“Fourth Sister, what are you doing?” The Third Madam said with disdain. “One look at a woman like that, and you can tell she’s no good.”
“She’s pretending to be weak—can’t you see it?”
“If she really does marry into this family, will there even be a place left for us to stand?”
The Third Madam turned to look at the First and Second Madams. “Eldest Sister, Second Sister, no matter what, we cannot let her marry in.”
The East Wing had originally belonged to the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Madams.
Feng Jiu’er’s arrival affected these four the most of all.
“There’s no use worrying now—we’ll deal with it one step at a time.” The Second Madam glanced at Feng Jiu’er’s retreating figure, her eyes narrowing slightly.
The Seventh Madam, having finally managed to mask her fury, pulled her hand free from the Fifth Madam’s grasp and strode forward.
She came up beside Feng Jiu’er, chest out and stomach pulled in, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, trying every way she could to show off her most flattering side.
“You’re called Jiu’er?” She tilted her head to glance at Feng Jiu’er.
“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er met her gaze and nodded.
She slowed her pace, and Qiao Mu slowed slightly as well.
“Not bad, is it—just that your friend has a bit of a temper.” The Seventh Madam piled on a smile.
“Since you’re the Master’s guest, you’re our guest too. Today, allow me to play host and show you around.”
“Thank you.” Feng Jiu’er smiled faintly and said nothing more.
The Seventh Madam looked at Feng Jiu’er’s face and thought of a hundred different ways to destroy it, all while her face remained wreathed in smiles.
“Jiu’er, where would you like to go? I won’t hide it from you—this place really is enormous, bigger than you could imagine.”
“There are several gardens, plus three riding grounds, and a number of water fortresses. The back mountain is even more fascinating.”
“The back mountain?” Feng Jiu’er blinked her round, large eyes, looking thoroughly intrigued.
“Is there something fun back there?”
The corner of the Seventh Madam’s mouth curled slightly, a strange light flashing across the bottom of her eyes.
But she quickly shifted her gaze, looking ahead instead.
“The back mountain is a hunting ground. There are all kinds of wild beasts inside. Someone like your friend would probably enjoy hunting, wouldn’t she?”
“Jiu’er, would you two like to go try it out?”
A smile hiding a dagger—the Seventh Madam played the part to perfection.
“Hunting?” Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and looked at her. “Does the Seventh Madam enjoy hunting as well? Both Qiao and I are interested.”
The Seventh Madam glanced at Feng Jiu’er, arched her crescent brows slightly, and nodded.
“I love it. The Master has taken me in there several times. There really is everything inside—I guarantee you’ll have a great time.”
The Seventh Madam looked again at Feng Jiu’er’s face, and this time her smile turned genuinely real.
Hunting wasn’t something just anyone could do—and yet this woman claimed to love it.
Good, if she loved it that much—then once she went in, even if she managed to keep her life, the Seventh Madam wouldn’t let her keep that face intact.
The thought of ruining that face filled the Seventh Madam with a genuine, heartfelt delight.
“Can we go in?” Feng Jiu’er asked with a smile.
“Of course.” The Seventh Madam nodded eagerly.
“Wonderful.” Feng Jiu’er smiled faintly. “The back mountain must be quite large, then? Besides the hunting ground, is there anything else interesting there?”
“Besides the hunting ground, there’s the Lei Manor’s prison cells. Inside, there…” The Seventh Madam narrowed her eyes slightly.
“The cells are full of people who are as good as dead already. If there’s anyone you don’t like the look of, you can pick one out and torment them, even kill them, if you wish.”
“You’re the Master’s honored guest. One or two prisoners—he certainly won’t object.”
“Death-row prisoners?” Feng Jiu’er seemed lost in thought, raising her crescent brow.
“That’s right.” The Seventh Madam’s expression grew increasingly pleased.
In a place like that prison, every single prisoner was a vicious, savage type—if one happened to escape and hurt someone, that would be entirely normal.
“Could it be that Jiu’er has an interest in such things as well?”
“You mean… using punishment on them?” Feng Jiu’er looked at the Seventh Madam, a flash of crimson suddenly igniting in her eyes.
The Seventh Madam met her gaze, the bottom of her own eyes flickering with a bloodred light.
“Jiu’er truly is different from ordinary women. Whenever I’m in a bad mood, I go there myself for a while.”
“After I’m done playing, I always feel better.”
The Seventh Madam was a sadist, plain and simple. Whenever someone displeased her, even if it was just an ordinary maidservant rather than a death-row prisoner, she would drag them off to the cells.
“In that place, the instruments of torture—there’s nothing you couldn’t imagine, and nothing you’d fail to think of.”
Feng Jiu’er licked her lips, playing her “bloodthirsty” act to the hilt.
Seeing this, the Seventh Madam turned to glance at the others following behind, the corner of her mouth curling into a meaningful smile.
Today, she would absolutely ruin that face.
In Licheng, no face more beautiful than her own was allowed to exist!
The other madams looked at her without saying a word.
The group left the garden, and several carriages waited not far away.
Earlier, the Fifth Madam had instructed the servants to prepare them in advance.
Wherever Miss Long ultimately decided to go, having carriages ready would make things more convenient.
“Jiu’er.” The Seventh Madam, seeing the approaching carriages, hurried up to catch up with Feng Jiu’er in two quick steps.
“I wonder which place you’d like to go to first? We can head there right now.”
“Our Lei Manor really is enormous—you could spend an entire day having fun here.”
“To the back mountain.” Feng Jiu’er pulled Xiao Yingtao along, hurrying toward the carriage.
Qiao Mu and Jian Yi followed close behind them.
“Good, to the back mountain first.” The Seventh Madam looked at the coachman and gave the order.
“Yes, Seventh Madam.” The coachman stopped beside Feng Jiu’er and the others.
“Jian Yi, you don’t need to come.” Feng Jiu’er had just climbed into the carriage when she turned back to look at Jian Yi.
Jian Yi looked back at her, brows furrowing slightly.
“Don’t come along—it’s all women going. You’re a man; it wouldn’t be appropriate. Go back and wait for me.”
Feng Jiu’er waved her hand, then turned and entered the carriage.
In the end, Jian Yi did not board the carriage. He turned and walked away.
Even with their schemes still in mind, the madams couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at the handsome man’s retreating figure.
If Old Seventh could destroy this woman, would they then have a chance with that handsome man?
This man was so beautiful, he could truly make a woman abandon everything just to fall asleep in his arms.
They watched Jian Yi head toward the East Wing, but unnoticed by anyone, he veered off onto another path.
With the carriages carrying them, the eleven women arrived together at the back mountain.
The moment the carriage stopped, Feng Jiu’er impatiently flung open the curtain and leapt down.
The “enthusiastic” Seventh Madam was already on the path, hurrying toward her.
Feng Jiu’er walked a little too quickly and stumbled, lurching forward.
As luck would have it, the Seventh Madam happened to be right in front of her at that exact moment.
Feng Jiu’er let out a small cry, and after crashing into the Seventh Madam, grabbed onto her arm to keep from falling.
The Seventh Madam had wanted to be furious, but seeing how frail and delicate Feng Jiu’er seemed, the corners of her mouth instantly piled up into a smile again.
“Sister Jiu’er, are you all right?”
“Seventh Madam, I’m so sorry!” Feng Jiu’er reached out and smoothed down the wrinkles she’d caused in the Seventh Madam’s clothing.
Aside from Qiao Mu and Xiao Yingtao, no one knew that with that simple gesture, she had swapped out a small bottle on the Seventh Madam’s person.
Jiu’er, stumbling and falling? What kind of joke was that?