TSWRLM -Chapter 264 Declaration of War

Shen Qingchi immediately turned and went to find Li Jixian.

When she entered the room, Ying’er was helping Li Jixian apply medicine to his face. They were very close, and their posture looked somewhat intimate.

Shen Qingchi’s expression changed. She rushed forward and slapped Ying’er hard across the face. “Wretch!”

Ying’er yelped in shock, clutching her face and stepping aside. Shen Qingchi wanted to strike again, but Li Jixian stepped fully in front of Ying’er. “What are you losing your mind about this time?”

Shen Qingchi had just found out that Li Jixian had been indulging in pleasures outside. In front of Cao Chun Xi, she had pretended not to care, but seeing Li Jixian protect Ying’er now—and thinking about him sleeping with other women—she felt both disgusted and upset.

Her eyes red, she said, “I’m not losing my mind. Ying’er and Aunt are here to take care of me. I’m taking her with me.”

As she tried to pull Ying’er past Li Jixian, he forcefully pushed her arm aside. “Your Shen family won’t let me go out to have fun, and now they send this little girl here. What do you think this means? Isn’t it obvious?”

Having been humiliated into writing a guarantee in public, Li Jixian was still full of suppressed anger. Now that Ying’er had been voluntarily placed in front of him, of course he would accept her.

Understanding his implication, Shen Qingchi’s eyes filled with tears. She struggled to maintain reason and said, “She was sent by Cao Chun Xi. She surely has no good intentions. I can find someone else to take care of my husband.”

“So what if she was sent by Cao Chun Xi? She’s mine now. Does she really dare help Cao Chun Xi harm me?”

Li Jixian said this as he pulled Ying’er into his arms and kissed her cheek forcefully.

Although Ying’er had prepared for this, she couldn’t help but blush. Shen Qingchi, however, was so angry that tears streamed down her face. “Li Jixian, you bastard!”

She sobbed, but Li Jixian felt no guilt. He said with righteous confidence, “You tried to harm my elder sister. If it weren’t for my family paying to redeem you, you might already be dead. Now I’m just sleeping with a woman. Say one more word here and see what happens.”

Clearly displeased, Li Jixian’s tone left Shen Qingchi with no courage to argue. She could only go in tears to Yun Wantang. “Fifth Aunt, my husband insists on keeping Ying’er, who was sent by Cao Chun Xi. What should I do?”

“That’s a person your elder sister specifically sent to help you, and both your grandfather and your mother-in-law agreed. Do you want to chase her away?”

Yun Wantang’s voice was soft but carried an inexplicable authority.

Shen Qingchi knew there was no turning this situation around. Sniffling, she said, “But Cao Chun Xi deliberately wants to retaliate against me. If my husband keeps her, then Cao Chun Xi’s scheme succeeds. I don’t want her to gloat.”

She hoped Yun Wantang would comfort her like before, but instead, she heard Yun Wantang say: “But you can’t beat her, can you?”

Shen Qingchi looked up in shock, tears blurring her vision. Yun Wantang said lightly, “Alright, you’re pregnant. Stop crying. Go back and rest.”

Yun Wantang’s obvious detachment made Shen Qingchi anxious. She couldn’t help but explain, “Fifth Aunt, I didn’t intentionally provoke Cao Chun Xi. I only wanted to help you…”

“What do you want to help me with?” Yun Wantang interrupted, her tone cold. “Did I ever ask you to do anything for me?”

“…”

Shen Qingchi was speechless.

No, Fifth Aunt had never asked her to do anything. It was Shen Qingchi who, hearing about the troubles between Wei Lingze and Xiao Qinghe, and overhearing about the fertility remedies, took it upon herself to spread the news and subtly suggested her family could send people into her elder brother’s household.

Everything she did was based on her own assumptions—nothing to do with Fifth Aunt.

Her heart sank. Her thoughts were a mess. After a while, she couldn’t help asking: “Fifth Aunt, did you know that my husband has been staying in the pleasure quarters these past days?”

“Yes.”

Yun Wantang answered without hesitation and gave no further explanation. Shen Qingchi’s tears welled even more. “If you knew all along, why didn’t you tell me?”

“What would you have done if you knew?”

Yun Wantang countered. Shen Qingchi opened her mouth but could say nothing.

She had already been deceived by Li Jixian, and it was only because of Fifth Aunt’s mercy that she had been legitimized. Li Jixian knew she had no family to rely on, so he never took her seriously. Even if she knew he was fooling around outside, she could only cry and make a scene, bringing humiliation upon herself.

So why hadn’t Fifth Aunt tried to stop him?

Shen Qingchi wanted to ask but swallowed the words.

Fifth Aunt had already been kind to her many times, but since she wasn’t blood-related, why should Fifth Aunt intervene with Li Jixian?

The topic ended there. After standing dazed for a moment, Shen Qingchi recovered and said dryly, “Then I’ll go back. I won’t bother you, Fifth Aunt.”

Yun Wantang made no move to stop her. Shen Qingchi turned and fled.

She felt Yun Wantang’s coldness and distance, but unlike with Cao Chun Xi, she felt no resentment—only self-blame for being so useless.

Fifth Aunt had helped her repeatedly, yet she couldn’t help her in return and only caused trouble. It was only natural that Fifth Aunt didn’t want to deal with her.

Not long after Shen Qingchi left, Madam Zhao came to see Yun Wantang.

She had asked around: Shen Qingchi not only provoked Cao Chun Xi, but also spread the rumor that Xiao Qinghe had sought fertility remedies at the clinic, implying that she couldn’t have children and that’s why she couldn’t tolerate Wei Lingze’s illegitimate child.

Madam Zhao was very experienced.

It was understandable for Shen Qingchi to retaliate against Cao Chun Xi, but spreading rumors about Xiao Qinghe was unusual.

“Shen Qingchi did this to help Fifth Younger Sister-in-law, right?”

Madam Zhao asked directly, her tone full of certainty.

Yun Wantang didn’t deny it. Softly, she said, “I didn’t expect her to be so useless. It’s my fault that it implicated Jixian. Don’t worry, Elder Sister, I’ll make it up to him.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhao was reassured. She sighed: “Shen Qingchi lost her chastity before marriage. I never thought she was suitable to be Jixian’s concubine. But Fifth Younger Sister-in-law said Shen Qingyuan is truly capable, and elevating her would bring benefits later. Now it seems Fifth Younger Sister-in-law really has good judgment. But her relationship with Cao Chun Xi is already strained. No matter how far Shen Qingyuan climbs, we won’t benefit from it.”

Madam Zhao’s words revealed her strong disapproval of the marriage.

Yun Wantang immediately said: “I misjudged this marriage. Don’t worry, Elder Sister. Once the child is safely born, I’ll arrange a better marriage for Jixian. When my husband secures his position in Hanjing, I’ll find Jixian a good post.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhao smiled: “I knew you were capable. With you managing Jixian, I can rest easy.”

After saying this, Madam Zhao left, smiling.

Yun Wantang personally saw her to the courtyard gate. As she watched Madam Zhao leave, her expression slowly grew cold.

This time, was Cao Chun Xi really retaliating against Shen Qingchi, or was she declaring war against her?