Author's pov
The moment Anning finished speaking, Xiao Qingyue took a step closer to her, raised her hand and slapped her hard across the face.
Smack!
The force of the slap sent her stumbling to the side and this time, she didn't even bother dodging it. She let out a sharp scream as she suddenly lost her balance and crashed into a small table.
The frame shattered beneath her weight, sending ceramic pieces and wooden splinters scattering across the floor as pain shot through her side.
'I did it!' Anning thought inwardly, for a moment she couldn't move. One might see it as her being shocked but Anning was merely happy.
Her cheek was burning and her body trembled from the sudden fall. Yet, she hadn't expected the princess to hit her, at least not this hard.
The sudden crash immediately caught the attention of the servants cleaning the hallway outside.
"Anning?" Han Luo called out from outside the room.
