Chapter 223 The Dark Side of Li Manyun's Heart

Most importantly, Li Manyun always told Li Jin that her biggest idol was her elder sister, Li Manyan. Her elder sister was elegant and dignified and had been loved by her elders since childhood. Li Manyun dreamed of becoming a woman like Li Manyan.

Therefore, Li Jin absolutely could not believe that Li Manyun, who adored her elder sister so much, would show such an expression at this moment, especially when she was glaring at Li Manyan, whom she had always said she admired.

After a while, Li Manyan chuckled, her laughter both disdainful and joyful, carrying a sense of cathartic relief.

Li Manyun laughed more and more heartily until her voice echoed throughout the entire cave. Only then did she stop and say fiercely,

"Li Manyan, Li Manyan, you've always been the one to step on me since we were little. Whether it was my grandparents or anyone else, they only had eyes for you because you were the only legitimate daughter of the Li family! You never thought that I, Li Manyun, would become a legitimate daughter too? I, Li Manyun, am no less than you! Today, it's finally my turn to step on you!"

As she spoke, Li Manyun unceremoniously stepped on Li Manyan's forehead, while Li Manyan, who was in a coma, was completely unaware.

Li Manyun's maid didn't dare to look back. She knew that her young mistress only showed admiration for the eldest young lady on the surface, but in her heart she had always disliked the eldest young lady.

Because Li Manyan is the eldest daughter of the main branch of the family, she was destined to receive more attention from the day she was born.

The Li family has strict family rules, and there are even stricter requirements regarding legitimate and illegitimate children, as well as seniority and age.

For thirteen years, Li Manyun not only had to defer to the legitimate line in terms of whether they were born of the same or different spouses, but also had to respect her elder sister in terms of seniority.

The Li family clearly has two young ladies, and she has always been obedient and well-behaved, but everyone else seems to only see Li Manyan. All the praise and attention are given to Li Manyan, and the best clothes and things are given to Li Manyan first. Li Manyun can only pick the leftovers and still has to be grateful. Why is that?

Even though she is now a legitimate daughter, her grandparents do not treat them equally. A few days before coming to Shanglin Hunting Ground, Li Manyun overheard that her family was looking for a husband for Li Manyan. The four or five men who were candidates were all outstanding in terms of family background, appearance, and talent.

That was bad enough, but when her grandparents talked about her marriage, they actually said, "Yun'er is not like Yan'er. Yan'er's marriage is the most important thing for the Li family."

All the grievances and resentment in Li Manyun's heart erupted in an instant. Why was Li Manyan born to receive favoritism? Why was she the eldest daughter of the main branch? Why not Li Manyun?!

"ah--!!!"

Li Manyun screamed, seemingly caught up in these emotions, her anger gradually spiraling out of control.

More than half an hour ago, Li Manyun and her maid took advantage of Li Manyan and her maid's inattention and each hit one of them with a stone, knocking them unconscious.

On her first day in Shanglin Hunting Ground, Li Manyun overheard two people participating in a hunting competition saying that they had discovered a small cave in the mountains during a hunt last year, and that they had left a small hill made of stones inside the cave.

The other person found it interesting and asked about the location of the small cave, saying that he would go and see the stone mountain he had built as soon as he went up the mountain the next day.

Li Manyun already knew that Li Jin would definitely come up the mountain after the hunting competition, so when she heard the conversation between the two people, a bold plan came to her mind.

Li Manyun noted down the location of the small cave, and then invited Li Manyan up the mountain this morning, which gave her the possibility of carrying out her plan.

As if by divine intervention, her good brother actually went off to chase a wild rabbit, leaving the two of them to wait where they were.

Li Manyun, who was still hesitating about whether to do it, saw that the opportunity had come and no longer hesitated. She picked up a stone from the ground and smashed it on the back of Li Manyan's head.

After knocking the two men unconscious, the maid and her companion struggled to drag them away, stopping and hiding along the way. Luckily, they weren't seen by anyone and finally found the small cave.

This small cave is actually not far from where they got separated; it's just located below a winding mountain path, and people who don't know the area wouldn't even see it.

Fortunately, they weren't far away, otherwise Li Manyun would have been discovered long ago.

Li Manyan originally only wanted to secretly teach Li Manyan a lesson and vent her pent-up grievances and anger over the years, but now, seeing Li Manyan, who had always been above her, being slaughtered at her feet, a wicked thought suddenly rose in her heart.

If... if Li Manyan were to disappear from this world, then she could replace Li Manyan and become the only legitimate daughter of the Li family...

After becoming the only legitimate daughter of the Li family, those things that only happened to Li Manyan will only be enjoyed by her alone!

Li Manyun held her breath, her heart pounding faster and faster. She bent down to pick up the scattered stones from the ground, held them in her hand, and aimed them at Li Manyan's head. Her hand began to tremble involuntarily.

"Miss, something terrible has happened! I think I just heard someone go upstairs, it sounded like the Imperial Guards!"

The maid's flustered and frightened voice pulled Li Manyun back to reality. Li Manyun came to her senses, realized the stone in her hand, and realized what she had just been about to do. She was so frightened that she threw the stone away.

The stone hit the cave wall with a crisp sound, then bounced back to the ground with another sound.

Li Manyun was startled by the sudden and rampant growth of malice within herself; she almost became a murderer!

The maid asked worriedly, "Miss, are you alright?"

Li Manyun shook her head, forcing herself to calm down: "It's nothing."

"Miss, why would the Imperial Guards suddenly come up the mountain? Could it be that the young master couldn't find us and was so anxious that he came down the mountain to look for the Imperial Guards?"

"What!"

Li Manyun felt a pang of regret. She should have known better and come earlier to find the location of the small cave; otherwise, she wouldn't have wasted so much time looking for the way.

Li Manyun turned to the maid and asked, "How long have we been walking?"

"Miss, it's been almost an hour. We've been gone for quite a while. What if those Imperial Guards really are..."

Li Manyun interrupted her sharply: "Alright, what are you shouting about?"

The maidservant awkwardly shut her mouth.

Li Manyun had already prepared an excuse: "What's the panic? Didn't we already agree that we'd just mess up our clothes, hit ourselves a few times, make ourselves look disheveled, lie on the ground and pretend to be unconscious, and pretend that we were all threatened by bad guys?"

"Oh, oh." The maid obediently loosened some of her hair. "But Miss, I don't think those Imperial Guards are so easily fooled..."

The Imperial Guards are all elite troops, so it does seem rather absurd that a villain suddenly appeared in the mountains, kidnapped them without a word, brought them here, and beat them up.