Chapter 147 -

Chapter 147: Chapter

The heavy wooden gates of the compound slammed shut as the frantic screams of Madame Liu and the two uncles faded into the distance. Inside the main hall, the air was thick with tension.

Before anyone could even clear their throat, Madame Zhang moved. Her eyes were wide with wild, unhinged fury as she marched right up to Yimei, with Madame Chen following close behind like a shadow.

Without a single word of warning, Madame Zhang reached out and grabbed Yimei tightly by her collar, yanking her forward.

SLAP!

The sharp, brutal crack echoed through the entire hall like a whip. Yimei’s head snapped to the side, her pale cheek instantly flushing red from the impact.

"You vile, wicked wench!" Madame Zhang shrieked, her voice trembling with rage as she held onto Yimei’s robes. "You set them up! You knew! You laid a trap and watched this family tear itself apart!"

Qinqin let out a horrified gasp, rushing forward. "Young Madame!"

Before Qinqin could reach them, Liu Feng stepped up, his hand dropping straight to the hilt of his sword with a deadly scrape of metal. "Let go of the Young Madame!"

On the porch, Zhengyu’s dark eyes turned pitch black. The faint amusement he had held seconds ago completely vanished, replaced by an ice-cold, suffocating rage. His hands gripped the armrests of his wheelchair so hard the wood groaned under his strength.

"Madame Zhang," Zhengyu’s voice sliced through the hall, low, quiet, and filled with murder. "Take your hands off my wife."

Madame Chen stepped right beside Madame Zhang, glaring down at Yimei with pure disdain, ignoring Zhengyu’s warning. "She deserves more than a slap! She knew Xuiying was in that room! She let Chengang and Chenghao commit a crime just to mock us all!"

Yimei didn’t cry out. She didn’t even touch her bruised cheek.

Slowly, Yimei turned her face back toward Madame Zhang.

Yimei lifted her hand, her fingers wrapping around Madame Zhang’s wrist with a grip like an iron vise.

"Are you finished?" Yimei asked softly, her voice flat and completely unbothered.

Madame Zhang blinked, a sudden shiver running down her spine. "W-What?"

Yimei twisted Madame Zhang’s wrist backward with sudden, violent force. Madame Zhang let out a painful shriek, her fingers instantly opening and releasing Yimei’s collar as she stumbled backward into Madame Chen.

Yimei calmly smoothed out the wrinkles on her silk robes, dusting off her sleeves with agonizing slowness. She looked up, her icy gaze sweeping over both Madame Zhang and Madame Chen.

"My aunt’s daughter went to my maid’s room at night to steal my silver," Yimei said, her voice dropping into a razor-sharp tone that chilled everyone to the bone. "My uncles went into that same room at night to kidnap and sell a servant for coin. Neither of them cared about honor, law, or blood."

Yimei took a slow step toward Madame Zhang, who instinctively shrank back against Madame Chen.

"I did not force Xuiying to sneak into the dark. I did not force your husbands to sell a human being," Yimei continued, a dark, mocking smile touching her lips. "They chose their own ruin. And if you ever raise your hand against me again, Aunt Zhang... I will ensure your branch is cast out onto the streets to starve."

Yimei reached back and pulled Qinqin forward, holding the trembling girl out in front of the entire household. She kept her grip firm on Qinqin’s wrist, forcing everyone in the hall to look directly at the young maid’s tear-filled eyes.

"Look at her!" Yimei’s voice cut through the air like a cold blade. "Look at the person those two monsters intended to sell into the dark markets today! Are they even human?!"

The hall remained deathly quiet. Master Bai stood frozen, his chest heaving with heavy breaths, while Madame Zhang and Madame Chen cowered back, unable to meet Yimei’s piercing gaze.

Yimei took a slow step forward, dragging Qinqin slightly closer to the second and third branch tables. Her dark eyes burned with an icy, uncompromising rage. ℯ

"You may hate me," Yimei continued, her voice unnaturally smooth yet dripping with absolute danger. "You may wish me dead, you may wish me gone from this compound, and you may scheme against me all you want. But if you direct your pathetic, filthy hatred toward the people I care about... I will not spare a single one of you. I will personally drag you to hell."

Qinqin held her breath, tears spilling over her cheeks as she squeezed Yimei’s sleeve.

Yimei looked down at Madame Zhang, a cold, mocking smirk touching her lips. "Xuiying is the exact same age as Qinqin. Tell me, Aunt... is selling Qinqin for quick silver acceptable, but selling Xuiying a tragedy? Xuiying has lived a soft, comfortable life enjoying the family’s money without lifting a single finger. If a young girl had to be dragged off to the slave buyers today, then why not her? I am sure a spoiled young lady of the Bai family will fetch an exceptionally high price."

Madame Chen gasped in sheer horror, clutching her daughter’s arm tightly, while Madame Zhang’s face turned completely white.

Over on the porch, Zhengyu’s dark eyes fixed on Yimei’s back as he watched her closely.

He was confused.. he had seen all kinds of side of yimei.. each time she always finds a way of shocking him.

He knew she was planning to do something but he never knew it would become so complicated.

Yimei let go of Qinqin’s wrist, adjusting her robes as if she hadn’t just terrified the entire household. She turned her cold gaze toward Master Bai and Madame Bai.

"Breakfast is on the table," Yimei said casually, her tone shifting back to complete indifference. "Eat before it gets cold."

Everyone looked at Yimei in shock. Master Bai shakes his head and went to drop the basket of apples on the table ahead meanwhile Qinqin stood still looking like she could faint at any moment.