TSWPF -Chapter 226 Hostility

Li Qingling turned her head and immediately saw Zhao Yichen. She curled the corners of her lips into a smile and greeted him, “Young Master Zhao, what a coincidence.” She hadn’t expected to run into someone familiar here.

It had been almost half a year since they last met. Seeing him here, she felt genuinely happy.

“When did you arrive? Why didn’t you tell me?” Zhao Yichen thought. If it weren’t for this encounter, how would he have known she was in the capital?

Li Qingling smiled and said she had only arrived yesterday.

No sooner had she spoken than the woman standing next to Zhao Yichen spoke up, “Brother Chen, is this your friend?”

Lu Xiyun had always known that Zhao Yichen had someone in his heart; she just didn’t know who that woman was.

Now, she finally understood.

She was absolutely certain that the woman Zhao Yichen cared about was the one standing in front of her, named Xiaoling. The gentleness in his eyes—something Lu Xiyun had never seen before—left no doubt.

Although he tried to conceal it deeply, she could still sense it clearly.

She casually glanced at Li Qingling. Seeing her delicate and beautiful face, she snorted coldly in her heart. “Just a little pretty. How could a country bumpkin like me ever compare?”

Losing to a rustic girl made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Li Qingling’s eyes flicked toward Lu Xiyun, her brow slightly furrowed. Had she offended this woman? Why did she seem hostile?

Could it be a case of same-sex rivalry?

Hearing Lu Xiyun’s voice, Zhao Yichen suddenly remembered that his nominal fiancée was still standing beside him.

“Mm…” For him, Li Qingling was simply a friend, nothing more. “Xiaoling, what just happened?”

He glanced at the furious Liu Zhishan. He had arrived a bit late and didn’t know what had happened earlier.

Li Qingling gave Liu Zhishan a half-smile and said lightly, “I got bitten by a mad dog.” She sighed helplessly, “Next time I’ll make sure to check the date before going out. If I encounter another one of those mad dogs, I’ll really go crazy.”

“You shameless b*tch! Who are you calling a mad dog? Say that again if you dare!” Liu Zhishan’s face turned red with anger as he scolded Li Qingling. “Don’t think I wouldn’t hit a woman! If you provoke me, I’ll beat you until even your parents wouldn’t recognize you!”

A young master of a general’s mansion, being publicly called a mad dog? How could he tolerate that?

Li Qingling crossed her arms, meeting Liu Zhishan’s gaze with cold eyes, a faint smile curling her lips. “I never said anyone in particular. If you’re so quick to admit it, that’s on you.” She thought Liu Zhishan and Li Zhimou were incomparable, like a fool and a genius.

Would Li Zhimou want to claim ancestral rights someday? If they became one family, would he try to sabotage them?

She felt his personality made that very possible.

But these were things that hadn’t even begun to develop—no need to worry yet.

It was better to handle the matter at hand first.

“You shameless b*tch! Today you’ve forced me to break my rule of not hitting women!”

“Tsk tsk… You said it so nicely, not hitting women, but if Uncle Zeng hadn’t stopped you earlier, your slap would’ve already landed on my face,” Li Qingling said mockingly to Liu Zhishan. “Don’t you realize your words contradict your actions?”

He spoke of not hitting women, yet had already made a move.

“What?” Zhao Yichen’s face darkened as he heard that Li Qingling had almost been struck. “Liu Zhishan, why didn’t I know you had such nerve? Even hitting women now? I warn you, Xiaoling is my friend. Dare lay a finger on her and see what happens.”

Did he really think that just because she was from a general’s mansion, he wouldn’t dare?

“Oh? Is Third Young Master Zhao suddenly concerned?” Liu Zhishan had always disliked Zhao Yichen and liked to antagonize him whenever they met. Seeing Zhao Yichen defend Li Qingling now, his anger surged. “And you call her a friend? I think it’s…”

“Liu Zhishan…” Zhao Yichen knew exactly what kind of person Liu Zhishan was. Once he spoke, things would surely get ugly. He didn’t want Li Qingling to be embarrassed or misunderstood. “Has no one ever told you that trouble comes from your mouth?”

If he hadn’t wanted to avoid escalating the families’ conflict, he would have already taught Liu Zhishan a lesson.

Truly, an idiot with a brain that never grows.

He and Li Zhimou were like night and day.

Interrupted by Zhao Yichen’s words and seeing his dark expression, Liu Zhishan hesitated. But thinking about all the people around, he couldn’t back down without losing face.

He straightened up, staring at Zhao Yichen, “What, feeling guilty?” He glanced at Lu Xiyun and sneered, “Sister Xiyun, how does it feel to see your fiancé so attentive to another woman?”

“Sigh, Mr. Liu, I am already married,” Li Qingling quickly interjected, fearing Lu Xiyun might misunderstand her. “By the way, when was the last time you brushed your teeth? Your breath is terrible.” She even waved her hand as if to fan the air away, looking at Liu Zhishan with utter disgust.

Her gesture made the people around laugh.

Some even shouted jokingly, “Mr. Liu, better go brush your teeth properly, don’t make the young lady faint!”

“Exactly. It’s one thing if you stink, Mr. Liu, but don’t take the rest of us down with you.”

Listening to the crowd, Liu Zhishan’s face darkened further. “Shut up…” He glared around, “Say it to my face if you have the guts! Don’t hide behind others like a girl!”

The crowd went silent immediately—they couldn’t afford to offend a general’s son.

After a while, satisfied that no one dared speak, Liu Zhishan let out a cold snicker. He knew the others lacked courage.

“Songzi, keep your eyes sharp. If you see anyone whispering behind someone’s back, drag them out. Let them see whose fists are harder.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Songzi rubbed his fists, eyes wide as he scanned the crowd, trying to spot anyone who dared speak against their young master.

Back home, he’d report to the lady of the house, letting her handle this young lady properly. The general’s mansion was not to be trifled with.

Li Qingling checked the time and realized that if she didn’t leave soon, her family would start worrying.

“Young Master Zhao, I have some matters to attend to. I’ll leave first. We’ll chat later.”

No sooner had she spoken than Liu Zhishan scowled, “Did I say you could leave? Huh?” She hadn’t even asked permission—how dare she go?

Fed up, Li Qingling took a deep breath, faced Liu Zhishan, and started a verbal assault:
“You can ask the people around if it was you who bumped into me earlier. I didn’t hold it against you, yet you accuse me. Do your family know what a shameless, unscrupulous mess you are? If your ancestors knew about you, they’d probably come out at night and stuff you back into your mother’s womb to be reborn!”

Seeing Li Qingling like this, Zhao Yichen’s eyes widened slightly. He had known her for so long and always thought her calm and composed. He had never seen her so… lively. And instead of being off-putting, it made her feel even more vivid and… attractive.

But unfortunately…

He sighed quietly in his heart, trying not to laugh as he watched Li Qingling continue her tirade.

Lu Xiyun, noticing the smile at Zhao Yichen’s lips, felt her gaze dim. She gripped her handkerchief tightly and looked at Li Qingling with curiosity.

“Brother Chen, Miss Xiaoling… has she always been like this? Really… really… unique… I’ve never seen such a girl.”

A country bumpkin was still a country bumpkin—so crude. She couldn’t understand why Zhao Yichen would like someone like that.

And to think such a rival insulted her.

Zhao Yichen pursed his lips and said calmly, “No, this is her first time acting like this. She must have been genuinely provoked.”

He knew that in the eyes of a refined lady like Lu Xiyun, Li Qingling’s behavior was improper and would be looked down upon. But he genuinely preferred women like Li Qingling—straightforward, cheerful, resilient.

He had no liking for the seemingly gentle, but secretly devious, high-society ladies of the capital. Not one bit.

Yet he had no choice, having to force himself.

Did he really have to spend his life with someone he didn’t love? Just the thought made his future seem utterly dull.

Li Qingling took a heavy breath, glanced at the dazed Liu Zhishan, told Zeng Tietou she was leaving, and strode out of the tavern toward the Xue residence.

She had truly never lost her temper like this before. This time, she had really broken her usual restraint.

Once she had gone far enough, Liu Zhishan came to his senses, threw his fan to the ground, and cursed, “Shameless b*tch, just you wait.” He shook his sleeve and strode to the second floor.

He would drink a couple of pots of wine to vent his anger.

Liu Zhishan had never been insulted like this in his life. This time, he couldn’t let it slide.

“Third Young Master, please come in,” the shopkeeper bowed politely to Zhao Yichen.

Zhao Yichen nodded slightly and asked what had happened, wanting the shopkeeper to recount everything in detail.

From what Li Qingling had said, he had gathered some information, but the full details were still unknown.