This mother who gave birth to her, raised her, yet personally pushed her into the abyss of hell!
No matter how deep the gratitude for giving life and raising her, no matter how strong the bond of flesh and blood, it had long turned to ashes in the endless torment and betrayal of her previous life, like boiling oil in hell! Vanished without a trace!
All that remained was an overwhelming hatred that even the waters of three rivers and five seas could not extinguish!
Although her life was given by Ji Shi, she was destined to return and claim Ji Shi’s life.
She was in no hurry and had plenty of patience. She would accompany them slowly, bit by bit, repaying them a hundredfold, a thousandfold for the suffering they had inflicted upon her!
Now, the stage was set.
The first act was about to begin.
Everyone in Jingcheng knew that the one with the Phoenix Fate was the Meng Family’s legitimate eldest daughter, Meng Xizhou. If Meng Nanyi wanted to marry the Crown Prince, there was only one path—to replace Meng Xizhou’s identity!
So after Meng Xizhou was abducted, Meng Nanyi couldn’t wait to don the skin of “Meng Xizhou” and make her grand entrance.
However, while the twins looked extremely similar, their inner selves were worlds apart!
Meng Xizhou’s extraordinary talent and sharp wit had long made her famous throughout Jingcheng, a lofty moon in the hearts of countless noble ladies. In everyone’s eyes, Meng Nanyi was merely a shadow clinging to her elder sister’s radiance, as docile and insignificant as a wisp of cloud in the sky, utterly lacking in assertiveness or edge!
Playing the role of Meng Xizhou meant having to emulate her—confronting all the defiant noble ladies and talented scholars throughout the year, deftly defusing hidden verbal barbs! For Meng Nanyi, this was harder than climbing to heaven! After a few clumsy attempts, like a fledgling bird just leaving the nest, she was full of flaws in front of those familiar with Meng Xizhou! Timid and unsure!
These days, she could only rack her brains to decline all invitations, hiding away in Hou Manor, not daring to face Meng Xizhou’s former close friends and admirers, terrified that one misstep would expose her and ruin everything!
But for Meng Xizhou, mimicking Meng Nanyi’s pitiful demeanor was as easy as turning her hand.
Ji Shi’s unconditional favoritism toward Meng Nanyi was known to everyone in Hou Manor. So, of course, the first thing the recently returned and deeply wronged Meng Nanyi would do was seek comfort from her mother.
Just then, Meng Xizhou, like a startled fawn, stumbled into Ji Shi’s arms with a tearful voice: “Mother… I missed you so much! I was so scared! Wuwu…”
The helpless, trembling tone, the slightly furrowed brows, the quivering shoulders, and the dependent posture were no different from Meng Nanyi herself! A perfect imitation!
Meng Nanyi felt a chill shoot from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head, her heart skipping a beat in disbelief! This wretch… was imitating her?!
Even Ji Shi stiffened at the sudden embrace and the repeated cries of “Mother!” But the stiffness lasted only a moment, too brief to be noticed.
Immediately after, a fierce glint flashed in Ji Shi’s eyes as she shoved Meng Xizhou away from her embrace! At the same time, she raised her hand and slapped Meng Xizhou’s tear-streaked face with brutal force!
Meng Xizhou’s heart tightened slightly—Ji Shi was so impatient as to deal such a harsh blow to “Meng Nanyi” in front of others?
But her reflexes were quicker! The moment Ji Shi’s hand swung toward her, she tilted her head slightly to dissipate the force, while covering her face and falling to the ground!
“Mother…” The tone perfectly mimicked Meng Nanyi’s voice when she was wronged.
Both Ji Shi and Meng Nanyi felt their scalps tingle simultaneously, breaking out in goosebumps!
That wretch! The imitation was far too accurate!
“You dare return?!” Ji Shi pointed at Meng Xizhou on the ground, her voice sharp with anger, yet her face quickly adopted an expression of profound distress.
“Mother, this is your daughter’s home. I’ve endured countless hardships to return… Can I not even come home?” Meng Xizhou raised her tear-filled eyes.
But Ji Shi refused to look at her again, as if even a glance would soil her vision.
She abruptly turned to face Meng Qinrui, whose eyes were filled with suspicion, dabbing the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, her voice trembling with tears and resolve:
“Master! At this point, I can no longer keep this hidden! Although I cherish Nanyi as my most precious jewel, the crime she has committed is monstrous! Even though my heart is torn with agony, I dare not shield her any longer! You are the head of this family—dispose of this wretched creature as you see fit! I only beg you to remember your paternal affection and spare her life…”
The final words were uttered with heart-wrenching sorrow, as if she truly were a helpless, grieving mother!
Meng Qinrui, already unsettled by this sudden turn of events, grew even more enraged upon hearing Ji Shi’s words. He snorted coldly: “You should have reined in your maternal indulgence long ago. Earlier, you deceived me into believing she went to Ting Mountain Courtyard to quietly learn discipline. Now you finally speak the truth? Tell me! What exactly has this wretched creature done?!”
Substituting Meng Nanyi for Meng Xizhou was one matter, but Ji Shi still sought to preserve the reputation associated with the name “Meng Nanyi.” She had originally crafted a beautiful lie about “receiving a great opportunity to study abroad,” waiting for the right moment to make “Meng Nanyi” disappear completely. Never did she expect that Meng Xizhou—this wretch who should have rotted in the mud—would so bizarrely return in the identity of “Meng Nanyi!”
Completely disrupting her meticulously laid plans!
But… it didn’t matter. Ji Shengbi had prepared more than one path for this wretch!
After all, every path led to death—whichever one she took, the outcome would be the same!
Ji Shi swayed as if overwhelmed by immense grief, promptly supported by the matron beside her.
After collecting herself, she spoke with determined resolve: “During her disappearance, she engaged in an incestuous affair with her second elder brother, Meng Jingming, and eloped with him!”
Incest! Elopement!
These six words exploded like a thunderclap from a clear sky, leaving everyone present dizzy and reeling!
This was a scandal of unprecedented proportions, unheard of in a century!
Defying human ethics! Disregarding all shame! Enough to nail the entire Zhongyong Hou Estate to the pillar of disgrace for eternity!
In an instant, all eyes converged on Meng Xizhou like the sharpest blades.
Contempt, scorn, schadenfreude…
Though no one uttered a single insult, the silent condemnation threatened to drown her completely!
Meng Xizhou’s fingers tightened slightly over her face, knuckles turning white. Yet beneath the surface, her heart remained frozen in calm detachment—she even felt like applauding Ji Shi’s cunning scheme that killed two birds with one stone.
Meng Jingming, the second-born illegitimate son of the Meng Family, was the child of Liu Yiniang, who enjoyed considerable favor with Meng Qinrui. Intelligent and clever, he had long been a thorn in Ji Shi’s side. Some time ago, Ji Shi had finally seized an opportunity to covertly orchestrate his unexpected disappearance.
The timing of his disappearance happened to coincide closely with Meng Xizhou’s abduction.
Now, with Ji Shi’s slanderous accusation of “siblings engaging in an illicit affair and eloping,” not only was Meng Xizhou’s grave crime confirmed, but Meng Jingming’s unresolved case was also pinned on her seamlessly! This completely dashed any hope for Liu Yiniang to turn the tables!
What a brilliant move to kill two birds with one stone! What a ruthless scheme that sheds no blood!
To frame her with such a filthy, unforgivable charge—this was meant to force her to immediately hang herself from a beam! Not even a sliver of opportunity to struggle or defend herself was left!
Vicious! Truly vicious to the core!