Confrontations From the Fourth Miss

Yujia thought about it for a moment, staring at the sharp-faced woman. If this woman could not be Madam Liu, then she had to be some sort of concubine or wife of her father. That must be the case. 

Her father flattened his expression and looked at Yujia with a bit of discontent. "So, tell me child, what exactly have you been doing to look like—" he pointed at her, "— this? I am your father, so at least I have the right to know what my daughter has been doing, don't you think?" 

What was she supposed to say now? Yujia didn't think that she could avoid answering any further without them being more suspicious than they already were. Denial was not a good sign. Hastily, Yujia's thoughts gathered together and she thought about a response for a few seconds, then answered her father's question. 

"Father, I would not dare to conceal things from you. I was simply visiting my birthmother in town. Lately, she has been feeling sick, so I bought some seeds in the marketplace and planted them near her living area so that she could have some fresh vegetables to eat. I haven't done anything like that before, so I did get a little messy while doing so." 

Yujia waved her hands, showing the dirt under her fingernails as a solid piece of evidence that she spent the entire morning gardening. 

The sharp-faced woman stared at Yujia, her glower dying down. Still, she seemed upset that she was slowly losing this part of the argument this time.

No one volunteered to respond to what she said, so Yujia simply continued. "Surely, father, it is not a mistake to visit my own mother? I forgot that today, you were going to bring the tailor over to get my measurements, so I apologize for that part." 

The look of discontent remained on her father's face. "Of course. Visiting your… birthmother is only a natural instinct of a child trying to pay their respect. Then, if that's the case, why did you avoid answering the first time we asked you?" 

Yujia cursed on the inside for the fact that this man picked up on that fact. He wasn't as dense as she thought. Still, she was prepared. When Yujia was coming up with the story, she had thought of a response of what to say just in case this occurred. 

"Father, that is obviously because I was afraid that Mother here," she gestured at the sharp-faced woman and gave her a sweet smile, "would be upset that I was spending more time with my birthmother than with her. I haven't been visiting Mother very much lately, so that is also entirely my fault. Do forgive me."

Grudgingly, the woman didn't seem to be very satisfied with Yujia's excuse, lifting her chin up and scoffing. Yujia knew that similar to her "mother", no one else in the room could possibly believe what she said, but they had no right to doubt her words. They couldn't pull out any flaws in her lies without admitting to themselves that the Fourth Miss of the Yang Family was never welcomed, and in a time like an important marriage, they couldn't risk Yujia getting upset and running away. 

That was why Yujia was so confident. She had the upper hand. 

Yujia's father sighed deeply. "Alright. Continue being the 'respectful' child that you have always been, then. Seeing that you are in such a state, the tailor here," he nodded at a woman in the back who had not spoken up yet, "clearly can't work with you. Tomorrow, we will measure you for your robes, and do not go visiting your birthmother again." 

"Yes, Father." Yujia bowed. "Then, if no one else has anything to say, I feel a bit fatigued."

It was an unspoken request for all of them to leave, and the individuals all knew that. Her father took the lead, stepping out the door, and slowly, the rest of them— her "mother", Yang Qingxia, Yang Xiaoyi, and the tailor— followed after. Only Xiaoyi stopped for a few moments, cast Yujia a worried look, and continued on her way. 

Once they were all out of her room, Hui'er stepped forward and closed the doors tightly, exclaiming directly after, "Fourth Miss!"

"What, Hui'er?" 

"That was perfect!" A beam of smile appeared on Hui'er's face. "Everything— your acting, words, and even expressions were just like the Fourth Miss. Even I thought that you were her for a few seconds, and that she came back for her wedding," Hui'er joked. 

Instead of being excited like Hui'er, Yujia furrowed her brows and let out a deep sigh. "That was a close call, Hui'er. I nearly slipped up at the very start and towards the end. You'll have to tell me more about the Yang Family so that next time, I'll know what to say."