Chapter 10 Seizing the Stepmother's Opportunity
By the wall, the person lightly tapped their toes, about to leave, when they acutely sensed Wen Xueling’s gaze.
He swiftly turned his head, his vision intersecting with hers, his eyes filled with scrutiny.
Wen Xueling pretended to be frightened by the strange man, her face pale as death, and immediately closed the window.
The man withdrew his cold gaze and left using lightness skill
Inside the room, Wen Xueling’s brow was tightly furrowed.
One of the three demon city lords of Slave City—how could he be here?
Wen Xueling shook her head. All the past events of Slave City had nothing to do with her current life.
However, in her previous life, today was precisely the day Wen Jin’an obtained the opportunity to become a ‘County Princess.’
At that time, Wen Jin’an, carrying a divine medicine, saved the Empress Dowager, who was meditating at Fu’an Temple, and received a decree of commendation.
In truth, that medicine was a life-saving divine elixir that her mother had specially refined for her ailing second brother before his departure!
That medicine cost her over ten years of painstaking effort and only three pills were refined in total.
Two of them, her second brother had already taken before heading to the capital. She never expected him to give the remaining one to his stepsister.
She lowered her gaze in thought. Wen Jin’an had flourished limitlessly in her previous life, relying on this.
Wen Jin’an took her mother’s medicine; she would take it back.
Wen Jin’an used her mother’s painstaking efforts to gain an opportunity; she would seize that as well.
With this opportunity, she could legitimately enter the Prime Minister’s Estate, and her plans could proceed smoothly.
There was no time to lose.
Wen Xueling found an excuse to go out, riding at a gallop to the foot of Fu’an Temple mountain, where she spotted the Prime Minister’s Estate’s carriage.
Wen Jinli was helping his stepsister out of the carriage, his eyes filled with a doting affection she had never seen before.
Didn't he say he was so sad he fainted? How is he alive and kicking now?
Wen Xueling let out a cold laugh. This Fourth Brother was truly hypocritical.
His own mother and sister were of unknown fate, yet today he was in the mood to accompany Wen Jin'an to admire flowers. Wen Xueling’s eyes were full of sarcasm.
Her gaze fell upon the sachet on Wen Jin’an's waist, and her expression darkened. The medicine was inside.
On the other side, Wen Jinli was also thinking bitterly about Wen Xueling.
He had already confirmed that there were no scorched corpses in Fangfei Courtyard. This was definitely Wen Xueling’s trick of threatening with death, just to make him and their father compromise!
If he ignored her, once she ran out of money and found it impossible to move an inch in the capital, she would certainly come begging him.
By then, he would definitely teach this foolish and ignorant sister a good lesson.
Wen Xueling followed them all the way, watching Wen Jin’an act coyly with Wen Jinli, saying she wanted to walk by herself, and then leading her maid into the depths of the plum forest.
The pavilion by the rockery in the depths of the plum forest?
Wen Xueling’s eyes flickered. She had just seen another acquaintance in the pavilion.
Wen Jin’an’s former brother-in-law from her previous life—Cheng Yuting, the second son of Marquis Ding’an.
Wen Xueling’s beautiful eyes narrowed. Interesting.
The man held Wen Jin’an’s hand and asked, “An’an, when will your engagement with my elder brother be dissolved?”
Wen Jin’an shyly lowered her head and said, “Brother Ting, why are you in such a hurry? Just wait a bit longer. Once Father returns to the mansion, I’ll have Mother bring up this matter.”
The two expressed their longing for each other in the pavilion, while guards and maids watched nearby.
A sound came from not far away. Wen Xueling turned her head and saw Jiang Furong, the legitimate daughter of the Grand Judge.
She was Cheng Yuting’s fiancée in her previous life.
Ultimately, her family was destroyed, and she tragically died in a prison in Slave City.
Wen Xueling’s eyes shifted, and an idea immediately formed in her mind.
The plum forest had many pavilions, with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones placed on the tables, convenient for daughters of noble families to compose poetry and paint.
She came to an empty pavilion, picked up a brush, and wrote a few lines. While Jiang Furong dismissed her maids to admire the plum blossoms alone, she tossed the paper ball in front of her.
“Who!” Jiang Furong’s eyes were alert, she looked around and found no one.
She picked up the paper ball, glanced at it, and her pupils contracted sharply.
Jiang Furong was a smart person. She immediately sent her confidant to investigate, and then didn’t make a sound.
Instead, she invited a group of high-ranking noble young ladies and headed towards the pavilion where Wen Jin’an and Cheng Yuting were.
She asked with feigned sadness in front of everyone, “You......what are you two doing?"
Wen Jin’an was startled and hastily shook off Cheng Yuting’s hand.
The Marquis’s guards stopped Jiang Furong and the others. Cheng Yuting took the opportunity to have his maid escort Wen Jin’an away from the other side of the pavilion’s rockery.
Knowing that Wen Jin’an had neither the courage nor the brains to handle the situation, Wen Xueling had already waited at the rockery in advance.
A gust of wind passed, and the hypnotic drug immediately took effect.
She deftly took the life-saving medicine from the sachet and replaced it with a deadly poison that sealed the throat upon contact with blood.
Just as Wen Xueling was about to leave, she heard Wen Jinli’s voice calling for someone, and then that cold voice, “Seize her!”
Wen Jinli quickly approached his stepsister, helped her up, and asked with concern, “An’an, wake up.”
“Cough, cough, Fourth Brother?” Wen Jin’an woke up faintly, looking at him confusedly, “How did I get here?”
His dark eyes were somber, and he coldly said, “You’ll have to ask her.”
Wen Xueling’s face was covered by a white veil, so Wen Jinli did not recognize her.
Using the skills she learned in Slave City in her previous life, she changed her voice and said coolly, “What does that have to do with me?”
Wen Jinli: “Just now, I clearly saw you plotting mischief by An’an’s side.”
She scoffed, retorting sarcastically, “I also saw you’re an’an fleeing in a hurry after being caught in the act by the noble young ladies.”
Wen Jin’an’s face was pale, and she tearfully clutched his sleeve, “Fourth Brother, this woman, she......she slandered An’an!"
He quickly comforted her: “Don’t be afraid, Brother is here for everything.”
Seeing their deep sibling affection, Wen Xueling curved her lips, “Whether it’s slander or not, won’t we know once the noble young ladies come over?”
A flicker of panic crossed Wen Jin’an’s eyes. So many noble young ladies had seen her just now.
If there was no scapegoat, her reputation would be ruined.
She cried, saying that she and Cheng Yuting had met by chance in the plum forest and had only chatted for a while, but were misunderstood by Jiang Furong and the others.
“Fourth Brother, An’an only chatted briefly with Brother Ting and did not overstep any boundaries, but gossip is a fearful thing. If this gets out, then I......what face would I have to live? I might as well die."
He patted her shoulder, gently coaxing, “Don’t be afraid, Brother is here.”
Just then, a guard rushed to report, “Fourth Young Master, Miss Jiang has brought people over.”
Wen Jin’an saw Wen Xueling, whose clothes were similar in color to hers, and an idea immediately formed in her mind.
She clutched Wen Jinli’s sleeve, crying as she said, “If only someone whose clothes were similar to mine could take the blame for me......that would be great…...”
As her words fell, Wen Jinli suddenly turned to look at Wen Xueling, meeting her speechless gaze.
Regardless of whether this matter involved An’an or not, he couldn’t let her suffer any grievance.
The best solution was to pin the private meeting on this woman.
Wen Jinli had already made up his mind. He rose, walked closer to her, and pulled off Wen Xueling’s white veil.
Wen Jinli froze for a moment, mumbling, “Ling’er, how could it be you......”
No! He couldn’t let An’an know of Ling’er’s existence so soon.
If she found out they had a biological younger sister, An’an would be sad.
Wen Jinli grabbed her hand and led her to the rockery, feigning joy, “Ling’er, it’s great that you’re safe. You don’t know how scared Brother was yesterday, thinking you and Mother had perished in the fire. I was so sad I fainted, and my heart still aches now.”
She said calmly, “Fainted yesterday, yet today you can accompany your stepsister to admire plum blossoms. Even the gods descending to earth would have to praise your good health.”
“…...” He was choked by her words, but quickly adjusted.
Wen Jinli continued, “An’an is still young and cannot endure grievances. Acknowledge this matter later, and I will have Father compensate you afterwards.”
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