Mama's Princess is Daddy's Beloved

"Enough! Let Shufen explain and end the chaos". 

The aged voice of Feng Yu Hao was enough to silence the whispers and murmur going along. He wouldn't have minded hearing them reply to each other like this, if there hadn't been his daughter, Feng Yi Ran on one side. But seeing her there, he could not dare to leave the situation to get bolder and bolder. 

He wasn't sure of others but knew well that when Feng Yi Ran gets to defend Feng Shufen, no one could win her. No matter how smart and intelligent that person is! 

Feng Yi Ran nodded obediently, but that was not before casting an unpleasant eye to everyone, especially the one who has brought his words before. 

Once everyone was back to calm, Feng Yu Hao turned to look at his son, who had stayed all cool and calm all this while. Like everything that has been happening here was all unrelated to him. 

"Shufen, one should be accountable for his or her actions, even if it is as trivial as removing a petty maid. You would not have to explain it if you have been just anyone. But one who holds the crown has to embrace both its benefits as well as losses. So, deem this to be one of that losses. Explain your action regarding the maid".

Feng Yu Hao said, giving a reasonable reason to his son. But at the same time, he didn't miss let everyone know that even he was condemning the matter to be trivial and it shouldn't have been brought up like this. 

Feng Shufen remained nonchalant. His one leg kept sophistically over the other, maintaining the air of loftiness around. "I didn't deem her to be fit to work at my house, so I fired her." He simply said and his words once again filled the room with whispers. The relatives turned to each other, discussing their thoughts and perceptions about his words, and soon one of them stood up righteously. 

"Are you doubting our own training academy now? Don't forget that the academy has been serving by training maids and servants for over decades now. We don't have the right to raise our fingers at their work". 

At those words, Feng Shufen's lips curled up in a cold smirk as his eyes turned to gaze sharply at the person. 

"There are no rights needed to point out the wrong. The maid doesn't come as qualified as she was claimed to be. Not only did she lack manners but she also dared to conspire under my roof. How audacious of her! If it is not the training academy to be blamed, then surely someone else in the family must have tipped her off to be so." 

Those words were clear and were enough to put everyone in silence. Though it wasn't stated clearly, yet it was already clear that Feng Shufen has long understood their trick of placing a spy under his roof. Now, if they dare to defend the maid, they would surely be the ones to take the blame. Something that none of them would dare to take onto their shoulder.

"For a menial maid to be courageous, I don't think this is something simple, Little Fen. Planning against us should not be treated easily. How can you just let her off? Being this easy is not your way to handle things." 

Feng Yi Ran said and her intention was clear, she didn't need to complete her words because her warning was loud enough to reach the designated ears. Her lips were up in a curl while her eyes were looking at the back of the hall where at the corner the maid was standing with a pale face. 

Wu Jiaqi heard it well. But she was too shocked to realize the trap that has been set for her. Freaking out in the name of the punishment she would be getting for conspiring against the family she was appointed to work with, she at once ran forward, disregarding everyone's presence to kneel down in front of Feng Shufen.

Her heart beating fast with fear but her greedy wish to live more made her stay put and urge for kindness. 

"Young Master, have some mercy! I am just a lowly maid of your family. How would I be capable of taking the punishments? I apologize for all my faults and beg for your mercy. Please do not punish me. My frail soul would not be able to survive". The maid burst out in tears, bowing again and again on the floor, begging for kindness. 

But when did one say, for every begging comes the mercy? One life couldn't be returned by apologizing, then how can a begging like this, could put everything back to normal. 

To all her beggings, Feng Shufen remained silent. As if he was not a human but a statue of stone who was devoid of any feelings and emotions, especially of warmth and kindness. 

Feng Yi Ran looked at her younger brother and shook her head internally. Not much has changed in his attitude. He was still the same. All cold and aloof!

Taking a deep breath, she pitied the maid. But she could do nothing, not like she wanted to help her. It was just that her voice was kind of irritating to the ears. So she was just getting a bit of disturbed by it. 

"That's enough. Stop that! Not like it could help you in any way. Being trained under the academy, you must have known what will be retribution for your offense. Since you have dared to commit it, be ready to accept the consequences now"

Feng Yi Ran said, getting a bit irritated at that unpleasant voice of the maid before asking someone to come and take her away. Her eyes scanned the people around who were for the first time keeping mum at her beggings. Just by their silence, it was known who was at the fault. There was no need to ask for it. 

Hearing her say that Wu Jiaqi was even more scared. Her eyes dilated looking for even tiny support that could save her life, but simply nothing was coming to her sight. Even with the eyes, she felt like she was blind. It was not that she had understood how wrong she was earlier. But realization struck her really late, as nothing could be helped now. She really dared to dig her own grave. 

"Young Master, I didn't mean any harm to you. Please pardon me. I didn't know the lady meant so much to you. If I had known, I would not have dared." Almost giving up, Wu Jiaqi gave one last effort, but that also went to no avail as the expression of Feng Shufen did not seem to change. And in the next moment, a few guards came to take her away. 

Seeing her going off like that, Feng De Zhong, who has been feeling hard to sit back and look at the things happening, was not able to control himself any longer. Standing up, he said, "Feng Shufen, I see the maid was at fault, and it's fine to make her pay for her wrong. But it's unacceptable to accept seeing you doing all that just for the sake of a mere woman with whom you're sharing your house?"

Feng Shufen's gaze hardened when heard the choice of words the old man used to refer to Li Xue. "From when did my fiancé become the mere woman to share my house, Third Uncle?"