"Exactly so," Qingzhi said.
Xie Zhaoqing's face rapidly turned ashen, as if unable to bear such a blow. She had ruined her future, and yet Shang Mijun was marrying even higher?
How could she deserve that?
"No… Grandmother cannot do this…"
Even the marriage had been swapped. If Grandmother was going this far to sever all ties, what would she do with her?
She still had the imperial examinations to take. She could recite countless poems. She still had ambitions yet unfulfilled!
Shang Mijun blinked at Xie Zhaoqing.
"Good nephew, your auntie is truly exhausted today, so I won't stay here to be punished with you."
Shang Mijun pressed a hand to her wound, refusing to let a single word go unspoken.
"Ah, right, Third Sister-in-law, do take good care of your nephew, and also that hot-blooded, fine, good, son-in-law of yours."
She deliberately bit down on the words "son-in-law," referring to none other than Xiao Jing.
[Pfft…]
Huo Chuan, who had been watching the show all along, burst out laughing.
He suppressed the traces of amusement, thinking to himself: This woman really is something. The clan genealogy hasn't even been changed yet, and here she is, shamelessly borrowing the tiger's might without so much as a blush?
"You!"
Bang!
Madam Qu stumbled and fell back into her chair, her face turning green.
This wretch—how dare she deliberately mock her with those insinuations?
Madam Qu had originally planned to pressure Shang Mijun into changing her story and explaining things to everyone.
She never expected the Old Matriarch to actually swap the marriage for her! Then what about Zhaoqing?
Was there truly no room left to turn things around?
Shang Mijun raised an eyebrow, grateful she had asked Old Madame Wei for Qingzhi. Otherwise, she would surely have been cruelly tormented by this vicious mother-daughter pair.
It seemed Xie Zhaoqing really was badly injured. She had hit her so hard, and yet she didn't even have the strength to fight back.
She knew Xie Zhaoqing had trained in martial arts—taught personally by Xiao Jing, no less.
Shang Mijun turned to leave, but Xie Zhaoqing called out to stop her.
"Shang Mijun!"
Her gaze was dark and venomous. "Aren't you supposed to love Xiao Jing to the point of life and death? How are you suddenly willing to marry my Seventh Uncle instead?
Don't think I don't know—you're after Seventh Uncle's status! You shameless slut who'll spread herself for any man…"
These words were deliberately spoken for Old Madame Wei to hear.
Sure enough, Qingzhi's expression shifted subtly, but quickly returned to normal.
Shang Mijun halted her steps and said coldly:
"What a joke. What woman would fall in love with a cut sleeve? And especially Xiao Jing, that rotten-hearted dead cut sleeve. He knew full well you were a Huan-ren, yet he still forced me into this marriage to ruin my life. I can only hate him to the bone. Perhaps there was once respect for an elder brother, but now… heh."
Qingzhi's gaze flickered faintly, still remaining silent.
Shang Mijun curled her lips in a disdainful arc.
"You deliberately chose tonight to share the clouds and rain—were you hoping for a wedding night all your own? What a shameless pair of adulterers. Do you think everyone else is as filthy as you? Tsk~"
With that, she stopped paying heed to Xie Zhaoqing's insults and quickened her pace to leave—only to run straight into Xiao Jing standing at the doorway.
No one knew when he had appeared.
Seeing Xiao Jing arrive, Xie Zhaoqing's eyes suddenly lit up. Perfect—let her Jing-lang see this green-tea bitch's true face!
The moment Madam Qu saw Xiao Jing, her brows knitted deeply. This wanton scoundrel—how dare he show his face here?
Had he not already ruined Zhaoqing enough?
Xiao Jing stood in the shadows, looking at Shang Mijun with an utterly unfamiliar gaze, his tone laced with disappointment:
"A-Ti, you weren't like this before. In the past, you were obedient and sensible. Now you've swapped marriages to cling to power and status, and you spew nothing but venom. You are not my A-Ti."
A-Ti was Shang Mijun's childhood name.
[Slap him.]
Huo Chuan's voice was icy cold. [Or give me your body—I'll hit him harder.]
Shang Mijun suddenly let out a derisive laugh.
"You're the one having an affair with Xie Zhaoqing, and you still forced me to marry her, ruining my life. You're so shameless, and you still have the nerve to question me?"
Xiao Jing was taken aback, a flash of embarrassment and anger crossing his face.
"I am your elder brother. How dare you speak to me like this?"
With so many people present—especially Zhaoqing's mother—he felt utterly humiliated.
This was not his A-Ti. A-Ti would never disregard his dignity like this.
Shang Mijun coldly glared at him, her eyes filled with nothing but loathing. Perhaps startled by the overflowing hatred in her gaze, Xiao Jing stumbled back a step.
"How dare you look at me like that?"
Xiao Jing's face flushed with anger, any trace of the faint, inexplicable guilt he had felt moments ago evaporating entirely, replaced by a surge of fury.
"I've explained it countless times already—we are not Huan-ren! This is all a misunderstanding! Can't you even believe that?
Instead of helping us clear up the misunderstanding, you want to swap the marriage? You just walk away scot-free, and Zhaoqing and I are left in an even harder position!"
Yes, he had married her off to Zhaoqing—but Zhaoqing wasn't a Xiao-huan, she was a woman. The Xie family had a respectable standing. What was wrong with marrying her off to a life of comfort and luxury?
Not to mention Zhaoqing would take care of her.
It was an excellent match.
Yet all his well-intentioned efforts hadn't earned him a single word of thanks—instead, Shang Mijun actually hated him?
And on top of that, she had recklessly run to the front courtyard and spouted nonsense. Now the entire Shengjing was saying he and Zhaoqing were a pair of Huan-ren. Such a huge mess, and she showed not a shred of remorse!
The more Xiao Jing thought about it, the angrier he grew. He stiffened his neck and roared:
"I am your elder brother! If your father and brother could see you from heaven, defying your elders and changing your mind at the slightest whim, would they rest in peace?"
Hearing Xiao Jing dare to invoke her deceased father and brother, Shang Mijun could no longer contain herself, and said sternly:
"If my father and brother are watching from heaven, they must deeply regret risking their lives to save a heartless ingrate like you!
My loyal and righteous father and brother can only watch helplessly from above as I become an orphan, and the one they saved—you!—force me, out of your own selfish desires, to marry your little sweetheart…"
Shang Mijun took a deep breath.
"So, what right do you have to mention my father and brother? Xiao Jing, are you even human?"
Xiao Jing's expression changed drastically, turning extremely ugly.
He was shocked to realize that Shang Mijun had changed. The little sister who used to cling to his arm and softly call him 'brother' was now giving him a cold face and even hurling harsh words at him?
In the past, no matter how wronged she felt, she would only look at him with red-rimmed eyes and say she was fine.
How had she become like this now?
Was it really necessary?
But Shang Mijun turned and walked away. With the hatred of both her past and present lives combined, the more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. So she turned back around.
[Huo Chuan, do as you said.]
[Got it!]
One could see a subtle change in Shang Mijun's expression. She (he) raised an eyebrow slightly, clenched a fist, and approached Xiao Jing.
Suddenly, a right hook—bang!
Before Xiao Jing could react, he was hit hard, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Then came an uppercut. Xiao Jing let out a muffled groan as blood gushed from his nose.
Huo Chuan wanted to keep hitting, but Shang Mijun quickly snatched back control of her body and turned to run.
[Hey? I'm not done yet, why are you running?]
Huo Chuan protested loudly.
[Someone's coming. If we don't run now, we won't be able to get away.]
Shang Mijun pretended to be angrily hurrying away, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving Xiao Jing and the others standing there utterly bewildered.
[Who is it?] Huo Chuan asked.
Who exactly was coming that could scare her like this?