The two girls arrived at the entrance of the main hall, where they were immediately met by the disdainful gazes of the servants. Upon seeing them, the staff did not hide their contempt, openly snorting and sneering in their direction. Bai Xifeng, however, chose to maintain her composure, opting to ignore their petty provocations entirely. Despite her clear intention to enter, the servants moved to obstruct the doorway, physically preventing her from stepping inside.
"What is the meaning of this? Why are you stopping me?" Bai Xifeng questioned, her voice calm but firm.
"The Old Madam has strictly decreed that you must remain here until you are specifically summoned," one of the servants replied. Her tone was dripping with blatant disrespect, lacking any of the deference usually afforded to a member of the household.
"Oh, I see. In that case, you should come and inform me once she finally decides to call," Bai Xifeng stated nonchalantly. Without waiting for a reaction, she turned on her heel and began to walk away from the area.
"Wait! Where do you think you're going?" the servant shouted, her voice laced with sudden panic as she watched Bai Xifeng's departing figure.
"I am going back to my courtyard, of course," Bai Xifeng answered, glancing back with a serene, mocking smile.
The servants were internally fuming with frustration. Their original plan was to humiliate Bai Xifeng by forcing her to wait outside like a commoner for hours. Seeing their trick fall apart so easily sent them into a frenzy of worry.
"Wait right here. I will go and inform the Old Madam of your arrival immediately," the servant huffed. She eventually abandoned her scheme, terrified that Bai Xifeng might actually leave or report the delay—even if the girl was widely considered to be a fool.
Bai Xifeng stood her ground and waited for a moment. She decided that if the servant who had just scurried inside did not return shortly to grant her entry, she would simply abandon all pleasantries and force her way in.
Fortunately, after only a few seconds, the servant reappeared and stiffly gestured for Bai Xifeng to enter. As she stepped into the expansive main hall, Bai Xifeng noted several women of high status seated in a semi-circle around Old Madam Bai.
"Greetings to the Old Madam... and the others," Bai Xifeng announced. she addressed them as 'others' simply because she was too disinterested to recall their specific titles. She knew she could search her memories to identify them, but as she had admitted to herself, she was far too lazy to bother.
Old Madam Bai felt a flicker of unease. She noticed that Bai Xifeng had pointedly avoided addressing her as 'Grandmother.' Usually, when the girl used that familial term, the Old Madam would snap at her in anger; however, this sudden cold distance felt even more unsettling.
"Do you have any idea why I have summoned you here today?" Old Madam Bai asked, pushing aside her weird feelings to get straight to the point.
"I haven't the slightest clue," Bai Xifeng answered, her expression the picture of innocence.
"You dare to beat Huiling and the other daughters, and yet you have the audacity to claim ignorance?" Old Madam Bai roared, slamming her hand down onto the table in front of her with a deafening thud.
"Yes! How dare you lay a hand on my daughter?" another woman chimed in sharply.
Bai Xifeng turned her gaze toward the speaker and began searching her mind for a name. 'Ah, this must be the primary wife of the Old Madam's son, Bai Guowei. Her name is Han Yunru. That would make Huiling her daughter.'
"They were the ones who attacked me first," Bai Xifeng told the Old Madam matter-of-factly.
"Mother, we must punish her severely to ensure she never attempts such a thing again," Han Yunru urged, her eyes burning with malice.
Bai Xifeng let out a tired sigh. It was obvious they had only summoned her here to enact revenge for their pampered daughters. Without a word of protest, Bai Xifeng reached down, lifted the hem of her skirt, and exposed her legs.
"What on earth are you doing?" Old Madam Bai hissed, her brow furrowing in confusion and offense at the unladylike display.
"I am showing you the bruises that cover my body as a result of today's 'beating,'" Bai Xifeng said, pointing to the dark marks. "Look closely at what your precious Huiling did to me."
Because the altercation had occurred only that morning, the bruises were vivid and fresh. They were numerous, scattered across her skin alongside older, fading scars that told a much longer story of abuse. To drive the point home, Bai Xifeng then pulled up her sleeves, revealing similar dark contusions across both of her arms.
The room fell into a stunned, heavy silence.
"What is the meaning of this, Bai Xifeng?" Old Madam Bai asked, though her anger now sounded strained.
"I am simply showing you that I was also a victim of their violence."
Old Madam Bai's fury reached a boiling point, not because of the injuries, but because there were outsiders present in the hall. Several other noblewomen were witnessing this entire scene, and it was clear they now understood exactly what was happening behind closed doors. These women were the mothers of the other children involved, and they were seeing the undeniable proof of how the Bai family mistreated the only daughter of the Great General Bai.
Realizing the scandal brewing, one of the guests stood up abruptly. "We have troubled the Old Madam enough for today. I have just remembered a pressing matter that requires my attention. Please, excuse me." She offered a curt bow and hurried out of the residence.
The other women followed suit immediately, leaving only the members of the Bai family alone in the tense silence of the hall.
"You... you... you..." Old Madam Bai stammered, her voice trembling with a rage so intense she could barely form a sentence.
"Mother, we really must punish her," Han Yunru whispered, still desperate to vent her frustration on the girl she viewed as a "little bitch."
"Will you shut up?" Old Madam Bai screamed at Han Yunru.
Han Yunru recoiled into silence. She realized her mother-in-law was livid because the capital's elite had just witnessed their shameful treatment of the General's daughter. By tomorrow, the entire city would be whispering about the Bai household's cruelty.
"Is there anything else you wished to discuss, Old Madam?" Bai Xifeng asked airily.
Old Madam Bai gripped her silk skirt tightly, her eyes narrowing. 'This child... she is different.'
"Oh, before I forget," Bai Xifeng added with a sweet, dangerous smile. "Old Madam, please instruct the kitchen staff that I expect to be served real food from now on, not the slop they've been sending. Don't make me have to mention this to my father."
The threat was thinly veiled behind her innocent tone. Bai Xifeng was making it very clear: the honor and status the Old Madam enjoyed today existed only because of Bai Xifeng's father,the son of the woman the Old Madam hated most. Without another word, and without waiting for permission to leave, the "foodie" turned and walked out, leaving the Old Madam speechless in her wake.
***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. It breaks my heart when someone steals my hard work. Can you consider reading it on the original website for those who read my novel on another website besides w e b n o v e l .c o m, as your support to me? Thank you, from, your shameless author, ZerahNeko***
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