Chapter 80 A Worthless Kept Woman

Chapter 80: A Worthless Mistress

"Miss, you misunderstand. I am truly not a mistress," Bai Zhining said, her voice still soft and weak.

"Who's your sister? Pah! You look like a broke nobody, and you dare call me sister?"

Bai Zhining's eyes filled with tears as she looked pitifully toward Yang Xingxian.

Yang Xingxian roared, "Xi Jiaojiao! Who allowed you to act all high and mighty here? You need to know your place! You are nothing but a concubine! Even Xi Qianyue had better manners than you."

It was only then that Bai Zhining realized that the woman before her was a concubine.

Everything was different from her past life. Xi Qianyue had actually cut ties, divorced of her own accord, and gone back to her family! And Xi Qianyue's younger half-sister had become Yang Xingxian's concubine.

This rubbed Bai Zhining the wrong way.

Who the hell did Xi Jiaojiao think she was?

Seeing Yang Xingxian roar at Xi Jiaojiao on her behalf, she angled herself and shot Xi Jiaojiao a smile.

That smile was visible only to Xi Jiaojiao and Lv Zhi.

Lv Zhi knew trouble was coming. Sure enough, before she could even react, Xi Jiaojiao flipped open the lid of the soup pot and, with a flick of her wrist, dumped the thick chicken soup all over Bai Zhining's head.

Everyone was stunned.

Even Bai Zhining didn't scream until a few seconds later.

Her hair and face were drenched in steaming chicken soup, with chunks of chicken stuck in it!

Yang Xingxian was equally shocked. Once he snapped out of it, he raised his hand and slapped Xi Jiaojiao across the face.

Xi Jiaojiao covered her cheek and said through gritted teeth, "Fine! Just great! You hit me in the face for some random vixen!"

Blind with rage, she swung her hand and slapped Yang Xingxian right back.

A sharp "smack!" rang out, and everyone was stunned.

She stomped out of the courtyard, her maidservants trailing behind, footsteps echoing.

Yang Xingxian hurriedly ordered the maids to clean Bai Zhining up and barked orders for someone to bring water.

Bai Zhining said with a tearful voice, "What is all this? Why do I have to humiliate myself like this? Young Master Yang, don't worry—once I wash my face, I'll be on my way."

"Zhining! Zhi'er! I'll teach that Xi woman a lesson. I finally got to see you—how could I let you go? I won't allow it."

Once things were mostly cleaned up and Bai Zhining was calmed down, Yang Xingxian stormed off to Xi Jiaojiao's place.

He glared at her, but before he could get a word out, Xi Jiaojiao said with tearful eyes, "I should've known better than to back a man! Men are all cheats and ingrates! Since that vixen's so capable, go let her find you the money."

Yang Xingxian was momentarily stunned. Then his voice softened, and he stroked Xi Jiaojiao's cheek. "Jiaojiao, I hit you in a moment of panic just now. Does it still hurt?"

Xi Jiaojiao's tears fell, making her look even more pitiful. "What do you think? I could take you hitting me—but you did it for some random vixen from outside. It hurts on my face, but it hurts even more in my heart."

"I hit you by accident—but didn't you hit me too? I am your husband. A woman should treat her man like he's heaven, yet you dared to hit me? But I won't hold a grudge..."

Yang Xingxian kept soothing her with sweet talk, and finally managed to calm her down.

That night, Yang Xingxian stayed in Xi Jiaojiao's courtyard, and the two had a grand old time together.

The next day, while Yang Xingxian went to the study to read, Xi Jiaojiao went to Bai Zhining's place to throw her weight around.

Bai Zhining looked at her with an amused expression. "Who do you think you are? You're just a concubine."

"Oh! Dropping the act now, are we? That's right—my husband's not here now, so who are you putting on that vixen act for? You've dropped the act, haven't you? You're nothing but a worthless mistress. Trying to act all high and mighty in front of me—you're not good enough for it."

Xi Jiaojiao's chest heaved with fury. She knew Bai Zhining was putting on an act, but seeing her drop the mask with her own eyes was a whole different story.

Moreover, Bai Zhining would never let Yang Xingxian see this side of her.

"You don't need to put on the airs of a proper wife in front of me. You? Get promoted to the main wife? That's a laugh. Do you know how Young Master Yang behaves around me? He can't stand to not have me in the palm of his hand. And how would you know that your elder sister divorced precisely because she couldn't stand how devoted Yang Xingxian was to me?"

Though Xi Jiaojiao didn't believe it, Bai Zhining spoke so matter-of-factly that she couldn't help but waver.

Could it be that her elder sister was so infuriated by this fox spirit that she insisted on divorcing?

As the two were going back and forth, Yinxing came over. "Concubine Jiao, I've been hunting all over for you. The Lady requests your presence."

Xi Jiaojiao's heart skipped a beat. Lady Wu summoning her was certainly not good news.

Still, she refused to show weakness. Lifting her chin at Bai Zhining, she said, "So what if I'm a concubine? Even the Lady treats me as a proper daughter-in-law. As for you, a vixen mistress—whether you'll even get through the gates of this marquis's residence is still up in the air."

Walking along the path, Xi Jiaojiao felt uneasy. She slipped a tael of silver to Yinxing. "Good sister, do you know why the Lady has summoned me?"

Yinxing accepted the silver and offered a slight smile. "Concubine Jiao, prepare yourself. The Lady has heard... that you struck the Young Master across the face."

Xi Jiaojiao knew she was in trouble. If the Lady had called for her, punishment was certain.

But she couldn't refuse to go, so she walked while racking her brain for a way out.

"You wretched Xi Jiaojiao! A concubine, and you think you can fly to the heavens? You dared to strike your husband, your master? And on the face? Get over here."

No sooner had she entered the courtyard than Wu's shrill voice rang out.

Xi Jiaojiao grumbled inwardly—hadn't her elder sister hit her husband plenty of times? Why couldn't she get away with one slap?

But she put on a terrified expression and knelt before Wu as soon as she entered the hall.

"Mother, please calm your anger and hear me out. The problem now isn't me—it's that other vixen. As Sister Yinxing just witnessed, my husband brought some vixen into the residence and indulges in debauchery in broad daylight. How could I not panic?

If others found out, where would my husband's reputation be? And with the autumn examination approaching, such scandalous behavior... I was so furious that I went to teach that vixen a lesson. But then my husband struck me for her sake, and in my dazed state, I accidentally hit him back."

Yinxing chimed in, "Concubine Jiao is right. The Young Master did bring a woman into the residence, and she plays the pitiful role quite well..."

Hearing how serious the matter was, Wu dropped the matter of Xi Jiaojiao.

"Go back and copy the Admonitions for Women twenty times. Show it to me when you're done, and only then may you leave your courtyard."

Xi Jiaojiao was frustrated but also relieved.

She had been terrified that Wu would order the maids and matrons to slap her mouth.

Fortunately, confinement and copying texts were more acceptable to her.

Besides, she had planted the seed of suspicion about Bai Zhining. Knowing Wu as she did, the woman would surely make a move against that Bai woman.

Sure enough, as she was leaving, she saw Yinxing heading off to summon Bai Zhining.