Shen Yingying’s words today were like a needle piercing the thinnest, most sensitive layer of paper in Wu Xiaoxia’s heart, exposing the truth before her without the slightest concealment.
She couldn’t accept it. The last shred of reason she had kept her from completely losing control on the spot. Staring at Shen Yingying, she clenched her teeth so hard it felt like they might crack, desperately suppressing the urge to blow everything open.
“Yingying… we’re best friends. How could I possibly fall for your man? I know I’m not as pretty as you, but saying something that hurtful… what do you take me for…?”
Wu Xiaoxia didn’t want to tear off the mask, but Shen Yingying had long lost interest in continuing this game.
Curling her lips into a faint smile, Shen Yingying leaned closer and whispered into Wu Xiaoxia’s ear, “Stealing your friend’s husband? Of course I take you for an animal. Stop pretending, Wu Xiaoxia. I saw through you a long time ago.”
Only then did Wu Xiaoxia realize Shen Yingying had been toying with her from the very beginning, spinning her around like a fool.
Fury shot through her body like adrenaline exploding in her veins. She could no longer keep up the act and lunged at Shen Yingying with a shriek.
“Shen Yingying, you bitch!”
Shen Yingying had learned a bit of grappling with her younger sister before. It wasn’t enough to handle someone like Xie Fangzhu, whose strength and size far surpassed hers, but dealing with someone as small and untrained as Wu Xiaoxia was easy.
In one swift move, Wu Xiaoxia cried out in pain as her wrist was twisted behind her back and both arms were locked in place.
Standing behind her, Shen Yingying pinned her effortlessly, resting her chin lightly on Wu Xiaoxia’s shoulder as she laughed sweetly.
“Oh my, I was only joking around. Who knew I’d accidentally get the truth out of you? Xiaoxia, you really break my heart.”
The two were standing so close together that from afar, they looked more like intimate girlfriends whispering secrets to each other.
Wu Xiaoxia’s face flushed crimson. The blood vessels in her eyes bulged as though they might burst.
“Stop pretending, Shen Yingying! You disgust me!”
Hatred twisted across her face. She wanted nothing more than to tear Shen Yingying apart, but Shen Yingying’s grip was iron-tight, leaving her unable even to struggle.
Grinding her teeth until they nearly shattered, Wu Xiaoxia could only spit venom with her words.
“Shen Yingying, you slut! What are you so proud of?! Buying a job? Who’d believe your lies? I’m going to tell Brother Xie everything! I’ll tell him that man is your lover! You sneaked around in the woods together—you slept together! Shen Yingying, you’re nothing but a shameless fox! You don’t deserve Brother Xie! You’re finished!”
As if hearing a joke, Shen Yingying let out a mocking laugh.
“So what if I don’t deserve him? Your precious Brother Xie still lets me do whatever I want with him.”
Her arrogant tone made Wu Xiaoxia feel like she’d punched cotton. She was so furious she nearly coughed blood, yet Shen Yingying didn’t stop there. Instead, she delivered the final blow.
“Oh right, I forgot to tell you. Today… I slept with your Brother Xie.”
The words struck like thunder from a clear sky, blasting Wu Xiaoxia numb.
Seeing her face go deathly pale, Shen Yingying’s mood improved immensely, and she laughed out loud.
“Go ahead and tell your Brother Xie if you want. Let’s see whether my pillow talk is more convincing, or your heartfelt warnings.”
Wu Xiaoxia’s ears buzzed so loudly she could barely hear anything after that.
Shen Yingying had always treated her like her closest sister, sharing every private matter with her—including things between her and Xie Fangzhu.
That was one reason Wu Xiaoxia had always been confident about Xie Fangzhu. Her mother once told her:
“What keeps a marriage together, besides children, is sleeping together.”
“If a man can resist touching his wife, it means he doesn’t love her anymore. Sooner or later that marriage will fall apart.”
And Xie Fangzhu had never touched Shen Yingying before. That meant he didn’t love her. Sooner or later, they would separate.
But today…
To Wu Xiaoxia, this was an utterly devastating blow.
In an instant, she wilted like a defeated rooster. Even struggling felt impossible now. Her heart hurt so badly it felt ready to split apart, yet she still stubbornly retorted:
“So what if you slept together once? Do you think Brother Xie is some shallow, lustful man? Do you think this means—”
“Sorry.” Shen Yingying cut her off with a laugh. “He really is.”
Wu Xiaoxia refused to believe it.
“Impossible!”
Seeing her like this only delighted Shen Yingying more. Slowly, she drawled:
“I already told you—he doesn’t look at you simply because he doesn’t like you. That doesn’t mean he’s some saint immune to temptation. You should’ve seen the way he acted around me… tsk, tsk, tsk…”
Those three lingering clicks of her tongue left far too much to the imagination.
Wu Xiaoxia’s face turned purple with rage. She struggled violently and screamed:
“Shen Yingying, I’ll kill you!”
Before she could finish, a sharp pain shot through her waist. Shen Yingying had freed one hand just long enough to pinch her hard in the side. The pain was so intense tears sprang to Wu Xiaoxia’s eyes.
The moment Wu Xiaoxia tried to break free, Shen Yingying locked both her arms down again, leaving her unable to move at all.
Then came Shen Yingying’s scornful voice:
“If you think you’re capable, then try it. Let’s see who can outplay whom.”
Wu Xiaoxia was on the verge of madness, twisting wildly like a lunatic.
“Shen Yingying, you’re not human! You’re shameless!”
Hearing the word “shameless,” Shen Yingying remembered Xie Fangzhu had once said the same thing to her.
Back then, when facing him, she had to act weak and obedient. But in front of Wu Xiaoxia? There was no need to pretend anymore.
She nodded seriously, openly agreeing.
“Yeah, I am pretty shameless. But compared to you? I’m still a little behind.”
Wu Xiaoxia was so furious smoke practically came out of her ears. Yet at that moment her tongue failed her, and she couldn’t think of a single comeback. In the end she could only curse in frustration:
“Fuck your mother!”
The insult didn’t affect Shen Yingying in the slightest. Glancing behind them, she replied casually:
“If you’ve really got the equipment for that, go ahead. I’ll even stand by and watch how you do it.”
Then she paused and added:
“Oh? Your Brother Xie’s back. Xiaoxia, are you going to keep pretending? Or are you going to perform that little act in front of him?”
Startled, Wu Xiaoxia twisted around to look.
Sure enough, a tall figure pushing a bicycle had appeared on the hillside.
Instantly, the furious aura around her collapsed.
She absolutely could not let Brother Xie see her acting vicious and hysterical—that would be falling right into Shen Yingying’s trap.
She had to make herself look like the victim, someone bullied by Shen Yingying, so that Brother Xie would feel sympathy for her. Only then would he patiently listen and stop being deceived by Shen Yingying!
Thinking this, she quickly adjusted her expression, drooping her shoulders pitifully as she gazed tearfully toward the man walking over.
She refused to believe that smart, sensible Brother Xie couldn’t tell right from wrong.
Seeing her calm down, Shen Yingying knew Wu Xiaoxia wouldn’t lose control again anytime soon. Satisfied, she released her grip.
Then she spun around and happily ran down the slope, calling out in a sweet, spoiled voice:
“Xie Fangzhu, you’re back—!”
Wu Xiaoxia, still trying hard to act pitiful: “???”
She stared in shock as the Shen Yingying who had just been ruthlessly pinning her down suddenly transformed into a lively little deer, happily running toward Xie Fangzhu and his bicycle.
Wu Xiaoxia had never seen Shen Yingying like this before.
Didn’t Shen Yingying hate Xie Fangzhu with all her guts? Why was she acting this way toward him now?
Today’s Shen Yingying was far too strange.
A sense of crisis instantly rose from every direction. Terrified Shen Yingying might do something even more shocking next, Wu Xiaoxia stopped caring about anything else and hurried after them.