The two women seemed oblivious to Qin Li’s disgust, bowing without batting an eye. Finally, Aunt Yun’s gaze fell upon Xie Wan Ning.
“Second Miss, didn’t Wan Rou come back with you today?”
Before Xie Wan Ning could speak, Qin Li angrily rebuked, “How dare you! How dare you call me Second Miss?”
Aunt Yun’s face turned pale instantly at the reprimand.
Seeing that she didn’t bow, Qin Li’s anger intensified. “Second Miss is now the young mistress of the Marquis’s mansion. You, a mere concubine, come uninvited, without bowing or showing respect. What are your intentions?”
“Do you perhaps want everyone to know that our Xie family has no manners?”
A flash of humiliation crossed Aunt Yun’s eyes. She glanced at Xie Wan Ning, whose face was equally cold, and was about to curtsy when her son beside her stopped her.
Then Xie Beiming looked at Qin Li, his eyes filled with indignation. “Mother, my second sister and my sister married into the Xiao family together. My mother was just asking about my sister. Why are you so harsh?”
“Married? Wan Ning was brought back by the Xiao family in a grand procession. Your sister willingly became a concubine. What talk of marriage?”
Qin Li’s expression was cold. “A concubine dares to dream of returning to her parents’ home. What a pipe dream. What do you take the Marquis’s mansion for? As blindly ignorant as you?”
Xie Beiming’s face was full of humiliation. He wanted to say something more, but Aunt Yun grabbed his arm tightly.
Xie Wan Ning’s expression was cold, directly piercing her heart. “Xie Wan Rou has been stirring up trouble in the Marquis’s mansion. She is disliked by Madam Xiao and by her husband. Now she is under house arrest. Aunt Yun, don’t bother hoping anymore. She won’t be coming back.”
Xie Wan Ning’s expression was cold, directly piercing Aunt Yun’s heart.
And not only will she not be coming back today, but she will never be coming back.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Yun’s face paled instantly, and she demanded sharply, “Was it you? Did you use tricks to harm Rou’er?”
Xie Wan Ning saw her rushing towards her anxiously, and a flash of disgust crossed her eyes.
“Get out of the way!”
Xie Bei Xuan directly blocked Xie Wan Ning’s path, preventing her from getting close to her sister.
Qin Li was furious, “You’re getting more and more outrageous! Guards, drag Aunt Yun away and lock her in the ancestral hall!”
Xie Bei Ming hurriedly spoke up, “Mother, no, my little aunt…”
“Shut up!”
Qin Li looked at him coldly, “If you say another word, I’ll lock you up too.”
Xie Bei Ming immediately dared not speak again, watching helplessly as Aunt Yun was taken away by the old women.
Having just returned home and already causing such a scene, Qin Li’s face was very pale.
Xie Bei Xuan took the initiative to say to Xie Wan Ning, “Sister, let’s go back inside, the sweet soup will get cold if we wait any longer.”
Xie Wan Ning smiled sweetly and pulled Qin Li back to her courtyard.
The servants in the house had been waiting for a long time. The table was laden with Xie Wan Ning’s favorite foods, especially Zhang Mama, who looked at Xie Wan Ning with obvious affection.
Even though there was already plenty of food, she was still worri ed it wouldn’t be enough for her.
After the three of them sat for a while, Qin Li finally spoke, “Wan Ning, did your husband not come back with you today? Is it because of Xie Wan Rou?”
Her eyes were full of worry. Although Xie Wan Ning was a concubine’s daughter, she was treated like a legitimate daughter by her.
When Qin Li married into the Xie family, she hadn’t conceived, but Xie Master’s concubines and maids were giving birth one after another. Following Zhang Mama’s advice, Qin Li planned to adopt a child to raise herself, hoping to improve her luck with offspring.
Later, Qin Li had to choose between Xie Wan Ning and Xie Wan Rou, but Aunt Yun refused, crying and insisting on raising the child herself. So Qin Li chose Xie Wan Ning and registered her under her own name.
Xie Wan Ning’s stepmother was also very obedient, obediently drinking the infertility medicine and ceasing to have children. But her luck was bad; she fell seriously ill a few years later and died.
Qin Li treated Xie Wan Ning as her own daughter, taking her with her when visiting friends, and everyone in the capital knew she was the legitimate daughter.
Later, Qin Li indeed became pregnant and gave birth to a legitimate son, Xie Bei Xuan.
Although Xie Wan Ning and Xie Wan Rou were both illegitimate daughters, they were fundamentally different.
“Mother, you don’t need to worry about me. You heard it just now; Xie Wan Rou has brought this upon herself and is now imprisoned. She can’t get in my way.”
Xie Wan Ning smiled sweetly and peeled a lychee, placing it in the bowl in front of Qin Li.
Qin Li’s anger remained unabated. She said coldly, “Back then, those mother and daughter did such disgraceful things. If you ask me, they should have been dragged out and beaten to death. And now they’re even gloating.”
Hearing this, Xie Wan Ning’s expression paused slightly. She said in a deep voice, “They do deserve to die. It’s not too late to take action now. But we can’t let Father despise Mother. We have to make her bring this upon herself.” After
she finished speaking, Qin Li and Xie Bei Xuan both looked at Xie Wan Ning, puzzled and surprised.
Xie Wan Ning’s expression was calm. She continued, “Mother, Xie Wan Rou was willing to be a concubine not because she loved Xiao Cheng Li. She wanted to become the mistress. Now that I’ve married into the family and become the mistress, there’s only one way for her to become the mistress.”
Qin Li reacted and her eyes widened instantly. “She dares!”
“Why wouldn’t she dare?”
Xie Wan Ning sneered. In her previous life, she not only did it, but she also succeeded.
She looked up at Xie Bei Xuan, who was silent beside her, her eyes stinging.
Heaven knows how excited she was to see her stepmother and younger brother safe and sound.
In her previous life, the three of them, mother and children, died unjustly, causing her immense pain. She was determined not to repeat that tragedy in this life.
“Xie Wanrou is ruthless and cunning. Reputation is the least important thing to her. She’s capable of anything, and so is Aunt Yun,”
Xie Wanning said, holding Qin Li’s hand. “Mother, you must be wary of her. Using the mistress’s authority to suppress her isn’t enough; you must eliminate her completely.”
Hearing this, Qin Li’s heart skipped a beat. She then looked at Zhang Mama beside her.
Zhang Mama immediately understood and quickly went to the door to close it.
At this moment, Qin Li grasped Xie Wanning’s hand and asked anxiously, “Tell your mother, in the few days since you married into the Xiao family, has Xie Wanrou used any underhanded methods to scheme against you?”
Xie Beixuan also asked with concern, “Sister, have you been wronged by her in the Xiao family?”
She spoke fiercely, but Qin Li and Xie Beixuan did not suspect her ulterior motives; instead, they were worried that she had been schemed against.
This concern deeply moved Xie Wanning.
She said in a deep voice, “Mother, Beixuan, you don’t need to worry about me. I will protect myself. However, Aunt Yun and Xie Beiming cannot be allowed to live.”
After saying this, Xie Wanning leaned close to Qin Li’s ear and whispered a few words.
Qin Li’s expression changed drastically, and her eyes turned fierce. “It seems I really was wrong before. I shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted.”
Xie Wanning said, “You think it’s the glory of the Xie family, but Aunt Yun doesn’t think that way. She wants your position, and she wants Xie Beiming to become the legitimate son of the Xie family.”
“Just like Xie Wanrou wants to be the matriarch. As long as they seize the opportunity, they will definitely kill us and then take our place.”
Steward Qin Li was strict, but never ruthless. However, this kindness was seen as an opportunity by Aunt Yun, a shortcut to becoming the mistress of the house.
“Ah Xuan, I shouldn’t be telling you these things, but now you are my only support in this mansion. From now on, no matter what I do, you are not allowed to question me. You must know that everything we do is for your own good.”
The thought of him being dragged to a bandit’s den and having his legs cut off in his past life caused Xie Wan Ning’s heart to ache.
In this life, she would not allow any misunderstandings to stand between them, nor would she allow any accidents to happen.