Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 526 - 529: Death (1)

"Fourth Madam!" Teng Qiuniang sat upright in the room, her forehead wrapped in white cotton cloth, with blood seeping out from it.

Xiqiu entered, followed by Nanny Wu, with servants guarding outside the door.

Teng Qiuniang looked at Nanny Wu with a stern expression and coldly sneered, "Nanny Wu, rest assured. The Fourth Madam is gentle, and I am just a mere woman; naturally, I won’t do anything to her. There’s no need for this grand show." With a mocking smile, she continued, "Besides, I don’t want anyone overhearing what I say to Fourth Madam."

Xiqiu furrowed her brows, and Teng Qiuniang sneered again, "Surely, the Fourth Madam wouldn’t want anyone to hear either!"

Unlike before, Xiqiu could sense the suppressed hostility from her.

Nanny Wu glanced at Fourth Madam, only to see her solemn face as she slowly said, "I have nothing that I can’t speak of, Teng Madam can say what she wishes."

"Ha..." Teng Qiuniang covered her face and laughed, then stood up leisurely and said to Nanny Wu, "Fourth Madam is candid and upright, unlike my petty, sneaky self... Nonetheless, I must ask Nanny Wu to wait outside the room."

"Fourth Madam." Nanny Wu looked at Xiqiu without contradicting Teng Qiuniang, "I’ll wait for you outside."

Xiqiu nodded, "Thank you, Nanny!"

Nanny Wu exited the room, and the door was closed again.

Teng Qiuniang gestured with her hand, "Fourth Madam, please have a seat." After speaking, she sat down opposite the round table.

Xiqiu saw on her face an unrestrained demeanor, like a person nearing death, wanting to do all the things she dared not do before her end. Looking at Teng Qiuniang expressionlessly, she said, "If Teng Madam has something to say, please speak."

Teng Qiuniang watched Xiqiu, thinking she was always like this, indifferent as if nothing could startle her, and her eyes flashed with sarcasm, "Fourth Madam truly has great composure. Aren’t you curious why I’m seeking you out now? Aren’t you anxious to know?"

Xiqiu smiled faintly, looking back at Teng Qiuniang, "It’s Teng Madam who should be anxious."

"Indeed!" Teng Qiuniang laughed and nodded, "Fourth Madam is right, I should be anxious. I’m the one to be sent to Iron Pestle Temple tomorrow, not you, so naturally, you’re not anxious."

Iron Pestle Temple is a place in the Capital where noble families discipline erring women. It’s where guilty concubines, servants, and maids are sent, where strict rules prevail. Life is not only like that of an ascetic but there’s heavy labor daily, and at night, one has to copy scriptures... Day after day until there’s only one way out for a person—death!

Xiqiu had also heard about Iron Pestle Temple, and she said to Teng Qiuniang, "You’ve admitted your wrongdoing; you should have known the Grand Dowager wouldn’t let you off easily, saying this now is rather late."

"Do you know what I hate most about you?" Teng Qiuniang abruptly stood without responding to Xiqiu, staring at her with a cold gaze, "I hate most your daily pretense, acting lofty while having a humble status. You actually believe you’re a lady of a noble family, you believe you’re born of a distinguished family? Let me tell you, you’re nothing more than a low-born illegitimate daughter!"

Xiqiu raised her eyebrows at her, noncommittal.

Teng Qiuniang was enraged again by her attitude, sneering, "You must be thinking you’re from the Fourth House, so there’s no conflict of interest between me or Shen, so you act as an outsider throughout, correct? Haha... let me tell you, everything that happened today is all because of you!"

Xiqiu was slightly stunned, as Teng Qiuniang fixed her stare on her, gnashing her teeth, "Tong Xiqiu, you want to wash your hands clean? There’s no way!"

"Teng Madam’s words are jesting; those who are clear-minded keep clear-minded. Why would I need to exert such effort?" After a pause, she added, "If that’s all you have to say, then you must excuse me, I won’t keep you company anymore!"

"Don’t leave!" Teng Qiuniang stepped forward and grabbed Xiqiu’s arm coldly, "You ruined me to this state, and you just want to leave tossing your sleeves?"

Xiqiu was also angered, "Let go!" She looked at Teng Qiuniang sharply and shook off her hand, "You say I ruined you like this, but why don’t you think about whose fault it really is today!"

"Whose fault? Naturally, yours." Teng Qiuniang gnashed her teeth and said, "Back then, Marquis was in the Mei Garden. If it weren’t for you having someone notify me, how could I have gone there? Had I not gone, how could Tong Xihua have caught something against me? If he hadn’t caught anything, how could I have married into this mansion... If not for this, how could I have been harmed by Tong Xihua to be unable to bear children, without winning Marquis’s love, spending a life without children? So... isn’t my lonely existence in the rear courtyard something you find pleasing? Tong Xiqiu, where did I offend you, that you would harm me so?"

Xiqiu nearly laughed, incredulous as she looked at Teng Qiuniang, raising her brows, "If you think this way, there’s no necessity for us to even speak!" Saying this, she turned to leave.

Teng Qiuniang abruptly blocked Xiqiu, sneering, "No need to speak to me? Yes, now you’re of high status, the honorable Fourth Madam naturally looks down on me, a concubine. But don’t forget your status, compared to me, you’ll never match!" After a pause, she continued, "Oh... I understand now, you’re just jealous of me being a legitimate daughter of the Teng Family, with a higher status than yours, so when I sought your help to save the Teng Family, you immediately dismissed it in your mind. Without the Teng Family, I’d be nothing, forever just a concubine, always having to kneel before Tong Xiqiu, isn’t that it, isn’t it?!"

"I really have nothing to say to you." She wondered why she hadn’t noticed before how peculiar her logic was. Helplessly, she said, "This world isn’t about you alone; not everyone should focus on you or pay attention to you. Why should I hate you, why should I be jealous of you, even if your Teng Family leaps through social ranks, what does it have to do with me..." Finishing, she shook her head, "I see you won’t understand, you might as well go to Iron Pestle Temple and think clearly there!"

Teng Qiuniang’s gaze was cold, her forehead wrapped in white cloth with veins pulsing, blocking Xiqiu, "Tong Xiqiu, don’t act all innocent and pure; your heart’s filth may be unknown to others, but I know!" Saying this, she leaned closer to Xiqiu, each word laced with a near-madness, "You wanted to marry Marquis back then, but were stopped by your stepmother... Later you attracted Fourth Master, finally elevating to Marquis Mansion, yet you weren’t content, secretly seducing Marquis again, you really are cheap, too cheap!" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Slap!

Xiqiu gave her a slap without hesitation, frowning fiercely, showing ruthlessness, "If you dare to speak nonsense again..." She leaned towards Teng Qiuniang’s ear, "I have a thousand ways to deal with you." Then squinted at her, "But, looking at you, I don’t need to do anything now."

Teng Qiuniang covered her face, suddenly recalling that one night, the slap Xiao Yanyi had dealt, and she burst into laughter, the sound high-pitched. Pointing at Xiqiu, she said, "Good, good, I really underestimated you." Then continued her laughter, "Tong Xiqiu, if I die, you won’t fare well either."