C19

6:30 in the morning.

A family meeting at the Ye household.

The Ye family living room was filled with nearly everyone in the house. Old Madam Ye sat in the main seat, resembling a stern judge. Her face was marked by prominent cheekbones and thin skin, with sharp, shrewd eyes. Her body was plump, and when she moved, the rolls of fat around her waist jiggled. She had a face that was three parts harsh and seven parts sharp-tongued. Clearly, she was a difficult and acerbic old lady.

This was Ye Yuvyuv's assessment of her grandmother. Others might fear her, but not Ye Yuvyuv. She had never been afraid of her grandmother, not even as a child. Back then, just like her older sister, she had been chased and spanked with a shoe by her grandmother. Her grandmother would call her a little troublemaker as she chased her, but Yuvyuv would retort, "If I'm a little troublemaker, then my dad's a big troublemaker, and you're the original troublemaker. Like father, like daughter."

Her grandmother had been so enraged that she nearly fainted.

Ye Yuvyuv wasn't just unafraid of her grandmother; she often enjoyed provoking her, especially since her grandmother always bullied her mother and older sister.

"You little brat, who said you could sit? Do you think you deserve a seat here? Get up and kneel!" Old Madam Ye's sharp voice suddenly cut through the room as Yuvyuv was helping her sister find a chair.

Her older sister, Ye Nianci, instinctively flinched and started to kneel, but Yuvyuv held her back. Looking up with a mischievous grin, Yuvyuv glanced at Old Madam Ye, then turned to her father with a sweet smile, though her voice carried a hint of grievance. "Dad, I didn't do anything wrong. Why does Grandma want me to kneel?"

She didn't wait for Old Madam Ye to do what she usually did—throw a cup at her.

Yuvyuv suddenly let go of her sister's hand and, in a few quick steps, moved before anyone could react. With a swift kick, she knocked the smug Second Concubine to the ground.

"Second Concubine, didn't you hear Grandma telling you to kneel? How can you be so shameless? You stole from my mom, and instead of returning it, you dare to be defiant. You deserve a slap."

"Smack!"

Before the Second Concubine could respond, Yuvyuv's hand landed sharply on her face. This was the advantage of striking first.

"Ugh, so filthy, just like dirt. I should have taken a page from Grandma's book and used my shoe to hit you."

After delivering the slap, Yuvyuv, with everyone still in shock, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her delicate hands with disdain. She glanced down at her shoes, her pretty eyebrows furrowed, contemplating whether to take off her shoe and hit again.

"You little brat! You wretched child!" The old lady's voice trembled with anger, snapping everyone out of their stunned silence. Immediately, the room was filled with the sound of the maids and servants gasping in disbelief.

"Goodness, has the Fifth Miss gone mad?"

"That's the Second Concubine!"

"And she's protected by the old lady."

"The Fifth Miss dared to kick the Second Concubine to the ground and even slapped her hard right under the old lady's nose."

"The old lady won't let this slide today."

Everyone was on edge. The household's masters were equally shaken.

Ye Mingyuan had married five concubines in total. Sitting on the left, the Third Concubine, who had been ready to throw a few jabs at Yuvyuv and her sister as usual, now kept her mouth shut. Her hand instinctively touched her own face, thinking, "That must have hurt. This troublesome girl is getting bolder by the day, even daring to slap the Second Concubine, who has the old lady's backing."

The Fourth Concubine sat beside the Third Concubine, cradling a thirteen-year-old girl with a calm demeanor. Her face showed a brief flicker of surprise but quickly returned to its usual indifferent expression. The Fifth Concubine, however, stood up and glanced worriedly in Yuvyuv's direction. She wanted to speak but knew her place in the presence of Old Madam Ye and Ye Mingyuan.

"Ye Yuvyuv, how dare you hit my mother!" A girl of about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a Western-style dress and heavily made-up, stormed out, pointing angrily at Yuvyuv.

Yuvyuv raised an eyebrow, casting a sidelong glance at the source of the voice, her eyes filled with a bold, carefree smile. "Yeah, I hit her. So what? If you’ve got the guts, come at me. I'll take you down too."

A mischievous glint flashed in Yuvyuv's eyes. She beckoned with a finger, taunting like she was teasing a cat or dog, inviting the fool to step forward. She thought to herself, if someone’s dumb enough to walk into a beating, why not oblige?

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