"Second Young Mistress!"
Su Mo let out a shrill scream, but her body remained immobile.
"Princess Huici, please let my mistress go. She knows her mistake," Su Mo pleaded on her knees, her voice urgent.
Princess Huici looked at the motionless Su Hele, a sneer playing on her lips.
"Don't worry. She'll come to her senses naturally after I leave."
Well, how dare she play tricks on her? Then don't blame her for being merciless.
"Since all the Qin Gu perfume has been sold out, Mingzhu, let's go."
Princess Huici turned to leave but noticed that Chen Mingzhu was whispering to Su Nansheng.
...
"Sister-in-law, could you give me two more bottles of the perfume? Huici gave the one I gave her to her mother," Chen Mingzhu whispered.
To keep Su Nansheng's secret, Chen Mingzhu told others that she also bought the perfume from Xizixuan. But she and Huici had come to Xizixuan twice, and each time they failed to get any.
Su Nansheng glanced at Princess Huici, who was tilting her head to look at them, then at Su Hele lying on the ground. With a bright smile, she said,
"I'll give you three bottles."
"Great! Sister-in-law is the best to me. If cousin ever makes you angry, tell me. I'll ask aunt to teach him a lesson!"
Chen Mingzhu clenched her fists, looking fierce.
Su Nansheng shook her head helplessly but still nodded in agreement.
After Princess Huici left, Su Nansheng stood quietly beside Su Hele, looking down at her with lowered eyes.
Zhao Qingyi frowned, looking at the two of them with a puzzled expression. But she quickly stopped thinking about it and said gloatingly,
"So, the one who always prides herself on being elegant and noble can also pretend to faint. Get up quickly. Princess Huici has already left in her carriage."
Su Hele still didn't move. Seeing this, Zhao Qingyi's smile turned sinister.
"Xiaolian, give Mrs. Su another slap to wake her up."
"No!"
Su Mo immediately stepped in front of Su Hele and looked at Su Nansheng for help.
Su Nansheng took a step back, her face cold.
Seeing this, Zhao Qingyi became even more excited.
"Xiaolian, why aren't you moving?"
"How dare you!"
Su Hele finally sat up shakily from the ground. Her voice was stern, but the red mark on her face made her lose her momentum.
"Hahaha..."
Zhao Qingyi pointed at Su Hele's face, laughing so hard that she could hardly catch her breath. Seeing this, the others in the shop also snickered.
The laughter stabbed into Su Hele's ears like needles, bringing intense pain and boundless hatred.
Su Hele gritted her teeth so hard that they made a clicking sound. The taste of blood filled her mouth.
She squinted at Su Nansheng and slowly swallowed the blood in her mouth.
"Why didn't you speak up for me just now?"
Her voice sounded as if it was squeezed out of her throat, sharp and cold.
Su Nansheng met her gaze, looking innocent.
"Sister has always disdained the powerful and is not afraid of their looks. Where would she need me to plead for her?"
"But the situation is different now. I represent the Anshun Marquis Mansion. When Princess Huici hit me, she was hitting the face of the Marquis Mansion!"
Su Hele slowly stood up. Her expression could no longer remain calm, and a ferocious look broke free from her face.
"The face of the Marquis Mansion? So sister actually values these vain etiquettes. If so, why does she need to pretend to be noble and look down on other women?"
Su Nansheng stared into Su Hele's eyes, her gaze as cold and sharp as a blade.
"I am naturally noble. Why would I need to pretend?"
Su Hele's face contorted in a ferocious expression, no longer looking like the gentle and elegant woman she usually was.
Su Nansheng sneered contemptuously and turned to leave.
...
"Mistress, the second young mistress was so scary just now!"
Bitao had never seen Su Hele so out of control before.
Su Nansheng smiled faintly but didn't say anything. She was just showing her true colors.
"Don't worry about her. We've been shopping for so long. Have you decided what you want to buy?"
Su Nansheng was in a great mood. Someone had taught Su Hele a lesson for her, and she had also earned a lot of silver without any effort. This trip had been very rewarding.
"What do you want to buy, mistress?"
Bitao didn't know what to buy, so she asked Su Nansheng instead.
Su Nansheng looked at the shops around her, looking a bit embarrassed. It seemed that she didn't lack anything.
No, she lacked a child!
"I'm going to buy something for He Xun."
Since flattery and seduction didn't work, giving some real gifts should be okay.
If the gift hit the right spot, the day when she could rise in status through her child would be just around the corner!
Su Nansheng was even more excited than when she saw Su Hele being slapped. Her steps became much lighter.
"Let's go. Let's go to the West Market and have a look."
Behind Su Nansheng, Bitao looked helpless.
Her mistress was really infatuated with the master.
...
When He Jin returned to the bedroom, only a single bamboo-shaped green lamp was lit, casting a dim light that made it hard to see inside clearly.
He was about to call out to Su Hele when he heard sobbing sounds coming from inside.
He quickly walked into the inner room and saw Su Hele lying on a soft pillow, her shoulders trembling like a fluttering butterfly's wings.
He Jin frowned. "What's wrong? Did the concubine come?"
The only thing he could think of was that Concubine Li had come to torment Su Hele again.
Su Hele looked up, her eyes red and her face covered in tears. But in the shadow, there was something else on her face.
He Jin walked closer and took a closer look. He couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath. Su Hele's face was swollen about half an inch high, and the finger marks on it were particularly eye-catching.
"Who did this? I'll teach her a lesson!" He Jin said angrily.
But Su Hele shook her head.
"Princess Huici was provoked by Su Nansheng, which is why she accidentally hurt me."
"Princess Huici? How did Princess Huici get involved?"
"I originally wanted to buy some things for the concubine today. But unfortunately, I met Su Nansheng. She couldn't buy the last bottle of perfume, so she got into an argument with someone else. I kindly tried to persuade her, but she slandered me for looking down on those who used that perfume.
Princess Huici happened to hear this. Without asking for the truth, she ordered someone to beat me."
As she spoke, more tears rolled down her face. Coupled with the wound on her face, she looked extremely pitiful.
"Su Nansheng? But isn't she usually the most obedient to you?"
"Now that she has won the favor of the mistress, she no longer puts me, her sister, in her eyes. She is arrogant and disrespectful of etiquette, always trying to bully me."
"I'll go find He Xun right away. That Su Nansheng is just a concubine. How dare she be so ignorant of her status?"
He Jin turned around and was about to leave when Su Hele grabbed the corner of his robe.
"No. He thinks highly of himself as the legitimate son of the Marquis Mansion. Naturally, he won't put you in his eyes. Moreover, this matter must have something to do with him."
"You mean He Xun instructed this?"
"If not, where did Su Nansheng get the courage?"
He Jin frowned tightly. Although he and He Xun were not close, they had always stayed out of each other's way.
But this time, not only did He Xun stay in the capital for a long time after returning, but he also let his concubine start trouble. Was this a show of force against him?
He Jin's face turned cold. If that was the case, he would surely fight back.
He gently stroked Su Hele's face.
"But I can't just let you suffer this injustice in vain."
"For you, I'm not afraid of being wronged. But if He Xun is so arrogant now, if he is made the heir in the future, there may be no place for you in this mansion."
Su Hele rubbed against He Jin's palm, her eyes full of affection and worry.
"Humph. The heir has not been decided yet. It's still too early to tell who will have the last laugh."
He Jin pulled Su Hele into his arms and lowered the bed curtain.
In his arms, Su Hele's face turned gloomy, no longer showing the affectionate look from before.
Su Nansheng, I will make you pay.