Chapter 230: Putting It Into Practice
Yu Wenxiu knew she shouldn’t have said that.
At present, she was merely a nanny who had the fortune of accompanying her employer to this gathering. She had no right to discipline the child in Cui Wanning’s place, nor should she stand against her employer—after all, Cui Wanning was the one paying her salary.
But why had she come to the Yu family in the first place?
Wasn’t it for Yu Yuan—for the chance to see her own biological daughter and protect her?
How could she stay rational at a time like this? The slap Cui Wanning had just thrown still left her arm tingling and burning. Just imagining that slap landing on Yu Yuan instead made her heart ache unbearably.
Yu Yuan stared blankly at Yu Wenxiu.
She knew very well what kind of person Cui Wanning was. The only expectation placed on her was to successfully secure the engagement with Wei Xiao, get married, and bring benefits to the Yu family.
If you held no expectations, you wouldn’t feel disappointment. The reason she was crying now wasn’t because of Cui Wanning’s actions—it was simply because she felt frightened and shaken by what had just happened.
But now, seeing Yu Wenxiu angry on her behalf, she suddenly wanted to cry again.
She even had the impulse to say, “If only Aunt Yu were my mother.”
But that would be too inappropriate. Not to mention whether Yu Wenxiu had her own child, such words might sound ungrateful to others.
No matter what, the Yu family had raised her. That upbringing alone wasn’t something a single slap could justify her “betrayal.”
In the end, she simply hugged Yu Wenxiu again.
But this time, she didn’t cry. Someone was standing by her side, protecting her and staying with her—she should cherish those who truly loved her.
Yu Xin and Shen Jianwei soon returned with a warm towel, iodine, and cotton swabs. Yu Wenxiu took them. “I’ll do it.”
Though it would be normal for friends to help with such things, in a setting like this, who knew what people might say? It was better to be cautious.
Yu Yuan still reeked of alcohol, and after what had just happened, it wasn’t suitable for her to stay any longer.
Gu Qinghuan and Yu Xin prepared to leave with her. Shen Jianwei, however, couldn’t follow and could only wave goodbye.
Cui Wanning had already left in one of the Yu family’s cars. Fortunately, there were two cars—Yu Wenxiu sat in the front passenger seat, while the three girls sat in the back.
Yu Yuan took the window seat. Since she smelled strongly of alcohol, Yu Xin sat in the middle, and Gu Qinghuan sat on the other side.
No one spoke during the ride.
Only after returning to the Yu residence—after Yu Yuan had showered and changed—did the four of them sit together in Yu Xin’s room.
“Ahem,” Gu Qinghuan cleared her throat. “Yu Yuan, can you tell us now what exactly happened between you and Wei Xiao?”
Yu Yuan sat on the sofa, twisting her fingers, mumbling, “…insects.”
“What?” Gu Qinghuan didn’t catch it.
“Insect cuisine,” Yu Yuan said firmly. “One of the dishes today… was insect-based.”
“Wei Xiao said he wanted to take me to broaden my horizons. But I’m really afraid of bugs—I didn’t want to go. He said we’d just take a look, nothing more…”
Yu Xin had heard about Yu Yuan’s childhood experiences and knew her fear of insects was caused by Wei Xiao.
This time, suggesting insect cuisine was clearly deliberate.
A joke? Don’t be ridiculous. If the person on the receiving end doesn’t find it funny, then it’s not a joke—it’s bullying.
Yu Yuan’s fingers tightened further, her tone growing heavier. “I really didn’t want to go, so I tried to leave. But he grabbed my wrist.”
She paused, looking up at Yu Xin, Gu Qinghuan, and Yu Wenxiu, who was gazing at her with concern.
Pressing her lips together, she finally said, “At that moment, I thought… maybe this was a good opportunity.”
“Hm?” Gu Qinghuan perked up immediately, watching her with eager anticipation.
Though it felt slightly out of place, seeing Gu Qinghuan like this actually made Yu Yuan want to laugh a little, easing her mood.
She took a breath and continued slowly, “I originally planned to fall down myself. I just didn’t expect his stance to be so unstable…”
She paused briefly.
After all, her point of comparison was Song Yi—a professional. Judging Wei Xiao by that standard was a bit unfair, especially since he hadn’t been prepared.
Then again, why should she feel sorry for him? He had it coming.
She steadied herself and went on, “So he lost his balance and fell.”
Maybe she shouldn’t have said this. She could have pushed all the blame onto Wei Xiao—after all, even he would probably think it was just an accident.
As far as appearances went, she was just an innocent, pitiful victim. She didn’t think her “counterattack” was wrong, but…
She still wanted to tell them—Yu Xin, Gu Qinghuan, and Yu Wenxiu.
They cared about her, valued her, trusted her. She didn’t want to hide the darker side of her thoughts from them.
Because she was afraid.
Afraid that one day, if they found out the truth, they might feel they had misjudged her.
She didn’t want to face their disappointment. So she spoke now, hoping her honesty would earn their forgiveness.
At least—at least she admitted it. Even if they thought it was wrong, maybe they would still give her a chance to correct herself.
Yu Yuan lowered her head, staring at her pale fingertips from gripping too tightly.
Then Gu Qinghuan’s voice rang out:
“You did great!”
Yu Yuan suddenly looked up, stunned.
Yu Xin nodded as well. “That’s applying what you’ve learned—very good. If Song Yi knew, he’d definitely be proud.”
She had seen the group chat in the car—Song Yi had even said he’d teach them “more ruthless moves.”
If he knew Yu Yuan had intentionally taken down Wei Xiao, he’d probably want to celebrate with drums and gongs.
Yu Yuan was at a loss. “I thought… it was too underhanded…”
“No, how is that underhanded?” Gu Qinghuan said. “The truly underhanded one is Wei Xiao—using insect cuisine to provoke you. If you didn’t fight back, worse things would only follow.”
“He intended harm. Any form of counterattack—and whatever consequences he faces—is what he deserves. He’s not even reflecting on himself, so why should you?”
“You protected yourself. That’s what matters most.”
Yu Yuan listened, dazed, then instinctively looked toward Yu Wenxiu—hopeful, yet nervous.
Yu Wenxiu leaned forward, hugging her gently and patting her back. “You did very well. You were strong and brave.”
You are a daughter I’m proud of.
She swallowed those words.
“Although this is something worth celebrating,” Gu Qinghuan said thoughtfully, “when Cui Wanning comes back, there’ll probably still be punishment waiting for Yu Yuan, right?”
Yu Xin immediately said, “I’ll find a way to protect her!”
When Cui Wanning had tried to slap Yu Yuan earlier, Yu Xin knew very well that Yu Yuan had shielded her. Otherwise, that slap might have landed on her too.
This time, in front of the Yu family, it would be her turn to protect Yu Yuan.
