Chapter 4: From Now On, This House Has Either You or Me — Never Both

Several servants received the order and immediately carried out buckets of water.

Aunt Wang secretly curled her lips.

She had originally planned to push her own daughter into Young Master’s bed to rise in status, but who would’ve thought a Young Mistress would suddenly appear out of nowhere? What “Second Miss of the Shen family”? Let her come! Let’s see how many rounds she can last under Aunt Wang’s hand!

Aunt Wang led the servants to the gate. Reaching the entrance, she gave a fierce command to pour the water outside.

Splash!

Crash!

The two sounds rang out simultaneously.

The servants froze.

How could splashing water make such a racket?!

Then, the ornate, gilded wrought-iron gate in front of them suddenly shook and collapsed with a thunderous boom!

Standing revealed in the moonlight was a slim yet upright figure.

The servants coughed and gawked in shock, their legs trembling.

“Young Master!”

A servant stumbled forward to report, stammering, “S-Something bad happened! Young Mistress—”

“If she drowned from the water, then send her to the hospital,” Xi Xingye barked angrily.

“She didn’t get splashed! Young Mistress… she… she tore down the main gate!” the servant cried.

Xi Xingye froze mid-movement.

For a second, he thought he had misheard.

He strode quickly onto the balcony and looked down.

There, beneath the moonlight, the slim figure stood where the massive gate used to be. Beside her were two unfamiliar men—one of them in a work uniform, carrying a brand-new door.

“A little to the left… good, right there,” Shen Qingci instructed calmly.

Xi Xingye let out a laugh born of rage.

Good, good, good! So he’d finally met his match, huh?!

He slammed his wine glass heavily onto the table and stormed downstairs.

Meanwhile, Aunt Wang argued stubbornly, “This is the Young Master’s house. As a woman, you must abide by his rules! He didn’t allow you in, and yet you dared to tear down the gate? And you, the property management, what are you good for?!”

“This lady is Young Master Xi’s wife. We’ve seen their marriage certificate, and we confirmed it with the Old Master,” the property staff explained nervously.

“So what if she’s the wife? This is the Young Master’s residence—what right does she have to interfere?! And that gate was his favorite—”

“So noisy.” Shen Qingci frowned and kicked the water bucket at her feet.

The bucket went flying toward Aunt Wang, who screamed and scrambled aside.

“Shen Qingci!” Xi Xingye approached, his face stormy.

Seeing him, Aunt Wang instantly found her backbone and cried out her complaint, “Young Master, thank goodness you’ve come! This woman tore down the gate, ignored my warnings, and even threw a bucket at me!”

Shen Qingci folded her arms, looking at Xi Xingye. “Finally decided to come down?”

“Who allowed you to tear down the gate?” Xi Xingye squinted at her, suppressing his fury.

“This is my home. I don’t need anyone’s permission.”

“Your home?” Xi Xingye chuckled darkly, as though he’d just heard a ridiculous joke. “Do you really think that just because we registered our marriage, you’re now the Young Mistress of the Xi family? That the whole Xi family is yours to order around?”

“Not quite.”

“At least you’re self-aware enough—”

“As far as I know, you don’t have the right to represent the Xi family yet,” Shen Qingci replied casually. Her tone was calm, her expression still indifferent—no hint of mockery. But in Xi Xingye’s ears, her words dripped with sarcasm.

“You—” He was about to explode.

But Shen Qingci spoke again in that same detached tone: “Come here and record your fingerprint.”

The locksmith had already installed a new smart lock.

Xi Xingye completely lost it. “Record a fart! Since you’re so capable, fine—this damn place is all yours! From now on, this house has either you or me. If you’re here, I’m not. If I’m here, you’re not!”

With that, he stormed off. A pink sports car roared past the gate moments later.

“Madam Xi, this…” The property staff and locksmith looked hesitant.

“Is the installation complete?” Shen Qingci asked, withdrawing her gaze.

“Yes, it’s done.”

“Send the bill to Xi Xingye.” With that, she dragged her suitcase inside.

Seeing that even Young Master Xi himself had been forced to back down in front of her, the servants dared not obstruct her.

Aunt Wang slipped into the courtyard with her phone.

The moment the call connected, she plastered on a sycophantic smile. “Old Master, Miss Shen has already moved in. But Young Master stormed out in anger, saying as long as she’s here, he won’t come back!”

“How did this happen?”

Aunt Wang exaggerated the story with embellishments.

Just as she expected Old Master Xi to blow up—and her lips were already twitching into a smile—she instead heard him snap, “She is the granddaughter-in-law I personally chose. Who allowed you to keep calling her Miss Shen?”

Aunt Wang’s expression froze. “But Young Master—”

“Young Master, my foot! Remember this well—Qingci is the mistress of the Xi family!”

The Old Master hung up, though his face grew troubled.

They had just gotten married. If they separated now, it would be problematic…

Could it be that even Qingci couldn’t handle that brat?

Perhaps it was best to wait and see a little longer.

…

After briefly inspecting the villa, Shen Qingci set her luggage down in the guest room.

She took a simple bath, then with her damp hair loose, opened the study upstairs.

As expected of a pampered playboy who only knew how to eat, drink, and waste time—aside from the necessary electronics, the study was empty. Even the bookshelves were bare.

Fortunately, the servants cleaned regularly, so the place was tidy enough.

She opened her laptop and checked the company emails. Every single one was a detailed report from Shenyuan Corporation.

Shenyuan had been her mother’s life’s work.

After her mother’s disappearance, the Shen family seized it for themselves.

The study was quiet, save for the faint ticking of the wall clock.

Seated at the large wooden desk, Shen Qingci’s brows gradually knitted together, the light in her eyes sharpening.

No wonder the company had been acquired by the Xi family.

Not only were they hemorrhaging money, but the internal structure was a complete mess. Even the financial statements were riddled with holes.

When her mother was alive, the company had been thriving. Now, it was nothing but a wreck.

Her eyes narrowed.

It seemed she had to personally check things out tomorrow.

She closed the laptop. When she looked up again, it was already half past ten.

Xi Xingye still hadn’t returned?

She packed up her things and went downstairs, where only one servant remained.

“Where are the others?” she asked as she sat down unhurriedly.

“They’ve already gone to the maids’ quarters to rest. Do you need me to call them back?” Aunt Zhang asked cautiously.

Shen Qingci’s gaze swept over her. “Call the noisiest one here.”

“Ah? But the Young Master isn’t home.” Aunt Zhang muttered, then realized, “Oh—you mean Aunt Wang?”

Lifting her eyes, Shen Qingci fixed her with an inky-black stare. Aunt Zhang flinched and quickly nodded. “I’ll go right away!”

Soon, Aunt Wang came shuffling in, reluctant and sulky.

“Find out where Xi Xingye is,” Shen Qingci said, idly playing with a dart on the table.

“How would I know where Young Master is? You didn’t stop him when he left just now, and now you’re looking for him?” Aunt Wang sneered impatiently.

“If you ask me, Young Mistress, you shouldn’t have treated Young Master that way. A woman should see her husband as heaven. What’s wrong with being a little more yielding—”

Whoosh!

Before she could finish, a sharp dart whizzed past her ear, stirring her hair, and embedded itself firmly into the dartboard behind her.

Aunt Wang sucked in a cold breath, stiffly turning her head.

Seeing the dart lodged deep in the board, her legs nearly gave out.

Had that dart been just a little off, her ear would’ve been pierced clean through!

From the sofa, Shen Qingci gazed at her calmly, almost lazily. “I’ll ask again. Where is Xi Xingye?”

“I-I don’t kno—ah!”

Three darts grazed past her ear in quick succession!

“Now do you know?”

Shen Qingci held the final dart delicately between her pale fingers, raising it slowly, aiming it at her.

Aunt Wang’s eyes widened, meeting that tranquil, bottomless gaze—and she broke completely. “Y-Young Master is… at the casino!”

“Call him.”

Terrified, Aunt Wang immediately dialed the number.

From the phone came blaring music, laced with women’s coquettish voices and the rowdy clinking of glasses among his friends.

Then, Xi Xingye’s lazy drawl followed: “Aunt Wang, I’m out with Xu Zijie and the others. Don’t worry.”

“Xi Xingye.”

Shen Qingci’s icy voice cut through the line. “Past ten-thirty counts as not coming home for the night. I’m giving you thirty minutes. Get. Back. Now.”