Chapter 10: Damn You, Old Bitch!

"The Princess Consort has returned, Your Highness."

Nanny Liu scurried quickly, slipping into Su Yingyue's room. Su Yingyue, who had been lying in bed, started to rise upon hearing this, but Xiao Huaiqing pressed her shoulders down. "That vicious woman—so what if she's back? Do you intend to go and welcome her?"

"If not for her deliberate torment, would you have fallen so gravely ill?"

"Stay here and wait. I will go and bring her here to serve you!"

With those words, Xiao Huaiqing stormed off in a rage. Nanny Liu smugly said to Su Yingyue, "Young Mistress, see how well the Heir treats you? That woman bullied you, and the Heir is going to demand justice on your behalf."

A look of melancholy filled Su Yingyue's eyes. Every time the Heir encountered matters involving Lin Yue, he acted impulsively. In truth, she would rather he turned a blind eye, as she could handle her relationship with her mother-in-law herself. But now, in this state... Su Yingyue tightened her grip on the quilt slightly, then sighed. "Help me up."

Nanny Liu was puzzled. "What is there to fear, Young Mistress? This is the Prince's estate; here, the Heir's word is law."

Su Yingyue said nothing, insisting on dressing to go out and welcome Lin Yue.

Meanwhile, Lin Yue, having just entered the estate, was intercepted by Xiao Huaiqing.

"Lin Yue, stop right there!"

"Do you think you can just come and go as you please in this Prince's estate?"

"We are not in the palace now. Don't think that just because you deceived the Empress Dowager, you can do whatever you want. I tell you, I will never like you in this lifetime. Give up that delusion."

Lin Yue laughed. This was what one called "being plagued by bad luck"—it came as soon as it was mentioned. She turned to Nanny Zhang, who was following behind her, and said, "What did I say? The Heir is ill; let us have the palace send a physician to take a look at him."

Xiao Huaiqing was stunned to see Nanny Zhang, but seeing Lin Yue about to leave, he immediately stepped forward to block her.

"Did I tell you that you could leave?"

"Yingyue has been harmed by you to the point that she cannot even get out of bed. You must go and serve her!"

"You will not return to your own quarters until Yingyue's health is restored and she allows you to leave!"

Seeing this, Nanny Zhang shouted indignantly, "Your Highness, mind your station. In this estate, it is the Princess Consort who holds authority."

"I respect you as my superior and do not wish to offend, but I promised the Empress that I would take good care of the Princess Consort. If you insist on preventing her from returning to her own home, do not blame me for being discourteous!"

Xiao Huaiqing retorted angrily, "And you think you can stop me?"

Nanny Zhang replied, "My own strength is not enough, of course, but what if I add the imperial guards bestowed upon the Princess Consort by the Emperor?"

Bi Hua and Zhang Jiang immediately stepped forward. They wore the attire of the Imperial Guard, holding the rank of fourth-grade military officials. They were no ordinary guards; they had the authority to address the Emperor directly.

However, there was no fear in Xiao Huaiqing's eyes, only deep disgust. He glared at Lin Yue and barked, "You actually went to the palace and found my Imperial Uncle to be your backer? How could you be so base?"

Lin Yue was furious. She understood his implication clearly—that she had seduced the Emperor. Fleshand blood could only endure so much; Lin Yue stepped forward and delivered two resounding slaps to Xiao Huaiqing's face.

"You unfilial wretch, do you even hear yourself?" she scolded. "How could I have a son as disrespectful as you? If not for the sake of your father, I would have crippled you and thrown you out right now."

After venting her anger, Lin Yue strode away. Xiao Huaiqing was left stunned, watching her leave. This scene was witnessed by Su Yingyue.

She stepped forward in distress to support Xiao Huaiqing, asking with concern, "Husband, are you in pain?"

The rage in Xiao Huaiqing's heart flared up as if doused in oil. Was he in pain? Of course he was in pain—not just on his face, but the indescribable torment and sorrow in his heart! How could Lin Yue dare to treat him this way? How could she?

He shoved Su Yingyue's hand away and shouted at Lin Yue's retreating back, "Lin Yue, you're trying to get my attention again, aren't you? I tell you, you will never succeed! Never!"

Lin Yue: *Damn, this man seems to be rotten to the core.*

System: *Don't be angry. That's his character setting—a bundle of emotional contradictions, and he has the natural luck of a scavenger.*

*That luck will be devoured by me sooner or later!*

Lin Yue turned back and glared. "Although I am your stepmother, I will not let you slander me. Xiao Huaiqing, just you wait. I shall write to your father right now and tell him that you have designs on me!"

"What?" Xiao Huaiqing was horrified. Lin Yue wanted to turn the tables on him? He roared, "You lie! This is clearly what you are doing!"

Lin Yue sneered and looked at the servants filling the courtyard. "Ask them! Who looks like the one capable of such a thing now?"

Xiao Huaiqing looked at Nanny Zhang, whose face was full of disgust and contempt. Then he looked at the two guards, both of whom were glaring at him with undisguised disdain. How could this happen? It was clearly Lin Yue who had designs on him!

"Yingyue, tell me, isn't it true?" Xiao Huaiqing grabbed Su Yingyue's hand, his eyes full of anticipation. He still had Yingyue; she would believe him.

But Su Yingyue said helplessly, "Husband, let's go back to our room first. What does this look like?"

Xiao Huaiqing shouted excitedly, "Even you don't believe me? Yingyue, for whom did I break ties with her?"

"You know—you have always known! Why don't you believe me?"

"And in front of so many people..."

Xiao Huaiqing let go of Su Yingyue's hand and stormed out of the front courtyard, leaving Su Yingyue to face the servants and arrange quarters for Nanny Zhang and the guards.

But soon, Lin Yue returned. Xiao Mei was missing. After questioning the maid on duty, she learned that she had been taken away by the Heir after Nanny Qin left the previous night.

Seeing Lin Yue return in such a menacing manner, Su Yingyue instinctively started to kneel. Lin Yue caught her. "What are you doing? I'm looking for Xiao Huaiqing. What has he done to Xiao Mei?"

Seeing that Lin Yue was not there to trouble her, Su Yingyue exhaled in relief. "Xiao Mei must be in the dungeon."

"The dungeon?" Lin Yue muttered. "That cutthroat Xiao Huaiqing—how can his heart be so dark? He can't get revenge on me, so he takes it out on Xiao Mei. Bullying the weak like this, he's hardly a man!"

Lin Yue didn't bother searching further and ordered Bi Hua and Zhang Jiang, "Go and bring the Heir to see me. I want to see how he explains this!"

Fearing disaster, Su Yingyue knelt down. "Mother, it is my fault. I failed to manage the household properly, and that is why Xiao Mei has met with misfortune."

"Blame me instead. I will go and apologize to her. Please, Mother, do not make a scene and let outsiders mock our estate."

Lin Yue lifted Su Yingyue's chin. "You are clever, knowing how to threaten me with the reputation of the Prince's estate."

"But you are mistaken. Constant indulgence will only make him lawless. Besides, I don't think he cares for you as much as you think; you aren't worth kneeling for him!"

Lin Yue then turned to Nanny Qin. "Go and fetch the family discipline rod."

As soon as the words fell, Su Yingyue trembled and collapsed in a dead faint. Lin Yue knew this was her habitual tactic and was about to have someone carry her back when Xiao Huaiqing suddenly charged out from somewhere, shoved Lin Yue aside, and roared, "You bitch, how dare you bully Yingyue!"

Lin Yue stumbled but quickly regained her footing. Without a second thought, she raised her foot and kicked Xiao Huaiqing hard. "Go to hell, you bastard!!"