l was beautiful and had striking features, so she suited bright-colored jewelry. Even gold wouldn't look gaudy on her. He had seen the little girl wearing gold before, and it looked very elegant and b..."Stop!"

At the most critical moment, a voice, full of authority, suddenly rang out. Gu Xuanyi's hand froze mid-air, her face stiff as she turned to look towards the source of the sound.

Only to see Meng Jin Yao board her face, leading a few maids towards them. She was only a year older than them, but the aura she carried was terrifying. She had an invisible pressure that made her slap hesitate on Gu Xuan Ling's face.

Perhaps because Meng Jinyao was an elder and the wife of her third uncle, out of respect for her third uncle, she instinctively felt fear towards Meng Jinyao.

Gu Xuanyi's aura instantly weakened, her face flushed with embarrassment as she slowly lowered the raised palm, stammering, "Third... Third Aunt"

Gu Xuanying was stunned for a moment, thinking of her actions just now. Her elders must have seen it, and she felt scared inside, but she didn't regret it. She respectfully bowed to Meng Jin Yao: "Xuanying greets Third Aunt, how are you"

Meng Jinyao nodded lightly, her gaze falling on Gu Xuanyi. She said softly: "Xuanyi is truly imposing, wanting to hit your younger sister right away. Didn't your elder sister-in-law teach you that sisters should get along"

Hearing this, Gu Xuanyì's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly explained, "Third Aunt, it was Second Sister who pushed me first. She was really over the line." Then she opened her palm, playing the victim, "Third Aunt, look, she pushed me and I fell to the ground. My hand even got scraped.”

Meng Jin Yao glanced over, it was a scrape with blood seeping out, but it was just a superficial wound, not serious. She turned to look at Gu Xuan Ling beside her and asked, "Xuan Ling, don't you have an explanation"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xuanyi's face quickly flashed with a smug expression, and she looked at Gu Xuiling with malicious glee.

Gu Xuanying's face turned pale, she felt like she had fallen into the Yellow River and couldn't wash it clean. If she got hurt, who would believe that she was the one being bullied She lowered her head dejectedly and whispered, "Third Aunt, I did push my elder sister, but she was also impolite first."

"Aunt Three, she's lying!" Gu Xuanyi immediately retorted angrily, biting back, "It was her who walked too fast and accidentally tripped over the pastries. She blames me for it, saying that I dropped them, and even pushed me down!

As soon as the words left her lips, Gu Xuanying's face flushed red with anger. It was clearly the elder sister who snatched the food box and smashed her pastries on the ground, yet now she was being blamed for accidentally dropping them. The only witness was the elder sister's maid; she had been tricked and eaten a mouthful of bitter fruit, unable to defend herself.

Meng Jinyao stared at Gu Xuanyi with a blank expression. In Gu Xuanyi, she saw the shadow of her half-sister Meng Jinyu. They were both equally arrogant, rude, and looked down on others. When they bit back, they didn't even blush, acting very righteous.

Thinking of Meng Jinyu, she thought of Sun Shi, her face darkened, and she asked again, "Xuan Yi, is this really true"

Gu Xuyan nodded without hesitation, pointing at the two maidservants. "This is absolutely true. Third Aunt, if you don't believe me, you can ask these two maidservants. They all saw it clearly."

Those two maidservants were Gu Xuanyi's chief maidservants, where would they dare to betray their mistress

So they all chimed in, "Madam, the eldest daughter is telling the truth. It's the second daughter who wronged her and even pushed her. In the past, the second daughter also bullied the eldest daughter, but the eldest daughter was kind and didn't hold a grudge against her. Who knew she would take this opportunity to cause trouble today."

Gu Xuanying shook her head repeatedly: "Third Aunt, no, it's not like that. I didn't

“Are you still trying to defend yourself” Gu Xuanyi glared at her with a warning in her eyes, then put on a generous facade. “Forget it, Second Sister, I don't blame you either. It's understandable that you wouldn't be happy after all the effort you put into making those pastries only for them to fall and break. This time, I forgive you.”

Meng Jinyao rubbed her temples and looked at Chunliu, instructing: "Chunliu, please repeat what you just heard. Just repeat what the eldest lady said."

Gu Xuan Yi: “”

Gu Xuanying: ""

The two sisters were stunned. The former was filled with shock, panic, and disbelief, while the latter hadn't reacted yet.

I did this on purpose. What are you going to do about it

—A lowly daughter is just a lowly daughter, fond of flattering. What use is it to please your grandmother She isn't your biological grandmother, and besides, you are an illegitimate child. You still want her to truly care for you

"Mother Don't forget that you are a bastard, your second aunt is not your biological mother. Your poor aunt has long since died, and I don't know if she has reincarnated yet. If she has, she would probably be about ten years younger than you."

— Gu Xuanying, you're so bold! I think you're looking for death!

Chun Liu had a good memory and recounted everything Gu XuanyI had said without missing a word. She even mimicked Gu XuanyI's tone of voice perfectly. After she finished the last word, she subconsciously looked at her mistress. Seeing her mistress give her a approving look, Chun Liu felt overjoyed and thought she was about to secure her position as her mistress's favorite.

Gu Xuanyi's face was as pale as paper. Thinking about what she had just said, she felt even more ashamed and frightened. She was still a fifteen-year-old girl after all, and now she was completely flustered. She stared blankly at Chunliu, completely unprepared that Third Aunt and her maidservant had witnessed her bullying of the second mistress's illegitimate cousin.

And Gu Xuyan's two maidservants also paled, the eldest daughter lying being exposed would be punished, but they helped the eldest daughter lie, then Madam would definitely push the responsibility onto them, saying that they had corrupted the eldest daughter, and punish them severely.

Gu Xuanying stared blankly at Meng Jinyao, feeling that this third aunt was like a living bodhisattva who descended to earth, saving her from the fire and water. If things had gotten worse, her maternal grandmother would definitely have said something sarcastic about her mother's failure to educate her well, and in the end, her mother would have been forced to punish her.

Meng Jin Yao asked with a composed face, "Xuan Yi, could it be that your elder sister-in-law hasn't taught you to get along harmoniously with your sisters, nor has she taught you not to lie to your elders"

"Third, Third Aunt, I…"

Gu Xuanyi couldn't explain why, tears streaming down her face. She felt like an invisible slap had hit her hard across the face, leaving her cheeks burning with shame.

Meng Jin Yao glanced at Gu Xuan Ling, who was stunned beside her, and thought to herself, "With such a foolish look, it's no wonder she gets bullied."

Thinking this way, she asked again: "Although Auntie Xiangling's status isn't as high as a regular wife, she is still half your elder. You show such disrespect to someone who has passed away Besides, your aunt may not be her biological mother, but she is her stepmother. It's perfectly normal for a daughter to show filial piety by making pastries for her mother. Your slander is unwarranted. Do you think that daughters shouldn't be filial to their stepmothers"

Of course, filial piety does not necessarily require being biologically related. Since Gu Xuanying proactively showed filial piety to the children of a mother who loved them deeply despite not being her own, it proves that Chen did not do anything excessively wrong.

Unlike her stepmother Sun, who seemed to want her dead from the very beginning for unknown reasons, she had once considered Sun her own mother. At some point in the past, she had been raised by Sun and felt deep affection for her. Every time she called "mother," it came from the heart. That was until she discovered the wicked truth about Sun, after which she began to distance herself and be wary of her. Sometimes, she even occasionally spoke coldly to Sun.

Gu Xuanyi's heart skipped a beat. This was serious. Her father was also illegitimate, not born to her biological parents. Judging from what she just said, that meant...oftly, "Silly girl"Meng Jin Yao gave him a disdainful glance and said, "You're the foolish one. You're the talented scholar, and I am the beauty. I think we're quite a match, don't you agree, my husba...