Even though it was extremely difficult to utter, Ling Chuxia still managed to say her piece, and upon her finishing, Mrs. Shi froze for a second, then, as if hearing some incredible tall tale, could no longer maintain her elegance, her delicate face overtaken by shock and fury, "What did you say?"
Once the words were spoken, they could no longer be taken back. Ling Chuxia clenched her teeth tightly, biting her lower lip, her complexion growing ever paler, sitting motionless on the sofa.
At this point, she could only pin the responsibility on Shi Che, and in fact, it really was his unwillingness to let her bear a child. If it had been before, she naturally would not dare to offend Shi Che, but now that things had come to this point, she had no choice but to protect herself.
She swallowed hard, then added in a soft voice, "Madam, the young master simply doesn’t want children...I...I really can’t do anything..."
Mrs. Shi seemed to be greatly angered by her words, losing all her elegant demeanor, her chest heaving violently, unable to utter a word for a long time.
After Ling Chuxia finished speaking, her lips tightly pressed together, she said no more, knowing that some words must be stopped at just the right point to have an effect. Of course, she also had no real confidence, unsure of what decision Mrs. Shi would make next, but had not the worst outcome already happened? Perhaps her words could still win her a sliver of a chance.
Mrs. Shi’s silence lasted a while, and the longer it lasted, the more uneasy Ling Chuxia’s heart became, even unconsciously twisting her hands together in front of her, her fingertips turning pale.
After what felt like an eternity, Mrs. Shi finally spoke. Though her voice had regained a semblance of calm, Ling Chuxia could still detect a tremor, evidence that her residual anger had not subsided, "Ultimately, it’s still because you’re useless! If you could capture Che’er’s heart, how could he possibly not want children with you!"
Ling Chuxia was not surprised at all by Mrs. Shi’s words; she never blamed her son. Ling Chuxia’s hands twisted even tighter, she didn’t look up, just breathed out softly, and still responded, "But Madam...even if you replace me, can you guarantee that others can capture the young master’s heart and make him willingly want children?"
Ling Chuxia had been gentle, wise, and respectful for the past three years. Mrs. Shi had almost forgotten that Ling Chuxia was clever and had been a troublesome child since she was young, constantly causing her headaches. So now, blocked by Ling Chuxia’s words, she unexpectedly found herself unable to respond.
After delivering her statement, Ling Chuxia quieted down again, her elegant sitting posture and dignified demeanor giving no hint of the sharp rebuttal she had just delivered.