Oops! My Inner Thoughts Are Ruining The Plot

Chapter 48: Chapter

The twilight had settled completely over the Xi estate, casting long, dark shadows across the cobblestone paths.

Xi Wenzhe was walking back toward the Northern Courtyard, his steps steady but his mind still filled with the sheer absurdity of his new wife’s actions. He was fully prepared to go back to his study and review some maps, but as he bypassed the secluded bamboo grove near the edge of the outer wall, the faint sound of hushed, angry whispering caught his attention.

His sharp eyes narrowed. Under the dim light of a stone lantern, he spotted two shadows standing close together.

Curious and instantly alert, Wenzhe stepped silently behind a thick cluster of bamboo, his presence completely masked. When he looked closer, he was shocked to see Lady Pei still standing inside the estate grounds. She hadn’t left yet. Instead, she had thrown a thick, dark maid’s cloak over her frame to hide her dirty, mud-soaked silk robes, though the foul scent of the lotus pond still lingered around her.

She wasn’t alone. Standing across from her was Li Mei, her posture straight and her hands neatly tucked into her sleeves, looking entirely unbothered.

"You stupid maid!" Lady Pei hissed, her voice trembling with a mixture of rage and muffled tears as she glared at the maid. "You are the reason why I am like this! I will make you pay for this humiliation!"

Li Mei let out a soft, low chuckle, her tone dripping with a quiet, sarcastic amusement. "Lady Pei, you only asked this servant a question earlier in the garden, and I simply answered it. How am I at fault for your own actions?"

"You dare say that?!" Lady Pei stepped closer, her fingers tightening around the edge of her hidden, dirty cloak. "You were the one who told me that Su Yueqing isn’t liked by the Xi family, and that Young Master Xi detests her very existence! Yet why were they all defending her?! The sisters, the Duchess, even Wenzhe... they all stood by her side! You gave me false information and made me humiliate myself in front of the entire noble ladies!"

Wenzhe’s eyes grew incredibly cold as he listened from the shadows. His gaze shifted tightly onto Li Mei.

Down on the path, Li Mei’s smile didn’t fade. Instead, her eyes narrowed into a sharp, rueful glint as she took a slow step toward the noble lady.

"Lady Pei, you claim to want to destroy a mere servant like me," Li Mei whispered, her voice smooth but lethal. "But before you worry about me, perhaps you should first think about destroying the child currently growing in your womb."

The words hit the air like a thunderclap.

Lady Pei instantly froze. Every single ounce of color drained from her face, leaving her looking paler than a ghost. She stumbled backward a step, her hands instinctively flying to cover her stomach beneath the dark cloak.

"H-H-How did you..." Lady Pei stammered, her voice cracking in pure, unadulterated terror. "How do you know about that?!"

Li Mei let out another soft, mocking laugh, looking down at the noble girl with absolute disdain. "How I know isn’t what you should be worried abou, Lady Pei. It should be who else might find out. After all, a minister’s unmarried daughter carrying a bastard child would ruin your family’s name forever."

Li Mei leaned in just a fraction closer, her whisper cutting through the quiet night air. "And I am absolutely certain that the man who got you pregnant won’t want you ruining his current, highly lucrative engagement. If the truth comes out, do you think he would ever marry a disgraced woman like you?"

Xi Wenzhe stood behind the thick bamboo cluster, his entire body rigid with shock.

The words he just heard felt completely unreal. He stared blankly at the maid standing under the dim lantern light. This cold, calculating woman threatening a minister’s daughter was Li Mei? The very same Li Mei who always acted so gentle, sweet, and helpless in front of him?

Over the past few years, he had grown to appreciate her quiet nature, believing she was a pure and innocent soul who constantly suffered unfairly. But right now, she looked absolutely nothing like the woman he thought he loved.

She decided to let her previous mistake slide because he thought she was just being jealous about his marriage to Su Yueqing but this.. this was getting out of hand.

Meanwhile, Lady Pei was practically hyperventilating. Her body shook violently under the dark cloak, her eyes filled with absolute despair as she stared at the smiling maid.

"You... you wouldn’t dare tell anyone," Lady Pei whispered, her voice cracking as tears finally overflowed and ran down her pale cheeks. "If you ruin me, I will make sure my father kills you first!"

"Oh, Lady Pei, let’s not make empty threats," Li Mei replied smoothly, her voice utterly devoid of any warmth. "If I wanted to destroy you, your father would already know. I am simply giving you a friendly warning. Keep your mouth shut about our little chat in the garden, leave this estate quietly, and perhaps your secret will remain safe with me. If not..."

Li Mei didn’t finish the sentence, but the dark glint in her eyes said enough.

Wenzhe felt a sickening knot form in his stomach.

He remembered how Su Yueqing always called Li Mei a "fake lotus" and a "scheming snake" in her internal thoughts. At the time, he had assumed his new wife was just being bitter, crazy, and jealous.

Yet.. yet now he didn’t...

Before Wenzhe could fully process what was going on, Li Mei took another step closer to Lady Pei.

The frightened noble girl tried to scramble backward, but her muddy silk skirts caught under her feet, causing her to lose her balance. With a sharp gasp, Lady Pei tripped over the low stone border of the garden path and fell hard onto the cold ground, her dark cloak flaring out around her.

Instead of stepping back or offering a hand, Li Mei slowly crouched down right in front of the fallen girl.

Wenzhe watched, his muscles tensing in the shadows, as Li Mei reached out with a pale, steady hand. Her slender fingers gripped Lady Pei’s chin, forcing the crying girl to look directly into her eyes. The grip was tight enough to turn the skin white around Lady Pei’s jawline.

"Listen to me very carefully," Li Mei whispered, her voice dangerously calm as she tilted Lady Pei’s head back. "You came into this manor today trying to use Master Wenzhe to humiliate the Young Madam, thinking you could climb into his bed afterward. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice your pathetic little schemes?"

Lady Pei whimpered, trying to pull away, but Li Mei’s grip only tightened.

With her free hand, Li Mei slowly patted Lady Pei’s lower stomach, right over the hidden fabric of the cloak. The gesture looked almost gentle, like a mother soothing a child, but the cold smile on Li Mei’s face made the action deeply sinister.

"Take care of this little bastard of yours," Li Mei murmured, her thumb pressing firmly against the fabric. "And remember your place. If I catch you sniffing around Master Wenzhe or trying to play your clumsy games in this estate ever again, I won’t just tell your father. I will make sure the family of the man who got you pregnant receives a very detailed letter about his secret indiscretions."

Li Mei abruptly let go of her chin, wiping her fingers on a clean handkerchief from her sleeve as if she had touched something filthy. She stood up, looking down at the shivering, weeping noble girl on the ground with total indifference.

"Now, get up and leave through the side gate," Li Mei ordered flatly. "Before the guards find you and make things even more embarrassing for the Pei family."