“You’re r-right… He only treats me like a…like a m-mistress now! I’m so…s-stupid!” Jiang Ying Yue sobbed.
The cook couldn’t take it anymore. She went to Jiang Ying Yue and hugged her. Jiang Ying Yue cried against the cook’s chest.
“No, sweetie. You’re not stupid. Your situation is just complicated but I’m sure the Young Master still loves you and Little Jun. It’s just that he and the Young Miss fought and you’re caught between them,” the cook said, trying to comfort her.
Wei Lan snorted. “What are you talking about? Of cooooouuurse, she’s STUPID. If she wasn’t, she would’ve gotten that ring on her finger and made that piece of shit sign the marriage contract first before getting herself pregnant. That way, her son would have privileges as a legitimate child of the Long clan. And if she doesn’t want to stay married with that piece of shit anymore, she could divorce him at any time and squeeze alimony and child support from him! Then she would be FREE to do whatever she wants! That’s what I did because I’m soooooo smart!”
“That’s not smart. That’s being opportunistic and manipulative. Ying Yue is a good girl, not like you,” Yi Mei thought to herself but didn’t dare say it out loud.
“I…I can’t do that! I l-love him…I love him so much that it h-hurts… I want to be with him and have a h-happy family together with our son…b-but I also d-don’t want my son and I to…to suffer from the Long elders and relatives when—IF we marry!” Jiang Ying Yue continued to sob.
Wei Lan curled her blood-red lip at Jiang Ying Yue’s loud cries.
“Look at all those muscles. You look like you could lift ten of me, but you’re actually so WEAK inside. Hmph!” Then she crossed her arms across her chest. “I don’t give a damn about that piece of shit you continue to love so STUPIDLY. But since you’re my daughter’s friend and you look so PITIFUL right now, I just caaaaaan’t stand back here and do nothing. Wipe your PATHETIC tears, girl! Get ready in five minutes. We’re going shopping!”
Yi Mei: “…”
The cook: “???”
Everyone blinked several times, unable to comprehend the way Wei Lan’s mind worked. The atmosphere was tense, heavy and emotional, yet she wanted to go…shopping? Now?
When nobody moved after her instruction, Wei Lan became impatient. She released a long and dramatic sigh, then she started explaining things while enunciating each of her words, as if she was talking to a slow-witted child.
“Stop your pathetic crying! It’s terribly annooooooyiiiiiing! Get ready because I’m taking you shopping. You need some new clothes because those…those rugs are absolutely terrible! How do you expect that piece of shit to stay attracted to you if you don’t take care of yourself and make yourself beautiful? Just look at your skin! So rough! Ah, those dark circles and eyebags! Absolutely horrendous! And you act sooooo stiff! Is your spinal cord made up of a straight metal pipe or something? And oh my holy hairspray! That hair! Did a bird build a nest on it?!”
Even though Jiang Ying Yue wasn’t the type to care about her appearance, all of Wei Lan’s harsh and unfiltered criticisms made her self-conscious. She touched her hair and attempted to tame it.
Yi Mei and the cook felt sorry for her. The old witch was definitely back and she was bullying Jiang Ying Yue. Yi Mei already decided that she would tell the Young Miss everything that happened when she returned home from work tonight.
“Tell me, girl. How old are you?” Wei Lan asked.
“Twenty-six…” Jiang Ying Yue replied.
“You’re sooooo young but you already look older than ME!” Wei Lan claimed.
“Nonsense. You definitely look younger than your actual age, but there’s no way you look younger than Ying Yue,” Yi Mei thought to herself, but of course, she didn’t dare say it out loud.
Jiang Ying Yue: “No….”
Wei Lan: “Do you feel sexy?”
Jiang Ying Yue shook her head. Her lack of confidence in her appearance was obvious in the way she squirmed on her seat under Wei Lan’s judgmental eyes.
“Ah! This is puuuuure TRAGEDY!” Wei Lan exclaimed in a dramatically horrified expression. “Girl, if you don’t feel beautiful and sexy about yourself, then don’t ever expect others, much less that piece of shit, to think that you are. Beauty and sexiness come from within yourself—”
Yi Mei and the cook’s eyes widened in amazement at Wei Lan’s “deep” speech about beauty.
“—but of course, a few facials, a good haircut, sexy wardrobe, nice manicured and pedicured nails, regular hair waxing appointments—laser if you can afford it—and the best skincare products make a world of difference! Did Xiulan not give you any Orchidia Beauty samples? I don’t know where she gets them, but they’re amaaaaaziiiing! I feel so younger already just by using them for only a few days~ I wish it’s the fall season already so that I can buy them when they officially launch!”
Wei Lan didn’t wait for Jiang Ying Yue to reply. She continued her “lecture”.
“Once you feel beautiful and sexy, everyone will also begin to see you as a beautiful and sexy woman! Like ME! Oh, and of course like my daughter too. After all, Xiulan inherited her beauty from ME, her beeeeaaaauuuutiful mother! Just look at the evidence! She got herself a perfect man like dear Liwei, not like that piece of shit you got engaged to.
“Listen to me, girl! The best perfume a woman can wear is…CONFIDENCE! So in addition to getting you a new wardrobe to replace those rugs today, I’m going to give you a makeover! I guarantee that after today, you’ll transform into a completely new woman—beautiful and sexy…like ME! Oh, and like Xiulan too. Don’t you want to be confidently beautiful like me and my daughter?”
Of course, Wei Lan didn’t need a reply from her. The woman was used to talking by herself and calling it “conversation”.
“Once you become confident of your own beauty and sexiness, you’ll gain POWER and FREEDOM! Then maybe you’ll finally wake up from your stupidity and realize that you don’t need that piece of shit in your life after all. Maybe someday you’ll also find the perfect man for you like how my daughter Xiulan found her dear Liwei and”—giggle giggle—”how I found my vizconde who I loooooove very much!”
“Long Hui…is the only man that I love…” Jiang Ying Yue whispered.
“Hmph! Like I said, you are STUPID!” Then Wei Lan shrugged. “But at least you gave birth to a cute son. Well, he looks a little like my Xiulan, so of course he’s cuuuuuute. Anyway! Hurry up, stupid girl! Be ready in five minutes and meet me in the living area! I want us to be back by dinner so that we can eat with Xiulan and dear Liwei!”
Jiang Ying Yue hesitated and looked at Yi Mei and the cook. The uncertainty was clear in her eyes.
“Go, Ying Yue. A change of pace may be what you just need right now,” Yi Mei encouraged her. “We’ll take care of Little Jun so don’t worry.”
“Yes. It’s just a few hours at most. You’ll be back here in no time,” the cook said.
Wei Lan glanced at her diamond-encrusted wristwatch. “Four minutes left. Don’t waste any more time, girl.” Then she glanced at Yi Mei. “Go tell the driver to prepare the car.”
“Yes, Madam,” Yi Mei nodded.
Yi Mei: “Uh…yes, Madam. Understood.”
Then Wei Lan swept her eyes at the other staff standing by the corner, examining them. She pointed at a maid and a houseboy. “You and you. Come with us.”
“Yes, Madam!” they replied.
“But change your outfits first. There’s nooooooo way I’m going to allow you to walk with me wearing those rugs. Wear your best clothes! Three minutes left! Don’t keep me waiting!”
With that, Wei Lan made a graceful sharp turn and started strutting out of the kitchen like the model that she was, as if she was walking on a catwalk at a fashion show.
