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"Mother," as soon as she saw her mother coming over with Sister Four, Chen Qingyuan immediately stepped forward to support her, whispering, "Aunt Huang has been nagging Father about..." Feeling a gentle squeeze on her small hand, the unspoken understanding between mother and daughter reassured her, and she relaxed. "Fourth Sister," she released her mother's hand and reached out to steady the nearly fainting Chen Qingluan.
"Master," after Zhu Clan led everyone inside and greeted Master Chen, she calmly settled into the empty seat beside him, her expression serene as if the sky were falling and it wouldn't faze her.
Qing Luan was supported by Chen Qingyuan as they entered, quietly standing behind Zhu Clan. She discreetly scanned the crowd and recognized that Chen Qingyang, who resembled Qingyuan closely, was her twin sister. The middle-aged man seated at the head of the table must be the master of Chen Residence.
At that moment, he furrowed his brow tightly, his face filled with displeasure. Anyone with a keen eye could tell he was quite angry. Everyone held their breath, except for Zhu Clan, who sat beside him without changing her expression. This made Qing Luan admire Zhu Clan a bit more; she thought Zhu Clan had quite a skill.
"Greetings to Mother," just as Qing Luan was observing everyone, several young women—some smiling, some quiet, some fearful—suddenly knelt down together to pay their respects to Zhu Clan. This startled Qing Luan and made her feel somewhat out of place.
Zhu Clan glanced lightly at those kneeling but remained silent, merely lowering her head to leisurely sip her tea, just as she had in Chen Qingluan's room, as if there were no one kneeling before her at all.
"Greetings to the Madam," several young women—some delicate, some charming, some gentle—reluctantly knelt behind the other daughters. Their tones were soft, but their eyes darted around with various thoughts.
" Luan'er," having experienced much more than them, Zhu Clan easily noticed their little schemes and calculations. Ignoring those kneeling before her, she called out to the person standing behind her.
"Uh!?" Curious about what was happening, Qing Luan felt fortunate to be the Legitimate Daughter who didn't have to bow down constantly. Hearing Zhu Clan call her name, she reflexively responded.
"You’re not well; sit down. Yuan Er, Yang Er, you both too—take care of your sister," Zhu Clan set down her teacup and instructed calmly.
"Yes!" both replied in unison, while only Chen Qingluan mixed in among them.
"Kneel!" Just when the atmosphere felt somewhat oppressive and Chen Family's Legitimate Daughter was about to sit down, Master Chen suddenly shouted in anger, startling everyone—including Zhu Clan.
The three people who were supposed to sit down stood stiffly, exchanging glances.
Qing Luan had no idea what they were thinking, but she felt that Master Chen was acting strangely. His gaze was inexplicable, and his words were just as baffling. Who did he want to kneel?
The illegitimate daughter, who had been kneeling with resentment and a grim expression, along with Aunt Huang and the others, immediately turned their excited yet expectant eyes toward Chen Qingluan, who had been silently speculating.
She looked at her nominal father, whose face was serious, then at her mother, who was filled with anger, and finally at her sisters, each displaying various expressions—some concerned, some anxious, some gleeful at the misfortune of others, and some indifferent. The complexity of her family gave her a headache—such a complicated household was truly unsuitable for her.
It wasn't that she lacked cunning or strategy; it was just that she had played such exhausting games in her past life. Did she really have to repeat the same mistakes in this life?
"Unfilial child, I command you to kneel..." Chen Xiaode saw her wide-eyed expression and the incredulous look she gave him, which only fueled his anger further.
"Master," Zhu Clan attempted to intervene but was scolded by Chen Xiaode.
"It's all your fault," he shifted his anger onto her when he saw her still defending Qing Luan at this moment. "You are a foolish mother who spoils her children. If it weren't for you, would such a thing have happened? You, as the head matriarch, only take your frustrations out on a bunch of kids. What else can you do?"
Zhu Clan had not anticipated such accusations. After hearing her husband’s words, she looked at the man she had shared a bed with for over a decade with disbelief and then let out a hollow laugh.
"Is Father ordering Qing Luan to kneel?" Unable to avoid it any longer, she decided to confront him directly.
Chen Xiaode glared at her as she not only refused to kneel but also questioned him. "You ungrateful daughter! I carefully arranged this good marriage for you, and you actually rejected it! Do you still have any shame? Do you even want to live?" If he had known earlier, he would have given the marriage to his third daughter instead; although she was illegitimate, at least she was beautiful and graceful.
"Who decided this marriage?" Qing Luan didn't want to speak up, but she couldn't allow herself to be looked down upon. Being underestimated meant that life would be worse than death in the future.
The calm words shocked everyone, including the Zhu Clan and Chen Xiaode.
"Fourth Sister, what do you mean by that?" a young woman in a light yellow dress, kneeling on the ground, questioned in a delicate voice. "Are you blaming Father for arranging this marriage for you?"
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