Sikong Jing is an Ungrateful Wretch

At this moment, inside Su Yuexi's courtyard at the Su Mansion.

Mei Xiaofang was anxiously tugging at Su Yuexi, demanding loudly, "Where is that criminal? How can he not be found?"

Su Yuexi's face was somewhat pale, and dark circles hung beneath her eyes; she had not slept all night.

Yesterday, after Sikong Jing left the Hengyu Pawnshop, he had said he was going to leave the city to retrieve the Jadeite Hairpin. At the time, she assumed he would certainly be stopped by the city guards, but he had not returned home for the entire night.

Now, Su Yuexi did not know if Sikong Jing had successfully left the city or if he had been captured and imprisoned by the city guards.

"Mother, Sikong Jing, he..."

Just as she was about to explain the situation at the Hengyu Pawnshop, a shrill cry from Aunt Li suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard: "Mei Xiaofang, we've come to collect our money! The ten-fold wages your criminal son-in-law promised can be paid to us now."

As the words fell, a clattering sound erupted...

Dozens of people suddenly appeared both inside and outside the courtyard.

Among them were the seven servants led by Aunt Li who had come to demand their wages, along with a large crowd of surrounding Su Mansion servants.

Each and every one of them wanted to know if Mei Xiaofang's criminal son-in-law could actually produce ten times their wages.

At this, Mei Xiaofang, standing in the hall, asked with a pale face, "Yuexi, is there any money left from pawning the Jadeite Hairpin?"

Su Yuexi shook her head and said, "It's gone. There were only three Gold Crystal Coins."

Those three Gold Crystal Coins had already been given to Doctor Sun to treat her father, Su Zhenglong, and now Su Yuexi's hands were empty once again.

"But Mother, don't worry. Sikong Jing has money. I saw that he had many Gold Crystal Coins in his hand yesterday," Su Yuexi said, quickly trying to comfort her upon seeing Mei Xiaofang's grim expression.

"He has many Gold Crystal Coins, but where is he right now?" Mei Xiaofang pressed.

No sooner had she spoken than Aunt Li's voice rang out again: "Mei Xiaofang, pay up! Otherwise, don't blame us for moving your things out."

Glaring hatefully at Su Yuexi, Mei Xiaofang had no choice but to rush out and say, "My son-in-law went to get the money and hasn't returned yet. When he comes back, he will naturally give you ten times the amount. What's the rush?"

Although she didn't quite believe that Sikong Jing had many Gold Crystal Coins, Mei Xiaofang could only say this for now.

"Pfft..."

The next instant, a mocking laugh erupted abruptly from the crowd; it was Su Yun.

She walked out gracefully and smiled, "Aunt, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. I just received news that your criminal son-in-law broke through the city gates and fled yesterday!"

As these words fell, Su Yuexi, who had just stepped out of the hall, froze in place.

Had Sikong Jing really succeeded in leaving the city?

At the same time, Mei Xiaofang wore a look of confusion and asked, "Why would Sikong Jing leave the city?"

She hadn't reacted in time and didn't yet realize the gravity of Su Yun's words.

Sikong Jing was a criminal; how could he dare to leave the city?

Su Yun was all smiles, teasingly saying, "Aunt, haven't you figured it out yet? Your son-in-law is a convict. Of course, he broke out of the city to escape—to flee the cage that is Yunye City."

Once these words were out, Mei Xiaofang's eyes widened, and she shuddered violently. "You mean... you mean..."

Su Yun shrugged, a flash of malice crossing her eyes. "That's right. Knowing he couldn't pay the ten-fold wages, why would he stay to face death? He must have fled while he had the chance."

Buzz!

Mei Xiaofang's mind exploded. She knew that Sikong Jing had promised to forfeit his life if he couldn't produce the ten-fold wages.

This was no joke; while the servants might not dare to kill him, Su Zhengtao and Su Yun certainly would.

"Su Yun, stop spouting nonsense! Sikong Jing has money."

At this moment, Su Yuexi couldn't help but rush out to refute Su Yun, her eyes rimmed with red.

After speaking, she turned sharply to look at Mei Xiaofang. "Mother, Sikong Jing breaking out of the city wasn't to escape, but to help me retrieve the Jadeite Hairpin that was sold off."

Mei Xiaofang stared blankly at her second daughter and asked, "So, it's true that he broke out of the city?"

"Yes." Su Yuexi nodded and quickly explained the incident at the Hengyu Pawnshop.

"Hahaha..."

Just as she finished speaking, Su Yun couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.

"You're saying he left the city in the middle of the night for a tiny hairpin of yours? Isn't he afraid of dying outside the city walls?"

"Isn't he afraid of the punishment he'll face if he returns?"

Su Yun didn't believe a single word of Su Yuexi's explanation.

Su Yuexi bit her lip, looked Su Yun straight in the face, and replied loudly, "It's the truth."

Thinking of the expression and look in Sikong Jing's eyes yesterday, Su Yuexi couldn't help but feel a surge of resentment—resentment that Su Yun would not believe in Sikong Jing's character.

"Su Yuexi, you really are naive."

"Your criminal husband just used that as an excuse to flee the city; he just wanted to get rid of you, this ugly freak."

"You actually think that because you're so ugly, he would treat you with sincerity?"

Su Yun sneered incessantly, looking at Su Yuexi as if she were a foolish woman deceived by a bad man.

These words caused Su Yuexi's heart to contract, and she was instantly thrown into a panic.

She was nothing but an ugly freak that everyone feared; how could anyone possibly treat her with sincerity?

"Yuexi, that criminal is nothing but an ungrateful wretch, an ungrateful wretch!" Just as Su Yuexi's heart wavered, Mei Xiaofang's voice rang out from behind her. "He has fled the city; there is no way he is coming back."

"Everything was fake. Marrying you was fake, being willing to accept you was fake, and the ten times the wages was also fake."

"He is an irredeemable criminal by nature. How could he possibly risk leaving the city for a Jadeite Hairpin?"

As Mei Xiaofang's shrill words continued, Su Yuexi's mind roared with waves of noise, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Was she, after all, still that unwanted, ugly freak?

"Congratulations, Aunt, you have finally gotten rid of that criminal."

"But regardless of whether he has fled or not, he is the son-in-law you acknowledged, and the ten times the wages must be paid back to Aunt Li and the others."

Su Yun's sharp, heartless voice pulled the desperate mother and daughter back to reality.

Following this, Aunt Li and the others sneered, "Mei Xiaofang, pay up!"

All the servants took a step forward, their faces twisted with malice!

"We don't have the money, but we will find a way..."

Mei Xiaofang's face turned deathly pale as she quickly shielded Su Yuexi, who was on the verge of a breakdown.

Su Yun curled her lips into a long, cold sneer and barked, "No money, is it? Then... you can start moving your things out."

As soon as her words fell, Aunt Li and the others let out shrill laughs and charged into the various rooms in the courtyard without a second thought.

At the same time, the onlookers among the servants were eager to join in, and with Su Yun's encouragement, many of them rushed inside as well.

"No, don't loot the place!"

"You bastards, you animals! Zhenglong is still resting inside; I won't allow you to enter!"

Mei Xiaofang rushed to the door of Su Zhenglong's room like a madwoman, guarding the entrance with her life.

Su Zhenglong had just taken Doctor Sun's medicine and was finally showing signs of improvement; a commotion like this would kill him.

"I won't let you touch my father's things!" Su Yuexi also cast aside her pain and lunged toward Su Zhenglong's room.

"Haha, don't worry about them, just charge in!" Su Yun let out a manic laugh.

Inside, she laughed even more wildly, eager to see if Su Zhenglong would be angered to death.

Suddenly, a violent gust of wind descended, accompanied by a voice filled with monstrous rage: "What are you doing?"

The voice carried a thunderous fury, and a straight, fierce figure landed with a boom—it was none other than Sikong Jing, who had just returned.

He had come home full of joy, ready to tell Su Yuexi that he had retrieved the Jadeite Hairpin, but the chaotic scene before him caused his killing intent to erupt instantly.