voice carried a unique self-doubt, as if someone like her wasn’t worthy of speaking to someone as radiant as Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu frowned, finding the name strangely familiar. She recalled that one of Shen Lian’s concubines had indeed borne a daughter. Finding the girl charming, Shen Lian sometimes took her out and raised her practically as her own daughter.

Could this be Shen Lian’s daughter by a concubine?

“You don’t need to be so formal,” Jiang Yu said, her voice soft and sweet, pleasing to the ear. “By age, I should even call you ‘sister.'” Qi An followed behind her, hearing the term “sister” but realizing it wasn’t directed at her, causing an indescribable pang of discomfort in her heart.

Her gaze inadvertently sharpened toward the woman, who seemed unusually sensitive to such looks. Liu Xueyun immediately noticed the slight change in Qi An’s expression.

“Miss… Have I… offended you in some way?” Liu Xueyun asked, well aware of her own circumstances. Even though she had gained the favor of Madam Shen Lian, the family matriarch, she returned each day to her birth mother’s constant reminders, leaving her too afraid to entertain any improper thoughts.

Facing Qi An, she felt utterly inferior, thinking she might not even measure up to a mere servant girl in the General’s Residence. Her head drooped even lower.

Jiang Yu racked her brain, trying to recall any other stories or plot points about Liu Xueyun, but came up empty. The girl seemed so minor that she barely had any significant scenes in the book at all.

But precisely because of this, Jiang Yu was even more hesitant to act rashly. Who knew if a single ill-chosen word might trigger this pitiful woman’s future dark transformation?

Qi An’s lips curled into a smirk at her question. She slowly approached Liu Xueyun, her amber eyes fixed intently on the trembling girl. The oppressive aura surrounding Qi An made it impossible for anyone to speak, causing Liu Xueyun to tremble even more violently.

“I was wrong…” In the next moment, the usually aloof and proud Qi An lowered her head and apologized to Liu Xueyun. “I’m sorry I frightened you.”

Qi An repeated the apology several times, though her expression remained unchanged. Still, her gesture was sincere enough. Jiang Yu thought to herself that Qi An was no longer the prickly character from the original story. Under her “patient guidance,” the girl was gradually improving.

As the narcissistic Jiang Yu mused, Liu Xueyun seemed to have never heard anyone apologize to her before. She opened her mouth to say something, but Jiang Yu cut her off.

“Don’t be frightened. We’re not here to criticize you. It’s just that… she and I can’t seem to see eye to eye.” The pronoun “she” was used cunningly; Jiang Yu was actually referring solely to Gu Meng.

Although the original owner of this body had once been known as the “Little Tyrant” in the Capital, Jiang Yu couldn’t understand how Gu Meng, who was technically her cousin, could treat her so maliciously.

Jiang Yu shook her head. This might be one of the reasons why the three daughters of the Jiang family had fallen from grace. They were either too weak, too cunning, or… too tyrannical.

Jiang Yu felt a headache coming on. If Grand Secretary Shen was right, he shouldn’t be treating her so poorly either.

The first time she returned with Shen Yun, this was the result. It was truly disheartening.

Liu Xueyun quickly understood that Jiang Yu was referring to Gu Meng. Whenever she thought of Gu Meng, she recalled how the woman had mocked her when she was first brought into the Jiang residence. Liu Xueyun knew her place and had never dared to say anything. But now, seeing that even the powerful Jiang Yu had to endure Gu Meng’s scorn, Liu Xueyun couldn’t help but feel a newfound respect for her.

“It’s alright…” Liu Xueyun stammered. “Since we can’t agree with her anyway, there’s no point in arguing.” She looked at Jiang Yu with genuine sincerity.

Qi An followed Jiang Yu’s gaze to Liu Xueyun. Perhaps because of the earlier exchange, Jiang Yu now wore a slightly aggrieved expression, her red lips pouting as if she’d been wronged. This adorable look made Qi An feel a twinge of jealousy.

She stood silently before Liu Xueyun, blocking their line of sight while feigning concern. “Did she say something to you too?” she asked. “That’s really heartless…”

Liu Xueyun was bewildered by the sudden shift in attitude from someone who had previously been so hostile toward her. Jiang Yu nudged Qi An’s arm, clearly puzzled by her newfound interest in Liu Xueyun.

Jiang Yu, however, seemed genuinely upset. She turned away to join Shen Yun and the others in their conversation, unwilling to look back at their exchange.

Qi An noticed Jiang Yu’s gaze shift, though she couldn’t quite understand why. Still, she felt a surge of satisfaction that Jiang Yu had averted her eyes from Liu Xueyun.

Qi An offered a few perfunctory words of comfort to smooth things over, then moved to stand beside Jiang Yu, intending to talk. But to her surprise, Jiang Yu’s deep unhappiness was practically radiating from her face.

“What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?” Qi An tried to comfort Jiang Yu, mimicking what others would do. She wasn’t very good at expressing emotions, but she didn’t want to upset Jiang Yu, so she tried to cheer her up.

“Why do you even care about me? You should pay more attention to Liu Xueyun,” Jiang Yu blurted out, but lowered her voice, remembering she was in the Shen Residence.

Qi An was puzzled. “So, you’re upset because I talked to her earlier?” She was half-guessing, staring intently at Jiang Yu, afraid she might say something embarrassing next.

Instead, Jiang Yu’s cheeks flushed pink. She lowered her head and tugged gently at Qi An’s sleeve, a silent acknowledgment mixed with a small rebellion. “It’s because I… I see you as a good friend… that I… I get upset! Because I want to be your best friend…”

For some reason, Jiang Yu’s speech became slightly stuttered as she spoke. Qi An listened quietly to Jiang Yu, and when she finished, a brief spark of hope flared in Qi An’s heart. But like a firework quickly fading, it left only a sense of emptiness.

Just… friends? Qi An knew she was asking too much. But if she could just protect Jiang Yu properly, she could finally let go of her worries.

Seeing Qi An’s lack of reaction, Jiang Yu thought Qi An didn’t even want to be friends with her. Her small face instantly fell into dejection.

But the optimistic Jiang Yu quickly cheered herself up:

“I don’t care! As long as I feel you’re my best friend, then you are!”

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