Li Yishu refused to believe it.
With her fair skin, striking looks, and alluring figure, how could she possibly compare less than that sallow-faced, worn-out wife?
She also didn’t believe her cousin would truly raise a hand against her.
Facing the sharp edge of the sword, she didn’t retreat but stepped forward instead, coquettishly protesting, “Cousin, would you really draw your sword against me, your own cousin, for the sake of that merchant’s daughter?
Then go ahead and kill me, hmph!”
Jiang Xingyan thrust the sword forward, its keen blade instantly slicing the skin near her neck.
Crimson beads of blood welled up, startling her into a scream as she hastily retreated.
Distracted, she stumbled over a step behind her and fell to the ground.
Humiliation, terror, and pain overwhelmed her all at once.
Just last night, that merchant’s daughter had struck her multiple times with a clothes-beating stick. Today, she had endured her soreness to get closer to her cousin, only to be treated like this.
Li Yishu felt utterly wronged.
Wiping her tears, she cried out against the injustice, “Cousin, what have I even done wrong for you to treat me like this?
Last night, your wife drenched my bed and tried to drive me out of the side courtyard.
I only argued back a little, and she hit me with that clothes-beating stick.
Look, it left bruises all over me.”
Li Yishu pushed up her sleeve, revealing a dark bruise on her arm.
Jiang Xingyan’s heart sank.
What had Huo Ci been through?
Had he been driven to desperation?
Usually, he carried himself with such refined grace—it was hard to imagine him losing his mind.
As she pondered this, Li Yishu mistook her silence for sympathy and pressed on with pitiful sobs, “I held out until you returned, cousin. I never meant to trouble you with any of this, but I never expected you’d treat me like this.
Maybe I should just pack my things and go back home.”
Jiang Xingyan decided to see the side courtyard for herself and kicked Li Yishu aside as she moved.
“Good. Get lost, and be quick about it.”
Seeing her heading toward the side courtyard, Li Yishu panicked.
Her aunt had warned her—her cousin must not discover what was happening there, or all their plans would fall apart.
Forgetting everything else, she clung desperately to her cousin’s leg and pleaded, “Cousin, please calm down! I won’t speak ill of your wife anymore. I’ll go invite her here right away.”
Her repeated excuses and obstructions had long exhausted the last of Jiang Xingyan’s patience.
Now, with the shop in her hands and her loyal servants Chun, Xia, Qiu, and Dong by her side, what was the point of keeping up appearances?
If they didn’t want Huo Ci exposing their lies, she would make sure to visit the side courtyard.
She was determined to flip this table upside down!
Jiang Xingyan lifted her leg and delivered a sharp kick squarely to Li Yishu’s chest.
The pain forced her to let go instantly.
Without a backward glance, Jiang Xingyan strode purposefully toward the side courtyard.
Li Yishu turned pale, half from pain, half from fear.
“Quick, go inform my aunt!”
She ordered a servant to relay the message while gritting her teeth against the agony and hurrying after her cousin.
The servant muttered with a grimace, “This job just keeps getting harder.”
No one dared disobey any order.
Jiang Xingyan advanced unhindered—no one dared block her path.
It wasn’t just the long sword in her hand; even empty-handed, the servants knew they couldn’t withstand two slaps from her.
They all shrank back, allowing the general to storm into the side courtyard unimpeded.
Huo Ci’s body was tall and imposing, and even at a jog, Li Yishu couldn’t catch up. She watched helplessly as “Huo Ci” stepped through the courtyard gate, her heart sinking into despair.
Not daring to follow further, Li Yishu clenched her jaw, stamped her foot, and turned to find her aunt.
Jiang Xingyan’s gaze sharpened the moment she spotted the shabby bamboo bed in the courtyard.
She moved swiftly into the room, where an ostentatiously carved bed stood out abruptly.
Yanking the drawn curtains aside, she revealed a figure bound tightly and dressed in tatters.
It was none other than Huo Ci.
She raised her sword and cut through the ropes restraining him.
Wherever she touched, his clothes felt cold and damp.
Had he been sleeping on drenched bedding all night?
Jiang Xingyan pushed the tangled hair away from his face and realized his eyes were shut, his cheeks flushed with an unnatural feverish red.
She pressed a hand to his forehead—it was burning hot.
“Dammit!”
Jiang Xingyan cursed under her breath, bent down, scooped Huo Ci into her arms, and hurried out.
She had no doubt that if she had arrived any later, Huo Ci would have burned to death here.
Never mind whether his death would also mean her own—even if it didn’t affect her, wouldn’t it mean she could never return to her body and would have to live out the rest of her life as Huo Ci?
If he wanted to die, fine—but couldn’t he at least wait until they switched back? Did he have to drag her down with him?
What a terrible guy, absolutely terrible!
Fuming inwardly over his recklessness, Jiang Xingyan had just stepped out of the side courtyard when someone blocked her path.
She looked up—it was Old Lady Huo.
“Ci’er, wh-what happened? How could this be?”
Jiang Xingyan was speechless.
If her hands weren’t full, she would have loved to slap this hypocritical old woman.
“I was just about to ask you the same thing, Mother!”
Though flustered, Old Lady Huo hadn’t completely lost her composure.
She must have already prepared an excuse.
“It must have been Jinzhu! She deceived us all and trapped Xiaoyan here!
My son, it’s all my fault for failing to manage the servants properly and letting Xiaoyan suffer so much for no reason.”
Dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief, Old Lady Huo put on a show of heartbreak and remorse.
“Are you saying Jinzhu specifically came out of the death row prison last night to force your niece to also lie for her?”
Old Lady Huo gaped like a duck caught by the neck, unable to utter a word for a long moment.
Beside her, Li Yishu fell to her knees with a thud.
“Cousin, I was powerless and had no choice but to go along! I’m a victim too!”
Old Lady Huo’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting her own niece to betray her.
Jiang Xingyan had no patience left for their squabbling.
She could feel the life slowly fading from Huo Ci in her arms.
“Why don’t you two get your stories straight before coming to me with nonsense.
Now, get out of my way!”