The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 104 - Evil Deeds

"I once truly regarded you as my mother." Song Chuyi's voice was as cold as winter well water, so cold that it stung one's fingertips: "But you never truly regarded me as your daughter."

Having seen this stepdaughter act coquettish and obedient, and having seen her being spoiled and arrogant, she had never seen her with such cold and sharp eyes, as if she were about to kill someone, making one's heart tremble.

At this moment, Li Shi suddenly realized that she seemed to have never really understood this stepdaughter, just as she had never truly understood her own daughter. She had always thought that one was a docile and foolish little lamb, and the other a close and affectionate little cotton-padded jacket. But these two were nothing like she had expected; one had become a biting rabbit, and the other a cold-hearted viper.

Her heart trembled violently. She met Old Lady Song's coldly smiling eyes and then saw the First Lady's seemingly mocking smile. Suddenly, she burst into tears, her tears flowing like a breached river.

"How can you say that?!" She stood up, trembling, pointing at Song Chuyi as if she had never known her, full of grief and disappointment: "I don't regard you as my daughter? How could I not regard you as my daughter?! Over the years, ask yourself how I have treated you?"

Li Shi suddenly choked up, unable to say a word. All the grievances of treating Song Chuyi carefully over the years surged in her heart. She trembled as she poked Song Chuyi's forehead: "How can you think of your mother like this? Do you have any conscience?"

When Li Shi wanted to act, she could always outdo the actors on stage.

"Those days when you were sick, I stayed by your side day and night, even neglecting Ning'er..." She was truly heartbroken, even her nose was running: "I just... just made a mistake with Huang Yao and Nanny Wang, and you punish me like this? Bringing these people to slander me in front of the Old Lady and the First Lady..."

She couldn't admit it, admitting it would mean everything was over—years of painstakingly built reputation, the favor of her mother-in-law and the First Lady, and even Song Yi would leave her.

Song Yi was her lifelong dream, she couldn't lose him, absolutely couldn't lose him.

"Yes, I used to think so too." Song Chuyi looked at her with a smile, but her eyes were already filled with tears: "I thought mother treated me and Ning'er equally well, I thought mother truly liked me..."

"Mother treated me well, did I treat Mother poorly?" She looked at Li Shi with a bitter smile, finally venting the despair and resentment of her previous life in this one: "I trusted and respected you wholeheartedly. You said my maternal family didn't like me, so I obediently avoided people from Jinzhong. You told me to distance myself from grandmother, so I didn't dare to serve her... For the past six years, whatever you told me to do, I did..."

Song Chuyi's tears fell to the ground in large drops: "You say you don't know what you did wrong, I don't know what I did wrong either... I respected and trusted you, but you pushed me into the fire pit time and again... Regarding Fourth Sister, you had Huang Yao tell Third Aunt that I was pretending to be sick, you had Huang Yao instigate me to offend grandmother, you had Nanny Wang lead me to read storybooks and drive away people from my maternal family... You sent someone to Tongzhou to deliver clothes to me, but that person colluded with others to reveal my whereabouts, intending to kill me... Mother, this is the last time I call you mother, tell me, what did I do wrong for you to treat me like this?"

Song Chuyi's throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, heavy and sore, making her eyes red.

"I said I didn't do it!" Li Shi screamed, "Why don't you believe me? How could I have the power to hire these people to kill you?! Do I have a death wish?"

Old Lady Song coughed, her gaze dark as she stared at Li Shi, and said in a deep voice, "Enough!"

She knew Song Chuyi wouldn't make baseless accusations. This granddaughter had never been one for empty gestures. If she dared to accuse Li Shi, it meant she had solid evidence. Yet Li Shi still foolishly thought she could sway them with emotions.

"Besides these testimonies, what other evidence is there?" She felt a dull pain in her head, her mind buzzing. "She's right, she didn't have the chance to go out. These thugs probably never saw her, so how could they identify her?"

"They may not know her, but they recognize the person who paid them." Song Chuyi glanced at Li Shi, her gaze icy. "Take them to the Li residence for a tour, and everything will be clear."

Even the Li family was involved in this matter! What did they take the Song family for? Where did they place themselves, Song Chengru, and Song Yi?! Old Lady Song was furious, slamming the table heavily.

But Li Rusu was the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy, with countless students and disciples. How could he allow people to come and investigate these sordid affairs of the inner residence?!

Would this matter just be left unresolved? Old Lady Song felt indignant but suddenly found herself at a loss.

Until Song Chuyi coolly dropped another bombshell: "Moreover, the woman who contacted these people and informed them of my whereabouts was caught by Ye Jingchuan. And coincidentally, she is the companion by the lady's side."

Old Lady Song had heard from Song Jue that one night, Song Chuyi's residence was attacked by Tartar soldiers. If it weren't for Ye Jingchuan and the Heir Apparent's rescue, the situation would have been dire.

But now it seemed that those weren't Tartar soldiers at all, but thugs sent by Li Shi!

Yes, how could she have forgotten this incident!

Li Shi was struck as if by lightning, collapsing heavily to the ground. She had once thought that Song Chuyi would surely die, and with her death, there would be no evidence. Thus, she had overlooked this woman... Now, this woman had become a knife pointed at her!

Nanny Huang had already gone out to bring the woman in. The woman was pale, her legs trembling like sieves, collapsing into a heap. As soon as she entered, she kept crying and begging Li Shi to save her.

The truth of the matter was now self-evident.

The First Lady's eyes widened in shock, and she couldn't help but sigh.

She knew that her virtuous and gentle second sister-in-law might not be as mild and respectful as she appeared, but she never imagined that she harbored such malicious thoughts and dared to act on them.

Living under the thumb of such a ruthless stepmother, Song Chuyi's life must have been incredibly difficult. One wrong move, and she could have lost her life, constantly walking on thin ice.

Old Lady Song was finally enraged, kicking Li Shi: "How could you be so immoral and depraved!"