Chapter 13: Midsummer Words

“Maybe she’s faking even her suicide attempt, just trying to catch the Crown Prince’s attention! Someone as shameless as her would do anything for His Highness! Ah, what a despised wretch—less favored than us maids! Hahaha!”

Laughter and jeers rang out just outside the door, without any attempt to hide.

Liuzheng glanced sorrowfully at Sheng Xiayan, instinctively reaching to cover her lady’s ears. Whenever her mistress was bullied severely, she would shield her ears to block out the cruelty. Unable to bear it any longer, she would stand up for her, though it often ended with her being beaten and scolded by the madam.

Yet, the thought of protecting her lady gave her courage.

Sheng Xiayan looked at Liuzheng’s reddened eyes. Only eighteen years old, she cared for her so tenderly. In this vicious manor where struggles and rivalry among women were constant, Sheng Xiayan finally felt a genuine kindness conveyed from one woman to another.

She gently stroked Liuzheng’s hand to comfort her, telling her not to be afraid, then opened the door.

The voices of those maids were familiar—surely they were trusted by Granny Gu, notorious for their relentless bullying of the original mistress.

In the courtyard, several sweeping maids giggled, speaking ill of her. Seeing her, they showed no fear, merely offering a perfunctory bow: “Second Miss.”

Sheng Xiayan sneered. The original mistress’s standing in the household was so low, even these sweeping maids looked down on her.

But she was no longer the original mistress—no longer weak or kindhearted.

In the blink of an eye, she appeared like a ghost before those maids, slapping two across the face in quick succession. Within moments, they were sprawled on the ground, their cheeks swollen and red.

“If you love gossiping about your mistress behind her back so much, I think you’d better lose those tongues,” she said coldly.

As her words fell, a delicate dagger appeared in her hand without her realizing when.

She crouched and grabbed the closest maid, forcing her mouth open. With a swift motion, the dagger severed something pink that fell from her mouth, followed immediately by a gush of blood splattering across Sheng Xiayan’s face, making her look like a terrifying demon from the underworld.

The maid whose tongue was cut felt excruciating pain and fainted instantly.

The other maids finally lost their careless disdain, their faces turning pale with terror.

“Second Miss! I was wrong! Please spare me!”

They scrambled to their knees, begging for mercy.

But Sheng Xiayan showed no intention of letting them off.

If she didn’t intimidate these maids properly, make an example of them, how could the people of the Grand Tutor’s residence believe that the old Sheng Xiayan was dead and that the one left alive was a demon?

Blood splattered, and screams echoed throughout the courtyard.

After several rounds, the ground was stained with blood and scattered severed tongues. The maids had all fainted from the pain.

Liuzheng entered quietly, holding medicine, trembling at the gruesome scene.

Sheng Xiayan turned to see her and immediately softened her fierce aura.

With a gentle smile, she said, “Send them all away from the mansion. Sell them to the tooth collectors. I won’t tolerate such disloyal creatures in my courtyard.”

“Yes,” Liuzheng replied hastily.

Sheng Xiayan pondered silently.

The poison in Sheng Xiayi’s body was deadly; without a miraculous healer, death was certain. But it wasn’t infallible—if the Grand Tutor’s household found a healer, Sheng Xiayi might still survive.

Then the original mistress’s great vengeance would remain unfulfilled.

She needed another chance to administer a stronger poison.

Before that, she had to recuperate at the Night King’s residence for a few days. Guests kept arriving uninvited, and she was exhausted from dealing with them. Health was the real capital—if she kept pushing herself, revenge would be impossible because she’d be dead first.

Lost in thought, yet another uninvited guest arrived.

It was Madam Jiang.

Behind her trailed the spiteful Granny Gu.

Clearly, Granny Gu had exaggerated their grievances to Madam Jiang and was here to confront Sheng Xiayan.

“Mother,” Sheng Xiayan greeted Madam Jiang with a neutral bow.

“Sheng Xiayan, you’re becoming more and more willful and unruly! Even Granny Gu can’t control you anymore!” Madam Jiang scolded.

“You have no idea how anxious and worried your sister has been because of your reckless antics! It’s one thing if you can’t measure up to her, but why do you have to target her so relentlessly? Couldn’t you learn to be as magnanimous and kind as she is? Look at what you’ve done today—beating Granny Gu and the maids! Sheng Xiayan, what has become of you? You’ve truly disappointed me!”

Every word was a reproach aimed at Sheng Xiayan, with no mention of how those people had bullied her.

“You stayed silent when I was bullied, but when I fought back, you blame me? Have you no shame?” Sheng Xiayan curled her lips in mockery, speaking without mercy.

“You!” Madam Jiang was furious—yet every word Sheng Xiayan said was indisputably true, leaving her no room to retort.

She couldn’t understand how her once meek, docile, and dull daughter had returned from a suicide attempt transformed into someone so sharp-tongued and ruthless.

She struck Granny Gu—not just the woman, but her own reputation!

Sheng Xiayan had changed, and this was detrimental to Madam Jiang’s secret schemes.

Her eyes flickered as a plan formed in her mind.