Ye Zhen she si!
She was certain Xie Tingzhou hadn’t been nearby before she covered her ears the second time.
Since he hadn’t heard the earlier conversation between the couple, in Xie Tingzhou’s eyes, the Ye couple were her biological parents.
Yet here she was, their daughter, crouching on her parents’ rooftop, spying on their intimate moment.
Having lived two lifetimes without experiencing romantic affairs, Ye Zhen found it impossible to maintain the usual greetings and the facade of respecting her elder brother under such circumstances.
In the end, she chose to leap past Xie Tingzhou with an expressionless face.
Xie Tingzhou watched her slightly flustered retreating figure, his eyes deepening with thought. After a moment’s contemplation, he followed after Ye Zhen.
Unexpectedly, Ye Zhen slipped into Wang Shi’s bathing chamber.
In the specially made bathtub, filled with strongly medicinal liquid, Wang Shi lay with closed eyes while a maid massaged her abdomen.
Ye Zhen guessed this was likely fertility treatment.
Like a hunting fox, she hid in the shadows watching everything unfold with immense patience.
After the water cooled and was reheated twice, Wang Shi finally opened her eyes and reached for the maid.
The maid hurriedly helped her rise, and once she was steady, scooped clean water from a nearby bucket to rinse the medicinal liquid from her body.
Wang Shi suddenly spoke, “Send word that tomorrow I shall visit the Marquis Estate to see Ye Zhen.”
After much deliberation, she still felt Ye Zhen couldn’t be allowed to remain.
As for Ye Zhengqing’s intentions – having been married for years, how could she not see that he wanted to please both sides and keep more options open for himself?
Since he wanted to put on this act, she would play along – after all, she stood to benefit.
But since Wantang was determined to eliminate Ye Zhen, she as a mother naturally had to help her own daughter.
In her heart, daughters were far more reliable than husbands.
She added, “If the master asks, tell him Wantang and I went shopping.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than an ear-piercing whistle sound assaulted her ears, as if trying to split her head open. “Ah…”
Wang Shi clutched her ears as excruciating pain began twisting her internal organs – pain unlike anything she’d ever experienced.
The maid panicked, “Madam, what’s wrong?”
The next moment, the maid screamed in terror, “Madam, you… you’re bleeding…”
Wang Shi’s vision blurred, and beyond the shrill sound in her ears, she couldn’t hear what the maid was saying.
She only vaguely saw the maid’s lips moving frantically.
Feeling something sticky sliding down her face, Wang Shi reached up to wipe it.
Her hand came away covered in crimson.
Realizing this was bloody tears from her eyes, she became terrified and screamed, “Quick, fetch the physician!”
Her voice cracked with strain.
The maid finally snapped to attention and rushed out to call for help.
Wang Shi was still naked, staggering out of the tub to get her clothes when suddenly a sharp pain in the back of her knees made her fall backward onto the floor.
The pain in her buttocks and the back of her head felt unbearable, but the fear of death kept her from lying still waiting for rescue…
The bathing chamber was adjacent to Wang Shi’s bedroom, so Ye Zhengqing heard her screams immediately.
But he wasn’t particularly concerned about Wang Shi, nor did he think anything serious could happen during her bath, so he didn’t move until the maid came running out in panic, when he realized something might be seriously wrong.
When he entered, he found Wang Shi lying face down on the floor in a pool of blood.
“Madam!”
Ye Zhengqing was shocked.
While he disliked Wang Shi, he hadn’t wanted her dead. “What happened to Madam?”
Wang Shi didn’t respond.
He hurriedly turned her over to find her eyes tightly closed, face covered in blood, with a dagger embedded in her abdomen.
Ye Zhengqing’s pupils abruptly contracted.
That was the razor he used for shaving—how could it be embedded in Wang Shi’s stomach?
The commotion quickly reached Ye Wantang’s ears. She arrived with her attendants, plunging the General’s mansion into chaos.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Zhen slipped out of the General’s mansion, only to find Xie Tingzhou waiting in the adjacent alley.
He stood leaning against the wall with crossed arms, scrutinizing Ye Zhen.
“How did you do it?”
When Wang Shi was bathing, he hadn’t followed Ye Zhen into the room. Only when Wang Shi cried out did he lift a roof tile, witnessing Wang Shi bleeding from all seven orifices in extreme agony.
Meanwhile, Ye Zhen calmly retrieved a bead from the door curtain and struck Wang Shi’s foot, causing her to slip and fall heavily.
As Wang Shi struggled to rise, Ye Zhen picked up the bead again and struck her knee. Unable to withstand the blow, Wang Shi stumbled forward.
Ye Zhen swiftly flicked the razor from the dressing table. As Wang Shi fell, the razor plunged into her abdomen.
Then Ye Zhen deliberately disordered the room, making it appear as though Wang Shi had thrashed about in pain.
Her movements were swift—everything happened in an instant, creating a scene where Wang Shi seemed to have slipped, accidentally dislodged the razor, and tragically fallen onto it.
Though it all unfolded before his eyes, his question was about how Ye Zhen had made Wang Shi bleed from all seven orifices and appear later to have lost her senses.
Ye Zhen replied calmly, “I once used stones as hidden weapons to help my elder brother kill assassins. Flicking beads and razors is naturally within my capabilities.”
She pretended not to understand what Xie Tingzhou was asking.
Xie Tingzhou narrowed his eyes, realizing Ye Zhen was unwilling to answer.
So he changed the question, “Why did you do this?”
He also knew that not all parents in this world deserved to be called parents.
But he had just seen intense hatred in Ye Zhen’s eyes—hatred toward Wang Shi.
According to his investigations, although Ye Zhen had been sent to a southern estate by the Ye family since birth, she deeply cared about the Ye couple.
It was for their sake that she entered the Marquis Estate and endured numerous hardships.
Yet now, her actions had nearly cost Wang Shi her life.
Ye Zhen’s gaze was frank, “The matters at the estate were plotted by the Ye family and the Marquise. Today, Xie Jinyao contacted her, and she plans to join forces with Xie Jinyao against me.”
She took a step closer, “Elder brother, all I seek is survival. Cooperating with me would benefit you far more than making me your enemy.”
She hadn’t firmly established herself in the Marquis Estate yet. If the Ye family allied with Xie Jinyao, her situation would become even more difficult.
With powerful and numerous enemies, Ye Zhen needed to divide and conquer them rather than let them unite against her.
Injuring Wang Shi would buy her some breathing room. As for Wang Shi’s life, Ye Zhen didn’t want to end it too quickly—that would be too merciful.
Her voice was gentle, but her words carried warning.
She wouldn’t interfere with Xie Tingzhou’s affairs, and she hoped he wouldn’t meddle in hers.
Survival was a person’s most basic need—this was all she sought. If Xie Tingzhou destroyed her hopes, then she, having nothing to lose, would surely drag him down with her.
Her punishment of Wang Shi was also meant to make Xie Tingzhou think twice, to make him understand that Ye Zhen was not someone to be trifled with.
Xie Tingzhou couldn’t miss the warning in her words. He also stepped closer, suddenly wrapping his arm around her waist and reaching to touch the back of her neck, then her cheek.
The man’s eyes were cold, but his hands were warm. Ye Zhen stiffened, not expecting him to be so forward.
But she quickly understood what he intended to do.
Ye Zhen met his gaze with dark eyes, neither avoiding nor retreating.
Xie Tingzhou’s eyes remained still, stopping his movements as he quietly watched her.
The current Ye Zhen differed greatly from the one he had investigated. Since she also possessed the Disguise Technique, Xie Tingzhou couldn’t help but suspect she might be an imposter as well.
Otherwise, why would she deal such a heavy blow to her own birth mother?
Yet he found no traces of disguise on Ye Zhen.
“Do not harm Marquis Zhongyong, or I will kill you.”
His tone was sharp, like an unsheathed sword.
“If the Marquis does not make things difficult for me, I shall respect him, and the same goes for my elder brother.”
In her previous life, Marquis Zhongyong had never extended help to her, but neither had he harmed her.
Ye Zhen had admired Ye Jinghong since childhood, thus naturally holding more goodwill and leniency towards military generals.
Although Marquis Zhongyong was muddle-headed, he was still a fierce general who had rendered services to both the common people and the imperial court. Ye Zhen was not one to kill indiscriminately.
But if he confused right and wrong, stubbornly insisting on helping his family oppose Ye Zhen, that would be a different matter.
She stepped back from Xie Tingzhou and made a slight bow. “People from the General’s mansion might come looking here. I shall take my leave now.”
Xie Tingzhou nodded, but after Ye Zhen departed, he returned to the General’s mansion.