In the upstairs room, before Chuan Ma could grab her, Xu Changxia twisted her arm and shoved, sending the woman stumbling to the ground.
She broke free from the other servant as well.
Neither of them understood what had happened—Xu Changxia had slipped from their grasp like an eel.
Jiang Yihe was equally stunned, never expecting Xu Changxia to possess such strength.
Xu Changxia had once worked the fields with her mother; she was no delicate city girl. Carrying a hundred-pound bag of fertilizer was nothing to her.
Moreover, in her final years of her previous life, she had undergone intense training and ultimately turned the tables on several vicious middle-aged men.
Dealing with a few maids was child’s play.
Dusting off her hands, Xu Changxia smiled at Jiang Yihe. "Auntie, why don’t you go make a scene yourself? Better yet, call the police while you’re at it."
"You’re absolutely right—if this had happened decades ago, I’d have been dragged off to be immersed in a pig cage. But as the adulterer, Jiang Chi wouldn’t get off scot-free either."
"Last night, while his brother was away on a mission with the Troops, Jiang Chi sneaked into his sister-in-law’s unlocked room with ill intentions. He got stabbed in the thigh and had to go to the hospital for stitches. If this gets out, what do you think will happen to his job assignment after graduation?"
"And where would that leave Uncle Jiang’s reputation?"
The Jiang family had served in the military for three generations, with each holding notable ranks. A son convicted of indecent assault would bring unimaginable shame.
"How… how dare you twist the truth? You were the one who seduced A-Chi last night!" Jiang Yihe’s face turned ashen with rage.
Xu Changxia replied indifferently, "Go ahead and make a scene. By all means, let all of Hangzhou know what your son did last night—or I can spread the word for you."
"Regardless of what actually happened, his medical records are there. If I involve the police, no one will come out of this unscathed!"
So what if they claimed she had seduced Jiang Chi? Jiang Yihe’s opinion meant nothing to her.
Jiang Yihe had always thought Xu Changxia was an easy target, a pushover. She never expected her to be such a sharp-tongued shrew!
For a moment, Jiang Yihe was at a loss, glaring speechlessly at Xu Changxia.
Xu Changxia had no interest in further argument. She had more important matters to attend to.
She turned and packed her valuables into a suitcase from her dowry, then walked back to Jiang Yihe.
Her eyes fell on the Sandalwood Box in Jiang Yihe’s hands. "May I have it back now?" she asked, reaching for it.
Jiang Yihe immediately hid the box behind her back. "This belongs to the Jiang family!"
In the struggle, the box sprang open.
The next second, Jiang Yihe let out a sharp cry: "Ah!!!"
"Madam!" Chuan Ma scrambled up from the floor and rushed to Jiang Yihe’s side. Looking at her hand, she saw Jiang Yihe’s right palm was covered in blood.
"What happened?!"
"This box bites!" Jiang Yihe exclaimed, pointing a trembling finger at the Sandalwood Box on the floor.
Xu Changxia calmly bent down to pick up the box. She checked its contents—thankfully, nothing was broken.
You should know, in her previous life, this Golden Toad was auctioned for nearly sixty million at the auction house. Passed down through generations, it would undoubtedly become a priceless treasure. Even if she and Jiang Yao were no longer possible, this item should be returned to its rightful owner.
Xu Changxia couldn't sleep last night and thought a lot about her past life. She remembered that among the betrothal gifts Jiang Yao had given her, several valuable items were snatched away by Jiang Yihe. So she got up in the middle of the night and stuffed over a dozen pins into the box.
"Sorry about that, these pins were originally meant to ward off thieves," she said, raising the box and shaking it toward Jiang Yihe with a smile.
After packing her things, she dragged her suitcase over to Jiang Yihe and said calmly, "Do you think I care about reputation?"
The innocent remain clear. If others didn't believe her and slandered her, she could simply move somewhere else with her mother. It wasn't like she had to get married.
"As for calling off the engagement, please have Uncle Jiang and Jiang Yao come to the Xu family themselves to propose it."
If Jiang Yao really believed the nonsense Jiang Yihe and Jiang Chi were spouting, then it would only prove he wasn't worthy of her trust.
After saying her final words, she left the Jiang family without looking back.
It wasn't until Xu Changxia hailed a tricycle by the roadside and was about to leave that Jiang Yihe finally reacted.
"She took everything with her—isn't it obvious she's guarding against me? How am I supposed to explain this to Lian Zhou and Jiang Yao?! Hurry up and grab her suitcase!"
Chuan Ma and several servants rushed out after her, but before they could even get past the main gate, they saw a Dongfeng Truck parked at the entrance.
Jiang Yao was sitting in the back seat.
Seeing the group running out, Jiang Yao turned his head and glanced at them through the car window.
They immediately froze in fear.
"What's the hurry? Where are you going?" Jiang Yao pushed the car door open and got out, asking expressionlessly.