The Abused Female Protagonist In The Angst Novel Is Actually A White Lotus - Chapter 3

Fell asleep? Shen Sijing thought. It couldn’t be that simple. The pearl tassels at her ears swayed gently. She had a strong suspicion of what had happened to Ling Qingyi: the girl had likely been drugged with some kind of gas, forcibly dressed in this bridal gown, and then dumped in the Prime Minister’s Residence’s woodshed.

Shen Sijing frowned deeply. When had the Prime Minister’s Residence become the Ling family’s territory, to be discarded at will? Did the residents of the Prime Minister’s Residence have no eyes, allowing this place to become Ling Yunliu’s stage for her theatrics?

“Qingyi, let me apply this ointment first. We can go to my room to change your clothes later. Otherwise, if someone sees you like this, there will be endless gossip,” Shen Sijing said gently, her voice soft and melodious, a reflection of her calm and composed nature. As she spoke slowly, Ling Qingyi lifted her gaze to observe her.

Then, she smiled sweetly.

“Thank you, Young Miss Shen.”

As Shen Sijing watched Ling Qingyi apply the ointment, her mind raced with thoughts of taking Ling Qingyi to her room to change clothes later. Before Ling Qingyi could finish treating even one arm, a commotion erupted outside the firewood shed. Shen Sijing’s head snapped up. She knew exactly what was about to happen, but she hadn’t expected it to come so quickly.

She hadn’t even had time to change Ling Qingyi’s clothes!

When the carriage reaches the mountain, there will be a path, Shen Sijing thought, abandoning the idea of changing Ling Qingyi’s clothes for now. As she scrambled for a plan, a shrill voice suddenly pierced the air outside.

“Ling Qingyi! It was bad enough that you wore a wedding dress to the Shen family’s Young Miss’s birthday banquet, defying all propriety. But to push your elder sister into the water out of spite? You must have a death wish!” The voice was so loud that Shen Sijing frowned, immediately recognizing it as Madam Ling, Ling Yunliu’s biological mother.

Madam Ling, her hair adorned with pearl hairpins, stood at the firewood shed’s entrance, hands on her hips. Though she retained some restraint, refraining from barging in, she nearly lunged forward to strike someone as the door slowly creaked open. But she froze mid-motion.

“Young… Young Miss Shen?”

Her words stunned everyone present. What other Young Miss Shen could there be at the Prime Minister’s Residence? The crowd that had gathered around Madam Ling to watch the spectacle surged forward, scrutinizing Shen Sijing from head to toe, terrified of losing even a single strand of her hair and incurring Madam Shen’s wrath.

The more astute among them had already dispatched maids to inform Madam Shen. Madam Ling herself trembled violently.

Swallowing hard, she took a few hesitant steps forward and stopped before Shen Sijing. “Young… Young Miss Shen? How could your delicate frame be standing at the entrance of this filthy firewood shed? Please, come out at once…”

These words left Shen Sijing speechless. Her mere presence here was considered a defilement of her “jade-like body,” while her non-biological daughter was forced to huddle in the weeds of the woodshed, as lowly as a trafficked child.

Shen Sijing thought this, and naturally, she said as much. She casually smoothed her temple hair and smiled. “Madam, what are you talking about? I was merely playing hide-and-seek with Third Young Miss Ling and didn’t realize she’d hidden here. Who were you looking for at the gate just now?”

Shen Sijing feigned ignorance, standing at the doorway and peering inside. She smiled again, noticing Madam Ling’s voice had softened considerably.

“It’s… Ling Qingyi, that rebellious daughter. Young Miss Shen needn’t concern herself.” Madam Ling’s eyes remained fixed on the interior as she spoke, clearly knowing Ling Qingyi’s whereabouts.

This was all part of Madam Ling’s scheme. How could she possibly not know where Ling Qingyi was?

Seeing this, Shen Sijing deliberately stepped aside, allowing Madam Ling to look inside. As expected, Madam Ling’s eyes lit up when she spotted the flash of red clothing within.

“Young Miss Shen, our family’s rebellious daughter is hiding in this woodshed. That red wedding gown is exactly what she insisted on wearing. Ah, it’s truly embarrassing…” Madam Ling was about to launch into her rehearsed speech when Shen Sijing suddenly took Yun Nian’s hand, feigning surprise.

“Really? I actually find this gown quite festive and beautiful. Today is meant to be a joyous occasion, after all. You call it a wedding gown, but it’s really no different from any other red dress. Madam Ling, there’s no need to be so anxious.”

Madam Ling never expected Shen Sijing to defend Ling Qingyi. She continued to struggle, ignoring the amused glances from the surrounding ladies and young misses. “Sijing, you may not know this, but earlier today, the eldest young miss of the Ling Residence, Ling Yunliu—my daughter—was pushed into the water. Witnesses all described the culprit as wearing a red dress. After considering it, I haven’t seen anyone in the Prime Minister’s Residence wearing red today, so I suspect it was her. Ling Qingyi, that disobedient daughter, has always defied her elder sister since childhood. My poor daughter…”

Madam Ling was about to play the sympathy card, but Shen Sijing wasn’t buying it. She suddenly straightened up, her expression turning serious. “Madam, you’re mistaken. Ever since we decided to come here together, I’ve been with Elder Sister Ling the entire time. She somehow sustained injuries all over her body, so I gave her a bottle of medicine. She hasn’t left my side for a moment. How could she have deliberately pushed someone into the water?”

Shen Sijing’s voice was firm and clear, but as she spotted Madam Shen approaching with her entourage, she quickly raised her handkerchief to cover her lips, her complexion paling slightly. “Madam, do you doubt my word?”

Shen Sijing’s voice was naturally melodious, but when she feigned weakness, it took on a delicate, flowing quality like a murmuring stream. By the time Madam Shen reached Madam Ling’s side, she caught sight of Shen Sijing’s frail demeanor.

Alarm bells rang in Madam Shen’s mind. She immediately pushed Madam Ling aside, strode to Shen Sijing’s side, and supported her. “Sijing, you’ve suffered enough. Standing in the autumn wind to speak—what could Madam Ling possibly have to teach you?”

Initially, the crowd had treated the scene as a joke, no one taking it seriously. But the moment Madam Shen intervened, everyone fell silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to utter a word.

Madam Ling, too, felt a flicker of fear. She glanced at Madam Shen’s icy expression but refused to back down. Remembering her status as the wife of an official, she straightened her back. “Madam, didn’t you support my efforts to find the culprit who pushed Yunliu into the water? The culprit stands right here, yet I can’t do anything about it.”

Madam Ling’s implication was clear: Shen Sijing was obstructing her search for the culprit. Naturally, Madam Shen wouldn’t tolerate this, her expression darkening further. “Madam Ling, you certainly have a sharp tongue. But do you doubt my daughter Sijing’s word? If she says Ling Qingyi never left the wood shed, then that’s the truth. To usurp authority in the Prime Minister’s Residence—Madam Ling, your audacity knows no bounds. Anyone would think Lord Ling himself aspires to the Prime Minister’s seat.”

Madam Shen’s words were far too harsh. If they were spread, the Ling family would be in deep trouble. This was Madam Shen applying further pressure on Madam Ling.

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