This day, Wu Caiwei noticed that the governess was being excessively harsh with her. Though she felt her movements were perfectly standard, the governess found fault with everything. If not for having lived through several lifetimes and possessing an innate understanding of various rules, she would have begun to doubt herself.
At first, she thought she was being too sensitive, but after an afternoon passed, she became convinced the governess was up to something.
She looked at the governess meaningfully, "Someone bribed you, didn't they? To specifically target me."
"If the young lady does not study properly but insists on pushing the blame onto this old servant, this old servant, having been a teaching governess for so many years, encounters such a situation for the first time." The governess's heart sank. She hadn't expected Wu Caiwei to see through it so quickly, but there was no way she could admit to it.
"It's fine if you don't admit it; I know in my heart what's going on. Let me guess who bribed you: Madam Bai? Bai Shuxue? Or Bai Shuming?" Wu Caiwei said casually, watching her.
"I don't understand what the young lady means. I am merely an etiquette governess, honestly teaching the young lady the rules and diligently correcting her every movement. Yet, the young lady perceives people so maliciously," the governess said, her expression unchanged.
"Since you are correcting my movements, please demonstrate for me what the correct posture is."
Upon hearing this, the governess breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the topic could be diverted, she wouldn't hesitate to demonstrate, or even kneel.
Could things be so simple? The moment the governess demonstrated and attempted to sit down, Wu Caiwei exclaimed, "Governess, you didn't teach me that just now. You said that when walking, the skirt should not move, but yours just moved. Please demonstrate again."
The governess's heart tightened. She obediently demonstrated again, but no matter how she walked, the hem of her skirt seemed to have a will of its own.
"So, it turns out you can only teach me, but you can't do it yourself. The problem is, if you can't do it yourself, how can you teach others? I recall that etiquette governesses are chosen for their superior adherence to rules, am I mistaken?" Wu Caiwei looked at her with feigned confusion.
The governess wanted to explain that as long as one was moving, the skirt couldn't possibly remain still. She could only say that her accessories and head ornaments shouldn't move, but that would contradict her earlier instruction.
"No, I must find my father to get me a different etiquette governess. If you can't even meet the standards yourself, how can you expect it of others?" Wu Caiwei began to argue unreasonably.
"If the young lady is unwilling to be taught by me, then I am also unwilling to teach the young lady. I have taught many young ladies, and this is the first time I have encountered someone like you, who cannot learn and blames others for all mistakes. The young lady need not dismiss me; I will pack my things and leave myself." The governess thought, since she had already received her payment, there was no need to persist.
"You may leave. However, if any unfavorable gossip about me spreads outside, originating from you or your family, don't blame me for not being polite," Wu Caiwei said with ill intent.
"You can rest assured on this point, young lady. People like us, who move in and out of various noble households, wouldn't have survived this long if we weren't discreet." The governess knew what she was worried about and quickly gave her assurance. In truth, she was more concerned about the Bai family spreading rumors outside and damaging her reputation. She considered giving a reminder but ultimately decided against it.
As soon as the governess left, Wu Caiwei went to Bai Tianpeng's courtyard.
Fortunately, Bai Tianpeng was not out today. Otherwise, when she returned, someone would have surely made a false accusation first.
They chatted casually, as their meetings were frequent, and Bai Tianpeng didn't suspect anything.
It was Wu Caiwei who brought it up first. "My etiquette governess has resigned on her own. She felt that I had learned all the rules perfectly and that there was nothing more she could teach me."
Zhou Tianpeng looked at his daughter with surprise and said meaningfully, "The truth of the matter is likely not that simple. If she had taught you so well, she would have sought praise from me before leaving, asking for a good reward. Now, her departure without a word implies there's more to it."
Wu Caiwei immediately gave him a thumbs-up. "The older the ginger, the spicier it is. Nothing can be hidden from Father."
"Tell me, why?" Bai Tianpeng found himself liking his daughter more and more. Originally, he felt his bloodline should not be left to languish outside and deserved a good life. But after her return, it felt as if he had found a confidante. She could discuss anything with him, offering her own unique perspectives, which made him care for her even more.
"I suspect she was bribed. She was fine before, but today, during her instruction, she was excessively strict. When I asked her to demonstrate, she couldn't even do it herself and retreated," Wu Caiwei said helplessly, spreading her hands.
Bai Tianpeng sighed. "I will have a good talk with your mother. My daughter is so intelligent, so dignified and graceful, why is she any less than that impostor?"
"No, no, no. Some people, though blood relatives, are not related by affection. I have Father, and that's enough. If they dislike me, I don't care," Wu Caiwei quickly refused, not wanting to force a connection with Madam Bai.
Seeing his daughter's reluctance, Bai Tianpeng felt that his wife would regret this later. With both sides disliking each other, he felt helpless.
Just then, Madam Bai stormed in, her anger flaring up the moment she saw Wu Caiwei.
"Master, look at your good daughter. She drove away the etiquette governess! Won't people outside say that the young lady of the Bai family is ill-mannered, dragging down our Bai family's reputation?"
Seeing Madam Bai immediately label her, Wu Caiwei became displeased. She looked Madam Bai up and down and said, "As long as Mother doesn't speak carelessly outside, who would know the inside story? Besides, the governess said when she left that you bribed her to target me. It makes one wonder if we have some deep-seated hatred between us."
"This is pure slander! How could I, the mistress of the household, scheme against you?" Madam Bai's face changed upon hearing this and she quickly denied it.
"Who knows? Perhaps I am too outstanding, causing jealousy in certain individuals. Besides, didn't the governess go home? We can summon her to confront us!" Wu Caiwei was gambling on Madam Bai's guilt preventing her from agreeing to a confrontation.
"How could I, the dignified Madam of the Bai family, confront someone like that?" Madam Bai sneered. She had thought the etiquette governess had truly revealed everything to Wu Caiwei and secretly decided she would have her thoroughly taught a lesson later.
"Alright, how many times have I told you, don't interfere with Yu Lan's affairs. She is the legitimate eldest daughter of our Bai family and can do as she pleases. Don't say she didn't dismiss the governess; even if she did, so what?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the other two changed. Madam Bai looked incredulous, while Wu Caiwei's eyes lit up.