The angrier Zhong Xiuxiu became, the happier Xiang Zhile felt.
She smiled with crescent-shaped eyes, “We just got married and are deeply in love like glue and lacquer. You might see us like this several times a day in the manor. If you don’t want to see it, then don’t come.”
“If you insist on coming and see something stimulating, don’t faint.”
Listening to Xiang Zhile’s provocation, Zhong Xiuxiu’s breathing gradually became rapid, and her face quickly turned pale.
Xiang Zhile immediately agilely kicked her into the lake with a flying kick.
The “splash” of falling water was accompanied by Xiang Zhile’s panicked cry, “Help! Miss Zhong slipped and fell into the water! Someone, quick!”
At this moment, the attendants who had followed Zhong Xiuxiu to the Wang Estate hurried over from not far away.
One maid, who appeared to be the head servant, glared at her with an accusatory expression, “Miss Xiang, you’ve gone too far! How could you kick my young lady into the water?”
Xiang Zhile recognized that the head maid was Cui E, Zhong Xiuxiu’s personal maid.
She elbowed Yan Junnuo, winked playfully at him, then looked innocently at Cui E, “This young lady, I was the one who called for help to rescue your young lady. How can you falsely accuse me instead?”
Cui E’s face instantly turned green—from anger.
She never expected that Xiang Zhile, who had always been submissive to her young lady, would suddenly strike.
She immediately pointed at Xiang Zhile and accused, “Miss Xiang, one should have a conscience. I clearly saw that it was you…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Xiang Zhile immediately hid behind Yan Junnuo and began sobbing softly with a wronged expression.
“It wasn’t me, I didn’t do it. Wangye, she’s framing me. It was clearly Miss Zhong who slipped, yet she wants to drag someone down with her.”
Yan Junnuo, who hadn’t understood why Xiang Zhile had elbowed him earlier, instantly realized what was happening.
Cui E had never regarded Xiang Zhile highly, and coupled with having personally witnessed Xiang Zhile kick her mistress into the water with a flying kick,
She naturally assumed that her mistress had exposed Xiang Zhile’s evil deeds to Wangye, and Xiang Zhile had acted out of shame and anger.
Wangye definitely wouldn’t ignore this.
Thinking this, she knelt before Yan Junnuo with bent knees, tearfully and sincerely pleading, “Wangye, my young lady has always admired you. I beg you to uphold justice for her.”
Xiang Zhile’s eyes darted, about to kneel before Yan Junnuo like Cui E to plead innocence, but Yan Junnuo hoisted her onto his shoulder.
“Wangye, what are you doing?” Xiang Zhile squirmed, trying to get down. “Qieshen is innocent, Wangye…”
Yan Junnuo slapped her buttocks and blurted out, “Shut up, foolish woman.”
The long-unheard phrase “foolish woman” made Xiang Zhile’s eyes instantly redden.
After feeling the person on his shoulder quiet down, Yan Junnuo looked at the stunned Cui E and coldly said, “What this prince saw was Miss Zhong slipping by herself.”
After speaking, he carried Xiang Zhile away with large strides.
After a few steps, he paused again, not turning his head, his voice and tone colder than before, “The Regent Manor has only one mistress. I hope Miss Zhong will maintain her dignity and stop pestering this prince. After she’s fished out, send her back where she came from.”
This time, he left without any mercy.
Xiang Zhile, carried on his shoulder, happened to see Zhong Xiuxiu’s disheveled appearance as she was rescued from the water.
Their gazes met, and Xiang Zhile gave a triumphant smile. Zhong Xiuxiu couldn’t catch her breath and immediately fainted.
The chaotic scene that erupted by the lakeside filled Xiang Zhile with immense delight.
In her previous life, Zhong Xiuxiu had also come to the manor at this time to pester Yan Junnuo. Back then, Xiang Zhile hadn’t intervened; instead, she had gathered several servants to watch the spectacle.
Later, she didn’t know what the two had discussed, but somehow Zhong Xiuxiu’s heart condition was brought up.
Yan Junnuo, unaware of the situation, was leaned against by Zhong Xiuxiu for a moment. This was then exaggerated by Cui’e and reported to the Empress Dowager.
It led everyone to believe that Yan Junnuo had taken advantage of Zhong Xiuxiu, who was so overcome with shame that it triggered her heart condition.
From what she remembered, because there were too many witnesses, Yan Junnuo had been pressured simultaneously by both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
Later, when he entered the palace, he must have agreed to something or paid some price to the Emperor, and only then did the matter finally settle down.
In her previous life, after Yan Junnuo’s death, while capturing a city gate, she had taken Zhong Xiuxiu prisoner and discovered that she had already married another high-ranking official and even borne him two children.
A woman with a heart condition could barely survive giving birth to one child—how could she possibly have two?
After intense interrogation, she learned that it had all been a deception.
Zhong Xiuxiu never had a heart condition at all.
And once she knew that Yan Junnuo would inevitably be eliminated by Yan Beiqi, she had married without hesitation.
Her so-called pale complexion and rapid breathing were all due to a poisonous powder given to her by Xiang Tiange. The powder produced symptoms similar to a heart condition, but once she stopped using it, she could return to normal.
Thinking of this, Xiang Zhile’s lips curved into a faint smile.
All that talk of undying love was nothing but deceitful lies.
Zhong Xiuxiu, Yan Beimo, Xiang Tiange—this was only the beginning.
In her previous life, Yan Junnuo had always protected her. In this life, it was her turn to protect him.