Chapter 16: Speaking Out in Defiance

"Enough!" Yun Xueyan suddenly lifted her head, glaring at Yun Xinyin. Her eyes were filled with hatred, pupils dilating abruptly. The hair that had been covering half her face fell away with the violent motion, revealing her entire visage.

Staring in terror at Yun Xueyan, who had changed so suddenly, Yun Xinyin felt as if her whole body had been nailed in place, unable to move.

She had only come to humiliate her, but hadn't expected such a fierce reaction!

"I told you not to insult my mother!" Yun Xueyan's furious gaze bore into Yun Xinyin, her voice taut as a drawn string, ringing with a steely hardness. "My mother may be a woman of the pleasure house, but she kept herself pure. When the Grand Tutor took her as a concubine, she was a performer, not a courtesan."

She knew her mother truly loved her father; otherwise she would never have chosen to become his lesser wife. Yet that man ultimately betrayed her mother, so all she wanted was to find a man who would devote himself solely to her. But such a dream would never come true.

Because she had already married a man who loved another woman.

"She is also the most noble mother in this world! It was your mother who forced mine into this situation. What right do you have to insult her? If we speak of disgrace, who could compare to you and your mother?"

Yun Xueyan's response left Yun Xinyin stunned and speechless.

Swallowing hard to steady her nerves, Yun Xinyin avoided looking at Yun Xueyan's face, but her words remained sharp and spiteful. "I'm only warning you not to seduce the prince!"

Yun Xueyan laughed coldly, this time it was her turn to look down on the woman before her.

"So you have so little confidence in yourself?"

She rose leisurely, her eyes icy as she looked at the woman sitting on the bed. The previous terror had faded completely—why should she be afraid? Could Yun Xueyan, with her ruined face, hope to compete with her?

"Princess, rest assured! I would never presume to aspire to the prince." Because she would never fall in love with Duan Nanyu.

It was only much later that Yun Xueyan realized one should never speak too absolutely. That claim of never loving him was true for her at that moment, but eventually, she paid a terrible price for it.

"Hmph, that's good!" Yun Xinyin had thought she could ridicule Yun Xueyan today, but unexpectedly she ended up in disgrace herself. No longer wishing to linger, she continued, "Know your lowly status, and don't dream of climbing higher."

"I dare not!"

Yun Xinyin said no more and turned to leave, but Yun Xueyan called out behind her, "Wait, Princess!"

"What is it?" Yun Xinyin turned in confusion.

"I ask you to apologize! Apologize to my mother!" Yun Xueyan spoke with force, her gaze steady and unwavering, waiting for the woman across the room to respond.

"What did you say? Apologize? Yun Xueyan, you must be dreaming! You and your mother aren't worthy of my apology!" With a scornful laugh, Yun Xinyin turned away, ignoring the woman behind her, and strode out.

"You must apologize to my mother!"

With her words ringing out, Yun Xinyin heard Yun Xueyan stumbling from her bed behind her. Turning, she saw Yun Xueyan charging at her with such ferocity that she retreated step by step, tripping and falling hard to the ground.

Her body struck the threshold, her hand scraped and blood oozed from the wound.

Yun Xueyan approached, stopping just beside the fallen woman, unable to take another step. All she could hear was Yun Xinyin's soft, sobbing cries…