Chapter 4: Playing Tricks Is Despicably Shameless

“Aunt Song, you actually want me to marry Ye Ruyue?” He Hongwen widened his eyes in disbelief.

“You’ve already… done that with Yueyue. If you don’t marry her, who else could it be?” Ye Ruyue’s mother countered in even greater disbelief.

“The one who’s been betrothed to me since childhood is your biological daughter, Ye Siran. Besides, my father would never allow me to marry anyone else.”

Without a second thought, He Hongwen blurted it out. Marrying Ye Siran was a mission etched into his very bones.

Even though he occasionally muttered about regretting the engagement, he had never truly considered marrying another woman.

“If your dad disagrees, I’ll sue you. I want to see if your parents are willing to let you go to jail. Besides, both Ranran and Yueyue are my daughters—what’s the difference who I marry?”

Ye Ruyue’s mother slammed her words down like gavel strikes, threatening He Hongwen. Deep down, she felt neither daughter was worthy of the illustrious He Hongwen.

Yet she desperately wanted to be his mother-in-law; being the mother of the He family’s bride was too prestigious. So she was determined to force him to marry Yueyue.

“It’s your daughter who framed me! Sue if you want! I’ll see who ends up—”

He Hongwen hadn’t finished when Ye Ruyue’s mother interrupted sharply: “Since Siran caused you this trouble, you should marry Yueyue even more.”

“….”

He Hongwen was speechless at her words. Turning his back, he quickly dressed; he didn’t want to speak while naked.

A nosy neighbor, disliking how Ye Ruyue’s mother favored her stepdaughter, asked sarcastically, “Song Chunhua, on what basis do you claim Ye Siran framed them?”

“Simply because Ranran came from my womb. No one knows her better than I do.”

“Song Chunhua, how dare you say that! Don’t you know what your daughter is capable of?”

“I’m just saying, Song Chunhua, your daughter doesn’t have the ability to frame the clever He family’s second son and Ye Ruyue.”

“Yes! Siran is timid; she wouldn’t do anything harmful,” added another aunt who had received Ye Siran’s help before.

“Hmph! It was your Wei Guo who asked us over to your house to hunt mice. He said his eldest sister told him to call us.”

“Clearly, Ye Ruyue deliberately called us to witness this, just to force He’s second son to marry her.”

“Witness what? Tsk… you heard just now, He’s second son said he wouldn’t marry her.”

“Nonsense! Even if he refuses, he’ll have to marry her. I’m going to find Director He right now!” Ye Ruyue’s mother fumed, enraged by the others’ comments.

Just as she was about to turn, there was a thudding sound on the floor: boom… boom… boom…

Ye Ruyue had tried to find her clothes when everyone rushed in, only to find He Hongwen had torn them to shreds.

With so many people present, she couldn’t stand up to grab a blanket and had to lie naked on the floor.

She had never dreamed that He Hongwen would refuse to marry her the moment he put on his pants, and now everyone was saying she staged the whole thing herself.

Her useless stepmother was entirely focused on forcing Hongwen to marry her, without thinking to give her something to wear first. Truly idiotic!

So, in frustration, she slammed her head against the floor.

“Yueyue, my poor daughter, what kind of karma is this?” Ye Ruyue’s mother hurriedly wrapped her in a sheet.

Turning to He Hongwen, she yelled, “He Hongwen, you heartless man! Are you trying to kill my Yueyue?”

“Mom… don’t force Hongwen… let me die instead…” Ye Ruyue whimpered.

“Yueyue, don’t scare me. If someone has to die, it should be—” Ye Siran’s death wish for that useless boy, she didn’t dare say aloud in front of everyone.

“Mom, do you mean it should be you who dies? Don’t think irrationally! If you die, what will happen to Dad and my brother?”

Ye Siran said sorrowfully, genuinely hurt, knowing her mother wanted to say she deserved to die.

In her past life, when she and He Hongwen were trapped in a room, her mother had stormed in and cursed at her, never saying a word against He Hongwen, never pushing him to marry her.

This life was different. From the moment her mother entered the room, every word pushed He Hongwen to marry Ye Ruyue.

“Ranran, tell everyone it’s you who caused your sister and Hongwen to be together.”

Ye Siran glanced coldly at her biased mother, then forced out a few tears, looking pitifully at everyone.

“Aunts, is my mother trying to make me take the blame? Hongwen is so capable, my sister is clever, and I, who only know how to wash and cook, how could I possibly harm them?”

“Ye Siran, don’t make excuses here. I knew it was you who caused this,” Ye Ruyue’s mother shrieked hysterically.

“Mom, whatever you say is fine!” Ye Siran pretended to tremble from fear, lowering her head as if she dared not speak.

Growing up, her mother had constantly scolded her, but in her past life, she thought family arguments were meaningless and only harmed relationships.

Even when wronged outside, she never argued loudly. She would wait until others left, then cry in private, replaying what she could have said differently, never daring to confront anyone.

Having experienced death once, she knew arguing was pointless—but it felt so satisfying!

Seeing her mother’s face turn purplish, she indeed felt vindicated. Yet, she didn’t want to ruin her image in front of others, so she refrained from unleashing her old grudges.

Though Ye Siran stayed silent, someone else spoke up for her:

“Song Chunhua, you’re the one making a fuss, right?”

“Exactly! You usually scare your own daughter. Clearly, Ye Ruyue designed this to get He’s second son to marry her.”

“Yes, what the older lady said is right. I’ve always thought Ye Ruyue had ulterior motives.”

“Waa… I beg you, don’t talk nonsense! I don’t want to live!” Ye Ruyue cried, realizing everyone was getting closer to the truth.

Seeing her stepdaughter trying to end her life, Ye Ruyue’s mother roared, furious: “Out! All of you, get out! If you want to kill my daughter, you’re not welcome here!”

“You told me to leave, so I will.” He Hongwen glanced deeply at Ye Siran, who had never looked at him, and left without a word.

“Go ahead, do you think we wanted to come here?” one aunt muttered as she left; the others followed.

“He Hongwen, stop! You can’t just leave like this—you must promise—”

Ye Ruyue’s mother was about to speak when Ye Ruyue’s father interrupted: “Chunhua, let Hongwen go home first.”

He glanced at his biological daughter, crying as if near death, then at the stepdaughter with her head lowered.

If the stepdaughter could pull off such a flawless scheme, he might admire her.

But playing small tricks is despicably shameless.

Someone who could orchestrate a full chain of schemes would be considered truly skilled—but did his stepdaughter have that ability?