Chapter 10 Ah…bitch, you dare!

Zheng Qingning ignored her mother and looked at the scumbag and the cheap woman. “I heard from the aunties in the courtyard that you two were being very affectionate on your way back!”

“How about this let’s just let Jiaojiao have the wedding banquet. After all, you’re clearly in love and look perfect together.”

Ye Yunzhou’s eyes widened. He quickly shook off Zheng Jiaojiao’s hand from his arm and tried to explain, “Qingning, you’ve misunderstood.”

Zheng Qingning stared straight into his eyes. “Is it really a misunderstanding, or do you have a guilty conscience?”

Ye Yunzhou, indeed with a guilty conscience, didn’t dare meet her gaze. He pursed his lips. “I was just treating Jiaojiao like a…”

“Like a sister, right? I know. But there are many kinds of sisters.”

She leaned in slightly, her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes were ice cold. “Like… a lover-sister.”

The deepest, darkest secret in his heart was now spoken aloud by Zheng Qingning. Ye Yunzhou panicked. He pushed her away and shouted in denial, trying to cover his guilt.

“What nonsense are you saying! Zheng Qingning, we’re about to get married. Can’t you stop making trouble for no reason?”

Afraid things would spiral out of control, Ye Yunzhou coldly threw out, “I’ll come pick you up the day after tomorrow,” and then fled.

Zheng Qingning, pushed back, had to grab the wall to steady herself. Before she could even stand up straight, a slap landed hard across her face.

Smack!

The comments started flooding in:

“She slapped our girl?! That damn side character! I’m furious!”

“Something’s off about this side character. She’s definitely scheming.”

“Our girl just got slapped for the first time damn that woman!”

Seeing this, Zheng Qingning’s expression turned cold.

Growing up, she’d been slapped more times than she could count. Once, she was even beaten up by Jiaojiao’s “good brothers” one after another.

Her face had been swollen for a week, and she had ear ringing for days after that. Thankfully, it eventually healed.

Zheng Jiaojiao clutched her slapped face, staring in disbelief at Zheng Qingning’s cold expression.

She, the one always adored and protected, had actually been hit by this wretched girl!

She couldn’t accept it.

Furious, she screamed and charged at Zheng Qingning.

Zheng Qingning turned and opened the door just in time, letting the unprepared Jiaojiao slam directly into the railing.

“Ah! You bitch, how dare you!”

Hearing the commotion, Zheng Mother rushed out from the kitchen, eyes blazing with rage.

“Ah it hurts so much!”

Jiaojiao instinctively shielded her head, barely avoiding a direct hit to it, though her hands took the blow instead.

“Stop hitting me, please don’t hit me anymore!”

As Zheng Mother ran over, Zheng Qingning began tugging at her hair and clothes, even digging her fingers into her healing wound for effect, while screaming and charging toward the door.

“Mom! I won’t fight Jiaojiao for Yunzhou anymore! Please don’t hit me! I’m fine going hungry, just don’t ruin your health!”

“I know Jiaojiao and Yunzhou like each other it’s my fault, it’s all my fault! Wuwuwu…”

The aunties downstairs, who had been eating, all rushed out when they heard the noise. They saw Zheng Qingning running down the stairs covered in blood, with a furious Zheng Mother and a murderous-looking Jiaojiao chasing behind.

Fearing someone might get seriously hurt, the aunties quickly stepped in to block the two women.

“Sister Zheng, what’s going on?! Qingning is such a sweet, sensible girl how could you drive her to this?”

“Exactly! We’ve all seen how hard Qingning has had it these years. Even if she made a mistake, this isn’t how a mother should discipline her child!”

“She’s about to get married, and you’ve beaten her like this? How could you even raise your hand?”

Zheng Qingning was pulled into Aunt Xu’s arms, her face full of anger as she glared at her mother.

“If only I had a granddaughter like Qingning! And you don’t just neglect her, but abuse her too. You’ve got a heart of stone.”

Another auntie chimed in, comparing the two girls.

“Look at them one’s fair and plump, the other’s skin and bones. If we didn’t know better, we’d think Qingning was adopted.”

The crowd’s accusations quickly silenced Zheng Mother’s rage. Seeing her daughter fuming beside her, she stepped in front to block her and glared venomously at Zheng Qingning.

This wretched girl! How could she be so shameless, ruining Jiaojiao’s reputation with such lowly tricks?

Realizing things might spiral out of control, she quickly forced a smile at the aunties and said, “It’s just a misunderstanding, really.”

“Yunzhou came over to discuss the wedding banquet, and Qingning got upset over the dowry.”

Pointing at Jiaojiao’s face, she added, “Qingning got angry and hit Jiaojiao.”

Zheng Qingning wiped her tears and said sorrowfully, “Mother, I don’t want to get married anymore. Yunzhou said he wants to take Jiaojiao with him to the military, and let me stay here to care for both families. I… I… wuwuwu…”

The aunties, already suspicious about Jiaojiao’s behavior with Yunzhou, immediately perked up with gossip when they heard this.

“I told you all! The way Jiaojiao clings to Yunzhou who would believe there’s nothing going on?”

She looked around triumphantly. “You all believe me now, right?”

Zheng Mother trembled with rage how dare this wretched girl do this!

She was trying to completely ruin Jiaojiao’s reputation!

Behind her, Zheng Jiaojiao smiled smugly.

Finally, she could be with Brother Yunzhou!

The commentary raged:

“She’s trying to destroy our girl’s name!”

“Why is the main girl smiling? Doesn’t she realize how damaging this is? That’s her reputation at stake!”

“That side character is so cunning just a few words and the whole situation’s turned around!”

“Compared to her, the main girl looks downright foolish.”

“What’s going on here?!”

At that moment, a stern voice called out:

“What are you all doing?”

Zheng Father had just returned home after chatting with friends. Expecting lunch time peace, he instead heard shouting from the courtyard.

He assumed it was the widow’s kid causing trouble again and looked annoyed. But as he got closer and saw it was his own family, his expression turned cold.

He valued reputation more than life itself. Seeing this chaos, he glared at Zheng Mother.

“Why are you making a scene instead of cooking lunch?!”

Zheng Mother tried to explain, pointing at Zheng Qingning, but his fierce glare stopped her.

He cast one hateful look at Zheng Qingning, then angrily pulled Jiaojiao upstairs with him.

Before going, he shot Zheng Qingning a venomous glance, hissing, “Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough? Get back inside!”

Zheng Qingning shrank into Aunt Xu’s arms.

The aunties around her couldn’t take it anymore and started scolding Zheng Father too.

Eventually, he had no choice but to slink upstairs in shame.

But the look he gave her before leaving was bone-chilling.

Zheng Qingning wasn’t afraid. The show was just beginning.

Aunt Xu and the other women surrounded her, advising her to be patient, saying things would get better after marriage.

Some even told her to apologize to her parents after all, parents always act in the child’s best interest.

Zheng Qingning wiped her tears and thanked each of them before heading back inside.

Commentary flared again:

“Has this side character really awakened?”

“This isn’t how the book described her at all! Where’s the timid doormat version of her?”

“The plot’s off-track! What’s going to happen to our main girl?”

“Oh no! Our girl’s backing is falling apart!”

Zheng Qingning paused on the stairs.

Backing?

Were they referring to Ye Yunzhou?

Or… the Zheng family?