Chapter 10: Rampant

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Having barely slept all night and skipping her afternoon nap to go shopping, Lingxin Kong leaned back in the chair by her desk and unintentionally fell asleep.

But her rest was uneasy; she was caught in a long, harrowing dream.

In it, her younger sister kept sobbing, pleading, “Sister, you must avenge me. They drove me to death! Why do those murderers all live well, while I was left alone in this world...”

Lingxin’s heart ached at her sister’s tear-streaked face. The sister had grown up with Changdong Kong and the Lu couple, practically born with a silver spoon, unlike Lingxin. Before marrying into the Meng family, her life had been smooth sailing. But marriage dragged her into a whirlpool from which she never emerged.

Her husband’s heart was elsewhere; her sister-in-law schemed behind her back; her stern in-laws; the mistress’s brazen advances... all these weighed heavily on her, leaving her perpetually miserable.

In the dream, Lingxin asked her sister, “If you were so unhappy and Meng Zexiao didn’t love you, why didn’t you divorce him? Take half his fortune and live your life in peace, marry a man who loves you, live the life you want—it would be better than being trapped in this cold, luxurious mansion all day! Maybe if you had done that, the two of us sisters might still meet again in this world…”

Her sister wept bitterly, “Because I love Meng Zexiao! I really do. Every day I fantasized he would come back to me... but that day never came! I love him so much, sister, don’t you know?!”

Lingxin hurried to comfort her, “I understand, I understand. Please don’t cry.”

But her sister shook her head and stepped backward, “No, you don’t understand. You have no idea how deeply I loved him. From the moment I saw him, I was hopelessly in love.”

Lingxin tried to reach out, but no matter how she stretched, she couldn’t grasp her sister. Step by step, crying, her sister retreated out of sight.

**

Suddenly sitting upright, Lingxin realized her eyes were wet—she’d been dreaming.

At the moment she opened her eyes, it seemed a figure had quietly closed the study door. Wiping her tears, she glanced toward the door; everything appeared normal. Perhaps it was just a hallucination, she thought.

Outside, the sky had darkened, a crescent moon hanging faintly in the distance.

Housekeeper Qi gently knocked and entered, saying, “Second Madam, it’s time for dinner.”

Lingxin rubbed her temples and asked, “What time is it?”

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Qi replied, “It’s already seven o’clock.”

“Ah!”

Qi smiled knowingly. “Second Young Master usually dines at six, never later than half past. But today, he waited until seven just for you. That’s rare. Seems he’s paying more and more attention to you.”

Lingxin noticed the subtle meaning behind Qi’s smile, her cheeks flushing. It seemed the servants all assumed she and Meng Zexiao had been intimate.

Standing, she felt lightheaded—clearly hungry.

As she descended the stairs, a strange female voice came from below: “Second Young Master, it’s summer now. For a man your age, it’s easy to develop liver and gallbladder heat and internal dampness. You should eat more foods that clear heat and eliminate dampness, like yam, cowpeas, black beans, jujubes, lotus seeds, dog meat, and mutton bones…”

Hearing the flattering tone, Lingxin frowned and asked Qi, “Who’s that woman speaking?”

“She’s Doctor Peng,” Qi answered. “Since you returned from your family, the Lady arranged for Doctor Peng to come and check on you, to carefully oversee your diet.”

Doctor Peng?

Lingxin frowned again. “You mean Peng Nan?”

Qi looked puzzled. “Yes, that’s Meng family’s house doctor, Peng Nan. She’s Dean Huang’s student, an expert in nutritional therapy, so she often comes by to write menus for the kitchen. After Master Meng got older, he became obsessed with health preservation, which is why Dean Huang had his student visit often. She’s here now to check on your recovery.”

So it was that despicable woman who’d been with Meng Zexiao!

Now certain, Lingxin strode downstairs determined to see what this woman looked like as soon as possible.

Soon, Lingxin spotted Meng Zexiao and Peng Nan sitting on the sofa, exchanging casual words. But Peng Nan’s eyes sparkled suggestively, while Meng Zexiao appeared distracted and absent-minded.

Could he still be recovering from his pain? Lingxin felt a secret thrill.

Ignoring them both, she walked straight to the dining table, sat in the same seat she had at lunch, picked up a bowl, and began eating.

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Meng Zexiao stood, staring coldly at Lingxin. “Didn’t your mother teach you basic manners? We have guests in the house, and you don’t even say a word.”

Lingxin rolled her eyes. “Manners depend on who you’re dealing with! Besides, if she’s the guest, shouldn’t she be the one to greet me first?”

Peng Nan was taken aback—was this really the same Lingxin from a month ago, who only knew how to cry and whimper?

Meng Zexiao clenched his fists, as if about to explode. “Lingxin, what did you take today? Do you realize your behavior today might endanger your own life?”

Lingxin set down her chopsticks, stood up, and faced him calmly but firmly. “I’ve already been close to death once. Why should I fear it again?”

Her mind still replayed the scene from her dream. She wasn’t afraid of him. Even if she had to die, she wouldn’t choose suicide like her sister—she would take someone down with her.

After a glance from Meng Zexiao, the servants retreated to the background. Only the three of them remained in the spacious room.

Peng Nan swiftly stepped forward, taking Meng Zexiao’s arm. “Second Young Master, don’t quarrel with Second Madam. She had a miscarriage just a month ago and is still weak. If she gets too upset, she might develop infertility.”

She said this with a hint of provocation, glancing at Lingxin.

Only then did Lingxin focus her gaze on the woman: fair-skinned, tall, and most notably, well-endowed—at least two cup sizes larger than hers.

So this was a woman with both looks and assets!

Meng Zexiao, oh Meng Zexiao, it turns out even billions can’t save you from temptation—a busty woman was enough to ruin you and take away your child.

Three sets of bowls and chopsticks sat on the table. It seemed Meng Zexiao had already prepared for Peng Nan to stay for dinner.

Lingxin sat back down, resting her chin on one hand and holding her chopsticks in the other. “If I become infertile, wouldn’t that be just what Doctor Peng wants?”