“I am Xu Yinyin,” she tugged at the corner of her mouth in a cold smile, “only, not the Xu Yinyin you used to push around anymore.”
“Your biological daughter’s scheme failed, and now both of you are dead.” Xu Yinyin leaned in close to Li Xiuniang, her voice like a ghost’s whisper: “Guess what—once I return, do you think she’ll still have an easy life?”
Li Xiuniang snapped. She went wild, thrashing violently inside the cage: “Wretched girl! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! You’ll die a miserable death!”
Xu Yinyin shrank back in fear, stumbling and falling to the ground. Then, as if terrified, she began sobbing and pleading: “Mother, don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!”
The village chief snorted coldly. “Still unrepentant, vicious to the core! Drown her immediately!”
The cage was hoisted up. Xu Yinyin turned to look at Li Xiuniang, who was still thrashing madly inside. She smiled slowly, darkly.
Then—splash! The pig cage was thrown into the lake, sending up a huge spray of water.
—
Early the next morning, someone arrived from the Yongping Marquis Household—an arrogant old woman.
Xu Yinyin recognized her at a glance. That self-important posture, even more pompous than a master—this was Hua Momo, the woman always at Qi Jin’s side.
Hua Momo was notoriously hard to deal with. As soon as she arrived, she came at Xu Yinyin with full force.
She frowned, scanning Xu Yinyin up and down before scoffing bluntly: “You don’t know how to stand or sit properly!”
“Your back isn’t even straight!”
Clicking her tongue in disdain, she added with a look of utter hopelessness: “Even your clothes—look at these colors, a complete mess!”
Because of the incident the night before, the village chief and his wife were accompanying Xu Yinyin, waiting to receive the people from the marquis estate.
They had wanted to mention what had happened last night to Hua Momo. But from the way she entered, exuding “strangers keep away” vibes, it was clear she thought she was the master here.
Hua Momo, worldly and experienced, had always believed that an aggressive first strike could intimidate any backwater girl who had never seen the world.
But when she finished her scolding, she received no response.
Annoyed, she looked over—only to see Xu Yinyin chatting casually with a village woman.
Hua Momo’s authority had clearly been challenged. She barked sharply: “Miss! This old servant is talking to you! Didn’t you hear?!”
Right in front of the marquis’s people and the villagers, she scolded harshly: “This is your upbringing?! You’ll be a disgrace to the family once you’re back!”
In her past life, when Hua Momo came, she had also used all the strict standards of noblewomen to lecture Xu Yinyin until her head hung in shame.
Back then, still reeling from Chengyong’s abuse, Xu Yinyin didn’t even dare speak up when scolded like a grandchild.
But this time, Xu Yinyin paused mid-sentence, turned her head, and asked: “What did you say?”
Hua Momo sneered: “Even if you’re not happy, I still have to say it. Our family is respectable. You going back like this will only embarrass us!”
Xu Yinyin responded with a smile: “Come closer, I didn’t quite hear you.”
Hua Momo, unbothered, took a few steps forward. As she opened her mouth—
Smack!
Xu Yinyin slapped her hard and clean across the face, knocking her neat hairdo askew.
Everyone was stunned. Especially the servants from the marquis estate—they hadn’t expected this “lost daughter” to be so… sharp!
Hua Momo clutched her face, nearly driven mad with rage.
She had come to flaunt her authority—who knew Xu Yinyin wouldn’t play by the rules?
Her teeth ground audibly: “Miss, you’ve brought disgrace upon the Marquis Estate!”
Xu Yinyin snorted: “And what are you, exactly? Always saying ‘our family’—you’re just a servant, acting like a master. Are you the ancestor of the marquis estate, or a servant in it?”
Such sharp words!
Hua Momo was shocked by Xu Yinyin’s speed and dominance.
Before she came, she’d been told the young lady was gentle, kind, and weak—a pushover!
She quickly pulled rank: “Miss! I was sent personally by Madam to test your manners!”
“Oh really?” Xu Yinyin tilted her head with a smile. “And did the Marchioness say that if I fail your ‘test,’ she’ll disown me?”
Hua Momo hesitated: “No…”
Xu Yinyin sneered: “Then what the h*ll are you barking for?”
Hua Momo’s face turned purple with rage. This was the most humiliating moment since she’d first risen to power.
This wild girl—untamed as she was—knew exactly where to strike. Hard to deal with!
Xu Yinyin snorted: “Stop acting like you lost your mother. I’m going there to be the young lady, not to serve you. Go make arrangements.”
….
Hua Momo fumed, grinding her teeth.
She hid in the shade with an egg pressed to her face, eyes filled with venom.
Moments later, a maid came running, whispering everything that had happened the night before into her ear.
Hua Momo dropped the egg, her expression darkening: “Are you sure?!”
The maid nodded firmly.
Hua Momo’s eyes narrowed: “This scourge can’t go back!”
The deaths of Butcher Xu and Li Xiuniang were far too suspicious.
And Xu Yinyin… was completely different from the information they’d received.
If they brought back someone like her, wouldn’t it be her own girl who suffered?
She motioned to the maid: “You—go tell the young lady I have something to say. Meet me by the lake.”
—
Xu Yinyin was speaking with the village chief and his wife.
The chief frowned: “Girl, you’re too sharp—too much and you’ll break…”
Xu Yinyin knew what he meant—her sudden change in attitude was too stark.
But in a place like Yongping Marquis Household, where people kissed up and stepped on the weak, if she wasn’t firm, she’d be trampled.
She smiled just as the maid approached.
“She wants to meet by the lake?” she asked.
Hua Momo was known for being ruthless.
In her past life, after Xu Yinyin was cast out of the Qi family, it was Hua Momo who led servants to trap her in an alley and shattered her knees with clubs—then left her to die in a mass grave.
This woman was Qi Jin’s right-hand. If she wanted to “chat,” it certainly wasn’t out of kindness.
Xu Yinyin rapidly sorted through the possibilities—and then agreed: “Sure.”
She went to the lake alone.
Hua Momo didn’t waste time. “Framing your foster father for adultery, causing your foster mother to be drowned…”
She turned to face her, eyes white with disdain: “Miss, do you sleep well at night?”
Trying that angle?
Xu Yinyin remained unfazed: “I sleep just fine. If doing bad things keeps people awake, Momo—you’d have long since died of insomnia.”
Hua Momo yanked her sharply, pretending to lose control in anger—but in truth, carefully calculated each move to drag Xu Yinyin toward the lake and shove her.
It worked. Xu Yinyin stumbled, about to fall—
Success! Hua Momo rejoiced inwardly.
But she didn’t expect Xu Yinyin to grab her tightly, and together they plunged into the water.
The freezing lake enveloped them.
Hua Momo gasped, shivering and thrashing.
But to her horror, Xu Yinyin was smiling at her underwater.
That eerie, chilling smile terrified her. She tried to scream—but water rushed into her mouth.
Xu Yinyin kicked off the bottom, climbed onto Hua Momo’s shoulders, stuck her head above water, and shouted:
“Help! Help!”
You want to drown me and claim I killed myself out of guilt?
Then I’ll turn your own trick against you!
Whoever wants her dead—she’ll drag them down with her!
