Cheng Simian stood in the crowd, seemingly detached, pure and untainted.
She looked down upon Cheng Siyi haughtily, as if observing a clown.
Her cold and calm gaze seemed to mock the over - ambition and self - conceit of Cheng Siyi and Yu Qiao'er.
Cheng Siyi felt a chill run through her body. She was dizzy, and the world seemed to be turned upside down.
The guests' gazes fell upon her like a dark cloud. Each one was like a sharp thorn, piercing her and making her bleed.
All she could hear were Yu Qiao'er's painful yet ecstatic moans and Cheng Yong's furious kicks and punches.
It continued until Yu Qiao'er fainted.
Her body was covered in bruises, with not a single uninjured spot. Blood was still gushing from her mouth and nose.
Cheng Siyi took one look at Yu Qiao'er's miserable state and felt a creeping horror. A chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
Liang Yuchuan, ashamed and angry, rushed forward, grabbed Cheng Siyi's collar, and slapped her hard.
Cheng Siyi fell to the ground. Her jewels and hairpins scattered everywhere. Her hair bun came loose, and her cheek swelled up.
"You bitch! Why did you lie to me? What on earth do you mother and daughter want? Do you mean to disgust me on purpose? What good will it do you if I'm ruined?" Liang Yuchuan growled menacingly.
Cheng Yong gasped for breath. After standing there in a daze for a while, he stared at Cheng Siyi in shock and anger, shouting, "What on earth is going on? Didn't you cry to me that your elder sister was seducing Young Master Liang?"
Liang Yuchuan reeked of Yu Qiao'er's perfume. Without caring about the presence of men and women, he disgustedly took off his outer robe and threw it on the ground. His chest heaved violently.
He was on the verge of a rage.
"It's her! She told me that Miss Cheng felt sorry for me and that she shouldn't have embarrassed me at the banquet that day. She also said that Miss Cheng sincerely wanted to apologize to me. I came to Miss Cheng's courtyard because of her words. Who would have thought..."
He felt so disgusted that he almost vomited.
Everyone had seen him appear in Cheng Simian's boudoir. He couldn't deny this fact.
To protect his remaining reputation, he shifted all the blame onto Cheng Siyi.
Cheng Yong roughly understood what had happened, but he couldn't figure it out.
"Young Master Liang is your fiancé. Why did you lie to him and slander him and your elder sister? Have you gone crazy?"
Cheng Siyi shed tears all over her face and could only keep shaking her head. "No, it's not like this. Things shouldn't have turned out like this..."
"So how were things supposed to turn out in younger sister's plan?"
When the time was right, Cheng Simian finally spoke.
Everyone's curiosity was piqued. No matter how this matter ended, it couldn't quell the anger of Cheng Yong and Liang Yuchuan.
When Liang Yuchuan and Cheng Yong confronted each other, Cheng Siyi's inconsistent lies were self - exposed.
Anyone with eyes could see that Cheng Siyi wanted to use the dirtiest means to ruin her elder sister's reputation.
But somehow, something went wrong. Concubine Yu staged a seductive scene, and instead, almost cuckolded the marquis.
As soon as Cheng Siyi heard Cheng Simian's voice, she reacted as if she was under stress. She shrank into a corner, hugging her head and trembling.
Her mother had lost face in front of so many guests and was now unconscious. Nanny Cao was nowhere to be found. She was at a loss.
Everyone present had become her enemy.
Suddenly, she understood everything.
Cheng Simian had known their plan long ago.
Both her mother and she thought they had set up a perfect trap to lead Cheng Simian into the mire.
Who would have thought that Cheng Simian would turn the tables on them and scheme against both her and her mother.
She pointed at Cheng Simian and roared hoarsely, "It's you! You've ruined me and my mother! I snatched your marriage, and you held a grudge. You deliberately sabotaged my engagement banquet and wanted my mother to be ruined and hated by father!"
Cheng Simian didn't rush to refute this. Instead, she looked at Cheng Yong calmly.
"Father, do you believe her words?"
Cheng Yong's mind was in a complete mess.
His most favored and respected concubine had cuckolded him. His favorite youngest daughter had been lying. And she even wanted to scheme against the fiancé she had finally won.
The situation had gotten out of control. Cheng Yong only felt that the two women he had been most proud of in the past were hideous.
It made him look like a big fool.
But was Cheng Simian really innocent?
He glanced at Cheng Simian, and a hint of suspicion flashed in his eyes.
Cheng Simian didn't feel sad or disappointed about Cheng Yong's hesitation and evasion.
He had been stupid for a long time, and his heart had already been biased beyond measure.
Cheng Simian sneered imperceptibly. "Younger sister is so confident, accusing me of so many things. Do you have any evidence to prove that I planned all this?"
Cheng Siyi opened her mouth, her eyes blank. She couldn't make a sound.
She could only look up at Cheng Simian. She was in a complete mess, while Cheng Simian was still noble and holy.
She was like a person on trial.
Jealousy, shame, rage, and resentment churned in her heart. Her blood boiled, and she wished she could tear that beautiful face to pieces!
The guests whispered to each other. Although their voices were low, the words were offensive. Cheng Siyi was so angry that she was about to explode, but she couldn't produce any evidence.
"Father, I have a lot of evidence to show you. Since the guests are here today, it would be good for them to bear witness for me. Is that okay?"
In front of everyone, Cheng Simian spoke politely to Cheng Yong.
Cheng Yong didn't even want to look at Cheng Siyi anymore.
"What evidence?"
Cheng Simian said to Nanny Chen behind her, "Tell them to carry the person in."
Nanny Cao was carried in by the four old women. She was still tied up, but the cloth in her mouth had been removed.
She crawled at Cheng Simian's feet, crying bitterly.
"Miss, I was wrong. I was blinded by greed. Concubine Yu threatened and bribed me. She asked me to light the aphrodisiac incense in your boudoir when no one was in the inner courtyard today. Then Second Miss would lead Young Master Liang in... Her mother and daughter are so vicious and despicable. They wanted to ruin Miss's reputation and force Miss to be Young Master Liang's concubine. Then Second Miss could trample on Miss for the rest of her life!"
On the way here, Nanny Chen had made the stakes clear to her in a few words.
Nanny Cao was always cunning, but she was also a smart person.
If she continued to resist, she would end up like Concubine Yu and her daughter.
If she told the truth, Miss might spare her life.
As soon as Yu Qiao'er woke up, she heard Nanny Cao betraying her completely.
The effect of the drug wore off, and her sanity returned. Thinking of what she had done in front of everyone, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
Fortunately, she came from a brothel, so she was thick - skinned and shameless enough. She randomly grabbed a robe on the ground, wrapped it around herself, and screamed in defense, "You old bitch! How much did Miss give you to slander me and my daughter like this?"
"Miss didn't give me a single cent. It's you who have a crooked mind. You've always wanted to outshine Miss and the madam, so you came up with this despicable and dirty idea! You gave me money to buy the aphrodisiac incense from Hongsu Tower!"
The servant who used to be submissive and obedient to her was now glaring at her and shouting.
"Nonsense! What aphrodisiac incense? What Hongsu Tower? You're just making things up!"
Yu Qiao'er just refused to admit anything and tried to stir up trouble.
"Then why did Concubine Yu lose control in public just now, like a rutting wild animal, completely out of her mind?"
Nanny Chen thought it would damage Miss's reputation if Miss said such words, so she asked on Miss's behalf in a stern voice.
Yu Qiao'er was in a dilemma.
Whether she admitted it or not, she was doomed.