The curtain was lifted. As she walked around the screen, before she could react, she saw Madam Wang get up directly from the couch—without even putting on her shoes—and rush toward her, raising her hand for a slap: “You disgrace!”
The slap landed fast and hard. Before Baizhi could even move to block it, Qi Yuan had already taken the full hit.
The right side of Qi Yuan’s face instantly swelled, and the palm print was clearly visible.
Everyone was stunned.
Madam Wang leapt up, wanting to hit her again, but the housekeepers from the Gao and Liu families hurriedly pulled her back.
“Madam, please calm down!” Gao Mama was terrified. For some reason, she felt Qi Yuan was no longer someone who could be casually beaten.
After all, Qi Yunting, who had slapped Qi Yuan previously, had been repeatedly punished and was still bedridden now.
How could Madam Wang possibly calm down?
She pointed at Qi Yuan, trembling all over: “I’m truly cursed! How could I have given birth to such a wretched creature like you?! Are you determined to ruin this family before you stop?!”
Baizhi hugged Qi Yuan, tears falling in distress.
Her lady had just entered the room, hadn’t even spoken a word yet, and already Madam Wang was calling her a disgrace, a beast.
How did she seem like a mother? She looked more like an enemy.
Qi Yuan covered her face, her expression cold as she looked at Madam Wang: “That’s the third time.”
Everyone froze. Third time?
Madam Wang didn’t care what Qi Yuan was saying, she just vented her fury: “Do you think just because you were taught by the Eldest Princess, you can walk arrogantly through the capital? What are you?!”
“Fool!” Madam Wang pointed at Qi Yuan’s nose and cursed fiercely: “Han Yue’e is now the future Qi Wangfei, she represents his status! When you met her, you should’ve stepped aside and bowed, but you dared to go against her!”
The incident on the street had already spread throughout the capital.
Han Yue’e had just been granted marriage to Qi Wang by imperial decree.
Madam Wang had always been worried—Han Yue’e had left the Qi family on bad terms; there was resentment between them.
Now that Han Yue’e had become the Wangfei, how could she possibly let the Qi family off?
Madam Wang had been racking her brain to find ways to smooth things over and dissolve the grudge.
But then Qi Yuan had a public fight with her and even shoved her maid so hard she was killed!
What a disaster!
Since Qi Yuan’s return, the household had known no peace—one death after another, illnesses, injuries, people leaving.
And now this huge mess!
Why did she have to come back?
Why couldn’t the baby switch have never been discovered? Why couldn’t she have just stayed as the butcher’s daughter?
Qi Yuan silently stared at Madam Wang, her voice soft but firm: “You’re even more foolish than I thought. Three slaps. Three is the limit. There won’t be a next time.”
Gao Mama was deeply unsettled; she didn’t dare to take the young miss’s words lightly.
Madam Wang sneered dismissively: “That’s right, there won’t be a next time! This time, just wait to be thrown into the yamen! The Qi family has no daughter like you. You will never step into this house again!”
Gao Mama panicked: “Madam, madam, please don’t say such things in anger! The Marquis and the Old Marquis aren’t back yet, please don’t act rashly.”
Who’s acting rashly?
Madam Wang slapped Gao Mama: “Are you the madam, or am I?! Take this murderer to the court! And send someone to the Prince’s residence to apologize!”
Whatever trace of mother-daughter affection remained vanished completely.
She glared at Qi Yuan as if she were her mortal enemy.
Qi Yuan turned and left.
Madam Wang was still shouting for people to drag Qi Yuan to Qi Wang’s residence to apologize.
Gao Mama, covering her face, sighed bitterly: “Madam, the Marquis and the Old Marquis went out to investigate, please think carefully, don’t be so impulsive.”
Right then, Liu Zhong came running in: “Madam! Something’s happened, Qi Wangfei…”
Madam Wang, still fuming, sneered coldly: “Don’t look at me! Go find that wretched troublemaker! Whether Qi Wang kills her or beats her to death, it’s none of our business!”
Liu Zhong froze, then said, “No, Madam, it’s… it’s Qi Wangfei, she’s dead!”
What?!
The room fell silent. For a moment, even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
Gao Mama clutched her face, her heart skipping a beat and then pounding rapidly.
Heavens!
How many lives had been claimed since the young miss returned?!
Hua Momo, Yunque, Qi Jin…
The young miss was literally leaving a trail of bodies in her wake!
Madam Wang finally snapped out of her daze, almost disbelieving: “What did you say?”
How could someone die just like that?
Liu Zhong quickly explained: “Public outrage broke out. Hundreds of people gathered on Zhuque Street, blocking the Wangfei and the Qi Wang’s guards from leaving. The Wangfei absolutely refused to go to the yamen with the authorities.”
Of course, with her now being almost a Wangfei, how could someone of her status go to a place like the yamen?
Liu Zhong sighed: “Then, the guards clashed with the people. In the chaos, the Wangfei fell from the carriage, hit her head on the wheel, and died instantly.”
Just like that?!
Madam Wang suddenly felt cold all over.
She was really dead!
She collapsed onto the couch in a daze, bursting into tears: “I told you, she’s a harbinger of death! People die wherever she goes! Now it’s really over. Han Yue’e is dead—how can Qi Wang possibly let this go?!”
She cried out: “Quick, call the Marquis back! Have him send that disaster away!”
Anywhere would do, just as long as she never comes back!
Liu Zhong scratched his head: “Madam, the Marquis and the Old Marquis are currently at the young miss’s residence.”
Madam Wang’s expression instantly darkened.
Meanwhile, the Old Marquis and Qi Zhen had hurried into Mingyue Pavilion.
Qi Yuan was sitting by the window on a rosewood chair. Baiyin was gently rolling a boiled egg over her swollen face, heart aching: “How could she hit you this hard…”
The Madam was truly merciless.
Qi Yuan didn’t seem to mind. When the Old Marquis and Qi Zhen entered, her expression remained calm.
The Old Marquis sat opposite her, his face heavy: “Ah Yuan, how did Han Yue’e die?”
Qi Yuan calmly lifted her teacup: “Don’t you already know? Why bother asking me?”
The Old Marquis sighed: “Ah Yuan, this is no small matter, you—”
“Are the guards of Qi Wang really this useless?” Qi Yuan raised her eyes and looked at the two of them, speaking directly: “They couldn’t even handle a crowd of commoners? They couldn’t even protect a Wangfei and just watched her fall to her death?”
