Volume 1, Chapter 4: One Slap for Every Call

Ji Rongxue listened to Ye Wanqing's explanation from outside the sedan chair and offered a meaningful smile. "The Ye family is truly a distinguished house; not only did you marry off the eldest young master, but you also threw in a 'buy one, get one free' deal, packing the younger brother along as part of the dowry. Though... next time, you really should choose someone who has at least reached the age of adulthood."

"Could it be that this younger brother is so ugly that nobody wanted him, forcing the Ye family to pawn him off as a dowry gift?"

The remark hit the nail on the head, and the crowd grew curious. "Exactly! If it was a last resort, then what is this about a dowry? Even if he has the potential to be a pretty boy, he's still just a child, isn't he? I refuse to believe the Grand Princess specifically requested him!"

"Perhaps he asked for it himself."

Leaning against the carriage, Ye Fusang remained silent. At these words, she suddenly let out an inexplicable laugh. How could one possibly reason with people who believe every rumor they hear? "Alright, Little Ji, come and drive the carriage."

"You're quite good at enduring," Ji Rongxue remarked after entering the carriage, glancing her up and down. "No wonder you're so thin."

Ye Fusang merely gave a calm smile. "Wait until you see our home; you'll realize what true endurance is."

"That is *your* home," Ji Rongxue emphasized, flicking his white hair with a faint smile. "Only a dog would mistake a kennel for a home. As for me, I am the one most favored by Her Highness, and I live in the finest quarters."

"Such petty ambitions," Ye Fusang replied, casting a dismissive glance at the incredibly arrogant man before her.

After stepping out of the carriage, the two walked toward a dilapidated and desolate courtyard.

"Wait... are we really living in this wilderness?" Ji Rongxue complained. "We might be carried off by mosquitoes in the middle of the night without even knowing it."

Just as they reached the courtyard gate, an angry, childish voice rang out. "Who gave you permission to enter! A bunch of idiots! Did I say you could come in?" A chubby young boy brandished a sharpened bamboo pole toward them.

Lacking the reach, he simply swiped at them wildly. "Stupid servants! You are not allowed in the master’s courtyard! Get out!"

Ji Rongxue was startled and pulled Ye Fusang back a few paces. "How are we supposed to get in?"

Unexpectedly, seeing he hadn't hit them, the boy charged forward with the bamboo pole. "Stupid servants! Who told you to dodge? You're making me furious!"

"Oh, it's nothing," Ye Fusang said, waving a hand. It was a trivial matter. She stepped forward, and as the bamboo pole swept toward her, she jumped up and snapped it under her foot with a single strike.

Seeing his weapon rendered useless, the boy struggled to pull the pole away, then tried to lunge forward and bite Ye Fusang’s leg. Startled, Ye Fusang quickly pulled her foot back and shoved her boot into the boy’s wide-open mouth.

"Ah—!" The boy’s mouth was filled, and he was kicked to the ground. His eyes turned red, and he glared at Ye Fusang like a furious beast. "Bitch! Ye Fusang, you bitch! Didn't you die out there? Why have you come back?"

"Mother! Mother—! Ye Fusang is back, and this bitch dares to hit me!"

The noise gave Ye Fusang a headache. She stepped forward and delivered two slaps to Ye Jiang’s face—left and right—saying softly, "One slap for every shout."

Ye Jiang glared at her viciously and snatched up the bamboo pole from the ground.

Before she had even finished speaking, the bamboo pole Ye Jiang had just picked up somehow ended up in Ye Fusang's hand, and with a clean sweep, she sent him rolling back to the ground.

"Impressive," Ji Rongxue remarked, watching this fluid display of skill. It was as if his own chest had suddenly cleared. Truly, one dog was fiercer than another. "Monkey-brother, you certainly have a knack for thievery and skullduggery; you're quite the expert."

"Do you want to experience my thieving methods yourself?" Ye Fusang raised an eyebrow at him.

"Let's skip that, then," Ji Rongxue yawned, feeling a pang of heartache as he thought of his vanished gold ingots.

"Who is bullying my Jiang'er? I, his mother, will make them pay! Oh—my poor Jiang'er! Which little slut did this?" A woman emerged from the back garden. Her first reaction upon seeing Ye Fusang was terror, but then, seeing her bruised and battered son, she rushed over, wailing, "What a disaster! How did I give birth to such a worthless wretch?"

"My Jiang'er! Ye Fusang, you little slut, why didn't you just die at the Princess’s estate?"

"Hiss..." Listening to the barrage of venomous words, a tide of sorrow surged in Ye Fusang's heart, nearly drowning her.

"Monkey-brother, what's wrong?" Seeing Ye Fusang clutching her chest and turning pale, Ji Rongxue quickly steadied her.

Ye Fusang composed herself and stood firm. "I'm fine."

Ye Jiang was evil by nature, and Liu Chihua was not fit to be a mother.

She narrowed her eyes at the woman wailing on the ground and curled her lips. "Mother, why don't you ask how I managed to return alive from the Princess’s estate?"

"That cup of lotus seed soup before I left..." Ye Fusang paused. "I had only been gone for two days, and I missed you terribly."

"You... how could you run back like this? What if the Grand Princess punishes us?" A flash of terror crossed the woman's eyes, but upon seeing the familiar, frail figure before her, her arrogance reignited. She stepped toward Ye Fusang, preparing to slap her face. "And you beat your brother like this, you heartless wretch!"

Suddenly, a pair of cold hands gripped her wrists through a silk handkerchief. The grip was so powerful that her face twisted in pain. "Aunt, please watch your tongue."

"The young master was indeed brought into the Grand Princess’s estate, and he was returned to the Ye family by the Princess’s own carriage."

"Ah..." Liu Chihua felt as if her wrists were about to be crushed, her face contorting. "Let... let go..."

Ji Rongxue released her, and the handkerchief that had touched her fell onto the muddy ground. He smiled. "Remember, watch your tongue."

Seeing this, Ye Fusang couldn't help but lower her head and smile. "I knew Brother Ji was the best."

Hearing this, Ji Rongxue felt disgusted... He had kindly helped her with a slap, and she called him "Ji-ge-ge"? Simply outrageous!

"How... how could you?" Liu Chihua was furious, but with Ji Rongxue present, she dared not speak openly.

"How could what?" A soft, gentle voice suddenly intervened. It was Ye Wanqing and Ye Wansu, dressed in white and green silk.

Ye Wanqing looked at Ji Rongxue with a faint smile. "Young Master is a guest of the Grand Princess. I have arranged a room for you. Please, follow me."

Hearing this, Ji Rongxue brightened. "That works! That's excellent!"

Ye Fusang stepped forward, pushing Ji Rongxue aside, and smiled. "Elder sister, what about me?"

"Aunt Liu and Jiang'er are staying here in Luofang Garden. A dog does not despise its own home; does my younger brother dislike his aunt?" Ye Wanqing asked softly.

"That's not it at all." Ye Fusang sighed. "This matter concerns the lives of over a hundred people in the Ye family. How about this: Elder sister, come with me to the main hall, and we shall call Father over to discuss it."

"What matter?" Ye Wanqing asked coldly, her tone carrying an oppressive weight, clearly refusing.

"A major one, naturally." Ye Fusang clapped her hands together and said flatly, "Alright, elder sister, you're a young lady, don't worry your head about this. This is a matter for Father and me to consider."