The man looked even more upset, "You are ridiculous. Rong Yan, let's go."

He took two steps, then stopped, "You are from a nice family. It doesn't befit you to be shouting here in pubic." Then, even he felt that he was barging too much into someone else's business, so he stoped himself and left.

Just a minute ago Yan Ziyuan was like a aggressive rooster, all of a sudden has was like a ball leaking it's air. She leaned against a pole and slowly slid onto the ground.

Ning Xuemo had been watching the entire exchange with her arms crossed. She more or less figured out what was going on.

Sitting down next to Yan Ziyuan, she said mildly, "Sometimes, something is just not yours. You can't force it.""

Yan Ziyuan's body froze for a second, she turned her head at her and said, "You figured it out."

Anyway with half a brain would figure it out.

Ning Xuemo patted her own shoulder, "Anyone can read you like a book. You can borrow my shoulder if you want to cry, but you must straighten yourself up afterward."

Yan Ziyuan's eyes were already moistened, but she tightened her lips and said, "I am not going to cry because of them."

Ning Xuemo pressed her on her shoulder but didn't say anything.

Yan Ziyuan sat there motionlessly for a while, but she was a 16-year old girl after all. She wasn't good at hiding her emotions, especially in sight of her new found friendship with Ning Xuemo. She didn't wait until Ning Xuemo asked before she brought up the the past.

Yan's mother and Rong Yan's mother were best of friends before.

When Rongyan's dad was incriminated and her family was demoted to peasants, Rong's dad died with regret. The Rong's family disintegrated and their livelihood were at stakes.

Rong's mother took Rong Yan with her to seek help from Yan Ziyuan's mother.

Yan's mother saw her best friend in distress so she took them both into her house and made sure they were well fed and clothed.

Yan's mother did not expect the worse betrayal from her best friend. Rong's mother developed an interest in Mr. Yan's wealth and social status and started flirting with him.

She finally wore him down and they had physical intimacy.

When Mrs. Yan found out that she was betrayed by both her husband and her best friend, she was shocked. She was a hot tempered woman and wasn't going to keep quiet about this. She went to confronted her husband and got into a fight with Rong's mother.

Mr. Yan got really upset over this and finally slapped Mrs. Yan, called her a jealous woman, and declared on site that he was going to marry Rong's mother as his second wife, giving her equal status as Yan's mother.

Mrs. Yan couldn't bare this. She fell horribly ill and died a month later. She never forgave her husband to the date she died and never saw her husband again.

Before Mrs. Rong, Mr. and Mrs. Yan were a very loving couple. Mr. Yan had never even had a concubine.

After Mrs. Yan's death, Mr. Yan regretted about his actions, but there was nothing he could do to bring her back. This had made him spoiled Yan Ziyuan even more.

Yan Ziyuan, on the other hand, never forgave her father for the death of her mother, let alone Rong Yan and her mother.

Having no other choices, Mr. Yan bought a separate resident for Rong Yan and her mother, and moved them there.

Yan Ziyuan also loved the zither. To make up to his daughter, Mr. Yan hired the best zither teacher, Gu Ziyan, in Daliang City for her.

The residents in Daliang City loved musical instruments, especially the zithers.