Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
She was biting her bottom lip when she suddenly burst into a scoff. “Don’t you understand what’s the situation here, mom? Just look at how the Mus are treating me; instead of coming and meeting us in person, they merely sent someone here to propose marriage on his behalf. Their lackadaisical effort clearly shows how low they think of me! They’re looking down on me and treating me as an object, yet you’re so anxious to take me to the bridal shop to select my gown! Won’t that be too unreserved of me?! If they find out that I’m so anxious to go select my gown when we’re not even engaged yet, they’ll surely see me as a laughingstock again!”
Shocked by the angry outburst, the older woman’s nose turned red. She felt aggrieved for herself, instead of on her daughter’s behalf, for her well-intentions had been met with snub!
“See you as a laughingstock?! Enya, do you know what will really make you a laughingstock? Wearing a simple gown at your wedding! All I want is to custom-make a beautiful gown for you to wear so that you’ll be married off in a grand fashion! This is what I can do for you, and it’ll help you to keep up with appearances!”
With rimming red eyes, she stared blankly at her mother. “How can I still expect to marry into the Mu family in a grand fashion at this point? This is no marriage. I’m shamelessly grabbing onto Mu Yancheng’s pants…”
A tear fell from one of her eyes as she choked through quivering lips, “I’m shamelessly grabbing onto Mu Yancheng’s pants and crawling into that family! Don’t you know how high and thorny their threshold is? I’m hurt all over, yet I still have to make myself believe that I’m highly respected. What right do I have to ask for a grand wedding? I don’t have the face to ask for this anymore.”
Struck dumb, the woman stared helplessly at her daughter.
“The grand wedding and whatnots are all just for your vanity!” spat the young missy sarcastically as she turned her head away in indignation.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qimeng’s countenance turned frosty. She no longer bothered coaxing her daughter and, instead, retorted, “Is it just only for ourselves? To think I thought that you have become sensible and mature after going through all that. That’s apparently not the case, though, seeing how you’re still throwing a tantrum and venting your frustrations on me. Reflect to yourself; you’re the one who reduced yourself into this sorry state! Your father, for your sake, paid such a hefty price and didn’t hesitate to use a plot of land in exchange for your clean reputation! Your willful behavior should stop!”
“He did it for the sake of his and the family’s reputation as well!” her daughter countered.
At that, she shot back, “Since you’re aware that you’ve disgraced the family, what right do you have to say such things?!”
Her words jolted Song Enya hard. The young missy watched her mother stand up and coolly looked at her. “You’ll go with me to select a bridal gown tomorrow. If you refuse to go, you’ll settle your marriage affairs on your own!”
With that, her mother turned around and left.
She watched the door be slammed close before the bedroom returned to a state of silence.
Biting her bottom lip hard in indignation, she balled up her fists and crumpled the bedsheets in the process.
…
The next day, by the time Jiang Qimeng got out of bed, her daughter, still in her pajamas, was already quietly sitting at the dining table and eating her breakfast.
