"The type of woman I detest the most is one who performs the duties of a maidservant under the guise of virtue."

"Hey, Lady Daqing, please don’t be so harsh."

"I am simply stating a truth. Isn’t there a popular saying lately? As long as you’re beautiful enough, you can wrap men on Earth around your little finger, and even men from outer space..."

"Then why did you ask me who that ’Professor’ was before? You clearly knew already, didn’t you?"

"I only looked it up after you mentioned him."

"Empress Dowager, you truly still possess a youthful heart."

Liu Daqing ignored her and continued, "The other day, I attended a gathering where someone brought up Lin Huiyin. They said she was involved with three or four men simultaneously. This involvement, they claimed, indirectly caused Xu Zhimo’s plane crash and Jin Yuelin’s lifelong loneliness. They went on to call her the progenitor of ’green tea bitches,’ accusing her of being opportunistic, incredibly selfish, and ruining several men..." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Wan Dongmei asked curiously, "How did you respond?"

"Heh, I told them right then: ’Don’t you wish you could do the same? If you could be involved with three or five men simultaneously and have them utterly devoted to you for life, would you refuse? Forget three or five men; I’d say more than ninety percent of women go their entire lives without finding even one man who’s completely devoted to them...’"

Wan Dongmei burst out laughing. "Lady Daqing, sometimes I think you’re just a contrarian eccentric! No wonder you’ve never had any close female friends your whole life."

"I’m not being contrarian; it’s you all who are too sensitive. The truth is always harsh, and women just love to deceive themselves, that’s all."

"Dear, it’s your son who’s about to be dumped, yet here you are, lecturing about harsh truths. Don’t you find that a bit odd?"

Even Liu Daqing burst out laughing.

Only then did she think of her son. "You good-for-nothing boy, are you really about to be dumped?"

Wan Dongmei also looked at him.

Wan Donglin gave a wry smile. "I feel like I’ve been listening to a children’s debate."

"Impudent brat!"

Wan Donglin immediately put on an expression of great trepidation. "Mother, please calm your anger."

"Donglin, seriously, what’s really going on with you two? Did Lady Daqing offend Yan Xixi? You know most people can’t handle her brand of harsh truths."

Wan Donglin just gave a wry smile.

Liu Daqing looked at him. "Don’t tell me I actually offended her?"

Wan Dongmei asked curiously, "Mom, what exactly did you say to her?"

"I just told her that if she wants to marry Donglin, she needs to be prepared for hardship. She isn’t qualified to be a mere ’trophy wife’ because her mother isn’t Liu Daqing or Old Zhou. It’s other people’s business if they were born lucky. She can only blame her own misfortune at birth."

"Good heavens, Mom, you said that to her directly?"

"Was I wrong? The Wan family doesn’t need a decorative piece. If she can’t contribute, she’d be better off marrying some other tycoon sooner rather than later. That way, she could live a life of wealth and comfort."

"That may be true, but it’s so terribly harsh. Who could accept being spoken to like that? As you said, she could marry any tycoon and live comfortably. Why on earth would she endure your demeaning treatment?"

"..."

"If anyone dared to speak to me that way, I wouldn’t marry him even if he were a prince! What’s so special about him, anyway?"

Liu Daqing glared at her, momentarily speechless.

Wan Donglin also seemed lost in thought. See, that’s the crux of the matter. If it were Eldest Sister, no one would dare look down on her like this because she’s a daughter of the Wan family. But Yan Xixi? If people talk to you this way, you deserve it.

Liu Daqing turned to her son. "You rotten kid, are you blaming me too?"