Shen Miao propped herself up with her hands and slowly stood up from the ground.
"You, Shen Li, have been the legitimate eldest young lady of the mansion since birth! You've been doted on by your parents and spoiled by your elder brother. Everyone likes you! Moreover, your father holds great power, and your elder brother offers you advice. What about me? What do I have?"
"I'm just the second young lady born out of wedlock! Hahaha! You didn't expect it, did you? My father was born to a maid. He's not the old madam's real child at all. It was just that the old madam took pity on him and raised him by her side. Hahaha! I'm a bastard!"
Shen Li frowned as she watched Shen Miao laughing maniacally. She didn't know that Shen Junming and her father weren't real brothers.
No wonder in the previous life, he betrayed the eldest branch of the family.
Staring coldly at Shen Miao, Shen Li said in a flat voice, "You only saw the glorious side of me but didn't think about the hardships I've endured. The training in the Night Ghost Division was extremely cruel. I used to envy you so much for being able to grow up carefree."
"You don't know how lucky you are. The Night Ghost Division has such great power that even princes and nobles show it respect. As the young lady of the Night Ghost Division, so many people envy you, but you don't cherish it. If I had your status, I would surely one day rise to the top and look down upon all sentient beings."
The longing on Shen Miao's face disappeared the next moment. "But you, you've developed a timid and humble character, wasting the status given to you by God."
"So I hate. I hate God's unfairness, your ungratefulness, and my own birth. So, Shen Li, I'm going to pull you down from the clouds. Sooner or later, I'll trample you under my feet. I'll make this blind God open its eyes and see! Even though I, Shen Miao, am inferior to you in every aspect of my birth, I can still outshine you."
There was a cold frost on Shen Li's face. "Hehe! If someone like you were to win, that would mean God is really blind! Heartless, relentless in achieving your goals, disregarding family ethics, and trying to harm your cousin. Shen Miao, you're destined to never defeat me!"
Gritting her teeth, Shen Miao said word by word, "You're just lucky this time, Shen Li. Don't be complacent! Let's wait and see who will be the final winner!"
Shen Li didn't say a word. She stared fixedly at Shen Miao, then suddenly raised her hand and slapped the other side of Shen Miao's face.
"Shen Miao, the first slap was a lesson for your attempt to harm me today. This slap is a warning. Those who do many unjust deeds will surely bring ruin upon themselves. Don't go too far."
Covering her cheeks with both hands, Shen Miao shouted hysterically, "Shen Li, how dare you! You hit me again. Do you not want to stay in the Shen Mansion anymore? Do you believe that I can make you leave right now?"
"Hehe! Shen Miao, don't forget that everything you're eating, living in, and using now was given to your father by my father! It's only because of my father's power in the Night Ghost Division that Shen Junming has what he has today."
Walking around Shen Miao in a circle, Shen Li said mockingly, "Do you believe that with just one word from me, I can take it all back and make your whole family wander the streets and beg for a living?"
"You wouldn't dare! The world belongs to the Xiao family, not the Shen family. You don't have the right!"
Shen Miao's eyes were almost popping out.
"Dear sister, don't you naively think that no one knows what you've done today? If you don't want others to know, don't do it in the first place. Do you know a man named Wang Ze? He told me a lot of bad things about you."
Saying this, Shen Li whispered in Shen Miao's ear, "Dear sister, do you think I should believe him or hand him over to the emperor? Maybe the emperor isn't interested in the family affairs of his officials, but what if the Fourth Prince gets involved? Do you think the emperor will intervene?"
Hearing the name of the Fourth Prince, Shen Miao was like a dragon whose reverse scale had been touched. She said with a ferocious expression, "It has nothing to do with the Fourth Prince. I planned everything today. It has nothing to do with him."
Looking at Shen Miao's face, Shen Li saw that it no longer had the original gentleness and liveliness, only hatred and unwillingness remained.
"Isn't the choice in your hands, dear sister? As long as you make the right choice, of course, this has nothing to do with the Fourth Prince."
"What do you want exactly?"
"It's very simple. I'm sure you can do it, dear sister!" Shen Li deliberately paused for a moment. "Please me! Do as I say! If you perform well and I'm satisfied, I'll let this matter go."
Although she didn't want to agree, Shen Miao had no other choice. She didn't want to implicate the Fourth Prince. The Fourth Prince was her hope and the man she loved. She couldn't hold him back.
"Okay, I promise you!"
Shen Li clapped her hands and said with a smile, "Dear sister, you're really able to bend and stretch! Those who achieve great things don't stick to trivial matters!"
"Shen Li, why do you have to be so hypocritical? We've already had a complete break. Who are you calling sister for? It's disgusting to say it!"
Shen Li wasn't annoyed at all. "Wasn't acting like sisters in deep love your favorite act before? I'm just cooperating with your performance. We're still cousins now, so we have to play all the roles."
Shen Miao snorted. "It seems I misjudged you! I used to think you were timid and easy to deceive, but I didn't know that was all an act. This is your true face."
"Everyone in this world has a few masks. We're all just acting! But I see that you're in good spirits, so I assume you're fully recovered. It seems you won't be having dinner today, dear sister."
Saying this, Shen Li opened the door. Looking at the servants who had surrounded half of the yard, she suddenly said to Shen Miao inside the room, "Dear sister, I don't want a third person to hear our conversation just now."
Shen Li strode away with Jiaoyue. The servants in the yard looked at each other and didn't dare to stop them.
Then, inside the room, there came the sound of things breaking and Shen Miao's angry roars.
At dinner time that evening, Shen Li didn't see Shen Miao at the table as expected.
The servant only said that the second young lady was unwell and wouldn't be coming for dinner.
The next day, Shen Li woke up naturally in a good mood.
"Miss, you're awake! Early this morning, the eldest young master sent two people here! Miss, do you want to take a look later?"
Jiaoyue fetched water and helped Shen Li wash up. Now, among the people around Shen Li, only Jiaoyue was trustworthy. The others were probably all spies.
In the previous life, Shen Yi also offered to send people to her, but she refused.
Firstly, she thought she was good at martial arts and no one would harm her.
Secondly, she thought the people sent by her brother were there to control her and she wouldn't be free.
"Where are they? After breakfast, bring them to me."