A low cry swept through the room. The Wu Old Madam rose and called out sharply: “Hua Zhi, what do you think you are doing? Let go at once!”

The corner of Hua Zhi’s mouth curved upward. To everyone’s surprise, she truly did let go. The Yang Old Madam was equally startled — but she was not one to let the opportunity slip. She raised her hand again and brought it down forcefully. Just as it was about to strike her across the face, it was caught again — and this time, Hua Zhi applied a measure of pressure.

Rather than looking at the Yang Old Madam’s contorted expression, Hua Zhi looked toward the Wu Old Madam. “I followed your instruction and let go, did I not? And yet — is this entire room joining forces to bully me alone?”

She had indeed let go. She had indeed nearly been struck. No one had a word to say. Even the Wu Old Madam, who wished to take the Yang Family’s side, could only fall back on age and seniority as her argument. “No matter what, she is your elder. Do not hold grudges against her.”

“If I had received that slap, would the Wu Old Madam have said the same — to not hold grudges against an elder?”

The Wu Old Madam’s face burned, knowing full well that she had already had those exact words prepared — and though she had still said them, the meaning was entirely different now.

Naturally, she refused to admit it. She narrowed her eyes. “What sort of talk is that? I would never say such a thing. It is simply that she is older in years — if you are unreasonably unforgiving when you are in the right, reason itself can become unreason. Consider her status as your elder and let this pass.”

“What we call ‘respect for elders’ is not the respect of years, but of character and conduct. Some people, over a lifetime, have done nothing more than waste several decades of meals.” Hua Zhi released the hand and sat with easy confidence, an expression in her eyes that was almost daring.

The Yang Old Madam could not bear to be provoked like this. Even if her one hand was now numb and limp, her other hand still worked — and Hua Zhi was right beside her. She lunged forward intending to claw at Hua Zhi’s face.

Hua Zhi stepped aside, and as she did, she considerately hooked the chair out of the way as well — sparing the old woman from crashing into it and knocking out a tooth. But with the obstruction cleared and the Yang family granddaughter too slow to catch her, the room could only watch as the Yang Old Madam was about to go crashing to the floor. The Hua Zhi who had just stepped away then, to everyone’s astonishment, swiftly stepped forward and reached out to support her — so that though the fall did happen, it was not as severe as it might have been.

The Yang Old Madam looked up and found Hua Zhi looking down at her from above, eyes full of mockery. Her mind went momentarily blank. She had presided over the household for decades — every daughter-in-law at home had been held firmly in her grip, the inner household was hers to command absolutely. When had she ever suffered such humiliation?

Her hands and feet moved faster than her thoughts. Before she had even managed to get up off the ground, she swung toward Hua Zhi’s face — and this time she nearly caught the edge of it. It was only a glancing graze, but to those watching from a distance, it appeared she had made direct contact, and Hua Zhi had even turned her head with the motion!

The Yang Old Madam knew perfectly well she had not landed the blow, which only made her more indignant. Seeing Hua Zhi still within arm’s reach, she lunged without thinking — she was going to claw those bewitching features apart!

This time, Hua Zhi stepped back swiftly and decisively, and the Yang Old Madam hit the ground hard and thoroughly — yet no one could find fault with Hua Zhi for stepping away.

She had already helped once before. But what she received in return was the Yang Old Madam striking at her again. No reasonable person would extend the same hand a second time after that.

The Yang Family granddaughter rushed forward to help her grandmother up, her face flushed with embarrassment at the spectacle her grandmother had created before so many witnesses.

But the Yang Old Madam shoved her away with a force that sent the girl, caught entirely off guard, stumbling down onto the ground with a thud. The girl let out a small startled cry, which fell on the Yang Old Madam’s ears like the flip of a switch — she reined in all that fierce energy at once, and began to moan softly.

“Aiyoh, aiyoh…”

The assembled company exchanged glances. Hua Zhi stood apart and watched with cold eyes. She already knew what the Yang Old Madam was up to, and felt not a trace of urgency. She had gone forward to help the first time as a performance for those watching — and also to ensure the fall did not injure the old woman severely enough to make it impossible to extricate herself. The second time she had held back, having been able to judge from the height of the drop that it would cause no serious harm.

From where the others stood at a distance, they could not see clearly. She could. The moment the old woman hit the ground, her expression had not changed in the slightest — she had still looked as though she wanted to tear Hua Zhi apart. There was clearly no pain whatsoever.

In that case, she was welcome to continue her performance. She had come here precisely for this — to make a clean break with the Yang Family in front of witnesses, to make it clear to all that the two households were done, so that Yang Zheng would never again be able to reach his hand into the Hua Family.

The Wu Old Madam, however, had genuinely believed the Yang Old Madam was seriously injured, and quickly signaled to the maids and servants to go support her. She followed close behind in a flurry of concern. “Where does it hurt? Is it serious? Eldest Daughter-in-Law — quickly have someone summon the physician to the manor.”

“Yes.”

Everyone crowded over, each wanting to be the first to help lift her from the floor. Lying on the ground like that was simply undignified.

In this moment, something also occurred to everyone present. The Yang Old Madam’s origins were quite unlike the rest of theirs. Even the households with slightly lower standing were respectable wealthy families — but the Yang Old Madam, in her day, had been nothing more than an orphaned girl who had come to throw herself on the mercy of the Yang Family’s patriarch. That she would resort to this kind of crying and making scenes was not entirely surprising.

Though they were ostensibly on the same side today, every person present felt genuine distaste for such behavior, and their expressions had noticeably cooled.

While the Yang Old Madam, now seated in a chair by those who had helped her up, continued to cry out in pain in a manner suggesting she was at death’s door, the Wu Old Madam saw through the pretense. She raised her head and looked at the head of the Hua household — that young woman far too young for such a role.

In truth, she had never wanted to be the one to do this. Her daughter was still in the Hua Family household. She had not forgotten that this young woman had saved her daughter’s life. But private sentiment counted for nothing against the interests of one’s family.

The Yang Family had promised that as long as the Wu Family stood with them in this matter, the promotion of her son would be all but guaranteed. She could not bear to be parted from her daughter, losing sleep night after night — every time she thought of her daughter’s future in her husband’s household, she could not stop the tears. But she had not only a daughter — she had sons, grandsons, and the Wū Family’s future to consider. Weighing one against the other, she knew what mattered more. No matter how reluctant she was, what needed to be done still had to be done.

“First Young Miss — now that things have come to this pass, do you have a proposal?”

“That is a curious question, Old Madam. This is a tea gathering hosted by the Wu Family, in the Wu Family’s home. You ask me what proposal I have — surely you are not suggesting that I should be the one to decide things here?” Hua Zhi smoothed a strand of hair into place, and allowed Nanny Su to help her to a seat at the far side. “Let things proceed as they will. I shall simply receive whatever comes.”

Zheng Shi smiled. “First Young Miss, there is no need for displeasure. In the end, the Yang Old Madam did fall because of you. It only seems natural to consult you.”

“To be precise — the Yang Old Madam fell while she was striking at me. For the First Madam to blur that distinction so readily makes it sound as though I did something to her. That is not a charge I am willing to accept. I trust the Wu Family would not be so unreasonable as to wrong a young person in their own home.”

Hua Zhi then suddenly smiled again. “Then again, if the Wu Family does indeed intend to say that, so be it. If the Wu Family bears half the blame alongside me, I suppose I can afford to take the loss.”

Zheng Shi was taken aback, not immediately grasping why the Wu Family would be sharing in half the unwarranted accusation.