Chapter 10

Chapter 10: So What If I Hit You

Qi Shu Xian coldly watched the mistress and maid walk away: “Sheng Zhi Wan, don’t regret it!”

Sheng Zhi Wan only regretted not seeing Qi Shu Xian clearly sooner.

Back at Ping Lan Residence, Sheng Zhi Wan changed out of the court dress. Where Qi Shu Xian grabbed her, a wide ring of bruises had formed.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes flickered.

Sheng Zhi Wan knew some basic fighting, but Sheng Zhi Wan could not compare to someone like Qi Shu Xian with deep inner strength. If Sheng Zhi Wan faced Qi Shu Xian again in the future and truly angered Qi Shu Xian, Sheng Zhi Wan might really suffer.

It seemed Sheng Zhi Wan needed to find a few fierce maids who could fight and keep them close.

Sheng Zhi Wan stored the thought away.

Just as Sheng Zhi Wan was about to rest, a noisy commotion came from outside, mixed with shouting and curses.

Sheng Zhi Wan recognized the voice at once. In that instant, hatred crawled through Sheng Zhi Wan’s heart like dense needles.

Qi Fei Yan.

Qi Fei Yan was the one who, after Qi Shu Xian rose to power and after Imperial Father demoted Sheng Zhi Wan to a commoner, stood before Sheng Zhi Wan with a fake smile and took Ruan Ruan away right in front of her, claiming it was for Ruan Ruan’s upbringing.

In the end, Qi Fei Yan only returned a small corpse.

In her last life, Sheng Zhi Wan eventually forced Qi Fei Yan to be sent to a country estate.

But what did that matter?

With Qi Shu Xian there, Qi Fei Yan did not suffer harsh treatment on that estate. Yet Ruan Ruan never came back.

Sheng Zhi Wan thought of Qi Shu Xian’s careless words from back then-“It was just a picked-up abandoned child”-and slowly closed her eyes. When Sheng Zhi Wan opened them again, the storm inside finally calmed into cold stillness.

Perhaps because Sheng Zhi Wan was too gentle and easy to talk to after marrying into the Duke residence, even Qi Fei Yan, an in-law who already married out, dared bring a crowd of maids and servant women, making a racket as they barged straight into Sheng Zhi Wan’s courtyard.

Qi Fei Yan shouted, “Sheng Zhi Wan, come out!”

“A woman of the inner household should stay in the back and serve her parents-in-law, yet you ran to the front court to stir up trouble! Because of you, Shu Xian’s rightful rewards dropped by two full tiers!”

“Jealous and sharp-tongued! You violated two of the seven grounds for divorce! What are you waiting for? Hurry and seize her, then send her to kneel in the ancestral hall!”

Two rough servant matrons immediately stepped forward with cold faces.

One of them said, “Heir’s Wife, please do not make things hard for us.”

Qi Shu Xian was the eldest son of the Duke residence’s main branch. Qi Shu Xian was named Heir Apparent at twelve. So aside from the private way Ping Lan Residence still called Sheng Zhi Wan a Princess, the other servants of Duke Qi’s residence all addressed Sheng Zhi Wan as Heir’s Wife.

The maids of Ping Lan Residence were terrified into silence. Only An Zhi and Ting Lan gritted their teeth, gathered their courage, and stood in front of Sheng Zhi Wan.

Qi Fei Yan let out a cold laugh. “Bold little maids, you dare block me? Which of you two followed Sheng Zhi Wan into the palace today? Step forward and take thirty blows yourself. Otherwise, I will sell you both away!”

The second-, third-, and fourth-rank maids did not dare move at all after hearing that.

Eldest Miss truly dared to do it.

When Sheng Zhi Wan first married in, Sheng Zhi Wan brought not only a wet nurse, but also four capable palace maids. Now, the only one still left in this courtyard was Huan Zhu.

No one dared to act. Seeing that, Qi Fei Yan grew even more pleased with herself.

Sheng Zhi Wan was said to hold the household power of Duke Qi’s residence, but in truth, Sheng Zhi Wan was only a money pouch that paid silver. In the back courtyard, the outer yard, and the kitchens, the chief stewards all still passed matters through Mother’s eyes before anything truly moved.

Only Sheng Zhi Wan believed she was in control.

She gave Sheng Zhi Wan a little face, and Sheng Zhi Wan actually thought Sheng Zhi Wan was the true mistress of Duke Qi’s residence.

Now Shu Xian just returned, and Sheng Zhi Wan dared make trouble, even taking it into the palace, making his reward drop right when it was within reach. If Shu Xian got that Senior Fourth Rank Ping Yan General today, then even if Qi Fei Yan failed her task, Mother-in-law, husband, and the younger sisters-in-law would still have to treat Qi Fei Yan like a treasure.

But now-

The more Qi Fei Yan thought, the angrier Qi Fei Yan became. Qi Fei Yan almost wanted to rush up and grab Sheng Zhi Wan herself, then slap Sheng Zhi Wan twice to vent.

Yet before Qi Fei Yan could finish that fantasy, a sharp gust swept past her face.

Then-

“Pa!”

A crisp slap rang out.

Qi Fei Yan’s cheek burned as if on fire. Qi Fei Yan stared at Sheng Zhi Wan’s raised hand in disbelief.

Qi Fei Yan stammered, “You-you dared hit me?”

In the past, Sheng Zhi Wan always tried to please Qi Fei Yan and the second sister.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “So what if I hit you?”

Sheng Zhi Wan was tall and slender. With one reach, Sheng Zhi Wan easily grabbed the jadeite-and-pearl headpiece on Qi Fei Yan’s hair and yanked it.

It was dowry jewelry Grandmother gave Sheng Zhi Wan. Qi Fei Yan wore it.

The fabrics from Sheng Zhi Wan’s dowry were made into finished clothes. Qi Fei Yan wore those too.

Everything on Qi Fei Yan was hers, yet Qi Fei Yan still dared swagger in front of her.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not hold back at all. Sheng Zhi Wan ignored the hair tangled around it and tore the headpiece off by force.

In the middle of Qi Fei Yan’s wailing screams, several locks of hair were ripped out with it.

The servant women who followed Qi Fei Yan were terrified. They rushed in, grabbing and pulling, trying to tear Qi Fei Yan away from Sheng Zhi Wan.

Yet somehow, in all that chaos, not one of them touched even the edge of Sheng Zhi Wan’s sleeve.

Not only that, Sheng Zhi Wan still found time to land several more slaps.

“Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!”

Only after Sheng Zhi Wan left clear handprints on both sides of Qi Fei Yan’s face did Sheng Zhi Wan finally let go.

Qi Fei Yan’s hair was a mess. Qi Fei Yan looked like a mad old servant woman, cheeks swollen high. Qi Fei Yan’s eyes locked onto the headpiece in Ting Lan’s hands.

Qi Fei Yan slurred, “Sh-Sheng Zhi Wan, you’re insane! That’s mine!”

The servant women all stared at Sheng Zhi Wan in fear.

Sheng Zhi Wan seemed not to notice at all. Sheng Zhi Wan calmly untangled the hair wrapped around the headpiece, placed it into Ting Lan’s stunned arms, and only then turned around at an unhurried pace.