Chen Xin seemed to have been kneeling for a long time and had been exposed to the cold wind all night. He looked somewhat tired, and if it weren't for his two maids, Qiu Qian and Qiu Yu, supporting him, he might have really collapsed to the ground.
"Sister-in-law? What are you doing here?" Chen Siyuan said, a mocking smile on her lips.
Seemingly out of concern, the person stood tall at the doorway, upright, waiting quietly.
Chen Xin gritted his teeth at the mention of "half-sister," as if he was afraid others wouldn't know his current status as a concubine's daughter.
Thinking of her mother's current situation, she felt a deep resentment, but she had no choice but to swallow it down.
"Sister, please spare Mother."
"Mother?" Chen Siyuan came up and bent down. Just when Chen Xin thought she was going to help her up, Chen Siyuan actually hooked Chen Xin's chin with her hand, forcing her to look up at her. "Mother has been gone for many years. Has my half-sister even forgotten this?"
"You—" Chen Xin was furious. If it weren't for the chance to marry into the Tao family, she wouldn't waste her time with this stupid woman.
Thinking about this made her angry, and she actually wanted to break off the engagement with the Tao family.
Damn it!
Unable to contain his anger, he jumped up and yelled at Chen Siyuan, "Chen Siyuan, that's enough!"
Snap—
Chen Siyuan reacted quickly and slapped Chen Xin across the face.
Chen Xin was stunned by the beating, and Qiu Qian and Qiu Yu, who were kneeling on the ground, were also dumbfounded.
What happened?
How did Chen Siyuan, who always treated Aunt Zhao's words as imperial edicts and dared not say a harsh word to the Second Miss, change?
"Chen Siyuan, you..."
Chen Siyuan slapped Chen Xin again, then looked at Chunlan and said, "Bring some water so my half-sister can clear her head."
"Yes." Chunlan felt relieved and quickly turned to leave.
They carried a bucket of water that had just been drawn from the well as quickly as possible.
Chen Siyuan stared at Chen Xin and said, "Fall down."
Splash—
Before anyone could react, Chunlan had already poured a bucket of water down the drain.
The water drawn from the well in the summer was cold. When it was poured on Chen Xin's head, she seemed to react a step too slowly. After a while, she started to yell.
Chen Siyuan seemed unwilling to speak, and kicked Chen Xin to the ground.
Coincidentally, it hit the two maids directly.
The three people lay sprawled on the ground, motionless for a long time.
The maids around them were all in an uproar upon seeing this.
The young lady changed after that incident.
Previously, the eldest young lady doted on the second young lady, always giving her the best food and things. But now...
After a long while, Chen Xin scrambled to his feet, looking disheveled.
She harbored resentment, yet dared not meet Chen Siyuan's eyes at this moment.
Chen Siyuan stared at Chen Xin as he took two steps closer and sneered, "You're putting on a show to let everyone know how arrogant and domineering the eldest daughter of the Chen family is, and how she bullies the illegitimate daughter. Don't you know that my reputation has been bad all these years?"
"Sister, if Father finds out, do you know what will happen...?"
"Father?" The question only fueled Chen Siyuan's anger. At this moment, she didn't pretend and directly expressed her true feelings, asking, "Where did Father go?"
"Reporting to Miss, Father has been invited for tea by Lord Ye," Chunlan replied quickly.
"Oh?" Chen Siyuan nodded. "Where did Aunt Zhao go?"
"Aunt Zhao is also having tea with Lord Ye."
"So that's how it is," Chen Siyuan nodded. "Then how about we send my half-sister over for tea as well?"
Everyone was shocked to hear this. They all knew that the reason Chen Zhaokun and Aunt Zhao were not in the mansion was not because they were actually having tea, but because Lord Ye had summoned them for questioning.
If you speak well, the person can come back; if you speak poorly, they might stay in that place forever, and there's a possibility they'll never be able to come back.
After all, someone was plotting against the Tao family's unmarried young mistress.
If the Tao family wants to punish this severely, there's nothing they can't do.
"Chen Siyuan, how could you be so heartless? Those are our father and mother! How could you be so cruel?" Chen Xin knew that more and more maids were gathering around, so her voice rose even higher.
She was deliberately making a scene, trying to force Chen Siyuan to bow down to the Tao family and to make Chen Siyuan personally bring her father and mother back.
The worse Chen Siyuan's reputation becomes, the more advantageous it is for me.
"Me, heartless?" Chen Siyuan retorted.
"Isn't that right?" Chen Xin said, getting more excited. "As long as my sister is willing to bow down to Young Master Tao, Father and Mother will definitely be able to return safely?"
"Why did the Tao family have to be involved when Father and Aunt Zhao went out for tea?"
"Isn't it because you angered the Tao family that Lord Ye is holding onto Father and Mother?"
Chen Siyuan laughed, "So, according to my half-sister, Lord Ye is trying to curry favor with the Tao family by blurring the lines between public and private matters and abusing his power through private punishment?"
Chen Xin then realized what Chen Siyuan truly meant; she knew what she was saying, but she didn't dare to say it aloud.
Chen Siyuan patted Chen Xin's face, "Just based on what you just said, I can kick you out of the Chen family and remove your name from the Chen family's genealogy."
"You dare?" Chen Xin was scared.
"The play is over, it's time for you to take your bow. Don't block my view of the scenery." Chen Siyuan said, pushing Chen Xin to the ground.
Chen Xin was in a very disheveled state, his hair and clothes were dripping wet, and he was covered in dust.
Her performance, which she had maintained all night, was shattered in an instant by Chen Siyuan.
Chen Xin was still unwilling to leave.
Chen Siyuan glanced at Chunping, "Chunping, according to the rules of the manor, what should be done if an inferior disrespects the eldest daughter?"
Chunping spoke up, "Beat up the twenty squads and drive the Chen family out."
"Okay, throw this thing out."
"Sister, please be forgiving. What have I done wrong that you must be so heartless? You even punish the maidservant beside me?"
Only then did Chen Siyuan realize Chen Xin's behavior in his previous life.
I don't know why I was so suppressed just now that I couldn't even fight back. Now it seems that I was indeed the most cunning old fox hiding in the shadows.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths, risking the lives of everyone who cared about her, to push Song Ji into that position, only to have Chen Xin, the one who ultimately reaps the benefits, become the one standing before her.
With Chen Zhaokun not currently at home, taking advantage of Chen Xin's confusion to do more things will expose more flaws.
She always felt that she was stupid in her past life, and that their success must have been due to a strategist behind the scenes.
Who is this person?
She couldn't rest easy until this strategist was brought to justice.
Thinking about it, Chen Siyuan smiled sarcastically.
"Chen Xin, you colluded with Song Ji to harm me and ruin my reputation, all so you could take my place and marry into the Tao family? When you did all this, why didn't you think of showing some mercy? Given our relationship, if you wanted to marry Young Master Tao, you could have just told me. Why did you have to do this to me?"
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