Chapter 12: Him
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She angrily pointed at Sheng Xiayan’s nose and shouted, “I am your mother! How dare you speak to me like that? Do you know nothing of propriety?”
“Your father and I knew you were spoiled by nature, so we tried to temper your temper. Who would have thought you would still turn out like this? What sin did I commit to give birth to a daughter like you...”
The Madame pretended to be heartbroken, her eyes reddening with rage. Anyone who did not know the truth might have thought she was genuinely devastated.
Such a childish trick could never deceive Sheng Xiayan.
The original owner’s memories surged through her mind, and Sheng Xiayan saw everything that had happened in the past with perfect clarity.
She cursed furiously, “Hah! You still have the nerve to call yourself my mother? Is there anyone in the world as vicious as you? I must have committed eight hundred lifetimes’ worth of sins to end up with parents like you!”
“If you are dissatisfied with me, then write me a letter of severance at once. From this day forth, we will have nothing to do with each other. We can both enjoy some peace and quiet instead of having you throw tantrums in my ear.”
Sheng Xiayan rolled her eyes in disdain, unwilling to show her even the slightest courtesy.
Madame Jiang choked on her words, then pretended to lose her temper and reached out to strike Sheng Xiayan.
Seeing her come at her, Sheng Xiayan showed no mercy. She swung her hand back and slapped Madame Jiang squarely on the head.
Jiang was completely petrified. Never had she imagined that this wretched girl would truly dare lay a hand on her!
She slapped her thigh hard. “This is outrageous! You vile girl, how dare you strike me? Guards, seize this deadbeat girl!”
Her venomous gaze swept over the household servants standing nearby.
Several servants rushed forward together, attempting to grab Sheng Xiayan.
Disdain showed in every corner of Sheng Xiayan’s eyes and brows. With a bunch of insignificant underlings like them, they actually thought they could capture her? It was nothing short of a fool’s dream.
She planted her hands on her hips and kicked one of the servants viciously.
While no one was paying attention, she fired the poison-needle launcher in her hand.
The poisoned needles killed without shedding a drop of blood. Their victims died with remarkable dignity, as though they had simply suffered a sudden death.
Letting him die like that was far too merciful!
She kicked several other servants as well, causing them to collapse dead on the spot.
Jiang was utterly stunned. Her mouth gaped wide enough to hold an egg, and her hands began trembling involuntarily.
Her face turned as pale as paper, while her hands and feet grew cold as ice.
Without thinking, she cried out, “When did your martial arts become so good?”
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She did not remember ever finding anyone to teach Sheng Xiayan martial arts. In the past, she had never even known the girl could fight.
Whenever others bullied her half to death, she had done nothing but cry. She had never once resisted...
Could she have been pretending all along? But if it had been an act, how could she have maintained it for so many years? And if it had not been an act, how was any of this possible?
Only then did Jiang belatedly realize that Sheng Xiayan’s weakness in the past had very likely been a facade.
Sheng Xiayan yawned, too lazy to bother with them.
Her gaze swept over the few servants nearby, who were retreating in terror.
In a languid tone, she said, “Anyone who dares come forward will be the first one I kill. Your lives belong to you; dying for someone else is not worth it. You all have parents, wives, and children. Think carefully about what I have said.”
An aura of domineering power surrounded her, making people instinctively recoil.
Most frightening of all were her eyes, which gleamed with a chilling light, as though everything in her path would be forced to submit.
Taking the fate of the other servants as a warning, the rest turned and fled as fast as their legs could carry them.
After stretching lazily, Sheng Xiayan grabbed Jiang by the clothes and flung her straight out the doorway.
The entire motion was smooth and effortless, as though she were tossing out a sack of rubbish.
“My courtyard does not welcome cats or dogs. If you dare come here to cause trouble again, I will make you regret it. I will beat you until your teeth are scattered across the floor!”
Sheng Xiayan glared at her fiercely and waved a fist threateningly.
Jiang stamped her feet in fury, wishing she could rush forward and tear Sheng Xiayan’s face apart.
Seeing her enraged yet utterly helpless, Sheng Xiayan felt considerably more comfortable.
With so many maids watching, Jiang was unwilling to lose face.
If she could not cow Sheng Xiayan today, she would become the laughingstock of the household. How could she possibly remain here with any dignity?
“Sheng Xiayan, you are being utterly outrageous! Just wait until I tell your father. He will punish you according to family law. Not only have you bullied your younger sister, you have also defied your elders and violated filial principles. Your behavior is completely contrary to all moral order! If you kneel before me right now, I may forgive you for the sake of having given birth to you.”
She cleared her throat and maintained her lofty, superior bearing.
Sheng Xiayan burst into laughter. After looking Jiang up and down, she clicked her tongue repeatedly.
“With a mean, crooked-looking woman like you, how could you possibly give birth to a daughter as graceful and extraordinary as me? At best, you could only produce someone like Sheng Xiayi—a shameless wild hen who wants to pounce on every man she sees. If you want to be my mother, go be reborn and try again in your next life.”
With a disdainful snort, Sheng Xiayan kicked the door shut and swaggered inside.
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Jiang’s dignity lay shattered across the floor, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
“You vile Sheng Xiayan! One day, sooner or later, I will make you pay! I want to see how long you can keep acting so arrogantly. You are nothing but a lowborn wretch...”
She repeatedly spat out Sheng Xiayan’s name, cursing her without pause.
The older maid beside her chimed in, “That is right, Madame. The Second Young Lady has gone too far. How dare she defy her elders? You must tell the Master and have him punish her severely. We should also spread this matter far and wide. Let us see whether she still has the shame to show her face, or whether she can ever find a husband!”
“Shut your mouth!”
Furious, Jiang barked at her and raised her hand, slapping her hard several times.
After cursing the maid viciously, she stormed back to her bedchamber, locked the door from within, and began rummaging through the chests and cabinets.
At last, she found an exquisitely crafted box.
Inside was a record of Sheng Xiayan’s birth details, along with a small jade pendant. Both belonged to Sheng Xiayan.
Jiang’s thoughts gradually drifted into the distance, a mysterious light flickering in her eyes as the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
She picked up the jade pendant and shook it gently, her gaze filled with malice.
“You little wretch! How dare you shout at me? Given enough time, you will surely be the death of me...”
Back then, she had constantly suffered from a heavy, oppressive sensation in her chest and had been plagued by a chronic illness.
For two whole years, she had been bedridden, unable to sleep at night, until she happened to meet a fortune-teller.
The fortune-teller had told her that a calamity was written into her destiny, and that the heaviness in her chest was a sign that it was about to erupt.
The only solution was to raise a girl with an unusual birth chart by her side. Only then could the girl ward off disaster and shield her from the calamity.
The reason Sheng Xiayan had been kept in the household all these years was simply that Jiang regarded the girl as a tool to prolong her own life.
The fortune-teller had explained it very clearly: if the girl were to die unexpectedly, she would have prolonged Jiang’s life in her place, and the calamity would disappear.
For all these years, Jiang had hoped that Sheng Xiayan would die in an accident, yet the girl had escaped danger time and time again.
Sheng Xiayan had always been obedient and well behaved, and Jiang had been quite satisfied with her. But now, her temperament had suddenly changed completely...
Jiang frowned slightly and placed the jade pendant back inside the box.
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