Yu Youyao glared at her. “Who said that I really wanted to learn? I’m just learning to make a sachet for Cousin. Didn’t Nanny Xu say that only something embroidered personally shows sincerity?”

Dong Mei couldn’t stop laughing.

Yu Youyao puffed up her cheeks. “Also, who in the residence doesn’t know that I’m learning embroidery from Nanny Xu? Yet Yu Qingning deliberately embroidered a head scarf herself and went to give it to Grandmother. Why didn’t she do that in the past? Why did she have to do it at this time? It’s not even time for any celebration, like the new year, or her birthday. What was she trying to do?”

Dong Mei had laughed until her face felt tired.

Ever since she was young, Fourth Miss had been learning needlework from Concubine He. Therefore, her needlework was also the best among her sisters. Master often praised her, and she often showed off in front of Eldest Miss.

Yu Youyao felt embarrassed and added, “Besides, Nanny Xu insisted on teaching me. How could I reject her good intentions?”

Over the past few days, Nanny Xu had been nagging her every day, saying that girls had to establish themselves, establish a family, and establish their own worlds. Having the right etiquette and knowing the rules were means and skills to interact with outsiders, but mastering these abilities was for the sake of establishing a family. One could only make something of themselves and their lives if they had abilities.

Adult Yao Yao’s fate in her dream often reminded her that although her grandmother could protect her in the meantime, she still had to learn some real skills to protect herself.

Therefore, when Nanny Xu had tricked her into learning a bunch of things, she still tried her best to change herself and learn seriously, although she often complained that she was exhausted.

Dong Mei looked enlightened. No wonder Old Madam liked Eldest Miss so much, and even Nanny Xu, who had just arrived, treated her differently. Young Mistress was pure and kind, and she always remembered the good of those around her.

Yu Youyao suddenly wailed, “Now that I’ve started learning needlework, it’s endless. After I embroider a sachet for Cousin, I also have to make one for Grandmother. Since I have to show my filial piety to my elders, I’ll also have to sew something for Father and Madam Yang, plus Second Uncle and Second Aunt too, since they also treat me very well. It’s too much for me. It’s really too difficult. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have started learning in the first place.”

Dong Mei had just finally stopped laughing, but now she wanted to chuckle again, so she quickly changed the topic. “Young Mistress, since the sachet is ready, I’ll send it to Young Master now.”

Yu Youyao shook her head. “I’ll pass it to Cousin myself later. I’ve been busy learning from Nanny Xu recently, so I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

Dong Mei nodded and left the room.

At this moment, Chun Xiao rushed in. “Young Mistress, Master is here…”

“Father is here?” Yu Youyao was stunned for a moment, but she quickly brightened up. She had been in the Jade Courtyard for so long, but this was the first time her father had come over.

Her father must have known that she was learning from Nanny Xu, so he had specially come to visit her.

Seeing the happy expression on Young Mistress’s face, Chun Xiao hesitated for a moment, feeling a little sorry. “Young Mistress, Master looks… he looks…”

“Where’s Father? Is he in the hall? Let’s hurry over. Father is busy with work. We can’t make him wait too long.” Yu Youyao was too excited, so before Chun Xiao could finish speaking, she interrupted her, lifted the curtain, and ran out quickly.

“Young Mistress!” Chun Xiao hurriedly chased after her.

Yu Youyao rushed to the reception pavilion and saw Yu Zongzheng standing in the hall with his hands behind his back. She called out excitedly, “Father—” But before she could say the word “dear,” a tight slap landed on her face.

With a crisp, clear sound, Yu Youyao’s head was now tilted to the side. She instinctively placed her hand over her slapped cheek and stood there dumbfounded.

The living room was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard. Chun Xiao, who had rushed over after Yu Youyao, covered her mouth in horror.

After this slap, Yu Zongzheng was still unappeased. He questioned angrily, “Let me ask you, why didn’t you go to class today? Previously, your grandmother went easy on you for having just recovered from a serious illness, so I didn’t say anything. But after so long, you still haven’t taken the initiative to start attending your classes at home again?”

“I…” Yu Youyao stood dazed and rooted to the ground. Her cheek was numb from the slap; she didn’t feel anything. In fact, she had yet to even fully realize that she had been slapped.

“Kneel!” Yu Zongzheng shouted angrily.

His roar terrified Yu Youyao. Finally, she felt as if her cheeks had been splashed with spicy chili oil. It was stinging and painful. She held back the tears in her eyes and the bitterness at the tip of her nose as she slowly raised her head.

Looking at the shockingly red mark on her face, Yu Zongzheng suddenly realized how hard he had slapped her in his anger. A tinge of guilt flashed across his heart, but it was quickly replaced by righteous indignation.

“You awful creature, just because your grandmother indulges you, you’re arrogant and willful at home. At such a young age, you’re already so vicious, beating and selling the servants. You’ve even skipped your classes, showed disrespect to your teachers and disobeyed their rules. You’re simply an absolute disgrace. Kneel down right now.”

Yu Youyao’s head hung low, and she said nothing.

In the past, she did not understand why her father treated her third and fourth sisters so dearly, but was always so harsh on her. Every time she was scolded by her father, she would always feel very sad.

Today’s slap had taught her that her father just didn’t like her. There was no reason for it.

In her dream, she had been locked up in a side courtyard by Song Mingzhao and had become Yu Jianjia’s medicine-human, suffering all kinds of torture. Her father must have known about it and even approved of it, which was why he hadn’t checked on her and instead allowed Song Mingzhao to torture her to death. Otherwise, no matter how bold the Marquis of Zhen’s Residence was, they wouldn’t have done that.

“It seems that my slap was too light. It didn’t wake you up.” Seeing that Yu Youyao was standing there like a wooden block with no intention of kneeling down, Yu Zongzheng was even more incensed. He raised his arm and was about to swing it down again…

Just as the slap was about to land on Yu Youyao’s face…

Old Madam Yu walked in hurriedly with Nanny Liu’s help. When she saw this scene, she was so angry that her heart hurt. “Stop!”

Yu Zongzheng’s raised arm immediately froze in midair.

The shocking red handprint on Yu Youyao’s face made Old Madam Yu’s heart ache terribly. She couldn’t care less about scolding Yu Zongzheng, but instead quickly pulled her granddaughter into her arms.

“What a sin. How can a father be so heartless? How can he hit his children so mercilessly? Those who don’t know better would think that my Yao Yao has done something heinous. Poor Yao Yao, your face is swollen. Does it hurt?”

Fortunately, Chun Xiao was smart. Seeing that the Master had come to the Jade Courtyard in a rage, she had sent a young maidservant to look for Old Madam Yu. Otherwise, Yao Yao would have suffered a lot more until the news traveled to her.

These words made Yu Zongzheng’s face turn as black as charcoal. Just as he was about to speak—

Yu Youyao seemed to have suddenly regained her senses. She threw herself into her grandmother’s arms and wailed, “Grandmother, Grandmother, why did Father hit me? Yao Yao has been very obedient recently…”

Ps: Little Cousin was already changing herself due to the influence of her nightmare, but in her heart, it was still just a dream. However, after this chapter, her thinking would transform and mature completely.