After Dressing Up As a Little Fulang

Zang Ya followed the boy all the way to Old Madam Zang’s yard.

The moment Zang Ya stepped into the house, Song Wanwan heard the movement and glanced at the door. She first saw a pair of brocade black short shoes, followed by a dark red robe, and a black gold-embroidered belt inlaid with gems that restrained his waist. When she looked up, she met Zang Ya’s indifferent eyes.

After clearly seeing that the person who entered was Zang Ya, and meeting his eyes, Song Wanwan trembled, and her eyes showed a bit of panic, making her look extremely pitiful. To an outsider, this scene would have looked as if Zang Ya were bullying her, and the young lady sitting there was the pitiful victim.

Zang Ya was not surprised to see Song Wanwan there. He didn’t even ask why this woman, who should have been sent back, was still here. He just glanced at her lightly, then looked at Old Madam Zang, who was sitting on the main chair, and bowed, “Grandma.”

Old Madam Zang looked at Song Wanwan, who had been fine just moments ago but had now started to cry since Zang Ya arrived. Then she looked at Zang Ya, who stood in front of her, as if he didn’t see another person present, and she furrowed her brow. “Zang Ya, your cousin is here. Why don’t you greet her?”

Hearing Old Madam Zang’s somewhat reproachful words, Zang Ya’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, “I think my cousin may not want to see me here. After all, we just met earlier today, and I may have done some things that displeased her.”

After Zang Ya said this, Song Wanwan removed the hand that had been covering her crying face, raised her head, and looked in his direction with an indignant tone. “You—you are obviously lying with your eyes wide open! What’s wrong with not liking what you did? You clearly treat me like an enemy.”

Then, Song Wanwan looked at Old Madam Zang again, her tone full of sadness. “Auntie, I really have no choice this time. If my cousin hadn’t been so protective of outsiders, I wouldn’t have troubled you.”

“We are family; we are blood relatives,” she continued. “Yet my cousin treats me like this because of an outsider. Auntie, I can’t accept it!”

When Song Wanwan said this, her tone was sorrowful and tearful, like she was singing an opera, stirring sympathy. Coupled with her red, swollen face, she appeared pitiable at first glance.

When Old Madam Zang returned to her parents’ home, she most enjoyed the company of the younger generation, and Song Wanwan, being the most entertaining and her favourite, was often around.

Earlier that day, Old Madam Zang had been dressing up in her room, planning her outings for the next few days, when an announcement came from the concierge that a young lady from the Song family had arrived.

Old Madam Zang felt pleased upon hearing this. She thought someone from the Song family had come to invite her out, so she immediately asked the guest to be shown in.

However, Old Madam Zang hadn’t expected to see the usually cheerful and glamorous Song Wanwan in disarray, her clothes messy and her makeup smeared.

As soon as she saw Old Madam Zang, Song Wanwan seemed to find solace and support. She knelt before her, hugged her, and tearfully recounted everything that had happened that day, focusing especially on Zang Ya’s beating.

At this, Old Madam Zang frowned. She hadn’t believed it at first. Knowing her grandson well, she knew he disliked her natal family and would generally ignore them during encounters, treating them as invisible. Since he ignored them, it seemed unlikely he would act against them.

Yet seeing Song Wanwan crying so miserably, her face visibly injured, Old Madam Zang started to feel uneasy.

After all, Old Madam Zang understood that, with the support of the Zang family, the Song family held prominence, if not as high as some of the oldest families. As the legitimate daughter of the Song family, Song Wanwan often accompanied the head of the family to various occasions, she was known widely in the city. With the Song family’s status, people generally wouldn’t trouble her, and she wouldn’t be vulnerable to being bullied.

Zang Ya was the most likely person to turn Song Wanwan into such a mess.

Furthermore, before Zang Ya came back, Old Madam Zang only had to ask a few questions to confirm that Song Wanwan had no reason to lie to her.

Thinking this way, Old Madam Zang felt sorry for Song Wanwan and asked her servants to take Song Wanwan to freshen up, calm her mood, and then return to speak with her.

After Song Wanwan tidied herself and came back, Old Madam Zang listened to her account and learned that Zang Ya had acted against Song Wanwan because of a merchant’s daughter. Old Madam Zang’s anger flared.

Initially, when Zang Ya contradicted her over that shuanger he had taken in from who knows where, she had suppressed her irritation. But now, Zang Ya had actually insulted her family for the sake of a lowly merchant’s daughter, which she found utterly unacceptable.

Old Madam Zang immediately promised Song Wanwan that she would address the issue with Zang Ya upon his return.

She comforted Song Wanwan and instructed someone to stand guard at the door, waiting for Zang Ya to arrive so she could question him.

Initially, before Old Madam Zang saw Zang Ya again, she had doubts about the authenticity of the matter and was concerned.

But after Zang Ya came in and she heard what he said, her doubts were dispelled completely.

Once she was certain of the truth, Old Madam Zang felt her heart ache. She clenched the armrest tightly and finally asked, “Why did you hit her? She only taught a merchant’s daughter a lesson for lacking manners. A few words would have sufficed—why treat her like this?”

When Old Madam Zang said this, she genuinely believed it. To her, the children of her Song family held more value than the daughters of merchant families. Besides, Song Wanwan had merely slapped the woman a few times and hadn’t done anything extreme. Why should Song Wanwan suffer such indignity?

As Old Madam Zang questioned Zang Ya, Song Wanwan also stopped crying and looked directly at him, waiting for his response.

Zang Ya looked at both of them with a calm expression. After a moment’s thought, he replied evenly, “I know that woman’s brother. His sister was bullied. I don’t care about feelings or reasoning—I just needed to help.”

Old Madam Zang hadn’t expected this response; she found it absurd. In her eyes, the Song family was her family, and as her grandson, Zang Ya should naturally be close to them.

“Absurd! Truly absurd! You actually humiliated your relatives over such a reason. You are being ridiculous! Wanwan is your cousin. Who is that woman? She’s just an outsider. How could you do this without distinguishing family from strangers?”

Listening to Old Madam Zang’s accusations, Zang Ya raised his head, looked at the old woman who appeared particularly angry, and suddenly smiled.

“Grandma, I am the only direct bloodline left in the Zang family. Apart from three masters in this house, where do I have any relatives now? Perhaps Grandma is mistaken.”

Old Madam Zang was taken aback by his words, her angry expression freezing. She didn’t know how to respond for a long time. Though she had always understood her grandson’s feelings, she hadn’t expected him to express them so plainly and openly.

Song Wanwan looked at Old Madam Zang, who was stunned, then at Zang Ya, who stood there, and bit her lip. After a while, she spoke with a jealous tone, “Cousin, I am also from the Song family, and the Song family is still my aunt’s family. My aunt is the most distinguished old madam in the Zang family. If I call you cousin, and you call me cousin, we are naturally related.”

She continued, “When you speak like this, aren’t you disregarding my aunt’s feelings? Even if you’ve taken a liking with that young lady’s face and want to defend that shameless little vixen, you shouldn’t say things that upset my aunt. Just think of how uncomfortable it will make her!”