Ji Ying’s face flushed red with anger as she pointed at Cheng Xu and said, “When Chun Wan came to tell me earlier, I didn’t believe it. I never thought you’d really be such scum! And to think you’re a jieyuan scholar. If I hadn’t trusted that Shaojin would never speak recklessly, Shaojin would have been bullied by you!” As she spoke, thinking of the scene just moments ago, if she hadn’t known some martial arts, how could a few weak girls have stopped Cheng Xu? Wouldn’t Shaojin have been humiliated by him?

If such a thing happened, what other path would the gentle Shaojin have besides death?

Ji Ying’s head buzzed. She felt that one punch and one kick had been far too light. She couldn’t help but shove Zhou Shaojin into Chun Wan’s arms, then stepped forward, grabbed Cheng Xu, and began pummeling him from head to toe.

Cheng Xu was dazed and confused, not coming to his senses for quite a while. When he finally did, he instinctively resisted, his expression still somewhat bewildered. He was no match for Ji Ying. Before long, his face was covered in blue and purple bruises, his nose was bleeding, and the corner of his mouth was split.

Cui Huan watched, frozen like a wooden chicken with fright. It took her a while to comprehend what had happened.

She wanted to pull Ji Ying away, but Ji Ying’s expression was so fierce that she had no way to get close and was somewhat afraid. She could only turn to beg Zhou Shaojin: “Second Cousin Miss, please tell Miss Ji Ying to stop hitting him! That’s the eldest legitimate grandson of the first household. If something serious happens to him, Miss Ji Ying will likely be sold off…” As these words left her mouth, Cui Huan herself didn’t believe them—as soon as Ji Ying had struck, she had already lost any foothold in the Cheng family, let alone having already injured Cheng Xu, and injured him so badly… Thinking that Ji Ying, like herself, was a maidservant, she suddenly felt sympathy for a fellow sufferer and said urgently, “Second Cousin Miss, while no one has discovered this yet, you should quickly let Ji Ying run away! She’s the Fourth Master’s personal senior maid. After this storm passes, we can beg the Fourth Master. The Fourth Master is devoted and treats those around him very well. We can only hope the Fourth Master will show great mercy and let Ji Ying escape with her life…”

Zhou Shaojin tightly gripped Chun Wan’s arm, standing there quietly, completely ignoring Cui Huan’s words.

Cui Huan’s heart skipped a beat.

Could the Second Cousin Miss have been frightened senseless?

She looked up at Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes, which had been clear as water, were now pitch black, glowing faintly with an ethereal light, deep as a pool.

Cui Huan couldn’t help but shiver. The words that had reached her lips wouldn’t come out.

The three people standing aside watching maintained an eerie silence.

The entire cave was filled with the sounds of Ji Ying beating Cheng Xu.

“You’re really scum! You even scheme against your own relatives! Are you trying to drive Shaojin to her death?”

“You bastard!” Cheng Xu said in a low voice, striking back without any technique.

Ji Ying easily dodged Cheng Xu’s fist and landed another punch on him.

Zhou Shaojin discovered for the first time that when a fist landed on a person’s body, it made a “thump” sound.

This sound was truly pleasant to hear!

She should have beaten Cheng Xu long ago.

Now she had finally gotten her wish!

Ji Ying had avenged her!

Her heart felt as if a sail had been raised within it.

She even felt a sense of being reborn and holding her head high!

This was the meaning of her rebirth!

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes gradually reddened.

But Chun Wan’s face gradually paled.

The Second Young Miss had used the excuse of asking her to fetch a vest from Old Madam Guan, but had actually sent her to inform Ji Ying. She was told that Xu eldest young master was blocking the Second Young Miss ahead, and the Second Young Miss feared she couldn’t break free from his entanglement and would alarm the elders, creating a scandal and being criticized. She asked Ji Ying to quietly follow behind them and escort them to Apricot Pomegranate Garden… She had thought Xu eldest young master would only say some unreliable things, and had been rather dismissive, feeling it unnecessary to make this matter known to the people at Oriole Listening Hall and lose face. But she never expected that Xu eldest young master would push his luck this time and actually lay hands on the Second Young Miss.

If the Second Young Miss’s expression hadn’t been so serious at the time, if she had shown less respect for the Second Young Miss and paid lip service while defying her, if she hadn’t tried hard to convince Ji Jian when Ji Ying thought the Second Young Miss was making a mountain out of a molehill… Chun Wan didn’t dare continue thinking about what would have happened!

But having beaten Xu eldest young master like this… Cui Huan’s worry wasn’t without reason.

She couldn’t help but put her arm around Zhou Shaojin’s shoulder.

Only then did Chun Wan discover with shock that Zhou Shaojin was trembling.

“Second Young Miss!” she said hurriedly, “It’s alright now! It’s alright! Don’t be afraid! Both Cui Huan and I know what happened today. At worst, we’ll return to Baoding Prefecture and take Ji Ying with us. The master and the Eldest Young Miss will surely stand up for the Second Young Miss!”

As she said this, she suddenly realized that they were now at Nine-Like Alley, and all the maids, matrons, and servants around them belonged to Nine-Like Alley. If they wanted to return to Baoding Prefecture, they would have to be able to get out first!

Without thinking, Chun Wan released Zhou Shaojin and knelt before Cui Huan: “Good sister, I beg you to save me and our Second Young Miss!”

Cui Huan was greatly startled. She knew that if Chun Wan was begging her like this, it must involve matters of life and death. But she and Chun Wan saw each other daily and usually called each other sisters. To suddenly turn on her now—Cui Huan, who hadn’t experienced much, couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Her face flushed red as she struggled and tried to pull Chun Wan up: “Don’t do this, don’t do this…” But she didn’t dare promise anything.

Chun Wan understood perfectly.

Everyone looks out for themselves—it’s only natural.

She had no intention of making things difficult for Cui Huan. She quickly said, “Good sister, I’m afraid this matter cannot be resolved properly. I only ask that sister, while no one has discovered this yet, quickly inform our steward Ma Fushan. If the Madams ask, I’ll say that sister was in a hurry to get that half-stack of Chengxin paper for Zheng eldest young master, so after pointing out the way, you went to the outer courtyard… Sister’s great kindness will not only be remembered by me and our Second Young Miss and Eldest Young Miss, but even our master and madam will surely repay you!” Having said this, she began kowtowing to Cui Huan repeatedly.

Cui Huan’s heart stirred, and her view of Chun Wan instantly changed.

In such a short time, to speak with such a combination of soft and hard tactics, to come up with such a thorough plan—Chun Wan, the senior maid beside the Zhou family’s Second Cousin Miss, was no simple person.

Anyone who wasn’t simple couldn’t possibly fall into ruin.

Moreover, Old Master Zhou truly doted on his two daughters, keeping them in his mouth for fear they’d melt and in his palm for fear they’d fall. If she helped them this time, just as Chun Wan said, Old Master Zhou indeed wouldn’t mistreat her and would surely protect her life no matter what. More importantly, she would thus preserve the sisterly bond between them. Even if Miss Jia asked, she could answer with a clear conscience, so Miss Jia wouldn’t think she was a person without integrity.

Cui Huan immediately made her decision.

She said, “Don’t worry. I’ll go inform Ma Fushan right away. When the master is humiliated, the servant must die. I also serve before Miss Jia—I understand this principle.”

Chun Wan’s anxious heart settled.

She removed the kingfisher feather auspicious cloud hairpin that Zhou Shaojin had bestowed upon her a few days ago and handed it to Cui Huan: “Sister, use this to smooth things over with the gatekeepers.”

“No need!” Once Cui Huan had made her decision, she was a very straightforward person. She said, “You and I are sisters—calculating such things would be meaningless. Don’t say anything more. I’ll go now!”

Chun Wan nodded.

Cui Huan ran off in a flash.

Chun Wan watched her retreating figure and let out a long breath. She turned around, preparing to continue comforting Zhou Shaojin.

But to her surprise, Zhou Shaojin was looking at her with tears brimming in her eyes.

Her heart jumped in alarm. She quickly said, “Second Young Miss, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, nothing.” Zhou Shaojin embraced Chun Wan and said guiltily, “I’ve wronged you!”

Such a good Chun Wan, yet in her previous life she had left her at Nine-Like Alley.

Following a mistress who had made mistakes and then being heartlessly abandoned—what good future could she have had?

Chun Wan thought Zhou Shaojin was apologizing for what had just happened. She smiled with pursed lips and said, “Even Cui Huan knows that when the master is humiliated, the servant must die. I’ve followed the Second Young Miss for so many years—how could I not know this?”

Yes!

Chun Wan had always been so good. It was just that she herself hadn’t noticed.

Zhou Shaojin smiled slightly and said gently, “You don’t need to worry. The Cheng family won’t do anything to us. We still have Uncle Chi! However, it’s also good to inform Ma Fushan’s wife. Things being as they are, we can no longer stay at Nine-Like Alley anyway. We might as well go to Baoding Prefecture for the New Year.”

This would also spare her from watching Uncle Chi take a wife and have children.

Isn’t the Fourth Master also a member of the Cheng family?

Chun Wan grumbled inwardly, but seeing that Zhou Shaojin’s expression was full of trust in Cheng Chi, and thinking that Cui Huan had already gone to notify Ma Fushan, she didn’t voice those discouraging words.

Over there, Ji Ying saw that Cheng Xu had collapsed on the ground without the strength to fight back. Her anger finally dissipated somewhat. She kicked Cheng Xu twice more before withdrawing her hand and asking Zhou Shaojin, “What do you plan to do?”

Zhou Shaojin was about to speak when a sharp scream suddenly came from the cave entrance.

The people in the cave looked outside and saw Wu Baozhang’s face filled with shock and astonishment.

She had come to watch her own disgrace, hadn’t she?

Now instead of witnessing that spectacle, she had seen Cheng Xu’s shameful state and had screamed, drawing others here. With Madam Yuan’s temperament, she probably wouldn’t let Wu Baozhang off easily, would she?

Zhou Shaojin suddenly felt cheerful.

In her previous life, Wu Baozhang had escaped, but in this life she had voluntarily waded into these muddy waters—who else could she blame?

Ji Ying frowned.

Zhou Shaojin quickly said, “You should leave first! Someone will probably come soon.” Perhaps those people were already waiting halfway, just waiting for Wu Baozhang’s scream. “I’ll handle it later!”

Those people dared to scheme against her like this precisely because they saw her as weak and easy to bully, didn’t they?

Then she would face them directly.

After all, she couldn’t stay at Nine-Like Alley anymore anyway.

She didn’t want to stay at Nine-Like Alley anymore either.

Ji Ying was about to pound her chest and say she wasn’t afraid when a small pebble struck the back of her neck. Her body moved like a ghost as she spun around and saw Huai Shan’s eternally unchanged aged face.

The Fourth Master was nearby!

Her heart immediately felt somewhat uneasy.

Actually, she only needed to stop Cheng Xu, but seeing Cheng Xu’s appearance, she hadn’t been able to hold back… She didn’t know if the Fourth Master would blame her. After all, Cheng Xu was his nephew… However, even if the Fourth Master blamed her, she had her own arguments. Since Huai Shan had seen everything and hadn’t intervened, what right did he have to blame her for beating Cheng Xu so thoroughly!

Ji Ying became self-righteous.

Huai Shan made a gesture at her.

Ji Ying was immediately furious.