C6 Chapter 6

With the original owner’s memories, Chu Jiuge understood perfectly well that in East Forest—a place where news spread by word of mouth—you had to be extremely careful when judging someone. What you said about a person could very well shape the rest of their life.

In East Forest, people placed enormous weight on the opinions of teachers and elders, respected figures, and powerful aristocratic families.

If any one of them said, “You’re no good,” that label could stick to you forever. No matter how well you conducted yourself afterward, you would still be “no good.” Later, whenever others dealt with you, the first thing they might hear would likely be, “Don’t talk to this person. So-and-so already said they’re no good.”

Xiao Jing'an was the young master of the powerful Xiao family, and his character was widely respected. If he publicly declared that Chu Jiuge was a vicious woman, then barring some miracle, that judgment would follow her for the rest of her life.

Whenever anyone mentioned Chu Jiuge, the response would be, “Oh, her—the vicious woman Young Master Xiao talked about. She must be awful. Stay away from her.”

It could even go so far that, despite an imperial marriage decree, the North Duke might still refuse to marry Chu Jiuge. After all, she had been branded a vicious woman by a young nobleman from a great family. If she was that bad, people would believe she could only be worse, never better.

From then on, even if she were humiliated or killed, the authorities might not care—because she was a vicious woman.

“Apologize!” Chu Jiuge knew exactly how devastating the words “a woman’s heart is the cruelest of all” could be for her reputation, and her face turned cold at once.

“What did you say? You want me to apologize?” The moment the words left his mouth, Xiao Jing'an realized he had gone too far.

He was angry that Chu Jiuge had hurt Yunhua, but he should never have thrown out a charge like that so casually. Those words were enough to ruin her life. But...

The pride bred into the children of great houses meant he would never regret something like this openly, much less take it back.

As for apologizing, that was out of the question.

“Yes. I want you to apologize, Young Master Xiao!” If Xiao Jing'an refused to apologize today, Chu Jiuge would be left with almost no way forward.

Even if the North Duke was far away in North County and unaware of what had happened today, the Chu family and the royal family would never allow a woman the young master of the Xiao family had called “as vicious as they come” to marry the North Duke and disgrace them both.

“The Xiao family is never wrong. We never apologize.” Xiao Jing’an looked at Chu Jiuge with unmistakable arrogance, not taking her words seriously at all.

Even if, just a moment ago, he had felt the slightest hint that he might have gone too far, he certainly didn’t feel that way now.

Apologize?

What a joke.

An aristocratic family descendant like him apologize to a commoner?

The Chu family might have done well for itself these past few years and entered official ranks, but in Xiao Jing’an’s eyes, a family that had risen from humble beginnings was still nothing more than common folk—insignificant as ants.

Yuen Yunhua covered her injured face, her eyes blazing with fury. “Don’t waste words on her. Take her.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The three men in gray lunged for Chu Jiuge. They had assumed it would be easy, but the instant they reached for her, Chu Jiuge moved...

“No apology, then die!” In a flash, Chu Jiuge slipped neatly past their attack. Before Xiao Jing’an could react, she stepped forward, slammed Yuen Yunhua aside, and grabbed Xiao Jing’an by the collar.

Yuen Yunhua’s face was ruined, Xiao Jing’an had called her vicious, and now he had sent his guards to seize her. It was obvious this would not end peacefully. Since that was the case, she had no choice but to strike first and force Xiao Jing’an to let her go in front of everyone.