Chapter 149: Song Ruqi: You Say I Am Unworthy, and I Refuse to Accept It!

Song Ruqi had indeed heard it.

And precisely because she heard it, her mind went momentarily blank. She lifted her skirt and scurried all the way back to her own courtyard, throwing herself facedown onto the bed as the grievance in her heart grew with every passing second.

What was wrong with her temperament? Why wasn't she suited for the imperial family? Why didn't she deserve to be a royal bride? Why did her eldest sister have to belittle her like this? Was it because her sister looked down on her, or was she afraid that her own status might one day be surpassed?

The more she thought about it, the more unreconciled she felt.

Lying prone on the bed, Song Ruqi clenched her small hands into fists and pounded against the mattress.

She refused to accept this.

"Miss, what is the matter with you?" Shuhua, who had followed closely behind, walked in just in time to witness this scene and grew frantic with worry.

"Get out."

"Miss?"

"I said get out, are you incapable of human speech?" Song Ruqi snapped angrily.

Shuhua’s face stiffened slightly, leaving her with no choice but to retreat to the doorway, casting anxious glances toward the bed.

Outside, Song Ru茜, leaning on the arm of her senior maid, was walking over. Shuhua hurriedly stepped forward and curtsied. "Eldest Miss."

Song Ru茜 uttered a dismissive "no need for formalities," and just as she was about to speak, she heard the sound of crying drifting from inside the room, prompting a soft sigh.

"Eldest Miss, Second Miss, she..."

"It's fine. I'll go in and check on her." Song Ru茜 released Chunyi’s hand and said, "All of you wait out here, there's no need to come in."

"Eldest Young Madam, this..." Chunyi remained silent, but Mother Huang, the matron serving Song Ru茜, looked rather nervous. Without anyone accompanying her, what if something happened from a rash collision? That would spell trouble.

"It will be fine." Song Ru茜 offered a reassuring smile and stepped across the threshold into the room.

Seeing this, Mother Huang decided not to leave either. Instead, she stood right by the doorway, determined to rush in immediately if anything seemed amiss.

Song Ru茜 walked into the inner chamber to find her younger sister sprawled across the bed in tears. A soft pillow and a handkerchief lay discarded on the floor, and even the mattress had been dragged halfway off the ledge. She couldn't help but shake her head.

Her temper was as dramatic as ever.

"I told you to get out, yet you still came in—" Song Ruqi turned her head with a glare, but upon seeing it was her eldest sister, her voice caught in her throat. The scolding choked off midway, and she stubbornly turned her face away.

"Ah, is it so bad that even your eldest sister isn't welcome now? Should I leave then?" Song Ru茜 said with a feigned, hurt expression.

Song Ruqi sat up. "You said that yourself, I didn't chase you away."

"Yet you won't even help me walk. My body is heavy."

Song Ruqi choked back a retort, thinking to herself that her sister looked down on her as if she were some repulsive pest, yet still expected her to offer support?

However, as her gaze drifted down to her sister's bulging abdomen, her body moved on its own. She sniffled and walked over to steady her arm.

A faint smile touched the corner of Song Ru茜's lips. Her sister was all hard words and a soft heart.

Song Ruqi wanted to guide her eldest sister toward the bed, but remembering how soiled she had made it with her tears and mucus, she felt disgusted with herself. Changing direction, she led Song Ru茜 to the window-side daybed instead, considerately placing a soft cushion behind her lower back.

This thoughtful gesture melted Song Ru茜's heart into a pool of warmth. She took hold of her sister's hand and patted it gently. "Sit down. The two of us sisters will have a proper chat."

Song Ruqi had no wish to listen to her, choosing to stand rigidly in place. But when her sister gave her hand a light tug, terrified that the pregnant woman might lose her balance and fall, she obediently sat down, though she kept her head turned in the opposite direction.

"You just washed your face, but your makeup is ruined from crying, and you've got mucus everywhere. Aren't you grossed out?" Song Ru茜 turned her face back, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped it clean. "You're a grown young lady who has already undergone the hairpin ceremony, yet you're still crying tears and snot together. Aren't you ashamed?"

"I just happen to be a crybaby. I don't have your poise and composure, nor your ability to remain calm in the face of trouble. That's why I'm unworthy of being an imperial prince's consort. You've known this all along, haven't you?" Song Ruqi said petulantly.

Song Ru茜 let out a sigh. "Second Sister, do you really want to become an imperial consort that badly?"