Arrogant and domineering because of his good looks: His Majesty always pretends to be righteous

The night was pitch black, with thunder and lightning raging, and streaks of lightning ripped through the silent sky.

"It hurts so much, I feel like I'm going to die from the pain."

"

"Do you have any way to relieve this pain?"

The woman on the bed was drenched in sweat and was panting heavily.

Sweat soaked through her clothes. Xia Yue was trying her best to give birth to the child, but she was losing a lot of strength.

The heart-wrenching screams echoed throughout the courtyard, making everyone who heard them feel uneasy, and everyone's heart was in their throat.

Xia Rongliu was extremely anxious outside, her small figure pacing back and forth, her big, watery eyes constantly peering inside.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see anything at all; all he could hear was his mother's heart-wrenching wails.

"Wow……"

After a while, the child's shrill cry pierced the sky like a sharp blade.

"She gave birth to a daughter."

From a distance, you could hear the midwife's overjoyed voice from inside; she was laughing so hard she was doubled over.

A warm smile graced her aged face as she cradled a newborn child in her arms. Though just born, the child was already strikingly beautiful, clearly destined to be a lovely woman.

Xia Yue had no strength left, but when her eyes fell on the child, a bright smile appeared on her face...

Before they knew it, a month had passed. When the baby turned one month old, the entire Xia family was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Red lanterns hung high, and the joyous atmosphere could be felt from afar.

Old Man Xia couldn't stop smiling. After all, this was his grandson. Although he had a preference for sons over daughters, he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes and brows.

Old Lady Xia organized a feast for everyone she knew in the entire village.

On the day her child turned one month old, she wore a red padded coat, beaming with joy, and named the child Xia Yunji that day.

For a long time afterward, the three children spent every day together, enjoying a happy period.

Before anyone knew it, Wanqing had grown into a graceful young woman with a beautiful figure, a slender body, jet-black hair, and a pretty oval face.

With her arched willow-leaf eyebrows, short, upturned nose, and captivating peach blossom eyes, her eyes and brows were sharp, giving her an indescribable charm.

Without realizing it, she was no longer the timid and cowardly little girl she once was.

She sat in front of the mirror, gazing at her pretty face, but there was no joy in her eyes.

"You've finally grown into a beautiful young woman. It seems all those years of pampering you haven't been in vain! That ugly little girl from back then is truly gone forever."

Old Lady Xia spoke leisurely from the side, but her mind was already preoccupied with other matters.

She slowly raised her head and saw a smile bloom on the old lady's face, a smile that had rarely appeared over the years.

She felt no joy despite the shadows of her childhood; she lost her mother that year and was adopted by the old lady that year.

I still vividly remember what he said. Although I haven't mentioned it for so many years, I have never forgotten it.

She had long understood that the old lady didn't like her at all, and even if a little affection had developed over the years, it was still worlds apart.

She knew very well that she had to find a way out for herself, otherwise she would be kicked out of the house when she turned eighteen! Then she would be back to the way she was before.

Seeing how beautiful and graceful she had become, like a lotus emerging from the water, Old Lady Xia began to have some little schemes in her heart.

The next day, as the sun set, Yang Wanqing returned home excitedly from school. As soon as she stepped into her house, she saw a bloated man appear before her.

The man's face was extremely greasy, his fleshy face was trembling slightly, and his eyes were so small that they seemed unable to open.

He looked to be around forty years old, and his smile was particularly lewd; he was clearly not a kind and upright person.

The moment Yang Wanqing saw him, she felt a surge of resistance.

"Come on, come on..."

"Look, look, look! This is the girl I wanted to introduce to you, our little girl Qingliao."

"Look at her, isn't she like a lotus emerging from the water? With such beauty, you'd be well worth marrying her."

The man stared at her lecherously, laughing so hard he was doubled over. Anyone could see what he was really thinking.

"I won't marry..."

Yang Wanqing spoke coldly, her attitude resolute.

Old Lady Xia was slightly taken aback. She looked at the girl in front of her with surprise. She had always been humble and well-behaved over the years.

I never expected this little girl to rebel, and this time her attitude was so resolute.

Although there was a hint of timidity and fear in her eyes, her dark eyes darted back and forth in their sockets, and her restless little hands were clenched tightly together, not knowing what to do.

Old Lady Xia's face darkened as she said, "You should know what you're talking about, shouldn't you?"

"You're already twelve years old. Wouldn't it be better if I found you a husband sooner?"

The man's expression became quite awkward. He had come full of confidence and had even prepared the betrothal gifts, but he was unexpectedly met with a cold shower.

“I haven’t forgotten my grandma, but there are still a few years to go, and I’m still in school.”

"If I finish my studies in a few years, when I'm eighteen, and I'm still living in this house, you can kick me out or do whatever you want with me!"

She mustered her courage and spoke the words that had been bottled up in her heart for more than a decade.

From the day she was abandoned, she had already planned her future in her heart. She didn't want to be a kite in someone's hands, nor did she want to live like a chess piece.

She was well aware of the kind of life she would face, and she wanted to fight for a good life for herself.

Old Mrs. Xia bit her dry lips, trembling with anger, but she was rendered speechless by the rebuttal, because this was a promise she had once made to the child.

Even though his face turned green with anger, he could only suppress all the rage in his heart.

"Old Lady Xia! This is really unfair of you. I've already brought betrothal gifts, and your little girl is so beautiful and well-known far and wide."

"If you didn't want to get married so badly, why didn't you say so sooner? You've really embarrassed me..."

The man left with a sour remark, then took the betrothal gifts and left dejectedly.

Old Mrs. Xia could only suffer in silence, unable to express all her grievances. She could only swallow them down, watching that departing figure, feeling incredibly distressed.