Edited by Larkspur

Chapter 24: Secret Scheme (Part 2)

Chu Jin Miao entered the rear room with the accompaniment of Third Young Lady. Upon seeing Lin Xi Yuan and Chu Jin Yao, she was slightly startled, “ShiZi, why have you returned?”

Lin Xi Yuan became inexplicably uncomfortable upon hearing those words, “Why? Should I not come back?”

“That is not so.” Chu Jin Miao smiled politely. She walked over to her own desk and flipped through her things as she spoke, “I am tired after walking around and returned to rest. I beg for forgiveness with everyone, hoping that no one will not despise me. Oh, where is my collection of poems?”

“Poems?” Chu Jin Yao did not understand. What poems? She said, “No one has touched your things. You can look for it yourself.”

Third Young Lady had wanted to talk to Lin Xi Yuan but seeing that Chu Jin Miao was searching all over, she could only go over to help, “I remember that it was still on the table before we left. Why has it disappeared?”

“Found it!” Chu Jin Miao’s maid exclaimed in surprise, but her voice quickly wilted, “Young Lady…”

Chu Jin Miao walked over with a calm face, “What is the matter?”

The maid handed the collection of poems timidly to Chu Jin Miao. When she received it, she was so angry that her hands were trembling. Third Young Lady also spoke loudly, “How could a perfectly fine collection of poems be torn apart like this?”

Initially Chu Jin Yao had not taken them seriously, but now upon hearing that something was torn, her heart hung and she quickly stood up to look. Lin Xi Yuan also accompanied her to walk over and check on the said collection of poems.

The collection of poems was written in a blue-covered notebook and it was torn forcefully in the middle of it. As it was completely torn in half, the rest of the other pages were torn into smaller pieces, making it a tragic sight.

Lin Xi Yuan instinctively felt that something was wrong, “It looks like it was torn apart with brute force. There was only Fifth Younger Biao Sister in the room, so how can it be like this?”

Chu Jin Miao immediately said, “Yes. There was only her in the rear room! Fifth Young Lady, why don’t you talk about what exactly is going on?”

Chu Jin Yao frowned as she took a piece of shredded paper to look at it carefully. Upon hearing Chu Jin Miao’s interrogating tone, she raised her head, “Why ask me? It was not me who did it. Are you trying to plant this on me?”

“It is not you who did it? But there was only you in the rear room. If it is not you that tore it, then could it be me who tore it?”

Third Young Lady said faintly, “When we went out, Sixth Younger Sister and I saw  Fourth Younger Sister keep it. At that time, the collection of poems was still fine. During this period of time we did not return and there was only Fifth Younger Sister. If Fourth Younger Sister wanted to tear it herself, one fears that it cannot be done.”

“Fifth Younger Biao Sister was not the only one in the rear room.” Lin Xi Yuan suddenly spoke. His expression was serious and with one light glance at Third Young Lady, she dared not look back at him. Lin Xi Yuan said, “I had long returned to the rear room. From that, it seems I am also suspicious.”

“How can it be?” Chu Jin Miao would not dare to implicate the ShiZi of Prince Huai Ling residence. She carefully searched for the correct words. “How would ShiZi be like this? We do not dare to think so.”

Lin Xi Yuan suppressed his anger, “Then you dare to think that Fifth Younger Biao Sister like this?”

Chu Jin Miao did not speak, but Third Young Lady said, “This is an indisputable fact. It was perfectly fine when we left but torn apart when we returned. Other than Fifth Young Lady, we cannot think of other possibilities.”

Chu Jin Miao said, “Fifth Young Lady, I know that you have always disliked me and it is alright for you to let out your anger on me. Why secretly tear up my collection of poems? It is my year’s worth of painstaking effort to write. Even if you target me deliberately, you cannot be like this!”

“Who said that it was I who tore it?” Chu Jin Yao glared at Chu Jin Miao before she suddenly smiled, “No wonder. It turns out that both of you had arranged it early on.”

Now that the matter had come to this, how could Chu Jin Yao not see that Chu Jin Miao and Third Young Lady had formed an alliance and they had deliberately set her up today? Chu Jin Miao had definitely not touched any collection of poems, but she had remained in the rear room all the time and before leaving, Chu Jin Miao had showed the others the collection so how would it turn into shreds upon returning?

Chu Jin Yao frowned and was unable to figure out the critical point. Qin Yi saw the split in the book and intuitively felt that something was wrong. However, there were too many people present, thus he was unable to prompt Chu Jin Yao. If he spoke rashly and was heard by others, both Chu Jin Yao and he would suffer.

Chu Jin Miao coldly scoffed, “I knew that you have always hated me, but I did not expect that you would be this uncomfortable with me. It is fine that you do it directly to me, why the need to tear up my collection of poems? You must feel in your heart that I took everything from you! Thus taking your anger out on my hard work.”

Chu Jin Yao was feeling very upset from being wronged and upon hearing Chu Jin Miao’s cynical remarks, she was unable to control her temper. She said to Chu Jin Miao coldly, “Yes, you are not wrong, Mother is also not wrong. So it is my fault? Who do you say that was the one who opened their eyes wide at the sight of profit and had askew thoughts? For whom did they deliberately make the swap to replace me?”

Chu Jin Yao had long wanted to say those words. Chu Jin Miao had always had the attitude of ‘I am innocent as I do not know anything’, but why did she not think of the reason Father Su and Mother Su swapped the babies? It was only to let Chu Jin Yao live a better life. It was true that Father Su and Mother Su were vicious and selfish, but Chu Jin Miao could truly enjoy the glory and wealth that her parents deceived and could justly accuse Chu Jin Yao, the true and only victim?

Chu Jin Miao had enjoyed thirteen years of wealth and glory and now with her ‘I do not want that, I am innocent’, she pushed everything off. This was getting all the advantages and showing it off.

Chu Jin Miao’s expression changed drastically. She never allowed anyone to mention the Su family in front of her as she did not feel that they were her birth parents in her heart. Now that Chu Jin Yao stabbed that wound, she immediately became agitated and trembled in anger. She suddenly took her bracelet off and threw it onto the ground. The sound of the shattering jade rang, making everyone around jump in shock. She continued to pick all the jewelry that she was wearing and threw it to the ground, “Yes. It is all my fault. I return to you now!”

The maids and servants in the rear room jumped in shock and quickly restrained Chu Jin Miao, “Young Lady mustn’t. Don’t hurt your hands.”

The breaking sounds also alarmed the people outside. Gu Momo hurried over to check and when she saw the fragments in the rear room, she spoke, “Everything was going fine so what is this? Fourth Young Lady, please quickly stop!”

However, Chu Jin Miao did not listen and frantically smashed the jewelry and other things. Qin Yi did not care about being exposed and quickly said to Chu Jin Yao, “Quickly get out of the way!”

Chu Jin Yao was stunned and frozen by Chu Jin Miao’s sudden madness. Upon hearing his words, she then woke up from the dream and quickly evaded. Chu Jin Miao smashed all the things in a craze and fortunately Chu Jin Yao avoided it early and was not hit by any broken fragments.

However, Third Young Lady was scratched by a piece of broken porcelain. She looked at the situation and was speechless. She used her unharmed arm to cover the back of her hand and felt disgust in her heart. Why was Chu Jin Miao unable to retort and was such a sore loser? It was just talking about the Su family and all of it was true, so why was there a need to be this angry? ShiZi was still present, this was letting others watch a joke!

Old Furen and Chu Zhu also came over. Old Chu Furen pounded her crutch with force and spoke imposingly, “Stop!”

Old Chu Furen had arrived and Chu Jin Miao was finally restrained a little. The maids quickly stepped forward to hold her. Old Chu Furen was so angry that her face was ashen, “A proper and dignified lady of a Marquis residence dared to actually do such a thing. All of you kneel!”