After Cheng Liting finished inspecting her injuries, the three of them left the desolate area around the well. Initially, Cheng Liting was still quite reserved around the little girl, given their new acquaintance, but as they talked along the way, she became more at ease.

    As they approached a large tree at a crossroad, laughter and conversation could be heard. Looking over, they saw a group of young girls nearby, engaged in a lively game of arrow tossing.

    Mu Yingying glanced at one of the girls, the one in bright red attire who stood out, appearing to be around ten years old, with a beautiful face but slightly upturned eyes and a perpetually raised chin, exuding arrogance and selfishness.

    Cheng Liting also noticed this girl and looked concerned for a moment. She suggested to the little girl beside her whisperingly,

    "Let's take another path."

    Mu Yingying raised her eyebrows, but before she could respond, a piercing voice interrupted,

    "Wow! You can come out so soon...Next time, I should lock it up tighter!"

    The girl in bright red attire looked disdainfully at Cheng Liting, her words filled with scorn. The other girls, previously engaged in their game, stopped and turned their attention to the newcomers with interest.

    "Oh! I was thinking who you are. Isn't this the Seventh Young Lady from the Mu family!" The girl turned her dismissive gaze to the little girl by Cheng Liting's side, her voice dripping with mockery and her gaze was like looking down on someone worthless.

    Mu Yingying responded with a slight smile and a dismissive glance.

    This woman...still as brainless as ever!

    The girl, Cheng Fuyuan, was Cheng Liting's stepsister and the eldest daughter of the Cheng family's Furen. She was three months older than Cheng Liting, so she was called the eldest young lady of the Cheng family.

    In her previous life, she was a close friend of Mu Luofei since living in Qingyun City, and became even closer after the Cheng family moved to the capital. Being easily influenced, she was often led by Mu Luofei into malicious deeds.

    Many things Mu Luofei could not do herself, she would incite, fabricate, deceive, and lead Cheng Fuyuan to act in her stead, making Cheng Fuyuan's notoriety spread throughout the capital.

    However, the oblivious and foolish Cheng Fuyuan had no idea she had been manipulated by her close friend. Whenever the two were seen together, people often compared them, leading many to admire Mu Luofei's falsely virtuous nature even more.

    As a result, Mu Luofei's good reputation rapidly increased, accepted by everyone in the capital, while Cheng Fuyuan's reputation steadily declined.

    Oh…how pitiful.

    But she had no intention of enlightening this woman!

    Let this woman continue to be foolish and ignorant can please Mu Yingying greatly!

    In the past life, Cheng Fuyuan often caused trouble for her elder sister, including verbal abuse, spreading rumors, and even physical harm.

    This Cheng Fuyuan could gradually repay her debts of vengeance to us. Mu Yingying didn’t mind...because no matter what, she will make her pay dearly in the end!

    "One is a vile woman of humble origin! And the other is an unimportant dog, a worthless trash that nobody wants! Standing together like this, you are indeed a perfect match. Ha ha ha." Seeing the other party not daring to retort, Cheng Fuyuan continued her malicious speech with arrogance.

    Some of the girls who were in good terms with Cheng Fuyuan laughed along merrily, looking down on Cheng Liting and Mu Yingying with disdain. Meanwhile, the rest remained silent, not joining in the bullying but not defending them either.

    Cheng Liting glanced at the little girl beside her briefly. If it were just her alone, it wouldn't be a problem, as she had been bullied like this for a long time. But she was worried about the little girl, who was her benefactor, fearing her malicious stepsister might turn on her too. So, she whispered softly,

    "You should go. I'll stay here and take care of this."

    Seeing the worry in her eyes and hearing the concern in her voice, a faint smile appeared on Mu Yingying's lips. Then, she turned to face their adversary with a frosty gaze.

    "You said Sister Liting has a humble origin, but wasn't she raised under the Cheng family's care? Doesn't that imply that the Cheng family, and by extension, you yourself, are also of low birth?"

    Mu Yingying spoke with a clear voice, her small face slightly tilting, her round eyes radiating innocence. The words she uttered were no different from those of an innocent child, driven by curiosity.

    The girls who were laughing just a moment ago immediately stopped, as they were older than Mu Yingying and understood the implications of her words, their faces turning pale.

    Especially Cheng Fuyuan, who had been enjoying herself, now had a greenish complexion, her eyes glaring at the little girl with such hatred that they seemed about to pop out. Her screeching voice was so loud that it hurt the ears of those nearby.

    "Ah! You mangy dog! How dare you insult me!"

    "I was merely wondering. You said I'm a mangy dog, worthless trash, but my grandmother always taught me that one must know how to speak properly. Not to point fingers and insult others like some uneducated market woman. This...this would be considered lowly!" Mu Yingying paused for a moment, blinking her large, curious eyes. "...Right?"

    "You... you! You're trash! You're the mangy dog! What rights do you have to insult me!"

    Cheng Fuyuan, who had never been humiliated to this extent, lost her composure and screamed wildly. She turned and grabbed a wooden arrow from a pot, hurling it with all her might at Mu Yingying.

    Although the arrow had been blunted, if it hit Mu Yingying, it would surely leave a red mark. The little girl thought of dodging, but a shadow suddenly stepped in front, taking the hit on her arm instead.

    Mu Yingying looked at the red mark on Cheng Liting's arm, her eyes flashed with anger. She looked up at Cheng Fuyuan with a cold gaze.

    ‘Since you're seeking trouble, I'm not reluctant to teach you a lesson!’

    Initially, she thought to make this woman pay back little by little, but it seemed she had to demand some interest from this unworthy debtor now...

    The little girl turned to give Su Su some instructions, telling her to find a moment to sneak away and follow her orders. Cheng Fuyuan, still in a rage, grabbed more than ten arrows from the pot and hurled them continuously at the two while spewing insults.

    "You both are despicable! Dare to insult me? I'll teach you to remember this lesson!"

    Cheng Liting held Mu Yingying tightly, using her body to shield her from the arrows. She could endure the pain herself but feared that the little girl in front of her would be hurt if hit by the arrows.

    When Cheng Fuyuan ran out of arrows and paused to catch her breath, she continued to spew her vile words.

    "You filthy child! How dare you insult me? Why are you now a white-eyed wolf hiding behind others? You're only good with your words!"

    Mu Yingying moved away from Cheng Liting's embrace, looking up at the malicious woman before her with icy eyes. Cheng Fuyuan couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine.

    "My grandmother said that a woman who only knows how to insult others and resorts to violence when unable to argue is lacking in virtue! Rude! Uneducated! No different from a barbarian! No matter how well-dressed or beautiful, it's just beauty is only skin-deep!"

    Her clear voice spoke with innocence, but each word stung sharply, leaving the listener feeling like exploding from anger.

    Cheng Fuyuan, who wanted nothing more than to disfigure Mu Yingying's innocent face to vent her frustration, felt an overwhelming urge to lash out even though she was still panting from exhaustion. Now filled with renewed energy, her twisted face looked hideous and terrifying.

    Seeing Cheng Fuyuan's reaction, Mu Yingying provocatively continued, "I've heard that the eldest young lady represents the family's face. But with an Eldest Young Lady like you in the Cheng family... oh, how pitiful."

    "You! Ah! You! You! I'll beat you to death! To death!"

    Completely overtaken by rage, Cheng Fuyuan lost all reason, her only desire was to beat the detestable girl in front of her to death. Like a madwoman, she lunged at her target, raising her hand to strike.

    The surrounding girls exclaimed in shock, not expecting the Cheng family's Eldest Young Lady to go mad like this! They thought to intervene, but it was too late.

    At the same time, Mu Yingying, who had a glimpse of a group of people approaching not far from them, smirked cunningly.

    Cheng Fuyuan, oh, Cheng Fuyuan, if only you were a bit smarter, it would be great…

    Overwhelmed by her rage, Cheng Fuyuan failed to notice a group of people drawing near. She lunged at Mu Yingying, raising her hand to deliver a full-force slap.

    Thud!

    Mu Yingying swiftly dodged the incoming hand, allowing it to just graze past her face before pretending to fall hard onto the ground. To others, it appeared as though Mu Yingying was struck down by Cheng Fuyuan's slap.

    As she lay on the ground, she seized the opportunity when she bent over to loosen the tie of her hair bun, causing her hair to become disheveled, and bit her lip slightly to draw blood, which trickled down the corner of her mouth. She also smeared her cheek with dirt using her hand.

    All of Mu Yingying 's actions were so smooth and quick that no one noticed them.

    "Ying’er!"

    "Seventh Young Lady!"

    "Ah!"

    Various exclamations rang out simultaneously, drawing attention from the group of young girls, including Cheng Fuyuan, whose face turned pale upon noticing the newcomers.

    "Ying’er!"

    Elder Mu Furen, who had arrived just in time to witness the scene, hurried over to her granddaughter with evident concern. The distress on her face deepened upon seeing her little granddaughter lying face down on the ground.

    Following closely behind Elder Mu Furen, Su Ming and Su Su quickly approached to help the seemingly frail girl stand up with difficulty.

    "How are you feeling, my dear Ying’er?" Before Elder Mu Furen could finish her inquiry, she was taken aback by the transformed appearance of her usually adorable granddaughter. Her gaze moved from the tangled mess of hair to the dirt-smudged cheek, and finally to the bleeding corner of the mouth.

    The normally gentle eyes of the old lady flashed with anger.

    How could her beloved granddaughter be treated so harshly?!

    "Does it hurt a lot?" Elder Mu Furen asked softly, her wrinkled hand reached for a handkerchief in her sleeve and carefully wiped the blood from the corner of the girl's mouth, trying not to cause more pain.

    Mu Yingying, who had been silent as if in shock, suddenly pouted slightly, her big, round eyes brimming with tears that soon began to fall. "Wah...Gra...Grandmother."

    The sound of her crying was like a heavy hammer to Elder Mu Furen's heart. How could her lovely granddaughter be subjected to such bullying? She still remembered it well. This child was always bright, cheerful, and talkative. The old lady was deeply pained to see her in such a state.

    "Don't cry, my good child, Grandmother is here..."

    Elder Mu Furen embraced her granddaughter, comforting her, indifferent to the tears and mucus staining her clothes, for all she wanted was to ease her granddaughter's pain.

    Meanwhile, the Furens who had followed Elder Mu Furen exchanged glances, silently communicating before turning their attention to the Furen of the Cheng family with curious eyes.

    Initially, after the sermon ended, they gathered around Elder Mu Furen to build relations with the Mu family.

    However, a servant from the Mu family came and reported that something had happened to the Seventh Young Lady, so they all followed Elder Mu Furen to see what was going on.

    Now that they had witnessed the scene…

    It was clear to anyone with a sense of how much Elder Mu Furen cherished her granddaughter. But seeing her granddaughter being bullied right before her eyes like this, it was unlikely this matter would be resolved easily!

    Cheng Furen, who was also present and witnessed the event, turned pale. She glared at her daughter, the instigator of the mess, with fury.

    What a fine mess her daughter had made!

    Of all the people to offend, she had to do it in front of the victim's family!

    Without hesitation, Cheng Furen stepped forward and pretended to scold her daughter. “Yuan’er! Why are you so ill-behaved?! How dare you bully someone to this extent! Apologize to Seventh Young Lady immediately!”

    “But...But I'm not in the wrong, Mother! It was this worthless trash who insulted me first!" Cheng Fuyuan, believing herself to be blameless, defiantly argued back against her mother.

    Hearing this, Cheng Furen massaged her forehead, glancing briefly at Elder Mu Furen 's distressed face and inwardly exclaimed that this was bad! Why did she had to give birth to such a foolish daughter? Now she wasn’t even helping but had to make things worse!

    "You're still arguing! You've done wrong and yet you refuse to correct it. When we arrived home, I'll punish you properly!"

    She pretended to scold her daughter again. But no matter how angry she was, this was her most beloved daughter after all. How could she bear making a real punishment?

    Despite her mother's scolding, Cheng Fuyuan, spoiled and accustomed to getting her way, was not intimidated by a few harsh words. She retorted sharply, "I'm not wrong! It was this child who provoked me first! I'm not wrong! If Mother doesn't believe me, ask them!"

    Cheng Furen turned to a few close friends of her daughter, waiting for their response. One of the girls, pressured by Cheng Fuyuan's intense gaze, reluctantly spoke up, "It...It happened just as Fuyuan said, auntie."

    "See, Mother? I’m not wrong!"

    Hearing this, Cheng Furen hesitated slightly. With such a witness, could it be that her daughter was truly innocent?

    Mu Yingying, having stopped crying momentarily, teared up again. Her lips quivered slightly as she spoke with a hurt tone, "I didn't provoke her, really. She...she called Sister Liting a low-class and even said that...that I was a trash, a worthless mangy dog."

    The little girl sobbed as she spoke, her manner and voice evoking sympathy, yet her words shocked the Furens to the point of covering their mouths in surprise. Even Elder Mu Furen's expression worsened.

    Mu Yingying paused briefly, sniffled loudly, then continued, "I...I don't understand why Sister Liting was called a low-class, and what a mangy dog is. But…But I remember what Grandmother taught me, so I responded...Grandmother always said that our actions and words define us. If a lady doesn't know how to speak properly and only knows how to insult others without reason, that's an uneducated lady."

    The Furens nodded in agreement with these words and couldn't help but glance at the Cheng Family's Eldest Young Lady.

    Elder Mu Furen also nodded subtly, appreciating her granddaughter's great understanding. She memorized her teachings so well. Then she listened attentively to the rest of the little girl’s story.

    "After that...she…she started throwing arrows at me. But, Grandmother, Sister Liting stepped in front of me to protect me. So, I replied to her again, citing what you taught me about being a virtuous lady. Otherwise, one is no different from a savage... And then she said... she said she would beat me to death!"

    "Grandmother... I'm scared, boo-hoo,"

    Mu Yingying pouted and cried again. Her whimper was full of resentment. She buried her face into her grandmother's embrace, her small body trembling like a frightened bird, causing the old lady's heart to ache even more.