Chapter 7: A Status Lower Than Even a Concubine
Li Residence – Yilan Courtyard
Li Yaoting had brought Chen Yuniang to meet Yun Wei.
Yet after waiting for two full hours, Yun Wei was nowhere to be seen.
He was already furious.
“Where exactly has your mistress gone? It’s already this late. Why hasn’t she returned yet?”
Tian’er glanced at Chen Yuniang, who was sitting nearby.
She secretly thought to herself that it was fortunate her young lady wasn’t home.
Otherwise, seeing this vixen openly walking into the residence would surely make her furious.
Shaking her head, she replied,
“Miss left early this morning. As for where she went, this servant does not know.”
Li Yaoting’s face darkened.
“You’re her personal maid. Would she really leave without telling you where she was going?”
He had clearly said yesterday that he would bring Yuniang to Yilan Courtyard today.
Yet she had deliberately chosen this exact time to go out.
That wretched woman…
She must have done it on purpose.
She wanted to embarrass him.
A surge of anger rose in Li Yaoting’s chest as he glared fiercely at Tian’er.
“Perhaps she went to inspect one of the shops. A shop manager came looking for Miss earlier.”
“Which shop?”
Li Yaoting frowned.
“This servant doesn’t know.”
Yun Wei had left in a hurry and hadn’t told Tian’er where she was going.
She truly didn’t know.
And even if she did…
She had no intention of telling him.
Li Yaoting’s expression grew even uglier.
Seeing this, Chen Yuniang lowered her eyes pitifully before stepping forward and gently tugging on Li Yaoting’s sleeve.
“Forget it, Brother Ting. Sister probably just doesn’t want to see me. I think I’d better go back first so I don’t upset her.”
Seeing the redness in the corners of her eyes as she struggled to hold back her tears, Li Yaoting’s heart melted.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he comforted her softly,
“Don’t overthink it. As long as I’m here, Yun won’t dare refuse to see you.”
Watching the scene, Tian’er secretly rolled her eyes.
As long as you’re here?
Her young lady is about to divorce you.
Who still cares who you are?
Bah!
Li Yaoting, having nowhere else to vent his anger, barked at Tian’er,
“Why are you still standing there? Go find your mistress! If you can’t find her, don’t bother coming back!”
Tian’er answered without fear or servility,
“This servant only obeys my young lady. If Miss doesn’t return, then neither will I.”
Chen Yuniang’s expression changed slightly upon hearing that.
Pulling on Li Yaoting’s sleeve again, she said in disbelief,
“Brother Ting, why are the servants around Sister so unruly?
“If this happened in the Chen family, any servant who dared talk back to their master would immediately be sold off or beaten to death.
“Otherwise, if all the servants followed such an example, wouldn’t they end up climbing onto their master’s head?”
Li Yaoting had already become increasingly dissatisfied with Yun Wei after her repeated defiance.
With Chen Yuniang adding fuel to the fire, he immediately felt it was time to crush Yun Wei’s arrogance.
His face darkened as he ordered,
“Men! Drag this insolent maid outside and beat her to death!”
Several servants immediately stepped forward.
Just then—
“Who dares?”
A sharp, commanding female voice rang out from outside the door.
It was Yun Wei.
The servants instantly froze.
“Miss!”
Tian’er cried out joyfully as she hurried over.
Yun Wei gently patted her hand reassuringly before walking calmly into the room.
Chen Yuniang was momentarily stunned.
She had always looked down on Li Yaoting’s lawful wife.
In her eyes, Yun Wei was nothing more than a country bumpkin.
So what if she had been acknowledged as the true daughter of the Yun family?
She was still just a village girl.
She had heard that Yun Wei’s adoptive parents in the countryside had died long ago and that she had been raised by an old man living in the mountains.
Although she had never met Yun Wei before…
She had imagined her countless times.
Dark-skinned.
Plump.
Crude and uncultured.
But…
The woman standing before her now…
Was dazzlingly beautiful.
Her appearance was breathtaking enough to topple kingdoms.
Most of all…
The noble, elegant aura she carried seemed even more refined than that of Chen Yuniang herself—a legitimate daughter of the Duke Chen’s household.
Chen Yuniang immediately disliked her.
“Brother Ting…”
Pretending to be frightened, Chen Yuniang shrank closer to Li Yaoting.
Li Yaoting gently comforted her.
“Be good. Don’t be afraid, Yuniang.”
While comforting Chen Yuniang, Li Yaoting frowned.
His order…
Had actually been ignored?
The moment Yun Wei returned, all the servants had stopped moving.
A man’s dignity could not be trampled on.
Taking a step forward, Li Yaoting demanded coldly,
“Yun, where have you been?”
Yun Wei met his gaze directly.
Instead of answering, she asked,
“Were you just about to have my maid beaten to death?”
Li Yaoting frowned.
For a brief moment…
He thought he had sensed an imposing pressure emanating from this woman.
How could that be?
She was nothing more than a woman confined to the inner household.
Immediately dismissing the thought, he replied indifferently,
“She’s a servant. If she doesn’t know her place or basic etiquette, what’s wrong with beating her to death?”
A chill flashed through Yun Wei’s eyes.
“Tian’er is my maid.
“How she is dealt with is none of your concern.”
Chen Yuniang frowned slightly and said disapprovingly,
“Sister, you shouldn’t say that.
“Although Tian’er came with your dowry, once she entered the Li Residence, she became a servant of the Li family.
“A servant who dares talk back to her master deserves whatever punishment Brother Ting gives her—even death.”
Only then did Yun Wei shift her gaze to Chen Yuniang.
So…
This was the woman Li Yaoting treasured above all else.
She was indeed fairly attractive.
About eighteen or nineteen years old, with delicate features and fair, tender skin.
But there was not the slightest trace of kindness or respect in her eyes.
Yun Wei withdrew her gaze and said bluntly,
“Since when did you become my younger sister?
“Don’t try to claim a relationship that doesn’t exist.”
Embarrassment flashed across Chen Yuniang’s face, but she forced herself to appear strong.
“I know it’s difficult for Sister to accept this for the moment.
“But Brother Ting and I truly love each other.
“I only hope Sister can grant us her blessing.”
Li Yaoting immediately clasped Chen Yuniang’s hand.
Looking at Yun Wei with obvious displeasure, he said,
“Yun, don’t go too far.
“Yuniang is kind-hearted. That’s why she wanted to get along with you.
“Have you ever stopped to think about who you are… and who she is?
“Only because Yuniang is generous is she willing to humble herself beneath you.
“You’d better know when to stop instead of pushing your luck.”
A trace of smug satisfaction flashed through Chen Yuniang’s eyes.
Brother Ting was right.
After all, she was the legitimate daughter of Duke Chen’s household.
Yun Wei, on the other hand, was merely a daughter of the Marquis of Pingning’s residence—
And not even a favored one.
If she hadn’t been worried about damaging Brother Ting’s reputation and affecting his official career,
She would have had him divorce Yun Wei long ago.
Why would she have allowed this woman to continue standing here?
A faint smile curved Yun Wei’s lips.
“What status do I have?”
“At the very least, I’m your lawfully wedded wife.
“As for her…”
She looked directly at Chen Yuniang.
“She slept with you without a proper marriage.
“Her status isn’t even worthy of being called a concubine.”
“Y-You… what did you say?”
Chen Yuniang’s entire body trembled with rage, her chest heaving violently.
