Ye Xiruo poured herself a glass of water and sipped it slowly. After finishing it, she circulated her internal energy a bit to make her complexion look even paler. Then, she swayed unsteadily as she went out to face the upcoming confrontation.
Quietly pulling out the door bolt, Ye Xiruo quickly took a few steps back. A glimmer of coldness flashed in her inky-black eyes.
Sure enough, a figure soon tumbled in from outside and landed right in front of Ye Xiruo.
"Madam, I'm your junior. There's no need for you to be so overly polite," Ye Xiruo said, covering her mouth with one hand and feigning extreme weakness as if she were about to faint.
The figure on the ground quickly scrambled to its feet. On her heavily made-up face, it was hard to conceal the meanness and acrimony. A glimmer of coldness flashed in her hooked eyes.
"Damn girl, are you trying to kill me?" As she spoke, her right hand swung towards Ye Xiruo's face. Naturally, Ye Xiruo wouldn't let her land a blow. She took a small step back, allowing that hand to land on her thin shoulder. Then, she leaned back as if being pushed.
"Zhang Chunlan, are you even human? Xiaoliu isn't even fully recovered from her illness, and you dare to lay a hand on her?" Aunt Wang rushed over, carrying a bamboo basket and running at full speed.
She dashed in front of Ye Xiruo and pointed at Zhang Chunlan, shouting angrily, "You heartless wretch, what do you think you're doing? I'm still alive. Xiaoliu is like my own daughter. Whoever dares to mess with her, I'll fight to the death." Aunt Wang put one hand on her hip and pointed at Zhang Chunlan with the other, showing no mercy. Following Aunt Wang's shouts, more and more people gathered outside the door, pointing and whispering among themselves.
Looking at the figure shielding her in front, Ye Xiruo's eyes glistened with tears. It had been years since anyone had been so genuinely kind to her. Aunt Wang, thank you so much!
"Xiaoliu, are you okay?" Aunt Wang turned around and helped Ye Xiruo up, looking her up and down.
Ye Xiruo blinked her eyes and then weakly leaned on Aunt Wang's shoulder. "I'm okay. It's just that after this aunt slapped me, my chest feels stuffy and I feel a bit nauseous."
A flicker of panic flashed across Zhang Chunlan's vulgar and gaudy face, but she quickly suppressed it.
"Humph, Wang Yufeng, we all know what you're up to. Don't think you're the only smart one here," Zhang Chunlan sneered.
Aunt Wang was so angry that she laughed instead. "Oh? Then tell me, what am I up to?"
"Isn't it because you're eyeing my niece's big tile-roofed houses and three mu of prime paddy fields? You come to see her every day. Who knows what devious plan you have in mind?"
"So that's your real intention," Aunt Wang deliberately raised her voice. "I was wondering. When Xiaoliu was lying in bed, her life hanging by a thread, why didn't you, her dear aunt, come to visit even once? When Xiaoliu finally pulled through from the jaws of death, why didn't you come to take care of her for a day or cook her a meal? But today, the moment you showed up, you injured her. You're clearly determined to take Xiaoliu's life!"
"It seems Wang Yufeng has a point. This Chunlan is really out of line," someone murmured.
"Xiaoliu is still sick. Look at how pale her little face is. What a pity," another person chimed in.
"Seeing how determined Chunlan is, Xiaoliu's future days might not be easy," someone else added.
"That ill-fated girl who brings bad luck to her parents. Chunlan must be out of her mind to mess with her," muttered a gossipy woman in the village.
"Our Xiaoliu hasn't said anything yet. Who do you think you are?" Zhang Chunlan snapped, her face flushed with anger.
Ye Xiruo glared at Zhang Chunlan. The way this woman looked at her was like a cold and venomous snake, slimy and menacing, as if she were ready to devour her at any moment.
Zhang Chunlan suddenly felt dizzy. What on earth was wrong with her today? She almost fainted for no reason.
Seeing more and more people gathering outside the door, a glimmer of smugness flashed in her eyes. Wang Yufeng, no matter how capable you are, I don't believe I can't deal with you today.
She took a step forward, trying to grab Ye Xiruo's hand, but Ye Xiruo dodged. Just looking at this hypocritical face made her want to vomit. She had seen many such people in her previous life, and this one in front of her was rather low-level.
Before Zhang Chunlan could say anything, Ye Xiruo spoke up first, her voice clear and crisp. "Auntie, I had a serious illness and forgot a lot of things. Please don't take offense."
Amnesia? Is it real or fake? Zhang Chunlan eyed Ye Xiruo suspiciously.
"What do you want?" Aunt Wang shielded Ye Xiruo behind her.
"Well, since Xiaoliu was previously jilted by her fiancé, I have a young nephew who is extremely handsome. His father is a steward in Luoxia Valley. If Xiaoliu marries him, she'll surely live a life of comfort," Zhang Chunlan said, a false smile on her face.
"Auntie, I really appreciate your kindness. But my father just passed away, and I swore to observe mourning for three years before getting married. Father! Daughter is unfilial and couldn't take good care of you," Ye Xiruo thought of her parents who had died because of her in her previous life, and her crying was heart-wrenching.
"She's a pitiful child," someone sighed.
"With such filial piety, she's clearly a good girl," another person agreed.
"But Xiaoliu's marriage prospects have become even more difficult now," someone pointed out.
"I heard that Mr. Zhang has already had three wives die," a voice whispered.
"So that's what Zhang Chunlan is up to. Truly, the most poisonous are women's hearts. She won't even spare her own niece," someone hissed.
Sure enough, Zhang Chunlan looked at Ye Xiruo with disgust. "Damn girl, Mr. Zhang doesn't mind that you're a little jinx and that you were jilted. Where else can you find such a good thing? I'm sure your dead father would have nodded if he were still alive."
"Respect the dead. Please watch your words," Ye Xiruo shot a cold glance at Zhang Chunlan. This woman had clearly come with ill intentions and had repeatedly challenged her bottom line. It was truly unforgivable.
A powerful spiritual pressure bore down on Zhang Chunlan, causing beads of sweat to roll down her forehead, smearing her thick makeup and making her face look even more distorted.
This damn girl is strange. It seems I won't be able to achieve anything today. I'd better go back and plan carefully. She didn't believe that she couldn't get her hands on these houses and fields as long as she got this damn girl married off.
"Zhang Chunlan, are you even human? Xiaoliu is doing the right thing by observing mourning for her father. You heartless wretch, you won't even spare the dead. Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?" Aunt Wang immediately pressed her advantage.
"Xiaoliu, you should still consider it. After all, I'm doing this for your own good," Zhang Chunlan said, feigning deep concern, which made the people around her shudder.
"Xiaoliu isn't feeling well, so I won't see you out," Ye Xiruo tightened her grip on Aunt Wang's hand unconsciously. She now knew exactly what this woman was up to. But how was she going to deal with it next time?
Was she really going to reveal her secret of cultivating immortality? Ye Xiruo shook her head instinctively. This world was full of too many dangers, and this was her greatest trump card. She mustn't expose it prematurely.