“Ah!”
Jiang Qingning cried out in shock and hurriedly pulled her outer garment closed, but it was already too late.
Father Jiang and her eldest brother Jiang Lin, who had just walked in through the door, saw clearly the several red marks on her neck and shoulders—glaringly conspicuous against her porcelain-white skin.
“Wretched girl, what have you done!”
Father Jiang had heard the argument inside before even entering, and now he stood frozen at the doorway as if struck by lightning. Realizing what this meant, he quickly covered his eyes, not daring to look any further.
“Qingning, you…”
Jiang Lin, who had returned from court together with Father Jiang, was still wearing his sky-blue official robes, exuding his usual refined elegance. But upon seeing the scene before him, his expression turned terribly dark.
It was over. Everything was over.
Jiang Qingning’s face was ashen. Her fingertips, clutching her clothes tightly, turned white from the strain. Her entire body swayed unsteadily like a withered lotus in the wind.
She stiffly turned to look at the person who had torn open her clothes.
Jiang Shuwan met her gaze without flinching, though a flicker of amusement passed through her eyes.
When Mother Jiang had slapped Jiang Qingning and sent her to the ground, she had caught a glimpse of the red marks on Jiang Qingning’s shoulder.
Jiang Shuwan knew then that this afternoon’s scheme had succeeded!
“Who did this!”
The marks on Jiang Qingning’s body stung Jiang Lin’s eyes.
He had long known that Jiang Qingning was not of Jiang blood. After Jiang Shuwan had been found and brought back, he had entertained the idea of taking this false sister into his own chambers.
The man who was always gentle and mild now looked like one betrayed. He roared and stepped forward, but was stopped by Mother Jiang.
“Ha, who else could it be?”
Seeing her son so agitated, Mother Jiang knew in her heart that her eldest son truly had other intentions toward this adopted daughter.
She spat hatefully: “It’s this shameless little slut! Today she went with Xuan’er and Wanwan to attend a noble’s banquet, got dazzled by wealth and luxury, and who knows whose bed she crawled into—and the scandal has already spread!”
“What!”
Father Jiang, who valued face above all, was so enraged by these words that smoke seemed to pour from his seven orifices.
“You shameless wretch! How dare you do something that ruins the Jiang family’s reputation! Have all these years of raising you been for nothing? You’re going to make all of the capital laugh at our Jiang family!”
Their family’s good name had been destroyed by this wretched girl!
“Father.” Seeing how furious Father Jiang was, Jiang Shuwan quickly stepped forward to support him, speaking with a pitiful tone, “It’s my fault. I failed to keep an eye on Sister at the banquet and let her make such a mistake. Just now when Mother questioned her, she still refused to admit it. I didn’t want Sister to keep going down the wrong path, so I pulled open her clothes a little—I never expected it would make you and Brother angry.”
She looked at Jiang Lin with reddened eyes, putting on a deeply guilty expression, while in truth she was quietly covering up the fact that she had torn Jiang Qingning’s clothes, so they wouldn’t think she had done it on purpose.
“Wanwan, you’re kind-hearted, but don’t take the blame for others.” Jiang Xuan added from the side, “Father, Jiang Qingning isn’t really one of our family anyway. The baseness in her bones can never be changed! She committed such a disgraceful act—if I had caught her in public today, I would have thrown her into a pig cage and drowned her to uphold our family’s honor. But who would have thought she’d sneak back home to hide.”
Their accusations and curses pierced Jiang Qingning’s heart like sharp arrows.
But the marks on her body were evidence enough. She couldn’t argue, nor did she know how to explain. All she could do was hug her arms tightly, covering the marks on her skin, wishing she could shrink into nothing and disappear.
Her sister had schemed against her, her second brother despised her, her mother didn’t believe her, her eldest brother was disappointed in her, and her father thought she was a disgrace.
But she was the real victim here!
[I actually feel a bit sorry for the female supporting character.]
[From her perspective, she was drugged with Sujin Powder and violated. She escaped being drowned in a pig cage, but she couldn’t escape being found out, ending up abandoned by her entire family. Yet she did nothing wrong.]
[It’s precisely because she did nothing that she was so easily framed. That’s just how cruel harem intrigue is.]
[Can you all stop spamming about the female supporting character? The relationship between our female lead and the supporting character is one of mutual gain and loss. If she isn’t driven away, she’ll affect our female lead’s “destiny.” Why isn’t anyone speaking up for the female lead? So whoever’s weaker is automatically right?]
Golden text appeared before her eyes again. Jiang Qingning sobbed quietly, finally understanding the reason.
So all of this was because she was a “female supporting character”!
“How dare you still cry!”
A shadow fell over her, and Jiang Qingning heard her eldest brother’s voice.
“Tell me, who did you commit adultery with?”
Jiang Qingning slowly raised her head. Her usually bright and beautiful almond-shaped eyes were brimming with tears, her small face flushed red from crying—a pitiful sight indeed.
Since Jiang Shuwan had returned, her eldest brother was the only one in the family who still treated her the same as before. He was also the most reasonable person in the household.
Jiang Qingning couldn’t help but hold a faint, timid hope. Her lips trembling, she said, “Eldest brother, I was framed…”
Jiang Lin’s stern expression suddenly softened slightly.
What a little seductress!
Mother Jiang observed Jiang Lin carefully, cursing inwardly.
She said, “Jiang Qingning, are you going to twist the facts again and claim that Xuan’er and Wanwan drugged you with Sujin Powder to frame you?”
Jiang Lin instinctively looked over.
Jiang Xuan, out of fear and reverence for her eldest brother, showed a hint of guilt on her face.
Jiang Shuwan’s eyes flashed with resentment. She thought to herself that Jiang Qingning was always trying to seduce her eldest brother.
She quickly tugged at Jiang Lin’s sleeve, saying pitifully, “Eldest brother, you don’t actually suspect me and second brother, do you? We’re all family—why would we do such a thing?”
“That’s right, eldest brother!”
Jiang Xuan quickly chimed in.
When Jiang Lin looked at Jiang Qingning again, there was only disappointment in his eyes.
“Jiang Qingning, how have you become like this? You’ve even learned to falsely accuse others.”
Jiang Qingning had nothing to say. Her heart was completely dead.
She had no evidence, and even her eldest brother wouldn’t believe her in the slightest. What else could she do now?
Jiang Qingning smiled bitterly through her tears, as if resigned to her fate.
“Enough. This is a misfortune for our family. Our Jiang family can no longer keep this scourge. I think we should cast her out of the household, sever all ties from this day forward, and have nothing more to do with her!”
Father Jiang took a deep breath and delivered his final verdict.
Mother Jiang nodded in approval. Jiang Shuwan pressed her lips together, unable to hide the joy in her heart.
Jiang Qingning knew she couldn’t escape her fate, but being cast out was still better than being drowned in a pig cage.
She kowtowed to Father Jiang, suppressing the trembling sobs in her voice, and tried her best to speak steadily: “Father… please let me call you Father one last time. Qingning knows she has brought shame upon the Jiang family and failed to live up to the teachings she received. But please rest assured—after I leave the Jiang family, I will attribute everything to myself and will never implicate the Jiang family.”
Her words came out haltingly, but they were spoken with gratitude for the Jiang family’s years of kindness.
Father Jiang let out a heavy sigh and responded with a simple “Mm.”
With a wave of his sleeve, the two servants outside the door moved to drag her away.
“Wait!”
Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, Jiang Lin suddenly spoke up.
“Father, Qingning has been raised by our Jiang family for many years. If we cast her out now, even if we publicly sever ties, it will still invite ridicule from others. Why not confine her for the time being and deal with her in a few days?”
【!!!】
【I’m speechless. The eldest brother really can’t let go of the female supporting character after all.】