The girl is truly beautiful.

Even with her currently heavily applied, vulgarly flamboyant makeup that borders on the ridiculous, even with a bareback black miniskirt out of sync with her age and utterly inappropriate for the occasion, she is now wearing.

Yet, one couldn't find a single flaw in her face. In her cat-like eyes still lay an untamed ferocity; the vermilion rouge failed to camouflage her honey-colored healthy complexion. Her figure well-developed, her waist slim and hips firm; she stood amidst the crowd at the age of seventeen quite like a dandelion growing wildly amidst the wilderness, full of vitality.

Yet, a dandelion is meant to grow in the wilderness, not this cold and glittering golden cage.

Madam Jiang, one hand clutching her chest, the other pointing at the young girl, exuded an air of fury, yet managed to maintain her elegant demeanor. She scolded, "A girl from the rural wilderness will never be fit for the limelight!"

The room fell silent. The young girl tightened her lips, and as she lifted her gaze to Madam Jiang, her pupils shimmered, almost ablaze, scorching to behold.

Infuriated by the sight, Madam Jiang lifted her finger to the young girl's face, shouting in an even higher pitch, "Disgraceful! Get out!"

Today marked Rong City's grandest charity banquet held triennially. Prominent figures from all walks of life were in attendance, and each member of the Jiang family dressed in elegant fashion. Only Jiang Xinger, who had styled herself as a common street courtesan, had brought disgrace to the Jiang family.

At the age of sixteen or seventeen, one is usually the most sensitive about their reputation. Although Jiang Xinger was raised in the countryside, her grandmother spoiled her immensely. Life in Jiang Lan Village was worry-free until she turned sixteen, with everyone vying for her attention and affection, so she had never experienced such humiliation before.

Jiang Xinger's cat-like beautiful eyes widened as she stared at Madam Jiang. With her countryside accent, she lashed out, "Remember, it's your command to send me away! While I will leave today, you and the Jiang family should not bother sending the palanquin to fetch me again."

Finishing her statement, she turned towards the exit. Her fabulous yet unsteady high-heeled shoes were left behind as her bare feet carried her out.

Just two steps in, Jiang Xinger suddenly froze.

The restless chatter among the guests subsided as she stood there, her lips tightly pursed. Her dress's zipper had unexpectedly come undone, and with one more step, her dress could completely fall off.

Upon seeing the girl come to a halt, Madam Jiang couldn't help but let out a mocking chuckle. After experiencing the affluent life provided by the Jiang family in Rong City, how could Jiang Xinger willingly return to that poor, desolate rural valley?

"Why aren't you leaving? Can't bear to leave the silk and porcelain life of the Jiang family behind?" Madam Jiang's mocking words were followed by laughter coming from the younger members of the Jiang family.

Jiang Xing'er clutched her dress tightly, turning slowly to face Madam Jiang.

"Chen Wanhua."

"By custom, you should dutifully call me mother…"

"Tsk!"

Jiang Xing'er sneered, spat to the side, a move of extreme rudeness, instantly stirring up chatter among the guests around her. Madam Jiang was instantly furious, raising her hand to slap her, but Jiang Xing'er just laughed even more wildly. She tilted her head slightly, blinked, and her eyes were filled with contempt and mockery: "By custom, you should be kneeling in front of my mother's grave in Jiang Lan's village and offering tea!"

The surroundings immediately fell into a deathly silence. The red colour on Madam Jiang's face slowly faded, finally turning into a cold white.

The Jiang family was an old-fashioned household, the master had even married four wives when he was alive, such a family holds high regard for traditions. If it wasn't for the fact that Jiang Xing'er's birth mother was disliked by the old generation of the Jiang family, she, as the wife who came into the Jiang family after the death of the first wife, indeed had to offer tea to the deceased Sheng Ruolan.

But who would dare to mention these things in front of her, Madam Jiang, after all these years of management as the current head of the Jiang family?

In the end, that slap didn't fall. Madam Jiang even managed to give a warm and polite smile: "Xing'er, you're a child, and I won't stoop to your level for now."

"So, you're planning to settle the score later?"

Madam Jiang's teeth clenched suddenly, her eyes flashed, but the smile did not diminish at all: "You go back first. The charity event today is important, and we cannot let your immaturity ruin it."

"This scandalous dress is what you people of the Jiang family gave me and this makeup that even a dog would despise is also what you people of the Jiang family painted on me. So then, who exactly is ruining the charity event, me or you people from the Jiang family?"

"Don't forget, you also have the surname 'Jiang'."

"Do you think I care?"

Clutching her collar to prevent the dress from falling off, Jiang Xing'er's movements were rather awkward. Yet, on her immature face, there were strong signs of stubbornness and tenacity, a wild spirit radiating with life, which made Madam Jiang frown. How could a sixteen-year-old girl be so troublesome?

She lifted her hand to her forehead, seemingly dizzy. She closed her eyes. Those around her immediately surrounded her, showering her with concern. A smile tugged at Xing Er's lips. When she wanted to play truant by feigning illness, her acting skills were much better than Madam Jiang's.

Suddenly, a fiery figure rushed at her. Taken by surprise, Xing Er was struck forcefully across the face.

Almost instinctively, she retaliated by slapping back twice. She grabbed the girl's hair and, with incredibly swift movements, overpowered and pinned the fiery figure beneath her.

Jiang Xin Yu, having never faced such a situation, was initially stunned. Recovering, she felt a burning pain on her face, her head ached as if her hair was being ripped out, and her scalp screamed in pain. Jiang Xing Er was seated on her waist and was choking her. She struggled to breathe, her scream stuck in her throat. Tears blurred her vision.

"Crazy girl! She really is crazy. Kick her out! Kick her out..."

No matter how composed Madam Jiang usually was, she was terrified at this moment. After a moment of dead silence, the room plunged into chaos. The waitstaff at the banquet immediately rushed over to separate the two girls, but stopped as Jiang Xing Er's dress was already half-off.

Jiang Xing Er, having almost strangled Jiang Xin Yu to the point of asphyxiation, stopped, clapped her hands, and prepared to stand up. Only then did she realize that her dress had fallen. After all, she was just a sixteen-year-old girl, and, as such, was instantly awash with embarrassment. Subconsciously, she crossed her arms over her chest.

Madam Jiang turned pale. The turn of the events that evening had undoubtedly damaged the Jiang family's reputation.

She had weathered many storms over the years, she wasn't afraid, even if the world was falling apart around her. Let alone a rustic village girl.

Madam Jiang subtly indicated to the people around her. A few stern, burly middle-aged women subsequently walked in from a side door, heading straight for Jiang Xing Er.

The corner of Madam Jiang's lips curled up. She had brought out the elder madam, a move powerful enough to silence even Jiang Mu Sheng.

Xing Er was grabbed by several rough hands, being hoisted up from the ground as if she were a small chicken. She struggled wildly but was slapped across the face, causing stars to appear before her eyes and blood to flow from the corner of her mouth.

Xing Er's dress, already half-off, was intentionally torn off by the women, instantly revealing her delicate but raw, tempting body to everyone present.

Indignant and deeply humiliated, Xing Er could no longer hold back the burning tears in her eyes. She turned around, her round eyes blazing with anger as she glared at Madam Jiang without blinking.

With an expressionless face, Madam Jiang's red lips slightly curled up. She silently mouthed two words in contempt: cheap woman.

Tears finally flowed from Xing Er's eyes. She clenched her teeth until they ground against each other. Why were they mistreating her like this? Why?!

"Everyone says the Jiang family of Rong Cheng is famously noble. Seeing this today, it seems that is not the case."

Amidst the noisy clamor, a clear male voice suddenly emerged. The voice was not loud, the tone was rather calm, but this simple sentence instantly silenced the chaos.