Chapter 12: Catching Them in the Act at Dawn

Bang, bang, bang!

"Shi Yi, get out here and explain yourself right now! How did my son offend you? He has suffered so much, yet you haven't even gone to the hospital to visit him once?"

In the blink of an eye, Song Yashi had stormed upstairs, pounding on the bedroom door and shouting.

Shi Yi had forgotten that Song Yashi possessed a key to the villa's main entrance. It was fortunate she had the habit of locking her bedroom door, or else her wicked mother-in-law would have caught her red-handed.

Shi Yi nudged the man on her bed, whispering urgently, "Hide, quickly, hurry!"

Ling Siye remained motionless.

Shi Yi frowned slightly, her gaze scanning the bedroom before finally settling on the wardrobe. She grabbed Ling Siye’s arm and hissed, "Get up."

A wicked smirk played on Ling Siye’s lips. "Only if you agree to keep me and never chase me away."

From Shi Yi’s perspective, the man’s handsome, refined face was flushed with a faint red, a hue that made him look both elegant and alluring, his demeanor wrapped in an indescribable sense of mischief.

"Don't even dream of it," Shi Yi said, her cheeks puffing out in anger. This young man was truly shameless; was he expecting her to keep him like a boy toy?

"Then I won't hide. Let them find out you're keeping a man in your room." Ling Siye continued to lie on the bed, playing the rogue.

Shi Yi was annoyed. "Young Master, this General has a temper. I command you to hide at once." The pounding on the door grew more frantic; she truly could not afford such a scandal. A woman’s reputation was her most precious treasure. If word got out that she was dallying with a strange man while still married, where would she hide her face?

She pulled hard on his arm. Perhaps fearing he had truly angered her, Ling Siye finally rose from the bed. Shi Yi shoved him into the wardrobe and muttered, "You had to push me to the limit before you’d listen."

She pressed him inside and threw a few coats over his head to conceal him. "Stay put. Don't make a sound, do you hear me?"

Ling Siye: "???"

He watched her through a gap in the clothing, his Adam’s apple bobbing. How dared she lock him in a wardrobe? This woman was becoming more and more interesting.

Shi Yi pulled on an outer garment, smoothed her hair, and walked quickly toward the door. If she didn't open it, the madwoman outside might just kick it down.

***

Shi Yi opened the door, leaned against the frame, and asked calmly, "What is it?"

"What is it? Why did it take you so long to open the door? Are you hiding a man in there?" Song Yashi shoved past Shi Yi and stormed into the room, her eyes darting around in search of any trace of a man. This wretch, Shi Yi, had undergone a complete 360-degree change toward her son, and she had every reason to suspect she had found someone else.

Her search of the room yielded nothing, and her eyes finally landed on the wardrobe—the only place large enough to hide a person. She was about to pull the door open when Shi Yi stepped forward and pressed her hand against it. "What is the meaning of this? Are you here to catch an adulterer at the crack of dawn?"

"Let go! If you have nothing to hide, why won't you let me check?" Song Yashi’s suspicions only deepened; she was certain a man was hiding inside.

The corners of Shi Yi’s lips curled into a sudden smile. "And if there is no one inside, what then?"

"Impossible! You are clearly feeling guilty." Song Yashi’s eyes widened, her face full of fury. She kicked the wardrobe door, and it swung open.

Shi Yi closed her eyes tightly, not daring to look. A woman’s chastity was paramount; her reputation was surely ruined now.

Song Yashi rummaged through the clothes in the wardrobe, looking incredulous. "How is this possible? How can there be no one?"

Shi Yi bit her lip and took a steady look. The handsome young man was indeed gone, which was quite unexpected. She let out a sigh of relief. "Hey, stop looking. There is no man hidden here."

Shi Yi glanced toward the balcony; the window was standing open. The elusive man had clearly slipped away the same way he had arrived. He was handsome, but a complete scoundrel.

Song Yashi crossed her arms, looking at her with contempt. "Shi Yi, you are nothing but a fake heiress kicked out by the Shi family. My son marrying you was the greatest blessing you’ve ever had in eight lifetimes. I gave you a little face, and now you’re acting all high and mighty?"

Shi Yi had always considered herself to have a decent temperament. But facing this mother and son, she could no longer hold back. She curled her lip. "You, a parasite of the Chu family, what gives you the nerve to mock me?"

Song Yashi’s complexion turned pale. "You wretch, who are you calling a parasite?"

Shi Yi sneered, "You. You are the parasite of the Chu family. You know full well how much value I have created for the Chu Corporation over the past two years. I am definitely divorcing your son, so you had better treat me with some respect."

A layer of frost settled in Song Yashi’s eyes as she spat, "If the Chu family hadn't been supporting you, you would have starved to death on the streets long ago. Back then, you clung to my son like a leach, desperate to climb the social ladder, doing everything in your power to stay attached to him. Now that we’ve given you some face, you’re acting all superior?"

A surge of fury rushed through every cell in Shi Yi’s body. As a noblewoman of high standing, when had she ever been subjected to such insults? This was beyond endurance!

Without a second thought, she grabbed the collar of Song Yashi’s shirt and slammed her head against the wall.

Song Yashi’s head hit the hard surface, and she shrieked in pain, "Murder! A wicked daughter-in-law is killing me!"

Shi Yi raised her hand.

*Smack!*

She landed a heavy slap across Song Yashi’s face. Then, with a backhand, she delivered another. Fueled by rage, her strikes were swift and ruthless, showing no hesitation.

Song Yashi’s face swelled instantly, bright red finger marks clearly visible. "You—how dare you? I am your mother-in-law!" Song Yashi was so angry she felt as though she might vomit blood. Usually, she was the one hitting this wretch; what had gotten into her today? Furthermore, she found that this woman was surprisingly strong; she had no room to fight back.

"Why wouldn't I dare? I’m hitting you for being an old shrew who relies on her seniority to bully others," Shi Yi laughed wantonly, eyeing her with disdain.

"You—just you wait!"

Song Yashi fled in a state of utter humiliation. Once outside the villa, she called Chu Yifan.

"Son," she sobbed as soon as he answered, "I’ve finally seen the true colors of that wretch Shi Yi! She was so good at pretending—acting weak and gentle—but she’s actually a shrew! She dared to hit me; my face is all swollen. Divorce her, divorce that wretch!"

A roar of fury came from the phone. Chu Yifan pulled the receiver away from his ear. "I told you she had changed, but you didn't believe me! With the way she acts now, like a demon, do you think I dare to sleep with her? I’d be lucky not to be beaten to death!"

Song Yashi touched her swollen face, her eyes filled with cold malice. "Son, listen to me, we can't keep this woman. I cannot swallow this insult; I must get my revenge."

"Mom, what do you want to do?" Chu Yifan asked, frowning.

"Son, just focus on recovering in the hospital. I will handle this." Song Yashi’s eyes glinted with murderous intent. "Didn't she win the favor of Old Madam Ling because of her clever hands? Those detestable hands that hit me... I want to see how arrogant she can be once I destroy them. If she cannot be used by us, then we will destroy her."

Chu Yifan remained silent.

Nearby, Qin Wan'er heard this and wore a sinister smile. It seemed she wouldn't need to lift a finger; someone was already eager to deal with that suicidal wretch, Shi Yi.