Chapter 377

Chapter 377: You Carry No Weight With Me, Got It?

Unfortunately for her, Li Xing Wen wasn’t Du Zi Heng-he gave her no chance. He cupped his fists to Yu Zhi Yi and said respectfully: “Reporting to Miss: I saw Miss You sneaking around nearby. When Miss Chen killed, I failed to stop her in time because Miss You distracted me. After the killing, Miss Chen sent her maid to lure you over. She planned to pretend to be a stabbed victim, then look around for an eyewitness and trick that witness into coming back to frame you. Miss You saw all of this. Later she pretended to be a lost guest and ‘ran into’ Miss Chen, went along with her, and returned to this courtyard to pin the murder on you.”

Du Zi Heng stared at You Bing Yue in disbelief and said: “Bing Yue, you…”

Li Chang Huai felt his haloed image of her shatter to pieces. Jiang Liu Yi gave a cold laugh and said: “What a trick-crying ‘stop thief’ while being the thief. And what a smooth ride on the current!” Disgust filled his eyes as he looked at the two women.

You Bing Yue denied it at once and said: “I didn’t! You’re lying!” Wearing the look of someone wronged by a false charge, she said: “Yu Zhi Yi, I didn’t think you were this kind of person! To frame me, you’d even find someone to give false testimony…”

Smack! Something slapped onto her forehead. She paused and reached up to tear it off. A second later, it vanished.

Yu Zhi Yi said lightly: “Don’t tense up. It’s only a Truth-Telling Talisman. It won’t harm your body. When the time’s up, the talisman paper disappears.”

You Bing Yue said: “?” [Truth-what talisman?]

Before she could process it, Yu Zhi Yi asked: “Why did you come here?”

You Bing Yue didn’t want to answer. But a strange force moved her mouth, and the truth spilled out: “I heard you and Chen Xin Yue don’t get along, and that you got her grounded. I wanted to see if I could stir her up to strike at you.”

Du Zi Heng, who had started to waver at her earlier claims, stared wide-eyed and said: “What did you say?”

Li Chang Huai looked like he’d seen a ghost. [Is this really the open, bold You Bing Yue I knew? No way!] Even Chen Xin Yue looked thunderstruck. She had thought she was the mastermind and You Bing Yue her chess piece. She never expected the opposite-You Bing Yue was the schemer, and she herself was the pawn.

Yu Zhi Yi asked again: “What was your original plan?”

You Bing Yue clenched her teeth. But the power of the Truth-Telling Talisman wasn’t something she could resist. Helplessly, she felt her mouth open and close as she said: “I planned to tell her Du Zi Heng’s true identity, then tell her you’re Du Zi Heng’s ex-wife who still has feelings for him, and help her climb into Du Zi Heng’s bed.”

Du Zi Heng was stunned. Li Chang Huai forced out: “Hold on-climb onto what?”

Wasn’t she supposed to love Du Zi Heng so deeply? Wasn’t she the one who, for his sake, could even tolerate his soft spot for someone else and help him chase his old love?

You Bing Yue struggled twice and failed, then simply gave up. The fig leaf had been ripped off; struggling was useless. She might as well lie flat. Looking at everyone’s shocked faces-especially Du Zi Heng’s-she felt a twisted burst of joy and gave a cold smile, saying: “Climb into Du Zi Heng’s bed. Is that so hard to understand?”

Expressionless, she looked at Du Zi Heng and said: “You didn’t really think your charm makes women put up with your two-timing, did you? Don’t kid yourself. The only reason I didn’t leave you earlier was the sunk cost-I couldn’t stand to waste the time I’d spent. Later I made peace with myself and decided to give you up. But I will never allow you to keep tangling with this woman after leaving me! She ruined my relationship and made me a fool again and again. Why should I forgive her? Why should I hand you to her?”

She went on: “I said I’d help you win her back only so I could follow you to the Martial Alliance. Helping you get her back was impossible. But I could send your ‘love’ on its way and end your messy bond once and for all. Chen Xin Yue is the pawn I picked. That mother and daughter only want to climb high. Chen Xin Yue doesn’t like anyone in particular-if a man has rank and power, she can accept him. Du Zi Heng is the Chancellor’s son. He looks fine, his figure’s fine, his talent’s fine, and he became an official at a young age. With a father who’s the Chancellor paving the way, his future is limitless. I believed that, unless she’s a fool, she’d agree to climb into his bed.”

Chen Xin Yue’s face flushed scarlet. She was both ashamed and angry and said: “What nonsense are you talking about!”

With the mask ripped away, You Bing Yue sneered and said: “What? Am I wrong? You didn’t want to climb high? You even fancied Commandery Governor Song’s two sons-would you give up the Chancellor’s son?”

Chen Xin Yue said: “…”

Not waiting for her answer, You Bing Yue looked at Yu Zhi Yi and said: “Losing to you this time is my bad luck. I actually got tripped up by a guard. But if there’s a next time, I won’t make the same mistake again!”

Yu Zhi Yi had always known this person’s mind worked differently. Right now she didn’t even know what to say. Those lines had been said too often; she was tired of them. So she couldn’t be bothered to argue and said coldly: “Interfering with a case and framing an Imperial Court official-those alone are enough to lock you up for ten years or so. As for everything else, we’ll talk when you get out.”

“You Bing Yue said: “?!” At that moment the Truth-Telling Talisman’s effect ended. The fire in her chest died down at once. She looked at Du Zi Heng, full of regret, and said: “You Lin, those weren’t my true feelings. I don’t even know why I said that…”

Du Zi Heng’s expression grew hard to read; for the first time, he didn’t answer right away.

Panicking, You Bing Yue hurried forward and said: “You Lin, believe me! I… I just like you too much. Those weren’t my true feelings!”

In the end, Du Zi Heng’s heart softened and he said: “You… sigh.” He turned and said, “Yi’er, Bing Yue didn’t mean it. She only lost her head for a moment. Could you please-”

“No,” said Yu Zhi Yi, calm inside and even a little amused. “Lord Du still hasn’t figured out his place.”

On her gentle, pretty face, her look turned cold as she said: “To me, you’re only a stranger who wandered into my life for a few months. There’s no bond between us to speak of. To me, you weigh even less than your father, Chancellor Du, and your mother, Madam Du. Got it?”

Du Zi Heng burned with shame and anger. For the first time in his life, he tasted piercing pain-and what it means to ask for humiliation.

Yu Zhi Yi said clearly: “Tang Ming Xuan, keep them under guard. If anyone tries to stop you from arresting the criminals,” she pronounced each word, “kill without mercy.”