"Get pregnant, then dump him?"
A cold sneer tugged at the corner of the man’s languid features. She certainly had grand ambitions, but there was no way he would ever give her the chance.
He had a good night’s sleep.
Early the next morning, as soon as Jiang Lai finished freshening up, she was informed that she was expected to serve tea to Xie Siwan (Jin Shengshi’s stepmother).
Upon hearing this, she asked offhandedly, "Where is he?"
The maid looked respectful. "The eldest young master has gone for a morning jog."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai arched a brow. She understood instantly: this was a test from the "party of the first part" for her, the "party of the second part."
Of course, she wasn’t afraid.
After tidying her hair, she smiled lightly. "Fine, I understand. Give me a moment to change, then I’ll head over with you."
"Understood, Young Mistress."
Jiang Lai would not allow herself to lose the very first battle of the day.
Back in her room, she began to apply exquisite makeup. When it came to choosing an outfit, she opted for the most vibrant red dress she had.
A prominent family like the Jin Family was known for devouring people without spitting out the bones. If one wanted to survive here unscathed, one couldn't afford to be without a few tricks up one's sleeve. Xie Siwan calling for a tea ceremony first thing in the morning—Jiang Lai knew exactly what kind of game she was playing.
She wanted to intimidate her, but Jiang Lai would never give her the opportunity.
By the time she finished getting ready, it was eight o’clock.
Following the maid into Zhijing Building and seeing the two rows of servants standing at attention, Jiang Lai’s red lips curved upward.
Sure enough, it was a trap.
As she strode forward, the click-clack of her high heels echoing, she deliberately wore a bewitching, flirtatious smile. There was no trace of the trepidation a new bride might feel meeting her "mother-in-law." On the contrary, she looked more like the judgmental "mother-in-law" herself.
The interior was designed in a classical European style, the ornate decor making the personality of the house's owner perfectly clear.
While she was casually looking around, a voice as soft as a breeze suddenly spoke up. "Xiao Lai, did you rest well last night?"
At the sound, Jiang Lai raised her eyes.
Not far away, sitting on a velvet sofa with a curved back, was a gentle, watery-eyed beauty. It was Xie Siwan, Jin Shengshi’s stepmother.
Jiang Lai had met her a few times before.
The woman appeared so gentle and lovely that she seemed completely harmless, but from what Jiang Lai knew, Jin Shengshi had been schemed against by her plenty of times when he was a child.
Now that she had posed a question, Jiang Lai wasn't in a hurry to strip away her mask. Instead, she was willing to play along, replying with a beaming smile.
"I slept very well. Asheng’s bed is so soft and comfortable."
Her words were rather frivolous.
Xie Siwan, skilled in the art of pretense, did not show any displeasure, though her daughter, Jin Suihuan, who was sitting beside her, furrowed her brow in disgust, looking at Jiang Lai as if she were beneath contempt.
Seeing this, Jiang Lai acted as if nothing were wrong. She clicked her heels all the way to a seat not far from them and asked with a charming smirk, "I haven't had breakfast yet; I wonder what you wanted to see me about?"
Hearing her dispense with proper titles and use only a casual "you," Jin Suihuan’s annoyance grew.
"Jiang Lai, I don’t care what sordid, dirty tricks you used to get that marriage certificate from my big brother. But now, you show no respect for your elders and ignore my mother like this. Don’t you think you’re being…"
*So noisy!*
Before she could finish, Jiang Lai cut her off.
"Being what?"
No one had ever dared to interrupt Jin Suihuan before.
Seeing Jiang Lai show not a shred of fear, Jin Suihuan’s eyes went wide. "You!"
Jiang Lai’s gaze drifted lazily. "And what about me?"
Jin Suihuan had never encountered someone who didn’t take her seriously. Faced with that question, the words she had prepared to say were choked right back in her throat.
The brief exchange made Xie Siwan realize that Jiang Lai was no pushover. She patted Jin Suihuan’s hand, offering a gentle pacification. "Suihuan, we are all family with Xiao Lai."
"Why worry about such trivial things when we're all family?"
Jin Suihuan looked indignant. "Mom!"
Xie Siwan simply shook her head at her gently.
Though she was reluctant and displeased, Jin Suihuan always listened to Xie Siwan, so she eventually forced her anger down.
After soothing her daughter, Xie Siwan looked at Jiang Lai with soft eyes. "Xiao Lai, the Jin Family has always had a house rule: a new bride must perform the tea ceremony for her mother-in-law and formally address her as 'Mom.' Only then is she considered a true member of the Jin Family."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai sneered inwardly.
*Well, well. Trying to trap me with this.*
Jin Shengshi’s biological mother was still alive.
For Xie Siwan to harbor such an intention was a blatant attempt to sow discord between her and Jin Shengshi.
Without waiting for Jiang Lai to respond, Xie Siwan gave a signal, and someone from the side brought over a cup of tea.
Looking at the vintage red tray, Jiang Lai’s eyes crinkled with a smile.
Perhaps she had watched too many dramas, but she couldn't help but wonder if this so-called tea was boiling hot. After all, "tea-serving" schemes usually followed the same old patterns.
As she was lost in thought, Jin Suihuan urged her impatiently, "Why are you just standing there? Get up and serve the tea."
"Don’t you know that to let you serve tea and become a member of the Jin family sooner, my mother even canceled her work schedule for today?"
Jiang Lai arched a brow, unimpressed.
*Canceling a work schedule? Is that supposed to be noble?*
Glancing slowly at the two women across from her, Jiang Lai decided to take the bait.
She rose gracefully, swaying her hips as she walked toward the maid holding the tea. Blocking the two women from view, she reached out to test the temperature of the cup, her fingertips barely brushing it before pulling back.
As expected, just as she had imagined.
The cup was boiling hot.
Xie Siwan had already written the script, waiting for her to make a fool of herself. But having lived in the wolf's den that was the Jiang Family for so many years, how could such a small trick easily harm her?
The next second, as she turned around, her red lips curled upward, and her beautiful, exquisite face was full of smiles.
"I’m coming to serve it now."
As she spoke, she gestured for the maid to take a few more steps toward Xie Siwan, which the maid did without hesitation.
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Lai stepped forward as well.
Just as Xie Siwan wore a kind expression and Jin Suihuan looked on with disdain, Jiang Lai reached toward the cup.
Then, when they least expected it, just two seconds after her hands touched the cup, she put on an expression of pain and panic, flinging the lidded teacup in a parabolic arc right onto Xie Siwan’s face.
The boiling water made contact with skin like a raging fire. A sharp, piercing scream echoed through the hall.
"Ah—!"
Following immediately after was Jin Suihuan’s panicked cry.
"Mom!"
Accompanied by yet another shriek.
"Concubine Wan, are you alright?"
Before the echo of her voice had even faded, Jiang Lai’s eyes welled up with glistening tears. She reached out to dab at Xie Siwan’s face, her expression one of genuine concern.
After she smeared the woman’s exquisite makeup, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were no longer hidden. Jiang Lai continued to look at her with deep distress.
"Oh my, Concubine Wan, how did you become so ugly?"