Volume 1, Chapter 6: I Will Teach Her a Lesson for You

Xie Qiqi couldn’t understand why Yue Yue hated her so much! Before the age of six, the two sisters were very close, often eating and sleeping together.

“Why?”

Supporting herself to stand, Xie Qiqi asked in confusion. She had served as Yue Yue’s official maid for eight years, enduring countless hardships—shouldn’t Yue Yue be grateful to her?

“Why?” Yue Yue’s eyes reddened.

She recalled the day Xie Qiqi was brought back to the Xie family. Their grandmother, who had secluded herself in the backyard and never showed her face, wept bitterly upon seeing Xie Qiqi. Their mother and brothers were also in tears, each eager to show concern and care for Xie Qiqi.

At that moment, Yue Yue felt as if she had returned to the gloomy prison, trembling with fear. The legitimate fourth young lady of the Xie family had returned, pushing her down from fourth to fifth in rank. Would the Xie family still treat her kindly?

Thinking back on the scene, Yue Yue could not suppress her hatred for Xie Qiqi.

“For eight years, I paid my respects to the matriarch every day, come rain or shine. I did so much, yet she never favored me, refusing to see me!”

“But when you returned, the matriarch cried herself faint for you and even gifted you her cherished lily-of-the-valley jade bracelet.”

Xie Qiqi was even more puzzled. “But I gave you that jade bracelet the grandmother gifted me because you said you liked it.”

Yue Yue disdainfully interrupted, “That wasn’t a direct gift to me—who cares about that? I only took it from you because I couldn’t stand her favoritism! Honestly, I smashed it as soon as I got it back!”

Xie Qiqi was stunned.

That lily-of-the-valley jade bracelet was a betrothal token her grandfather had given her grandmother years ago. It was treasured like a family heirloom; her grandmother had never even given it to her own mother. This time, it was out of pity for the suffering Xie Qiqi endured over eight years that her grandmother had given it to her.

Such a precious jade bracelet—Yue Yue had shattered it?

Yue Yue’s beautiful face contorted with rage, her eyes blazing as she glared at Xie Qiqi.

“If you hadn’t come back, I wouldn’t care if she liked me or not, but if she doesn’t like me, why should she like you?”

“Compared to you, a dunce who hasn’t even finished learning the Thousand Character Classic, I excel at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—I’m a talented lady praised by all!”

Xie Qiqi was bewildered; what kind of logic was this?

She was grandmother’s legitimate granddaughter; wasn’t it natural for grandmother to love her? Had Yue Yue stayed so long in the Xie household that she arrogantly regarded everyone there as her possession and could not bear to share even the slightest favor?

Footsteps approached outside, and Yue Yue’s expression instantly softened as she spoke gently.

“Sister, you just recovered from illness; you should rest well. Let me help you to bed.”

She pretended to support Xie Qiqi...

Soon after, Madam Zhong, who served their mother, hurried in and said, “Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, Madam has returned. She injured her leg. You should both go see her.”

Yue Yue’s face was immediately anxious, tears welling up.

“Mother must be in great pain from her leg... Sister, I’ll go first. You’re not well yet, so don’t come. I will take care of mother.”

Yue Yue hurried away. Madam Zhong looked at Xie Qiqi with disdain and said coldly,

“Fourth Miss is quite crafty. If you hadn’t pretended to be unconscious and tricked Madam into praying at the Great Buddha Temple for you, she wouldn’t have injured her leg!”

“If you have filial piety, go take good care of Madam. Otherwise, you’re worse than a beast!”

Madam Zhong left with a stern expression.

Xie Qiqi was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly changed clothes, brushed her hair, and dragged her weak body to the Autumn Water Courtyard where her mother resided.

Even if Madam Zhong hadn’t said the harsh words, Xie Qiqi would have gone to tend to her mother after the leg injury.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, she collided with her second brother, Xie Wentao.

Seeing her, Xie Wentao grabbed her arm roughly and flung her outside.

“Xie Qiqi, how dare you show your face here? Do you think crying and whining will make mother forgive your deceit?”

“I’m telling you, don’t dream on! Big brother already told mother about your disgraceful deeds!”

Xie Wentao was a military man with tremendous strength.

Thrown down the steps into the snow, Xie Qiqi’s broken fingers were crushed beneath her, twisted and deformed, pain blurring her vision until she nearly fainted.

Her face pressed against the cold snow, she had never felt such bitter resentment toward her broken body.

If she were stronger, big brother and second brother wouldn’t be able to knock her down so easily every time.

She tried to stand up, but her frail body was too weak. After two attempts, she still couldn’t rise.

Seeing this, Xie Wentao stepped forward and slammed his foot down on her, sneering,

“Xie Qiqi, you’re truly a master of pretense. If you like lying on the ground to play the victim, then carry on!”

If Xie Qiqi were not a girl, Xie Wentao would have beaten her.

He didn’t expect her to rival Yue Yue in excellence, but at least she should have the basic virtues of propriety and shame!

This kick struck Xie Qiqi’s insides with agonizing pain.

Though she no longer held hope for her second brother’s affection, Xie Qiqi still couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.

After all, he was her own brother!

She remembered when she was a child, one of her second brother’s playmates snatched her osmanthus cake and pushed her to the ground, scraping her palm until it bled.

It wasn’t a serious injury.

But her second brother’s eyes had turned red as he rushed to beat the much taller playmate until his face was bruised.

He was punished by their father with five strokes for it afterward.

That was a brother who would risk everything to defend her even for a minor scrape—how could he treat her like this now?

“Second brother, I’m not faking illness. I am really sick! It wasn’t me who sent Qiujv to buy the cake, it was Yue Yue. She just admitted it was a setup.”

Xie Qiqi looked at him hopefully.

She thought he must regret it these past few days while she was unconscious.

If only… if only he would believe her once, she would still call him brother!

Before she could say more, Xie Wentao stomped harder and scolded angrily,

“Xie Qiqi, your deceit has been exposed, yet you show no remorse. You even have the audacity to slander Yue Yue! You’re hopeless!”

The force of his stomp was greater than before, and Xie Qiqi tasted the metallic sweetness of blood flooding her mouth.

At that moment, Xie Qiqi saw Yue Yue supporting their mother, Yue Huijuan, as she came out.

Forcing herself to swallow the blood, Xie Qiqi knew if she spat it out, her mother would suspect something. She did not want her mother to know she was suffering from an incurable disease.

Her mother would be heartbroken if she found out!

Yue Huijuan saw Xie Wentao stepping on Xie Qiqi and reproached, “Wentao, how can you treat your sister like this? Help her up at once.”

Xie Wentao justified himself, “Mother, I’m helping you teach her a lesson. She deceived you into worrying about her, and this is what she deserves!”

Despite his words, he removed his foot and grabbed Xie Qiqi’s collar to lift her up.

Xie Qiqi hurried to explain, “Mother, second brother, I really didn’t fake being unconscious. Yue Yue just admitted she broke grandmother’s lily-of-the-valley jade bracelet…”

“If second brother doesn’t believe you, let her hand over the bracelet, then you’ll know who’s lying!”