Chapter 131: Second Sister Knows Her Place Quite Well
In the Buddhist Hall, Jiang Ruanxi pressed her hands together, kneeling devoutly in worship. Suddenly, a tall shadow fell from the side.
Jiang Ruanxi remained utterly devout, as if unaffected.
Jiang Rui’s scoffing voice rang out, “Second Sister, you’re so devout. Could it be you’re atoning?”
“Did Fourth Brother come here just to bicker with me?”
“Of course not.”
Jiang Ruanxi kowtowed, then opened her eyes. “Then why did Fourth Brother come here? Could it be to take revenge for Second Brother? Or to take revenge for Jiang Xuerou?”
“I just came to tell you, it’s best if you obediently stay at the Lin Family and don’t cause any more trouble. Otherwise, the Jiang Family won’t tolerate you time and again.”
“Actually, all this time, I’ve had one question.” Jiang Ruanxi calmly looked at the person before her and asked, “The Jiang Family is the Yongyi Marquis Manor after all. How could I possibly have been lost right after birth as a child? Moreover, it just so happened that right when the Lin Family and Jiang Family were to fulfill the engagement, I was suddenly found again? Second Brother, don’t you think these matters are too much of a coincidence? Or could it be that those things weren’t coincidences at all?”
Jiang Rui’s body stiffened, his expression changing abruptly. He subconsciously glanced at her, only to see her devoutly kneeling on the prayer mat and kowtowing.
“Second Sister, a woman obeys her father at home and her husband after marriage. Knowing too much isn’t good. You just need to do as I say.”
It was clearly late autumn, with the weather still slightly warm, but Jiang Ruanxi’s heart was as cold as winter.
A cold smile hung at the corners of her mouth.
In her previous life, she had foolishly listened to the Jiang Family’s words, but what did she get in the end?
Whether it was the Jiang Family or the Lin Family Members, they had all toyed with her like a fool, leading to her ending in bitter resentment.
“Fourth Brother also said, after marriage obey the husband. I’ve already married, so naturally I don’t need to listen to the Jiang Family.”
Jiang Rui’s eyes turned cold. “Second Sister, I’m kindly reminding you. Going against the Jiang Family brings no benefit.”
But even without going against them, didn’t she still end up with a bad fate in the end?
Going against them, at least there was a sliver of hope.
“Thank you for the reminder, Fourth Brother. I’ve taken your words to heart.” Jiang Ruanxi didn’t want to continue speaking with him and said indifferently, “The Master is about to come over. Does Fourth Brother want the Master to see us tearing into each other?”
Clearly, Jiang Rui didn’t want that, but he also didn’t want to leave just like this.
The two were in a stalemate until a young novice monk came over. “Madam Lin, my Master says to ask you to go to the Buddhist Hall.”
Jiang Ruanxi nodded and left, while Jiang Rui stared at the prayer mat embroidered with a compassionate Bodhisattva image amid the incense mist, slightly lost in thought. After a moment, he abruptly lifted it, but found nothing.
Could it really just be coming to worship Buddha?
But why couldn’t he believe it?
A person who feared neither heaven nor earth, with a vicious heart like a scorpion, suddenly turning devout to worship Buddha?
“Men, follow her for me. No matter what she does, report every detail to me.”
“Yes.”
A man’s voice came from the shadows, but he did not show himself.
**
After listening to the Buddhist scriptures, Jiang Ruanxi left the Buddhist Hall. On the way back to the side room, there was no one else. Jiang Ruanxi lowered her head and glanced at her palm.
Inside was clearly a note, with a boldly written character “fire” on it.
Jiang Ruanxi understood and immediately put it away. Just as she did, Sun Chengye and Lin Tingting approached from the front.
Jiang Ruanxi pretended not to see them, but Lin Tingting wouldn’t let her off so easily.
As they brushed past, Lin Tingting harshly said, “Such a vicious person still comes to pray for blessings. Aren’t you afraid of desecrating the Bodhisattva?” She meant something specific, and how could Jiang Ruanxi not understand?
But Jiang Ruanxi wasn’t angry. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly.
She had been wondering how to cause trouble for Lin Tingting, and here she came knocking on her own.
“I didn’t expect Third Sister to be so self-aware.”
“Are you pretending not to understand I’m talking about you?” Lin Tingting was thoroughly angry. “I’m talking about you, you vicious, shameless woman.”
“Vicious? Am I as vicious as you?” Jiang Ruanxi had once thought she was just arrogant, but now she saw her as utterly foolish.
“Before you were married, you and your mother were already coveting my dowry, even going so far as to seduce nobles. Who is the shameless one? Now that you’ve married, you disregard your elder brother and sister-in-law, and come back to meddle in your maternal home’s affairs. You’re arrogant to the extreme. If you were the mistress of another household, it would be one thing, but you’re just a concubine. Those in the know think you married the heir of Yongning Marquis Manor; those who don’t would think you became an empress in the Imperial Palace.”
“You, shut your mouth!”
“Shut my mouth?” Jiang Ruanxi said with a cold smile. “Everything I said is well-founded, not made up. Third Sister, could it be that I’ve exposed your hypocrisy and now you’re angry from embarrassment?”
Lin Tingting’s frightening gaze seemed as if she wanted to devour her.
Jiang Ruanxi was utterly unconcerned. “As for those words where Third Sister wronged me, I won’t argue with you, thinking you’re young and ignorant. But next time, if you slander me without evidence, don’t blame me for not holding back. Even if it goes before His Majesty, I will clear my name.”
With that, she turned to Sun Chengye, her expression profound. “Young Master Sun, I see your forehead is darkened. You’d best be careful, don’t lose your life for a concubine.”
“Jiang Ruanxi, what nonsense are you spouting?” Lin Tingting was furious with shame. Seeing Sun Chengye’s expression change, she thought he had taken Jiang Ruanxi’s words to heart and nearly turned red-eyed. “Jiang Ruanxi, I’ll kill you.”
As she spoke, with a ferocious expression she lunged forward, but Sun Chengye forcefully held her back and loudly scolded, “Concubine Lin, shut your mouth.”
After entering the temple, Sun Chengye had felt somewhat unwell, though he couldn’t say exactly what.
But a thought lingered in his mind: cause less trouble.
With the Jiang Family and the Crown Prince here, though he was a profligate son, he knew the gravity of the situation. Now he could only quietly mind his own business and avoid causing any trouble.
Though he knew something of the Lin Family’s matters, he didn’t want to get involved, much less stand up for Lin Tingting.
If it really reached His Majesty, the ones to lose face would be the Sun Family.
“I don’t want to get involved in the Lin Family’s matters.”
Lin Tingting felt extremely wronged, her eyes instantly reddening. Jiang Ruanxi bullying her was one thing, but at the critical moment, Sun Chengye not standing by her side was like slapping her face in front of Jiang Ruanxi.
Sun Chengye felt extremely irritated and turned away directly. But in that instant, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a moon-white figure approaching this way.
His expression grew even worse, and he directly roared, “Concubine Lin, if you don’t want to leave, then don’t come back.”
