Chapter 33.2

Hiss…

Feeling the intense chill and killing intent coming from the young girl beside her, Xie Shuyun shivered. Even Pai Pai in her arms shrank into her embrace, not daring to poke his head out.

“Do I really have to spell it out? You did something, and even after being found out, you’re still hiding it. How ugly.”

Drinking her tea, Cheng Lingxue lightly rubbed her fingertips along the rim of the cup. Her voice was very soft, but it was enough for everyone present to hear.

She gently put down the empty teacup in her hand, stood, and once again walked in front of the two maids. She slowly circled around them.

The icy aura around her and the extremely close distance gave the two of them immense psychological pressure.

At the same time, her black pupils became even deeper, like a gloomy wild beast. The white light reflected inside them from the lamps was like the beast’s sharpened claws, glittering and ready at any moment to tear apart anyone reflected in those black eyes.

Ah Hua lost first after meeting Cheng Lingxue’s gaze three times.

Since even she was like this, Ah Xiu was even worse. With just one glance, she was frightened [Read on BaiLianTales]until her face turned pale.

Being employed in the Xie family was something that made one very proud. Even some powerful and noble people, after knowing where they worked, would treat them politely despite them being maids.

Because of this, they were proud. They felt that outside, they could walk sideways without fear.

Having already regarded themselves as half a step above ordinary people, how could they have ever seen a gaze like Cheng Lingxue’s?

A peaceful life and arrogant thoughts had made them lose the ability to examine their own position and identity.

Perhaps only now did they realize that Cheng Lingxue was different from those delicate omega young ladies and young masters in their memories.

A young girl who had gone through a sudden family upheaval—how could she possibly be as simple as she appeared on the surface?

Not to mention, this kind of young girl had gained the favor of the young master of the Xie family, the head of a top aristocratic family. Her methods naturally could not be simple. Perhaps with just a movement of her finger, she could make them fall into an endless abyss.

Seeming to feel that the stimulation was not enough, the young girl stopped behind the two of them and placed her hands on their shoulders.

She did not use much strength, but to the two of them, it was like a giant boulder. Their bodies trembled slightly.

Then they heard the young girl speak in a voice only the three of them could hear.

“I know you’re ambitious. You just want to become wealthy madams. But first, you’re not omegas. Second, your looks are ordinary. Third, you have no family background and no backing. Do you really think rich families are fools who will take anything? Even a mistress’s family wouldn’t look at you.”

“Do you really think that just because you work for the Xie family, you can act lawlessly? Servants are servants. Are you actually dreaming of turning over and becoming the masters? Have you watched too many idol dramas, or are you suffering from delusions?”

Not a single dirty word was used in those sentences, but every word stabbed at their hearts.

The two maids’ faces flushed red with anger, but they could not deny that every word Cheng Lingxue said was true. It was also the truth they subconsciously avoided.

Seeing that the stimulation was about enough, Cheng Lingxue’s voice suddenly returned to its normal volume.

“Do you really think everything you did can be buried? I have a recording in my hands.”

Those words were like a heavy hammer, making both of them tremble all over.

Ah Hua barely managed to keep calm, but Ah Xiu could ​unauthorized copy​not hold on. Her pupils shrank, and she let out a sharp, thin cry.

“Impossible! That person said there wouldn’t be cameras installed in the room or the family head’s study. And the doorway to your room is a blind spot. Sister Hua, I—”

Before she could finish, Ah Hua backhanded her across the face. The force was so great that Ah Xiu staggered several steps and nearly fell.

“What nonsense are you saying, you—ugh…”

This time, it was Ah Hua’s words that were strangled in her throat.

Qin Yu grabbed her by the neck. Her face and eyes were full of anger as she shouted sternly,

“How do you know about this?”

“Hh… hh…”

Ah Hua’s eyes widened. She wanted to speak, but Qin Yu was gripping her neck, so she could only make hoarse sounds. The lack of oxygen caused blood vessels to appear in her eyes, making her look even more frightening.

“Eek! Murder… murder!”

Ah Xiu covered her face. Seeing this scene, she could not help letting out a piercing scream.

“Housekeeper Qin…”

Cheng Lingxue called softly from the side.

Qin Yu then loosened her hand and coldly looked at Ah Hua, who was clutching her neck and coughing nonstop. A cold light flickered in Qin Yu’s eyes.

The Xie family’s cameras were basically all hidden very secretly, and the installation process was extremely careful.

Aside from herself, the Eldest Miss, and the family head, no one knew the location of all the cameras. Moreover, she rotated their angles every three days. So even if there were blind spots, they would not be permanent blind spots.

But these two young maids had only been here for three years. How could they have calculated it so perfectly?

There was an insider!

“The maids in our family really are quite capable. You even know about [unauthorized copy]things like this. Qin Yu, is there a problem with the maid screening process? How could our Xie family have such outstanding talent?”

Xie Shuyun lightly tapped the sofa armrest with her fingertips, a mocking smile appearing on her face.

Her eyes, which had once always carried a smile, had long since lost all amusement. They carried the pressure of someone in a high position, making the two maids feel as if they were not facing the gentle and easygoing Eldest Miss, but the dignified and imposing head of the Xie family, Xie Yun.

“Eldest Miss, Housekeeper Qin, I… I really didn’t do anything… really… really…”

Ah Xiu’s legs went weak, and she collapsed to the floor, speaking incoherently. By the end, her voice grew smaller and smaller, showing that even she herself had no confidence in her words.

Ah Hua clutched her aching neck and looked at Ah Xiu, a sinister look appearing in her eyes.

If this person had not been obedient and easy to control, she absolutely would never have cooperated with her.

Now, she was only dragging her down.

If she had known Ah Xiu was this useless…

Hiding the thoughts in her [bailiantales.com]eyes, Ah Hua suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud and cried out loudly,

“Eldest Miss, Housekeeper Qin, I don’t know anything at all! You can’t push this matter onto me just because a dog dislikes me. I remember now. I saw it… I saw Ah Xiu sneaking toward Miss Cheng’s room this afternoon. I didn’t expect… I didn’t expect she had some other purpose. She truly harbored evil intentions!”

Avoiding Ah Xiu’s disbelieving, stunned gaze, Ah Hua moved forward on her knees, grabbed Qin Yu’s pant leg with both hands, and continued crying.

“Housekeeper Qin, I was dragged into this. Really. I still have a mother in the hospital who had a stroke to take care of, and a younger sister still in school who needs money. I can’t lose this job. I beg you, don’t cut off my livelihood.”

Ah Hua’s cries grew more miserable with each sentence, but they did not draw sympathy from the people present. Instead, her hoarse voice made everyone frown.

At this moment, Ah Xiu finally reacted.

She was not as sharp-minded as Ah Hua, but she was not truly stupid either.

Realizing that Ah Hua wanted to push all the blame onto her, she immediately refused and directly pounced forward, cursing,

“You bitch! You were clearly the one who suggested everything! You were the one who kicked the dog too! And now you actually want to push everything onto me? You have family to support, but don’t I have family too?”

“Stop talking nonsense! Ah! Let go of me!”

The two people who had originally been on the same side started fighting in the blink of an eye.

They completely held nothing back. Pulling hair, yanking clothes, swinging fists, scratching with nails, even biting with their teeth. Filthy words kept coming from their mouths, making everyone who heard them frown.

Xie Shuyun rubbed her temples.

What was this?

They had not even finished asking questions, and they had already started fighting among themselves?

Unable to keep watching them make trouble here, Qin Yu called the bodyguards over to pull the two apart.

At this point, the two were disheveled and extremely miserable. Their faces and arms were covered in bite marks and scratches, and some places were even bleeding.

But the two people involved did not care. Even after being pulled apart, they still twisted their bodies, wanting to pounce at each other.

“Enough!”

Finally unable to keep watching, Xie Shuyun furrowed her brows tightly and suddenly shouted.

Her outburst startled everyone present. After several months of being a good-tempered young miss, her anger now made fear flash through some people’s eyes and panic through others.

The one whose emotions fluctuated the most was undoubtedly Cheng Lingxue.

She stared closely at Xie Shuyun. That expression without a smile, the veins jumping wildly at her forehead, and that slightly fierce face made Cheng Lingxue’s gaze blur somewhat.

She kept feeling as if she had seen the shadow of the other girl’s first personality.

This feeling made her panic a little. Her thin lips parted slightly, but she could not make a single sound.

Fortunately, in the next second, Xie Shuyun tightly closed her eyes and opened them again. That expression disappeared.

There was still a smile on her face, but there was not the slightest trace of amusement in it. She walked to Ah Hua and lightly crouched down, lowering her head to look at the restrained maid. Her tone seemed to carry a faint deeper meaning as she asked softly,

“You really didn’t go in?”

Seeing Xie Shuyun approach, joy flashed across Ah Hua’s face, as if she had seen a life-saving straw.

She completely ignored Xie Shuyun’s anger from just now. In her view, over these past few months, the young miss’s attitude had been very tolerant. This time, she would definitely help her out because she was pitiful!

“I really didn’t go in… Eldest Miss… Eldest Miss, please believe me! I swear!”

“Is that so?”

A disappointed expression appeared on the heroic young girl’s face, making Ah Hua’s heart tremble.

The bright brown pupils staring at her lost their shine and turned into a dark brown.

They were not as terrifying as Cheng Lingxue’s, but because they looked exactly like Xie Yun’s dark brown pupils, they made people feel oppressed.

At this moment, Ah Hua felt that…

she seemed to have thought the person before her was too kind, too good.

The other party had only hidden her blade very well and rarely shown it.

“As the Eldest Miss of the Xie family, I have the authority to make adjustments. Although it was only on a whim…”

As she spoke, Xie Shuyun dragged out her voice.

Seeming to know what she was about to say next, Ah Hua’s expression had already changed.

As if knowing her own ending, the maid looked at Xie Shuyun, her head feeling dizzy. She could only watch Xie Shuyun’s lips open and close, see the white teeth inside, and hear the deliberately slowed voice.

Word by word, like sharp arrows, it struck straight into her heart.

“This morning, I changed the direction of the camera. So the blind spot you mentioned should no longer exist, right?”

Her elbow rested on her knee, her chin propped in her palm. Her eyes curved into crescents, and the brilliant smile on her face no longer carried the warmth of before. Instead, it made people feel cold inside.

The angel who gave warmth and goodwill had transformed in an instant into a demon who happily watched people fall into the abyss.

The moment she revealed her claws, the blow was fatal.

Like a deflated ball, Ah Hua’s whole body went limp.

Ignoring Ah Xiu’s ugly, sharp laughter, she lowered her head. Her eyes were full of despair, as well as uncertainty toward her future ending.

“Qin Yu, pull up the surveillance footage.”

Xie Shuyun stood and said to Qin Yu.

“Eldest Miss, I’ve already pulled it up.”

As Qin Yu spoke, she put the footage onto the television and adjusted it to around two or three in the afternoon.

Sure enough, they saw Ah Hua leading the way, with Ah Xiu holding a black box. The two sneaked toward Cheng Lingxue’s room.

About an hour later, they walked out. The wild and delighted smiles on their faces, as well as [stolen content]the malice they gave off, were clearly displayed through the screen.

The footage ended there, because the room belonged to its owner’s privacy. It was impossible to install surveillance cameras inside.

But the black box in Ah Xiu’s hands attracted Xie Shuyun’s attention.

Walking back to Ah Hua, Xie Shuyun asked,

“What was in that black box?”

No one knew what Ah Hua thought of, but her pupils trembled slightly, and her fingertips shook a little. She turned her face away and gritted her teeth.

“I don’t know what Eldest Miss is talking about.”

Xie Shuyun turned her head to look at Ah Xiu, only to find her face deathly pale. Her hands were tightly covering her mouth, and beads of sweat seeped from her forehead, dripping nonstop.

One had to know that during that fight just now, this maid had not even sweated. Now she had suddenly become like this.

There was definitely a problem!

This thought flashed through her mind.

Xie Shuyun became even more certain that whatever had been in that black box was definitely not something good.

When Ah Xiu had carried it in, it had looked quite heavy. But when she came out, she had been carrying it easily. She had probably placed whatever was inside in Cheng Lingxue’s room!

What exactly was it?

She racked her brain.

Such an important plot—why had nothing about it been mentioned in the book she had read?

Was it because she had greatly changed the plot, causing such a change to occur?

Thinking about it this way, aside from the initial bullying, nothing else had followed the plot of the book.

At that time, Xie Shuyun had thought it was because they had not yet reached university ​read the original at bailiantales.com​and the main storyline had not started.

But the things the scumbag A had done were unusually clear, as if they had been carved into her mind. It did not seem at all like the amount of scenes a cannon fodder character should have.

Countless doubts made Xie Shuyun somewhat dazed.

On the other side, Qin Yu had already specially extracted this segment of footage. Only then did she walk to Cheng Lingxue and ask softly,

“Miss Cheng, was what you said about having a recording true?”

This question once again made Cheng Lingxue the focus of everyone’s gaze.

The young girl did not show any panic. Her beautiful eyes swept across the faces of everyone present, then landed on Ah Hua, whose eyes showed ridicule and confidence, as if believing Cheng Lingxue absolutely had no evidence.

The corner of the young girl’s thin lips curved into a smile that was not quite a smile. She lightly tucked the loose hair at her cheek behind her ear, her tone absolutely calm and steady.

“Of course.”

As she spoke, she walked toward Xie Shuyun and reached out to her.

No…

More precisely, she reached toward Pai Pai in Xie Shuyun’s arms.

With a nimble hook and lift of her fingertips, she removed the collar from Pai Pai’s neck. While lightly stroking it in her hand, she slowly said,

“Originally, I saw that Pai Pai was naughty and was afraid that one day, he might secretly run out and encounter danger. So I bought him a collar with positioning and recording functions. I didn’t expect it to be useful in a place like this.”

The young girl pressed the inside of the collar with her fingertip. It immediately made beeping sounds.

Her black eyes shimmered with rippling light, reflecting Ah Hua’s face as it changed color.

“This… could it be considered an unexpected delight?”