Chapter 157

Xu Wanxin hadn’t visited Fusheng Banzhan for quite some time. That day, she reserved a private room with a few close friends.

Wang Muyi had no fondness for her. Previously, Xu Wanxin flaunted her relationship with Mr. Xing so boldly, and then she turned around and belittled him, treating him like he was worthless. Then, she used Pei Jian as a topic to gossip about.

Regarding romantic entanglements, Pei Jian was hopelessly clueless, practically burdened with a cousin like Xu Wanxin, akin to an old binding cloth.

However, Wang Muyi wasn’t blind. Pei Jian’s feelings for Nianxi were so obvious it was as if he wanted to etch the word ‘love’ on his forehead. In contrast, despite Xu Wanxin always speaking of her ‘dear cousin’ over the years, he had shown no special interest in her.

Judging by this, Nianxi must be Xu Wanxin’s rival in love.

Wang Muyi always felt that beneath Xu Wanxin’s gentle and timid facade lurked sinister intentions. Thus, she summoned a clever maid to watch Xu Wanxin’s private room closely.

The maid was indeed brilliant, occasionally entering to refill tea or tidy up, all while picking up bits and pieces of their conversations.

She soon reported back: “The one in yellow said: What kind of tricks does she have? We all saw how Gu Ci treated her before. And yet, she’s turned around and started cozying up to Duke Fu.”

“The one in purple said: What’s wrong with Duke Fu’s taste? Does he really think she—a discarded shoe—is fit to cross the threshold of his mansion?’

“Someone else chimed in: Who knows? Perhaps she’s astonishingly gifted in a certain area.”

“In which area?”

‘”In seducing men with her bedroom skills, maybe?”

“At that, the one in yellow started laughing and added—”

Wang Muyi couldn’t bear it any longer; her anger flared up, and every word they spoke was about Nianxi!

She strode forward and, with a loud “bang,” pushed open the door to the private room. Inside, the conversation was lively, and the one in yellow was laughing the hardest, covering her mouth.

Xu Wanxin, however, remained silent, quietly listening to their chatter with a faint smile on her lips, appearing to be in a good mood.

Wang Muyi stepped into the room, glaring fiercely at the three of them.

How dare they insult Nianxi in her shop? It was outrageous like a monk holding an umbrella and defying all rules and laws.

The one in yellow immediately changed her expression, looking awkward and uneasy. After a moment of confrontation, it was Xu Wanxin who spoke first, “Sister Wang, what’s the matter?”

Clearly, she had no intention of admitting anything.

Wang Muyi didn’t waste words with them and said to the one in yellow: “Do you know more than the officials at the Pleasure Department? You seem very experienced—why don’t you tell me about your skills in bed?”

The woman in yellow instantly turned bright red. She hadn’t expected Wang Muyi to say out loud what she had privately spoken and to further humiliate her by mentioning the Pleasure Department. She became enraged.

The woman in yellow had previously harbored feelings of youthful admiration for Gu Ci. But ever since Nianxi arrived, Gu Ci, who had always been aloof, began attending to her every need. The woman in yellow had long felt unsettled. She often seized opportunities to slander Nianxi, but this time, she was caught in the act, and it was exposed openly. “What did I say wrong? She was—”

“Miss Wang,” Xu Wanxin raised her voice, cutting off the woman in yellow, furrowing her brow, and said, “The few of us were just talking about a recent play we saw. What’s the matter?”

Wang Muyi couldn’t help but applaud the audacity. She signaled the maid to close the door, then walked in, sat down, lifted her chin, and said to the woman in yellow, “What play? Tell me about it.”

The woman in yellow felt guilty and instinctively turned to look at Xu Wanxin.

Xu Wanxin was furious. Earlier, they had been viciously mocking Wen Nianxi, yet now they were seeking her cues. However, she had no intention of escalating the situation. She was there mainly to observe Nianxi’s recent activities.

Hence, she softened her expression, spoke gently, and said, “Miss Wang, there might be some misunderstanding. Perhaps the maid relayed a few misconstrued rumors, but there’s really nothing.”

This was an attempt to rely on the lack of evidence and deny everything firmly. Such things don’t require evidence anyway.

Wang Muyi stared straight ahead and said, “Wretch, gossip-monger, and a courtesan.”

As soon as these words left her mouth, the three across from her all had their expressions change.

This was her scolding all three one by one, leaving it to them to figure out which insult belonged to whom. Since they were all going to deny it anyway, she figured she might as well enjoy venting her frustration.

Then she turned to Xu Wanxin and said, “No wonder Pei Jian doesn’t fancy you. All you can do is badmouth others behind their backs, but when confronted, you won’t admit a word. With someone like you, you’re not worthy of anyone. Pei Jian won’t even consider you in this lifetime.”

If Xu Wanxin had been dismissive earlier, now she was truly provoked.

For years, she had always regarded Pei Jian as her own. She had convinced herself that she was destined to marry him.

At this point, Wang Muyi’s blunt words were nothing short of humiliating.

Xu Wanxin abruptly stood up, her once gentle face now veiled in a layer of icy indifference. Pointing at Wang Muyi, she demanded, “Say that again.”

Wang Muyi, not one to back down, also stood up and enunciated each word, “I said, no wonder Pei Jian doesn’t want you.”

Before the words had fully left her mouth, Xu Wanxin’s slap came flying.

Wang Muyi reacted quickly, leaning her body back while raising her hand to block. As a result, Xu Wanxin’s slap landed on Wang Muyi’s wrist with a crisp “smack.”