Chapter 8: Recognize My Worth

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Yun Qing looked at his meticulous manner and couldn’t help but smile quietly. Every time she saw him so infuriated, she always wanted to tease him a little.

She reached out and pulled open his collar, glancing at the pristine white jade pendant hanging there. No dark aura entwined it anymore; instead, a stronger purple energy than yesterday radiated from his body.

Had she not known to dispel the evil spirit from his pendant, he wouldn’t have brought her back to his mansion to care for him so attentively.

She leaned closer to him, closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply the purple energy flowing from him, mixed with a pleasant dragon’s salivary fragrance. “Now you know I’m good for you, don’t you?”

Ye Jincheng stiffened briefly, then lowered his head to look at the girl so close to him. The burning heat was increasingly difficult to conceal. He quickly pushed her hand away, buttoned up his collar, and frowned in bafflement. “I am not that kind of man. And you are?”

In broad daylight, pulling open his collar like that—what kind of behavior is that?

Do you act like this with other men too?

“Not at all!” Yun Qing coughed slightly from his sudden rejection, then turned her head away and leaned against the headboard, chin tilted up. “Five thousand and fifty taels, not a penny less, delivered to Sansheng Hall.”

As she spoke, a stack of silver notes appeared before her.

Yun Qing smiled and took the bills. “Now this is the sincerity I want.”

She felt the thickness was off and examined the notes of a thousand taels each, incredulously counting ten in total. “Ten thousand taels?!”

“I have witnessed your divine ability. I suspect there’s a traitor within the mansion. Help me root them out; if you succeed, you will receive another ten thousand taels.”

“The Prince of Ye is so generous!” Yun Qing’s bright eyes sparkled even more, and she fondly recounted the bills. “Deal!”

Northern Marquis Mansion, Main Hall.

Last night, Sheng Jintang was severely beaten by Yun Qing. Today, she still felt soreness in her back and waist, and her face and neck were thickly powdered to cover the bruises.

Today she wore a modest and elegant apricot-pink embroidered dress. Enduring the pain in her legs, she carefully carried the tea and walked over. Picking up a Ru porcelain teacup, she respectfully handed it to the person seated on the rosewood chair. “Auntie, Uncle, please have some tea.”

For years, she had risen early every day to prepare tea for the matriarch and the Marquis.

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Today the hall was unlike its usual lively state; it was quiet and heavy with tension. Everyone’s faces were dark, and their eyes looked at Sheng Jintang with disdain.

The matriarch, with her silver hair neatly coiled, had the carved cane she was holding taken away by a servant. She accepted the teacup and sipped lightly. Her hoarse voice sounded, “Today’s tea lacks the fragrance of jasmine.”

“Hmph,” came a sharp, coquettish snort. She was Sheng Yueying, the second daughter of the current Marquis Sheng Yukun, a slender and lively girl with a beautiful oval face. She looked up disdainfully, her expression full of spoiled arrogance. “Grandmother must have forgotten—we hardly have any flowers left in this mansion. Yesterday, some stinky fox ruined them all.”

Sheng Jintang’s heart suddenly tightened, her slender fingers nervously pinching each other.

“Sigh. Why did you have to pick the jasmine grandmother likes most?”

“Bang!” The matriarch, hearing this, lost interest in her tea and set the cup down on the table.

Sheng Jintang’s heart skipped a beat. Sensing the mood, she knelt down and said, “Auntie, Jintang didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

Seeing the matriarch angry, Sheng Yueying scoffed with gloating sarcasm. “No matter how many flowers you pick, it can’t cover up your stench!”

Beside Sheng Yueying stood her sister, Sheng Qiuyue, dressed simply. She lowered her head and gently tugged her sister’s sleeve, whispering, “Stop it…”

“I want to say it!” Sheng Yueying shrugged off her sister’s hand and raised her voice arrogantly. “The marriage with the Prince of Ye was going smoothly. Only Zhao’s son just proposed to my sister. But after you caused trouble yesterday, the Duke’s mansion came today to cancel the betrothal. It’s bad enough you have no luck yourself, but now you want to ruin my sister’s chance too? When I come of age, will you ruin me as well?”

Tears welled up in Sheng Jintang’s eyes. She turned her head, feeling wronged. “Third Sister, I did not intend to ruin Second Sister’s marriage.”

Sheng Yueying stepped forward quickly and slapped her hard.

“Smack!” The sharp, clear sound rang in the air. Sheng Jintang covered her face, her eyes full of grievance and anger.

“How dare you glare at me!” Sheng Yueying’s gaze grew even fiercer. She raised her hand again to strike, but Sheng Qiuyue stepped forward to pull her back.

The room erupted into chaos. The matriarch rubbed her temples in frustration but did not intervene.

Perhaps even she felt deep down that yesterday’s incident had truly brought disgrace upon the Marquis’s family.

Sheng Yueying’s raised hand was stopped mid-air. She looked up to see her father, Sheng Yukun, glaring at her. He pushed her aside and shouted angrily, “Enough! The noble daughter of the Marquis’s house should not assault her elder sister. What kind of propriety is this?”

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“She’s not my real elder sister!” Sheng Yueying had long been fed up with Sheng Jintang always overshadowing her. Though she was the second young lady, her cousin acted as if she were the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis’s family. She harbored a thousand grievances.

“Smack!” Sheng Yukun’s anger exploded. He raised his hand and slapped Sheng Yueying. “Your uncle’s family was wiped out in tragedy. Jintang is your uncle’s beloved daughter. As long as she lives, she will always be the legitimate eldest daughter of this house, and forever your elder sister!”

Sheng Jintang lowered her head, sniffling and weeping quietly, but inwardly she was secretly elated.

Sheng Yukun deeply respected his elder brother. Even if he was not especially fond of Sheng Jintang, he never once failed to protect her like this.

Previously, she had always been fearful, afraid of revealing any flaws. But today was different. Now she was truly Sheng Jintang, the beloved niece of Sheng Yukun.

Sheng Yueying broke into loud sobs. “Daddy is so biased! You are always so unfair!”

“Enough noise!” The matriarch finally spoke, frowning and glaring at both Sheng Jintang and Sheng Yueying.

With the elder’s words, Sheng Yueying’s anger died down. She lowered her head and knelt down in fear.

The matriarch waved her hand irritably. “What kind of conduct is this? Both of you, go to the ancestral hall and kneel in punishment!” Rising with the aid of her cane, she glanced at Sheng Yukun. “Yukun, come here.”

Sheng Yukun lowered his head and followed her to a side chamber.

Looking at him, the matriarch sighed heavily. “No matter how much you respect your brother, Jintang is not your own child. Why do you protect her so much?”

Sheng Yukun bowed his head. “Mother, you should know, if my brother were still alive, how could I have become the Northern Marquis? My brother never wronged me while he was alive. After his tragic death, Jintang was left all alone at such a young age. She is truly the legitimate eldest daughter of this mansion. If she suffers injustice, how could I explain it to my brother in heaven?”

Hearing this, the matriarch shook her head. “Though your brother’s wife treated me well, and you respect me, you have already done too much for Sheng Yuting!”