Becoming the Cannon Fodder Wife of Crazy and Powerful Official - Chapter 23

Meng Ruxin’s voice trembled as she said, “But perhaps I’m overthinking it. After all, that Xin woman is utterly plain—toss her into a crowd and she would simply vanish. Back when Brother Shen was in his prime, countless pampered young ladies from powerful and noble families adored him, yet he never spared any of them a second glance. How could he possibly be interested in a woman like Xin, with her common looks? Honestly, she’s quite short too.”

“Ahhh—I can’t take this anymore!”

With a furious roar, Xin Yueying, who had been crouching in the grass, charged straight toward Meng Ruxin.

She was as swift as a young leopard.

Shen Qingqi turned his gaze to Huo Qi. “What are you waiting for? I told you to go kill Xie Asheng. Did you not hear me?”

“But… didn’t you say keeping him alive might be useful?” Huo Qi asked hesitantly.

“Kill him! I said Kill him!” Shen Qingqi’s hands were clenched tightly, his eyes filled with a sinister light.

Confused, Huo Qi drew his sword.

Xin Yueying rushed over, startling Meng Ruxin. In an instant, Xin Yueying grabbed Meng Ruxin by the front of her robe. “Say that again if you dare!”

“Ahhh—let me go!” Meng Ruxin shrieked. “You shrew! Vile shrew! Eavesdropping on people’s conversations! Let me go!”

Xie Asheng moved to intervene. “Sister Xin, don’t be rash—”

“This is none of your business! Get lost!” Xin Yueying pointed at Xie Asheng’s nose and shouted. “Stop meddling! It’s not your place to speak! My husband is looking for you. He says he knows where your things are. Get out of here!”

Xie Asheng was taken aback.

Shen Qingqi was equally stunned.

Xin Yueying’s bluff worked on Xie Asheng. Concerned about his belongings, he immediately turned and hurried back the way he came, completely unaware that Huo Qi was already closing in on him with a drawn sword.

Huo Qi darted swiftly into the grass, lying in wait to ambush Xie Asheng.

He could tell Xie Asheng was skilled in martial arts; to ensure no survivors, a sneak attack was necessary.

Xin Yueying maintained a death grip on Meng Ruxin’s robe,

“You two-faced witch! Can’t sleep at night, so you come here to gossip? Who are you trying to fool with that delicate, pitiful act? If you don’t have a mirror at home, surely you have urine, right? Before you criticize my looks, why don’t you take a piss and look at your own reflection? You can’t even keep your mouth shut with your missing front teeth? I’m a shrew? My husband doesn’t want me? Yeah, that’s right! My husband doesn’t want me—he wants you! He’s obsessed with that gap-toothed mouth of yours! Happy now?”

Shen Qingqi was utterly astonished. The sinister expression on his face vanished in an instant.

After a brief moment of shock, a look of deep satisfaction spread across his features. He leaned back against his wheelchair and said lightly, “Huo Qi, you can come back now.”

Huo Qi, who had been hiding in the grass, stood up and looked at Shen Qingqi in confusion. “We’re not killing him?”

“No,” Shen Qingqi said, shifting his gaze toward Xin Yueying.

Meng Ruxin’s face was deathly pale; her entire being seemed disoriented. Her legs trembled uncontrollably, her mind was completely blank, “You… you…”

“Your grandmother is going to personally teach you a lesson today! I’ll beat you to death!” Xin Yueying raised her hand high and slapped Meng Ruxin to the ground with one sharp crack.

Xin Yueying pounced, straddling Meng Ruxin, and relentlessly rained blows upon her face. Meng Ruxin’s veil fell away, and she frantically tried to block Xin Yueying’s assault with both hands.

Huo Qi, sword in hand, came face to face with Xie Asheng.

Xie Asheng was startled, his gaze turning wary, “What’s the meaning of this?”

Huo Qi ignored him, looking back at Shen Qingqi instead, “Second Master, the women are fighting. Should we intervene?”

“If it’s a fight between women, why bother getting involved?” Shen Qingqi’s lips held a doting smile as he watched Xin Yueying pin Meng Ruxin to the ground and thrash her.

The three men stood on the slope, observing the two women fighting below.

Or perhaps, it was more accurate to say they were watching Xin Yueying deliver a one-sided beating.

Huo Qi sheathed his sword and asked Shen Qingqi, “Why does she always quarrel with Miss Meng?”

Shen Qingqi shook his head, “I’m not entirely sure.”

Xie Asheng walked over and asked, “Is that Miss Meng missing a front tooth? I can’t see clearly with her veil, but it sounds like she’s whistling through her words.”

Huo Qi said, “Yes, she is indeed missing a front tooth”.

Shen Qingqi watched Xin Yueying with a smile, his eyes gleaming intently.

Xin Yueying probably found that slapping with her bare hands hurt.

She directly took off her own shoe and started whacking Meng Ruxin’s mouth with the sole, “Talk! Go on, talk! Weren’t you so good at flapping your gums? Huh? Don’t want your other front tooth either, is that it?”

In a moment of panic, Meng Ruxin mustered her strength and shoved Xin Yueying.

Xin Yueying, after all, was smaller in stature. She lost her balance and was pushed to the ground.

The smile vanished from Shen Qingqi’s face, “Huo Qi.”

“Sir!” Huo Qi rushed over.

Meng Ruxin seized the opportunity, pinning Xin Yueying’s right hand down with one of her own, getting on top of Xin Yueying, and raising her other hand high. Before the blow could land, her wrist was caught in a vice-like grip by Huo Qi.

Huo Qi hauled Meng Ruxin to her feet, “What do you think you’re doing, hitting people?” Huo Qi demanded in a deep, muffled voice.

Meng Ruxin shrieked indignantly, “Let me hit her back! Let me hit her back!” She stamped her foot in frantic urgency.

Xin Yueying sat up from the ground. Completely shedding her previous violent and tyrannical demeanor, she quickly covered her face and crouched by the tall and burly Huo Qi’s feet, “Boo hoo hoo, Huo Qi, you finally came. She hit me, boo hoo hoo, she pinned me down and was hitting me.”

Huo Qi stiffened his neck, swallowing hard, barely managing to stop himself from exposing Xin Yueying’s act.

Meng Ruxin screamed hysterically, “It was her hitting me! She was the one hitting me!”

Huo Qi played dumb, “When I got here, I saw you on top of her, about to strike.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh—You’re all siding with her! Why?!” Meng Ruxin lost all control. Her shrieks reverberated through the bamboo forest.

“Haha, be a little louder. Best if you attract the pursuing soldiers, and we can all die together.” Shen Qingqi, who had somehow maneuvered his wheelchair over at some point, looked and asked the shrieking Meng Ruxin. His eyes held not a shred of warmth; they were, in fact, somewhat terrifying.

Meng Ruxin’s voice trembled with accusation, “How dare you shout at me? Even you’re not on my side! Even you’re turning against me!” she repeated, her words laced with betrayal.

Even you’re turning against me.

Those words struck a deep chord within Xin Yueying.

So, this was the truth. In the original story, Meng Ruxin had always taken Shen Qingqi’s unwavering support for granted. She had always been aware of his special regard for her, shamelessly basking in his favor while never hesitating to pursue other men.

As he sank deeper into his obsession, she—what did she do? She played the fool, pretended ignorance, and turned without a shred of guilt to whisper sweet nothings to other men.

Xin Yueying stood up abruptly. “Why shouldn’t he shout at you?” Her voice was low, devoid of its earlier fury, her eyes distant, almost disoriented.

“Why should he take your side?” She fixed her gaze on Meng Ruxin, advancing step by step. “Are you even worthy of his allegiance? You offer nothing but a few hollow words of encouragement. Do you have any idea what it costs someone to muster the courage to grasp at those flimsy phrases?”

“When you stand on your moral high ground and scorn someone for losing heart, have you ever once tried to truly understand their pain? To walk a single step in their shoes?”

“You have both parents, sisters who are safe and sound. Your greatest sorrow is that you once had wealth and now you don’t.”

“Have you ever dwelled in hell? Have you endured the relentless torment of sickness? Have you ever lost everything?”

“I mean everything. Your ideals, your hopes, your self-respect, your pride, your passionate spirit, your fervent dreams.”

And yet. Despite it all. He still fell for you in the end. Just how much did he suffer? For a taste of something that wasn’t even sweet, he gambled and lost the rest of his life.

At this thought, Xin Yueying’s tears began to fall, silent and heavy.

Shen Qingqi was utterly motionless, his eyes locked on Xin Yueying. Beneath a facade of calm, a tempest raged within his heart. That heart, which he believed had long turned to ash, was now pounding with a frantic, wild rhythm.

Xin Yueying, unwilling to show vulnerability before others, swiped the tears from her cheeks with a rough hand. She pointed a finger directly at Meng Ruxin’s face. “Listen to me, and listen good. Shen Qingqi is my husband. Whether he values me or not is a matter between him and me. But if you ever, ever dare to flirt shamelessly with Shen Qingqi again, I will make you regret it.”