Chapter 165: A Heart-to-Heart Talk

"Miss Wang? That little fool, Wang Qiongshi?" Qi Erliu felt a surge of delight. "Hmph, she gave me the cold shoulder a few days ago, and now she has to rely on me to come up with a plan for her!"

"My Lady, it seems Miss Wang has believed what you told her previously," Ye Mei remarked.

"Mm," Qi Erliu nodded. "Let's go. If she truly wants to deal with those wretched girls from the Lin family, I would be more than happy to help. Though, we must ensure Yu Jingxiao never finds out."

"My Lady, the messenger said Miss Wang is waiting for you at Little Zhang's Tavern."

"Understood."

Qi Erliu soon left the house and boarded her carriage, completely unaware that Kang Ya had been watching her silently from behind.

"Since she has left, it is time for me to act..." Kang Ya said with a cold sneer.

Yu Jingxiao arrived at the Fu Man Restaurant and met Lu Chengren. Before they had spoken for long, Lu Chengren suddenly claimed he had urgent business and had to leave, offering a sincere apology. Yu Jingxiao was certainly not bothered by such a thing; after all, everyone has emergencies from time to time.

He left the restaurant, intending to head home, but encountered Kang Ya halfway.

"Jingxiao, I finally found you," Kang Ya said with a smile.

"What is it?" Yu Jingxiao asked indifferently.

"Sangqian asked me to find you. She says she wants to invite us for a drink. Erliu has already gone over, so they are likely waiting for you now."

"Miss Lin?" Yu Jingxiao was taken aback. Why would Lin Sangqian invite them for a drink out of the blue? However, such things had happened before, and since Qi Erliu had already gone, he certainly would not refuse.

...

Qi Erliu arrived at Little Zhang's Tavern. The tavern was usually busy at night, but as it was midday, there were few customers. She walked in and saw Wang Qiongshi sitting at a table by the window, waiting for her.

A gentle smile appeared on Qi Erliu's face as she hurried over. "Miss Wang."

"Madam Yu has arrived. Please, sit," Wang Qiongshi said.

Qi Erliu sat opposite her. Seeing Wang Qiongshi's troubled expression, she asked, "Miss Wang, is something weighing on your mind?"

"Indeed," Wang Qiongshi sighed. "I've been thinking about what you told me earlier. I still can't understand why those girls from the Lin family would say such things in front of Scholar Lin."

Qi Erliu sighed along with her and said, "I have been in contact with them for some time. They have always been like this—they are very exclusionary toward other women and would prefer that every man revolves only around them."

"Really? How come I didn't know that?"

Hearing the voice from behind her, Qi Erliu froze, then turned her head stiffly. Lin Sangqian, Zhao Lan'er, and Xiao Yawen were standing right behind her. Lin Sangqian was smiling, but that smile sent a chill down Qi Erliu's spine.

She quickly composed herself, acting as if nothing were wrong, and smiled. "Miss Lin, you are here too? What a coincidence."

"Don't stop; continue what you were just saying," Zhao Lan'er said, sitting down in a nearby chair. "I'd like to see what else you can come up with."

Qi Erliu smiled and said, "I was just talking to Miss Wang about some of the girls in my family..."

"That's not true," Wang Qiongshi interrupted her mercilessly. "You were clearly talking about the girls from the Lin family—the very ones standing in front of us right now."

Qi Erliu felt a jolt of alarm and glared at Wang Qiongshi with hidden fury. But Wang Qiongshi maintained a look of pure innocence, making it difficult for Qi Erliu to tell if she was truly foolish or merely pretending.

"Is that so? Then I would like to ask: what exactly have we done to deserve being slandered by you behind our backs, Madam Yu?" Zhao Lan'er asked coldly.

Cold sweat broke out on Qi Erliu's palms. She forced a smile. "I truly didn't mean that; Miss Wang must have misunderstood my meaning."

"I didn't misunderstand," Wang Qiongshi insisted.

"You!" Qi Erliu wanted nothing more than to rush over and slap her. What was Wang Qiongshi's game? And why had Lin Sangqian and the others appeared so suddenly? Could it be...

Qi Erliu was no fool; she realized instantly what had happened. She had been deceived by Wang Qiongshi! Wang Qiongshi had never believed her words and had actually colluded with Lin Sangqian and the others! How detestable...

"If you don't believe me, so be it. I'm leaving."

As Qi Erliu made to leave, she had barely stood up when Lin Sangqian pressed down on her shoulder, forcing her back into her seat.

"You've only just arrived; don't be in such a hurry to leave," Lin Sangqian said, sitting down beside her. "Since we've finally managed to get together, shouldn't we have a proper heart-to-heart?"

Qi Erliu felt as if she were going mad. What "finally managed to get together"? Who wanted a heart-to-heart with them?

"What do you want?" Qi Erliu asked, her expression filled with feigned terror. "In broad daylight, do you intend to bully me?"

"You don't need to do this," Lin Sangqian said. "There is only us here. There is no Yu Jingxiao, nor any other men. You don't need to constantly act delicate and aggrieved."

At these words, the mask Qi Erliu wore began to crack.

"Come, have a drink," Xiao Yawen said, pouring a cup and handing it to her.

How could Qi Erliu dare to drink it? Who knew if they had drugged it? She wanted to call for Ye Mei's help, but Ye Mei was already being watched by several tavern workers and could not free herself.

"If you do this, aren't you afraid that Jingxiao will punish you once he finds out!" Qi Erliu could barely contain herself anymore. She wanted to scream; she wanted to strike out! It was exhausting enough to act gentle and virtuous every day, and now these people were pushing her to the brink!

"What have we even done?" Zhao Lan'er asked, shrugging innocently. "Since you're here, you're a guest. Are we not allowed to invite you for a drink?"

Just then, a worker guarding the tavern entrance gave them a signal. Lin Sangqian and the others understood that Yu Jingxiao and Kang Ya had arrived.

"Do you feel inferior in front of us?" Xiao Yawen remarked. "After all, we are all so beautiful, while you... well, your appearance is indeed a bit regrettable."

This sentence hit Qi Erliu's deepest insecurity. Since childhood, she had felt her looks were far too ordinary. As an ambitious woman, this appearance not only failed to help her, it dragged her down! She had been forced to painstakingly cultivate her temperament to compensate for her lack of beauty. Now that she had finally hooked a wealthy husband, the fact that Yu Jingxiao was surrounded by so many beautiful women made her burn with hatred!

The rage Qi Erliu had been hoarding exploded in that moment. Without thinking, she pushed Lin Sangqian with all her might. Lin Sangqian slid from the chair and fell to the ground.

When Yu Jingxiao walked in, this was exactly the scene he witnessed. Qi Erliu, completely unaware of his presence, had fully dropped her facade and was pointing at Lin Sangqian and the others, hurling vitriol at them.