Chapter 9: Chili Water and Quicklime (3)

Changge Yuqing felt a shiver run down her spine at the mere mention of her stepmother’s ruthless methods.

Changge Yue, however, gave her no room to hesitate. "If you don't believe me, Second Sister, we can certainly put it to the test."

Though the stinging in her eyes was so intense that Changge Yuqing could barely see Changge Yue’s expression, a creeping sense of dread began to fill her heart. "I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you! This bracelet was a gift from Cousin Wen."

Changge Yue let out a mocking laugh. "Cousin Wen? Wen Wenhao?!" It was laughable how Changge Yuqing tried to claim kinship; even if he were a cousin, he was the cousin of the legitimate eldest daughter, Changge Yuyan, and the fifth daughter, Changge Yujiao. She was merely a concubine’s daughter—how dare she try to cozy up to the Wen family!

Changge Yuqing nodded hastily, then added, "If you dare hurt me today, you’d better consider if Mother and Father will let you off. Even Cousin would… he would…"

"Hahahaha…" Changge Yue laughed as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

Setting aside her deep-seated hatred for Wen Wenhao, one had to wonder: would the legitimate heir of the Prime Minister’s estate ever care for a daughter born to a concubine from a general’s household? Furthermore, the heads of the Changge and Wen families were sisters born of the same mother; the two houses were already inextricably linked. There was no need to cement their bond through marriage. If they truly intended to forge a closer tie, it would surely be through the marriage of Changge Yuyan or Changge Yujiao. What was Changge Yuqing in the grand scheme of things?

"What are you laughing at? Are you just jealous because Cousin gave me this gift?" It must be jealousy, she reasoned. Otherwise, why would Changge Yue act like a rabid dog the moment she saw the bracelet? Driven by this thought, Changge Yuqing ignored the pain in her eyes and opened her mouth to spit out an insult, only to hear Changge Yue command, "Take the bracelet off."

A flicker of smugness welled up in Changge Yuqing’s heart. So what if she was the legitimate daughter? She was still just a woman green with envy. "If you want a man to give you gifts, go beg for them yourself. Don't throw your weight around here. Oh, I forgot—with that face of yours, men would only want to vomit at the sight of you… Ah! My hand!"

With a flick of Changge Yue’s whip, Changge Yuqing’s wrist was instantly dislocated, and the emerald jade bracelet slid off her arm.

"You bitch! What have you done to my hand… you…" Her hand was not just for wielding a whip; it was meant for writing poetry and painting!

Changge Yue picked up the bracelet, ignoring Changge Yuqing’s frantic raving.

This pair of bracelets had been part of her dowry when she married the Crown Prince. They hadn't been provided by Lady Wen or the Prime Minister, but had been a gift from her grandmother, Lady Liu. Looking back now, she realized that the reason her stepmother had pretended to treat her like her own was likely entirely out of respect for Lady Liu. Her biological mother had been a foot-washing maid by Lady Liu’s side, yet Lady Liu had truly doted on her. When she had desperately wanted to avoid marrying the Crown Prince, her grandmother was the only one who had truly fought for her.

Now, to think that the only thing her grandmother had left her had been tossed away so casually by that animal, Wen Wenhao.

As Changge Yue held the bracelet, a single tear fell unintentionally.

After a long silence, she wiped the tear and pulled at the corner of her lips. Her face, which usually inspired terror, wore a smile that was breathtakingly chilling. She glanced down at Changge Yuqing on the floor. "Shall I remove the other one myself, or will you take it off?"

With one hand dislocated, Changge Yuqing could not possibly remove the second bracelet herself. Yet, for some reason, hearing the eerie coldness in Changge Yue’s voice, she no longer dared to play tough. Instead, she shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Bihua! Bihua! Take the bracelet off! Quickly!" She vowed that if she didn't get revenge for today, she was no longer Changge Yuqing!

Holding the pair of emerald jade bracelets, Changge Yue felt a weight of a thousand catties pressing down on her heart. "Get out."