The two consecutive sentences she uttered snapped Xie Siwan out of her agony. Concubine Wan? Ugly?
Instantly, the gentleness in her beautiful eyes vanished, replaced by a contorted expression of fury. Gritting her teeth, she spat out:
"Concubine Wan?"
Jiang Lai touched her chin, looking perfectly innocent. "That’s what concubines were called in ancient times, wasn't it?"
A concubine!
She actually called her a concubine!
Xie Siwan’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Overcome with rage, she had to endure the searing pain on her face while suppressing the fire in her chest, leaving her unable to utter a single word.
Finally, Jin Suihuan burst out in a fury, "Jiang Lai, you homewrecker who stole her sister's fiancé!"
"My mother sincerely welcomed you into the Jin Family and specifically prepared a tea ceremony for you this morning. Instead of being grateful, you scalded her, and now you’re insulting her! Once my father returns from his business trip, let’s see if you can still hold onto your position as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jin Family!"
Watching the young mistress of the Jin Family lose her composure and throw a tantrum, Jiang Lai felt quite pleased, though her face wore an expression of deep grievance.
"What are you talking about? My husband and I are in a free-will marriage; I’m no homewrecker."
She then deliberately glanced at Xie Siwan. "Besides, from what I understand, the reason my parents-in-law divorced back then was because Concubine Wan forced her way into their marriage, destroying it. So, it is Concubine Wan who is the true homewrecker."
Jin Suihuan’s face flushed red. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Jiang Lai blinked innocently. "I'm not spouting nonsense. That’s what everyone outside says. My father-in-law cheated on his wife with Concubine Wan. Since he cheated, wouldn't that make Concubine Wan the homewrecker?"
Jin Suihuan stammered, "You..."
Afraid she might lose her mind and attack, Jiang Lai stepped back. She lowered her head to stare at her slightly reddened fingertips and began her performance of being wronged, "The cup was so hot just now; my hand is red too. If my husband finds out, he’ll surely be heartbroken."
Xie Siwan: "..."
Jin Suihuan: "..."
Your hand is just red, but my mother's face is scalded!
Soon, a nimble maid fetched the family doctor. Upon seeing Xie Siwan’s injuries, the doctor was stunned. "Madam Wan, you must rinse it with cold water immediately and disinfect it with iodine. If this isn't treated right away, I’m afraid it will leave scars."
Hearing that it would leave scars, the mother and daughter panicked, having no spare energy left to settle scores with Jiang Lai.
Jiang Lai felt not a shred of guilt for the severity of Xie Siwan’s injuries.
As the saying goes: If others don't harm me, I won't harm them. If she hadn't been on guard today, the one scalded would have been her.
Moreover, taking advantage of the situation today could be considered settling the score for the trauma Jin Shengshi suffered in his childhood. Rumors in their social circle had long held that Jin Shengshi was scalded when he was five. As to why, some said it was a negligent nanny, while others whispered it was his stepmother’s doing.
The night before last, after they had finalized their contract marriage, she had caught a glimpse of a black kitten tattoo covering a scar on his waist as he undressed under the dim light. Out of curiosity, she had asked about it.
Recalling that unpleasant past, the man’s expression had turned cold, his voice flat. "I was plotted against."
She asked again, "Then why the cat tattoo?"
"I used to have a cat. It was killed by someone."
Finally, she tentatively asked, "Was it your stepmother?"
The cold smirk on his lips had frozen, and he gave no further response. But from his dimmed gaze, she could roughly guess the truth.
Whether it was his burn or the death of his childhood cat, Xie Siwan was inextricably linked to it all. Jin Shengshi was only five back then, and Xie Siwan had treated him with such cruelty—it was truly inhumane. Today, she had simply paid her back in her own coin.
Everything that happened in the room was witnessed by Jin Shengshi from the attic stairs. Originally, he had worried that Jiang Lai wouldn't be able to handle Xie Siwan, but it seemed he had worried in vain.
As expected, her ability to get under people's skin was truly impressive. It seemed he had bet on the right person this time.
When Jiang Lai returned to Qingfeng Tower, the man of reserved, noble bearing was dining elegantly at the table. Smelling the aroma of the food, her stomach let out an uncontrollable growl. She quickened her pace in her heels and, without a word of greeting, sat down beside Jin Shengshi in the chair pulled out by a maid, reaching for the chopsticks.
However, before her hand could touch them, the man shot her a glance with a hint of disdain. "Did you wash your hands?"
Jiang Lai: "..."
Oh, she hadn't.
The next second, without him saying another word, she scurried off to wash her hands.
She returned two minutes later. Once seated, she began devouring the exquisite dishes like a starving ghost. Her behavior was caught right in the act by Jian Yue, who had just entered. After taking a seat on the other side of Jin Shengshi, he asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, how long has it been since you’ve eaten?"
Jiang Lai did not have the habit of staying silent while eating. She popped a roasted tomato into her mouth and mumbled, "Since yesterday noon... mostly because I’ve never eaten any of these things before."
She spoke with complete honesty. Seeing this, Jian Yue gave Jin Shengshi a pointed look, thinking: *Brother, you finally married the girl you've been secretly in love with; you have to treat her well. She lived in the Jiang Family for eighteen years and has never even had such a daily breakfast. How pitiful.*
His gaze was too intense, and Jin Shengshi found it hard to ignore. His eyes flickered open, and he scanned him lazily, his tone cold. "How did the task I gave you go?"
"I’ve brought the people." He looked toward the entrance of the dining room. "Lu Ba, Lu Jiu, Xia Rindong, come on in."
Shortly after he spoke, three people entered: two tall men and a tall woman.
Jiang Lai bit into a tender fried egg, blinking in confusion. As she wondered what was going on, Jian Yue took the initiative to introduce them. "Sister-in-law, the one on the left is Lu Ba, the one in the middle is Lu Jiu, and the one on the right is Xia Rindong. From today on, they are your personal bodyguards. Wherever you go, they will follow to protect you."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai quickly swallowed her food and asked in disbelief, "Bodyguards for me?"
Jian Yue smiled suggestively. "Yes, Brother Sheng arranged them specifically for you."
Jin Shengshi arranged them?
Jiang Lai turned her gaze to the man who had stopped eating and asked curiously, "Why did you assign bodyguards to me?"
And to assign three at once—his generosity was truly lavish.
Before Jin Shengshi could speak, Jian Yue answered first, "Sister-in-law, my brother is worried about your safety. Now that you’ve married him, you two are one. It’s hard to guarantee that no villains will try to plot against you."
That made sense. Jiang Lai didn't grasp the deeper meaning behind his words and just gave a faint smile to the three people opposite her. "Hello."
Jian Yue was quite surprised by her reaction. *Wait, aren't you going to thank my brother, sister-in-law?*