Chapter 10: Butler Zhao Who Likes the Second Concubine

When Jiang Wei carried the tea tray into the main hall, the place was already packed.

Over a dozen servants stood guard, the atmosphere thick with tension.

Butler Zhao looked at her coldly. “Second Miss.”

“Mm.” Jiang Wei gave him a playful glance. After all, she knew Butler Zhao had a crush on the second concubine.

He shot her a “Good luck, you’ll need it” kind of look.

Shen Peirong, looking exhausted, was comforting Jiang Yan, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying.

The second concubine clutched her embroidered handkerchief and beat on Jiang Dahai’s chest. “Master, I’m so scared.”

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Your master’s chest is here for you to lean on.”

Disgusting. The third concubine rolled her eyes. But upon seeing Jiang Wei enter, her eyes lit up and she got up to greet her. “Greetings, Second Miss.”

“Greetings, Third Aunt.”

After the greetings, Jiang Wei carried the tea to her father. “Father, please have some tea.”

Shen Peirong nodded wearily. “How thoughtful of you.”

Jiang Dahai was displeased. “Your sister’s had such a huge incident, and you still have the heart to brew tea?”

Pfft, scumbag dad!

“Father, you locked me up. I didn’t even know that my sister was robbed again,” Jiang Wei replied with a pitiful, helpless expression.

Chen Xiaolian, clearly harboring ill intent, chimed in, “Oh my, I’m terribly thirsty. Second Miss, you don’t mind if I have the tea you prepared, do you?”

“But this tea was meant for Father. You’re just a concubine. If you drink tea meant for the Miss of the house, heaven might strike you down with lightning… ruin your face even.”

The second concubine’s hand trembled as she held her cup.

“Outrageous! How can a cup of tea ruin someone’s face?

Wretched child! If you keep speaking so sarcastically, I’ll slap that mouth of yours right off!” Jiang Dahai barked. He hated his second daughter the most—her sharp tongue and snide tone reminded him far too much of Shen Zhennan, now deceased.

“I get it. But Father, ‘wretched child’ is usually used to describe beasts. If I’m a beast, and you’re my father, doesn’t that make you the old beast?”

Jiang Wei’s innocent eyes sparkled with the dumb curiosity of someone desperate for knowledge.

“You—you—you—!” Jiang Dahai stammered in fury, his hands shaking and lips trembling. “Forget your nonsense. Let me ask you, did you hear anything last night?”

“No, I was dead asleep… or maybe I fainted from hunger?”

Shen Peirong frowned. “Didn’t your sister ask the kitchen to prepare food for you? You look even thinner than yesterday.”

Jiang Wei looked confused. “Sister, you had food made for me?

I didn’t see it at all. Could it be… one of the maids stole my food?”

The maid who was suddenly named trembled in fear. “Second Miss, I… I didn’t see it either…”

“Sister, why are you scolding the maid? She’s just a poor soul from the lower ranks. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear, and she mistook the food for a reward and ate it?”

“Yes, I thought the meal the young lady brought was for me… so I ate it all…” the maid confessed nervously. In truth, Jiang Yan never asked the kitchen to bring Jiang Wei any food.

“Sister, you’re really too kind. No wonder the thief only ever steals from you. But what if next time they don’t just take your things—what if they come for you?”

Jiang Wei put on a heartbroken expression, as if devastated by her family’s internal turmoil.

Jiang Yan’s expression stiffened. “You’re joking, sister.”

If the previous theft could be blamed on her trip to her mother’s, then last night she’d been in her room the entire time.

Who the hell had taken her stuff right out from under her nose? If she found them, she’d suck every last drop of their luck dry.

She spoke with intent, and of course, others were listening.

The second concubine was horrified by Jiang Wei’s suggestion that the thief might come for Jiang Yan’s body. “Master, this is serious! What if that thief really had indecent intentions toward the eldest miss?

You must catch the person immediately!”

Jiang Dahai also looked troubled. “That’s just it—the person seemed to make her things vanish into thin air.”

“Daddy~” Jiang Wei stepped forward and started massaging his shoulders.

Jiang Dahai felt a chill at the nape of his neck. That same feeling of being watched from yesterday crept up again.

He glanced at her strangely, seeing her stare at him like a fool, and his hand trembled. “What are you trying to say?”

Could this cursed child be possessed by her dead grandfather again?

“Dad, even though there may be no ghosts in this world, there are people who pretend to be them. I suspect the thief is someone among us…” She let her gaze slowly sweep across everyone.

“Nonsense!” Jiang Dahai already suspected it was an inside job. The question was—who?

“Don’t be so anxious, Dad. Let me break it down for you,” Jiang Wei said, still massaging his shoulders.

When she pressed too hard and he winced, she claimed his kidneys were weak. But stubborn Jiang Dahai refused to admit any pain.

Jiang Wei continued, “There are five people in this house capable of committing the theft: Father, Mother, Sister, the Second Concubine, and Butler Zhao.

You and Mother are my sister’s birth parents—you wouldn’t steal from her.

My sister wouldn’t steal from herself.

As for the second concubine and Butler Zhao… Well, let’s just say—one is a woman jealous of my mother, and the other is a powerful outsider who controls the household staff…”

“Second Miss! You slander me! Why would I steal from the eldest miss?” Butler Zhao snapped.

The second concubine, who had been sipping the tea, began to feel itchy and uncomfortable.

Her face turned red—just like someone guilty who had just been caught doing something bad.

Jiang Wei smirked at her blushing face and neck.

If you want to drink the tea I prepared, then be ready for the consequences.

She’d guessed long ago that the annoyed Jiang Dahai wouldn’t touch her tea. But the ambitious second concubine would definitely take the bait—so she’d laced the tea with an “Ugly Pill.”

Didn’t her scumbag dad claim to love the second concubine faithfully?

Let’s see if he still loves her after she’s disfigured.

And just like that, Jiang Wei planted seeds of doubt in everyone’s hearts.

With tears in her eyes, she said, “Second Aunt, I was just analyzing the situation. Why are you reacting so strongly? Could it be… you did steal from my sister?”

“Absurd! I have the master’s favor—why would I need to steal anything?”

Jiang Wei pouted. “I wasn’t talking about you. After all, there’s still Butler Zhao.”

Butler Zhao was one of the accomplices who had helped Jiang Dahai murder her grandfather. Jiang Wei wouldn’t let any of them off the hook—she wanted them to tear each other apart.

Butler Zhao snapped, “Second Miss, I’ve served in this house for almost twenty years. I’ve been loyal to the master and the Jiang family all this time. Your accusations chill the hearts of all the servants!”

Now he wanted her dead.

He’d worked the inner politics for years—besides the master, his word was law. This little girl was far too naive—didn’t she know even drinking water could get you killed?

Feigning fear, Jiang Wei said, “Father, look how fierce Butler Zhao is. Even if I’m not favored by you or Mother, I’m still his mistress. If he dares yell at me today, won’t he dare kill you tomorrow?”

Jiang Dahai, suspicious by nature, already distrusted Butler Zhao—especially since he held the secret of Jiang Dahai’s murder of his father-in-law.

Now, after hearing Jiang Wei’s words, suspicion rooted deep in his heart. He decided to let her keep talking—to see what else she could dig up.

Jiang Wei went on, “Dad, then I’ll just say it. Whether it’s true or not, treat it like gossip.

I heard a lot of rumors on my way back to the city. They say Butler Zhao entered the household because of the second concubine. He stayed single all his life also because of her. Some even say the eldest young master is your child with the second concubine.

But that’s not right—my late grandfather said in a dream that Big Brother is my real brother, and that Jiang Yan is actually the daughter of you and the second concubine.”

“Slander! Blatant slander! Jiang Wei, you little slut—I’ll rip your mouth apart!” Chen Xiaolian finally lost it and jumped up.

“Don’t you dare!” Shen Peirong blocked the furious second concubine. “Xiaowei, go on.”

Just moments ago, she had suddenly been able to hear Chen Xiaolian’s thoughts.