Chapter 5: One Slash Could Cut the Young Master’s Artery!

Time rewinds to three minutes ago, at the casino.

From within the crowd, someone cracked a joke:
“Brother Xi, it’s your wedding night. How do you still have time to hang with us? Don’t tell me your wife kicked you out already?”

“Get lost!”

Xi Xingye lounged deep in the sofa, smoke swirling around him.

He tilted his head back and said lazily, “Me? Kicked out? She’s clingy as hell—annoying to death. I just came out to get some air.”

“Damn! Brother Xi’s charm is unbeatable!”

“Brother Xi, when are you gonna teach us your tricks for handling a wife? Mine sets curfews for me every day, it’s killing me!”

“Pathetic.” Xi Xingye snuffed out his cigarette. “She dares set a curfew for you? You should whip her with a big stick! Show her who runs the house!”

His phone rang—it was Aunt Wang.

Xi Xingye casually put it on speaker, speaking lazily:
“Aunt Wang, I’m out with Xu Zijie and the guys, don’t worry.”

“Xi Xingye.” On the other end, a cold female voice came through the speakers, clear as day in the private room.
“Past ten o’clock counts as not coming home. I’ll give you half an hour. Get. Back. Here.”

Clack—

The fruit in Xu Zijie’s mouth fell out.

Everyone looked at each other, jaws dropping.

Holy crap!

Brother Xi’s new wife? This fierce?!

And she dared say it on speaker, in front of everyone? Xi Xingye’s face flushed hot instantly. He blurted out:
“What the hell are you? You say come back and I’ll come back?!”

He hung up, tossing the phone aside.

Everyone gave him a big thumbs up at once:
“Brother Xi, mighty! That’s how you handle a wife!”

“Humph.” Xi Xingye’s face was still dark as he sat down. “Learn from me.”

Then he glared at Xu Zijie:
“Why’d you turn the music off? Turn it back on!”

Caught in the crossfire, Xu Zijie quickly obeyed, then slid over with a drink.
“Brother Xi, what did I say? Just a little while apart and she’s already dragging you back! Women are all the same—they say ‘no, no,’ but they mean ‘yes, yes’! She says ‘get back here,’ but what she really means is ‘I miss you!’”

Xi Xingye narrowed his eyes.

Instantly, an image popped into his head: Shen Qingci, with that uniquely clear, cold voice, saying “I miss you.”

But the next moment, the image shifted—Shen Qingci in black tight clothes, cracking a whip sharply.

He immediately kicked Xu Zijie.

“Miss me my ass!”

Meanwhile, after the call ended, Aunt Wang smirked secretly.

Ha! Thought you could boss around Young Master? Got put in your place, didn’t you!

She turned and left, not heading back to her room. Instead, she decided to teach Shen Qingci a lesson. She gathered all the servants in the back courtyard, whispering and exaggerating.

Finally, she pointed to her ear injury:
“You all saw this, right? Yesterday we all made things hard for her—especially Chef Liu from the kitchen, he even sent her leftovers to eat. She’s definitely holding a grudge! From now on, we’ll probably have to live with our tails between our legs, groveling to her!”

“What bullshit Young Madam!”

Chef Chef Liu was the first to stand. “Does she really think she’s somebody? I was following the old madam around when she was still in open-crotch pants! You all might fear her, but I sure as hell don’t! I’ll go deal with her myself!”

He marched straight out, heading for the courtyard where Shen Qingci was.

A group of servants trailed behind.

Shen Qingci sat in a pearwood chair. Hearing the noise, she merely glanced sideways, then went back to fiddling with the timer in her hand.

When she finished setting it, she placed it down beside her. The digits ticked away—thirty minutes.

“Miss Shen.” Chef Chef Liu had made up his mind to dominate first.
“I’m Chef Liu, head of the kitchen. Back when Madam Xi—”

“Oh, kitchen staff?”

Shen Qingci cut him off and looked over. “Perfect. I was looking for you.”

“For me?” Chef Liu froze. “What for?”

“You’re fired.”

Chef Liu choked, then exploded with anger:
“On what grounds?!”

“Your food tastes bad.”

“Just that?!”

“Do I need another reason?” Shen Qingci’s voice was cool.

Chef Liu’s rhythm was thrown off. He forced himself calm, insisting:
“I don’t accept that! Just because you say it tastes bad? Don’t slander me! I’ll appeal to the old master himself!”

He had already disposed of the spoiled food.

With no evidence, he could cry injustice later, claiming this new woman fired an old Xi family veteran the moment she walked in.

Chef Liu turned to leave—only to run straight into Sister Zhang carrying a food tray.

“Young Madam, the food you asked for.”

Chef Liu looked closer—it was the very meal he had just made for her!

Gritting his teeth, he whirled back at Shen Qingci.
“What do you want? Trying to prove it tastes bad? You haven’t even eaten it! How can you know? Unless you eat it in front of everyone, right now!”

He thought he was being clever. The food was spoiled—no one could eat it, the stench was proof enough.

But Shen Qingci said calmly:
“You’re right. I should try it.”

The next second, a spoonful of the rotten food was shoved straight into Chef Liu’s mouth.

The foul taste shot to his brain; he almost puked it out!

“Want to vomit?” Shen Qingci asked coolly from the side. “But isn’t it delicious?”

Chef Liu froze, then, gritting his teeth, forced it down.
“…Of course it’s good! So fragrant!”

“Oh?” Shen Qingci raised a brow.

The second spoon went in.

Then the third. The fourth…

By the ninth, Chef Liu couldn’t hold it anymore.

“Ugh—!”

He vomited it all out!

The courtyard fell deathly silent.

Only Shen Qingci’s slow voice sounded:
“Wasn’t it delicious? Why throw it up?”

Chef Liu struggled, still trying to argue. “I—this is because—”

Before he could finish, a phone screen was shoved in his face.

On it, a video looped of him gagging and retching—already edited with an interface for submission to a food review forum.

“You want to walk out yourself, or should I send this video and let the world see how the great ‘five-star chef Chef Liu’ cooks?”

“You—!” Chef Liu’s face turned ashen.

If that video got out, his career would be over!

He turned on his heel to leave, shouting:
“You just wait! I’m going straight to the Young Master!”

No way would a huge household like this be ruled by some yellow-haired newcomer!

After he stormed off, the servants exchanged looks.

Shen Qingci swept her gaze across them.
“Anyone else want to leave?”

They scrambled upright.

“Young Madam, I’ll tidy up your room again.”

“Young Madam, I’ll cook you fresh food!”

Everyone scattered to undo their earlier mistakes.

Beep beep, beep beep—

The timer alarm went off.

The hands pointed exactly to midnight.

The half hour she’d given Xi Xingye was up.

Shen Qingci turned and walked into the greenhouse.

The gardener inside almost jumped seeing her.

Remembering how she’d just fired someone with such ruthless decisiveness, he asked nervously:
“Young Madam, what are you looking for?”

Shen Qingci didn’t answer immediately. She toyed with the tools on the wall instead.

She weighed a hoe, then put it down.

Picked up pruning shears, snipped them twice.

The gardener’s scalp tingled. “…Young Madam?”

“Mm.” Shen Qingci responded, her gaze suddenly fixing on his hand.

A gleaming machete, nearly a meter long.

The gardener stepped back, clutching the handle tight.

Shen Qingci stretched out her hand, curling her finger:
“Give it to me.”

At that moment, the roar of a motorcycle sounded outside.

In the courtyard, Sister Zhang dialed the old master.

“Sir, bad news! Young Madam’s got a machete! A huge one—one slash could cut Young Master’s artery!”

“What?!” Old Master Xi bolted upright in bed.

“Hurry and come, tonight something terrible might—”

Before she could finish, the old man’s voice on the other end grew excited:
“Where? Where’s that brat? I can’t miss such a spectacle! Quick, get me discharged!”

—

Music pounded. Xu Zijie sang passionately, cracking his voice over and over.

Xi Xingye glanced at the time again—already midnight.

He smirked.

Ha. That woman really was a paper tiger.

Sharp tongue, but he didn’t go back—what could she really do to him?

He lit another cigarette.

Suddenly, the waiter knocked on the door, bowing respectfully:
“Young Master Xi, there’s a woman outside asking for you.”

“Cough—who?!”