C5 It Was Just to Let You Suffer

Yu'er was hit so hard she was dizzy, and in desperation, she grabbed Shen Yao's shoulder, nearly pulling off her coat as she fell backward.

Shen Yao blushed with anger, unable to hide the fury in her eyes as she glared at Gu Zhuohua. "Miss Gu, you're going too far! Even if you hit a dog, you should consider its owner. You're clearly trying to harm Yu'er!"

Gu Zhuohua's eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, ignoring the last part of Shen Yao's words.

Shen Yao felt a chill under her gaze, but before she could gather her thoughts, the woman across from her spoke again.

"Xiaoxi, didn't you hear what Miss Shen said? When you hit a dog, you should 'consider' the owner. If you don't behave, people will say our family lacks manners. Why are you just standing there?"

Xiaoxi, quick on the uptake, suppressed her delight and nodded vigorously at Gu Zhuohua. "Yes, Miss." Then she turned to Shen Yao, her timid demeanor gone, and said with a smile, "Miss Shen, I'll do just as you said."

With that, she glanced at Shen Yao and slapped Yu'er hard across the face.

"You..." Shen Yao glared at Gu Zhuohua, speechless. In the capital, no one had ever dared treat her this way. Even the young ladies from prominent families tried to curry favor with her. Yet, Gu Zhuohua had always disregarded her, and now she was humiliating her in front of everyone!

Gu Zhuohua feigned innocence. "Me? What did I do? Oh, I get it. Miss Shen must mean she wants to discipline her own maid, right? Look at me, forgetting my own words. Truly a slap in the face." She turned to Xiaoxi, who was eager to continue, and said, "Xiaoxi, come back now. Don't delay Miss Shen from disciplining her maid."

Although Xiaoxi wanted to teach Yu'er another lesson, she was already satisfied with the slap and the hit she'd delivered. Even the pain from her own injuries seemed to fade. When Gu Zhuohua called her back, she was more than happy to oblige. "Yes, I'm coming."

The young maid darted off the platform in a flash. Shen Yao was practically seething with anger by now, and when she looked down at the crowd below, she saw they had shifted from seeking justice to simply enjoying the spectacle. After all, people have always loved gossip; as long as it doesn't affect them, they just want the show to be as entertaining as possible. Gu Zhuohua understood this perfectly, which is why she acted so brazenly.

With her arms crossed and a smirk on her face, Gu Zhuohua taunted Shen Yao, "Miss Shen, are you hesitating because you can't bring yourself to do it? I suppose it's understandable. I've heard you and your maid have always been as close as sisters. Even if she made a mistake, you wouldn't lay a hand on her."

With those words, Gu Zhuohua effectively dragged Shen Yao's reputation through the mud. For someone like Shen Yao, who prided herself on her status and was known as a talented young woman, being compared to a maid was nothing short of an insult. Her hesitation slowly gave way to resolve.

Yu'er, seeing this, was alarmed. She realized that her mistress had been swayed by Gu Zhuohua's words. Quickly, she knelt down and slapped herself hard across the face. "Please, Miss, don't be angry. It's my fault for acting on my own and putting you in a difficult position. I deserve to be punished! Please, calm down."

Yu'er continued to slap herself, tears streaming down her face, though inside she felt nothing but coldness. Gu Zhuohua watched the scene with satisfaction, her earlier frustration dissipating.

Though Yu'er wasn't exceptionally beautiful, she was still a cut above most maids, given her position by Shen Yao's side. Gu Zhuohua's actions weren't entirely unreasonable. Seeing that Yu'er had punished herself enough, she finally spoke up.

"Yu'er, you should stop now. It would be a shame to ruin such a pretty face. I think your mistress has calmed down by now," Gu Zhuohua said with a regretful shake of her head.

Shen Yao felt a surge of anger rise in her throat. She had wanted to speak up earlier, but hesitated, wary of what tricks Gu Zhuohua might pull. Now, she found herself ensnared by a cunning woman, and it was hard to swallow her pride.

Yu'er noticed the resentment in Shen Yao's downcast eyes and felt her own grievances turn into shared indignation. If it weren't for Gu Zhuohua and that maid Xiaoxi, her mistress would never have treated her this way.

Renowned as the most talented woman in the land, Shen Yao had underestimated Gu Zhuohua once, never expecting her to change so suddenly. But now, with her guard up, she wouldn't be caught off guard again.

Looking at Yu'er still kneeling on the ground, Shen Yao spoke with a mix of calmness and a touch of sympathy, "Alright, Yu'er, get up. Remember to think twice before you speak or act in the future."

"Yes," Yu'er replied, sniffling as she stood up, positioning herself properly behind Shen Yao, her head bowed in silence.