The eyes were still the same familiar eyes, but the person had changed. Round face, light eyebrows, a憨笑 (a simple, honest smile)—the kind of person you'd forget after seeing them once.
There are at least five or six people with that kind of face in the Hao household, if not ten. They look familiar, but you can't quite place their name; you wouldn't be able to spot them in a crowd. At this moment, Xiang Wan even doubted whether the face she saw that night was real.
But now is not the time to think about these things; there are more important things to do.
With a soft moan, Cui Ruliu awoke. Several servants nearby saw her and quickly made way for her to look in this direction.
Her face was calm, revealing nothing, but Xiang Wan had a feeling that Cui Ruliu's heart must be in turmoil.
Xiang Wan hurriedly scrambled to her feet, looking hesitant and ashamed. Her gaze occasionally flickered to Hao Yuchun before quickly averting, her eyes lowered in silence. Her fingers twisted the hem of her dress, filled with unease.
The person next to her quietly turned to the side. Although he didn't say anything, Xiang Wan could sense that he had discovered something interesting and was secretly gesturing to her from a corner where no one could see him.
Even if she saw it, Xiang Wan pretended not to see it, just waiting for Cui Ruliu to make a scene.
Hao Yuchun was startled by the sound of the door being kicked open and almost fell off the bed. But seeing so many people come in, she calmed down, covered her private parts with her clothes, sat on the bed and looked around, finally fixing her gaze on Cui Ruliu.
Turning her head to see Xiang Wan's actions, Hao Yuchun smiled nonchalantly. At this point, dealing with this girl was actually easier. It was just a pity that she probably wouldn't be able to experience all the suffering she had endured in her past life.
Madam Gui's eyes widened in disbelief, wishing she had never been there at all. The stark reality was laid bare before her; no matter how much she tried to defend Hao Yuchun, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine. Could there really be a monster in the manor?
There were quite a few people who shared her thoughts. The death of Ah Bing was still fresh in everyone's mind, and now another servant was lying on his bed, his life hanging in the balance, while the young lady remained calm and composed. How could this not frighten people?
"Cui Ruliu, you've been in this household for so many years, is this the day you've been waiting for?"
Surprisingly, it was Hao Yuchun, who was surrounded by the crowd, who asked the first question. This was something no one had expected.
Cui Ruliu gave Hao Yuchun a deep look, said nothing, and directly ordered people to move Afu off the bed to check if he was still breathing.
Before long, several servants shook their heads at Cui Ruliu, their faces pale.
When they realized the person was no longer breathing, everyone instinctively took a half step back, their gazes towards Hao Yuchun filled with fear.
Upon seeing this, Cui Ruliu suddenly felt a surge of anger. These people, they're all so cowardly, less daring than a woman!
An angry gaze suddenly turned to Xiang Wan, who was startled and confused!
Fortunately, it was only for a moment. Cui Ruliu withdrew her gaze and said coldly to Hao Yuchun, "As a legitimate daughter of the Hao family, even if you don't consider yourself, you should at least consider the Hao family. Where does your father's face go?"
Hao Yuchun sneered and mocked, "Ever since you entered the Hao family, have you ever seen anything like 'face'?"
These words shocked everyone. For a young lady of respectable birth to utter such a statement, no one uttered a sound.
Hao Yuchun said to himself, "In the eyes of the world, the Hao family is large and powerful, respectable and glamorous, and everyone envies them. But in private, they are nothing but thieves and prostitutes, extremely filthy."
After a pause, Hao Yuchun smiled and said, "Over the years, one concubine after another has been brought into the mansion, only to die unexpectedly not long after. Cui Ruliu, you must know that, right?"
Cui Ruliu pondered, not understanding what the point of Hao Yuchun bringing this up at this time was.
Hao Yuchun didn't care about anyone present at all, and said self-deprecatingly, "They either have eyes like me, or mouths and noses like me, or expressions like me, and you, Cui Ruliu, are the most like me, that gentle smile with your head down."
Cui Ruliu could no longer maintain her composure. Thinking it over carefully, she realized that each of those withered faces bore a striking resemblance to Hao Yuchun, bearing five or six points of resemblance. When she first saw the newly brought concubines into the mansion, she had assumed Hao Xuan preferred this type, and had even felt fortunate at the time. She never imagined the truth would be like this! No wonder, no wonder!
"In the Hao family, you were merely a substitute, a substitute used to alleviate Father's lovesickness when I was still a minor. All the servants in the Hao family obeyed only Father. You could never reach the place I held in Father's heart. So, even if you saw my true face, so what? Father wouldn't even bat an eye if I killed you."
After her initial shock, Cui Ruliu gradually calmed down, her gaze towards Hao Yuchun filled with disdain.
"You're nothing but a wanton slut who's been ridden by a thousand men and slept with by ten thousand. Do you think Hao Xuan would still respect you? You're lewd, shameless, and you've taken lives. Who would want to be close to you? You're nothing but a monster in human skin. Who would listen to you?"
Cui Ruliu raised her hand and ordered, "Tie this monster up. I want to see if Hao Xuan will still go on a killing spree in the manor for such a face!"
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Those in the front, heeding Cui Ruliu's words, retreated instead of advancing. In their eyes, Hao Yuchun was no longer a human being, but a demon capable of taking lives at any moment. Everyone values their life; who would be foolish enough to risk their life to kidnap a monster?
Cui Ruliu's face gradually darkened, while Hao Yuchun, upon seeing the scene before him, burst into laughter. His chest heaved, and the clothes draped over his body slipped down, revealing a sight that would make one's blood boil. But now, who had the mind to pay attention to that?
"You lot, tie her up! One string of cash for each of you!"
Cui Ruliu directly assigned several people, and with the generous reward, some hesitated, while others became even more afraid.
"Do you dare come any closer?" Hao Yuchun stretched out his hands, making a hook shape. "Come on, I'll eat you up!"
Her threat made everyone's faces turn even uglier.
"Whoever can tie her up will receive one tael of silver."
Cui Ruliu raised the price again, and immediately someone stepped forward. Most of the others hesitated. Xiang Wan thought for a moment, then silently raised her hand, moved closer to Cui Ruliu, and whispered, "If I kidnap her, will I get paid?"
Hao Yuchun's smile froze on her face. She might have some effect scaring others, but Xiang Wan had just shared a bed with her and wouldn't be afraid of her threats.
Not only was Cui Ruliu surprised, but everyone else was stunned. They never expected that for a mere tael of silver, the favored maid would risk everything to try and kidnap a monster.
In an instant, those with quick minds gritted their teeth and stepped forward.
Xiang Wan broke the deadlock, and the situation immediately shifted to one side.
Hao Yuchun gritted her teeth in hatred, but her face remained expressionless. "Xiang Wan, you're being naughty again, aren't you? Aunt Cui was just saying it; where would she get so much money to tip? My private savings are far more than hers."
As she spoke, she deliberately winked at Xiang Wan. The whole scene looked as if the master and servant were toying with each other.
A chill ran through Cui Ruliu's eyes. No matter what, she couldn't let Hao Yuchun get away with this today!
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