Chapter 468: A Poisonous Snake

Chapter 468: A Poisonous Snake

Zhe Ying subconsciously wondered why Zhe Jing had bought a whole floor of snacks specifically for Jin'er.

But when he looked up and saw Miss Su's slightly happier expression, it suddenly clicked for him.

Zhe Jing... Could it be that he has feelings for Jin'er?

He glanced at Jin'er again.

Jin'er, with her innocent and happy demeanor, said, "Brother Zhe Jing is really good to me. If I had a real brother, I doubt he’d be as kind to me as Brother Zhe Jing is."

Zhe Ying felt bad for his buddy for a moment.

Miss Su also touched her forehead.

This sweet girl, she had thought Jin'er was starting to understand.

But with everything going on, she didn’t feel like playing matchmaker. She just reminded Jin'er, "Yes, even to a wife, one wouldn't be this good. Jin'er, if Zhe Ying continues to be this good to you, in the future when he has a wife, she might get jealous."

Jin'er was stunned, her round eyes wide open, clearly overwhelmed.

Miss Su didn’t say more and just waved her off to rest.

Let her figure it out on her own.

After less than a day of rest, Lai Po Zi and Zhu Po Zi came back with the same argument, urging them to continue their journey.

The two had already figured it out; these three girls were destined to die.

They couldn’t afford to keep the fake Miss Shen around, and the two little maids who knew the truth couldn’t be spared either. As for the half-blind one, she would be sent off too.

With this thought, the anger the two had held in their hearts for the past few days finally subsided a bit.

With just a day's journey, the group finally reached the Holy City.

The walls of the Holy City stood tall and mighty. However, standing outside the city gates, one could see the upper part of the giant statue standing high in the center of the city. Below the walls, luxurious carriages and fine horses passed by, with wealthy people dressed in splendid clothes. Everywhere you looked, there were wealthy merchants and noble families.

Seeing Jin'er and Qingluo sticking their heads out of the carriage window in astonishment, Lai Po Zi felt a bit of disdain in her heart.

Girls from the countryside who had never seen anything like this.

When she looked back at Miss Su, she suddenly saw that Miss Su wasn’t looking outside but seemed to be stroking something in her hand.

When Miss Su noticed her gaze, she looked back. In the shadows of the carriage, her clear eyes appeared deeper.

Lai Po Zi didn’t see clearly and, startled, thought it was a poisonous snake.

But soon she realized that the long red object wasn’t a snake but a whip.

Lai Po Zi came back to her senses, feeling a bit embarrassed, and thought that once they arrived at the estate, she would have to take the whip away from her.

Even the servants are part of the Shen family; she, an imposter, had no right to hit them.

Lai Po Zi inwardly rolled her eyes.

Miss Su’s eyes met Lai Po Zi’s just as she finished rolling her eyes. Lai Po Zi’s face flushed as she realized Miss Su was watching her.

But then, Miss Su smiled at her.

Let her roll her eyes all she wants; it’s not like she has much time left.

As soon as the carriage entered the Holy City, Lai Po Zi and Zhu Po Zi spotted the servants from the Shen family coming to receive them.

It was Liang Mama, another elder lady attending to the Great Elder Lady.

"Liang Mama, the eldest miss is inside," Lai Po Zi grinned slyly as she approached. "This trip has been exhausting."

Liang Mama, who had a good relationship with Lai Po Zi, reminded her, "It seems you are truly worn out, not even sending a letter to the Great Elder Lady. She was mentioning it just this morning."

Lai Po Zi's expression changed. Of course she had written to the Great Elder Lady—she had sent the letter when they switched the fake Miss Shen for the real one.

But with Zhe Ying, who was driving the carriage, watching her with his dark eyes, Lai Po Zi couldn’t explain herself and decided to hold her tongue until they returned.

Liang Mama approached the carriage and greeted calmly, "Miss Shen, the master and the Great Elder Lady sent me to fetch you."

Normally, for a family member who hadn’t returned for many years, the household would at least send the steward with many servants to receive them personally. But only Liang Mama had been sent, a clear sign of how much the Shen family looked down on Shen Nan Nan.

"Hmm."

A soft, gentle voice came from the carriage.

Liang Mama was slightly stunned and frowned. She hadn’t expected someone who had been unrecognized and unloved for over a decade to dare be so indifferent to her.

But knowing the Great Elder Lady was eager to have her back, Liang Mama held her tongue and walked alongside the carriage.

As the carriage passed the main road and turned onto a quiet side road, its speed suddenly slowed, almost imperceptibly.

Liang Mama was about to seize an opportunity to ask Lai Po Zi quietly about the temperament of this new miss when a sudden change occurred. A group of black-clad assassins suddenly emerged from the roadside, charging directly at the carriage.

With flashing blades, the group came at them fiercely. Liang Mama, who had never seen such a scene, lost her composure instantly and ran to the side, shouting, "Help!"

In just a turn, Lai Po Zi and Zhu Po Zi, unable to react in time, were killed with their throats slit. When Liang Mama turned around and saw the blood gushing out, her legs gave way beneath her.

Just as the group of assassins was about to strike again, a group of patrolling guards arrived.

"Who are you!" the guards shouted as they charged over.

In an instant, seeing the situation was not in their favor, the group of black-clad assassins retreated, leaving behind two bloodied corpses and the intact carriage.

Liang Mama gasped for breath, still in disbelief that the people she had just been speaking to were now lifeless on the ground.

The person from the carriage stepped down and spoke with the guards for a while before one of them approached Liang Mama.

"Are you from the Shen family?"

Liang Mama, trembling with fear, nodded. "Yes..."

"Very well, there have been thieves causing trouble in the Holy City recently; it’s not safe. You should return to your estate immediately. We’ll investigate this incident."

Liang Mama dared not refuse and hurriedly agreed, not daring to approach the corpses of Lai Po Zi and Zhu Po Zi.

Lai Po Zi was not completely dead yet, her eyes wide open as she looked toward the carriage.

She faintly saw the carriage curtain lift slightly, and the woman inside looked at her, giving a slight tug at her lips.

Lai Po Zi's pupils shrank. She realized... it was her!

She gasped for breath, her mouth stained with blood, trying to summon Aunt Liang. She wanted to tell her that what she had brought back was not some weak imposter pretending to be Miss Shen, but—

a venomous snake!

But Aunt Liang was too terrified to approach and how could she have heard her weakened cries?

She would never know that Su Youyue had orchestrated everything, nor that she wasn't truly Miss Shen.

Lai Po Zi died with her resentment unresolved.

Her eyes stayed wide open, even in death.