Sheng Mingjian had grown up enjoying his parents’ doting love, as well as the flattery and sycophancy of outsiders.
After starting school, his teachers praised him. When he entered the prestigious Royal Academy, filled with talented students, he still performed exceptionally well.
From a very young age, he could already foresee that his life would go very smoothly and be extremely brilliant.
He had never doubted that!
But ever since that little wretch returned to the mansion, everything had changed!
Right after she came back, she beat him with a feather duster in the ancestral hall. And afterward, his own mother punished him with a spanking.
Sheng Mingjian had always remembered that incident. To him, it was the most humiliating moment of his life.
He told himself that one day, he would get revenge, and it would be fierce.
But he never expected that the little wretch was in cahoots with Xiong San. And then she put him through something even more humiliating than before.
The reason Sheng Mingjian believed Xiong San and Huang Yaning were working together was that Xiong San had betrayed him.
Since Xiong San wasn’t his man, he naturally belonged to someone else.
And right now, Sheng Mingjian could only think of Huang Yaning as that someone else.
At this moment, Sheng Mingjian wished he could stab a dozen holes in Huang Yaning and then skin her alive.
The murderous intent radiating from him was almost tangible, enough to make anyone’s heart palpitate.
“Cousin… if you barge into my cousin’s bedchamber with a bunch of servants for no reason…
“Not only will it ruin my cousin’s reputation, but it won’t look good for yours either…”
Huang Xianjing said.
Her voice was clearly trembling, showing just how terrified she really was.
Anyone could see that if Sheng Mingjian actually went in, the consequences would be unthinkable.
There might even be bloodshed. In a worst-case scenario, someone could end up dead.
Huang Xianjing was using the matter of reputation to remind Sheng Mingjian that if he caused a huge scene, he wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed either.
Everyone in the room could think of these words, but very few had the courage to say them out loud.
Sheng Mingshu stepped sideways to block Huang Xianjing, took a deep breath, and then bowed to Sheng Mingjian.
“Big Brother, you’ve read extensively, and you’re a famous scholar at the academy. Surely you wouldn’t do something so absurd. The servants must have misunderstood your intentions—”
This was also offering Sheng Mingjian a way to back down gracefully.
Normally, Sheng Mingjian, who cherished his reputation, would never do something so stupid.
But unfortunately, the Sheng Mingjian standing here right now had already gone mad.
At this moment, Sheng Mingjian didn’t want to think about or care about anything else. He just wanted to kill the person inside that room.
Even the way he looked at Sheng Mingshu was filled with murderous intent, as if anyone who dared stand in his way would only have one path left—death.
Everyone could see Sheng Mingjian’s madness. They were both terrified and shocked.
“Big Brother…”
Just then, Sheng Mingyi, who had been slouched in his chair, spoke up urgently.
“Even if Seventh Sister did something absurd, no matter how angry you are, at least wait until she wakes up…”
Because he spoke so hastily, he started coughing violently as soon as he finished.
Sheng Mingyi wasn’t trying to speak up for Huang Yaning. He was trying to help Sheng Mingjian.
There were too many people and too many prying eyes. If Sheng Mingjian actually did something outrageous today, he would be in serious trouble himself.
If the teachers at the academy found out, their opinion of Sheng Mingjian would probably take a nosedive.
And with the crucial exam period approaching, he really couldn’t afford to cause any trouble.
Sheng Mingbo had apparently realized this too.
He had gotten a little smarter lately. He knew that if he helped his big brother “run wild,” he wouldn’t get anything good out of it either.
Instantly, Sheng Mingbo’s aggressive demeanor faded. He was no longer so “confrontational.”
But Sheng Mingbo was also very unwilling to let go. As a result, his face twisted into an extremely ugly expression, as if he had a thick glob of phlegm stuck in his throat.
He couldn’t cough it out, and he couldn’t swallow it down.
Beside him, a flash of vicious resentment quickly passed through Sheng Mingzhu’s eyes.
Sheng Mingzhu had been having a run of bad luck lately. That day at the Dong mansion, that little wretch had let Xia Zhi become Brother Sheng’s woman.
And it made many people misunderstand her, laugh at her as a “drama queen,” saying she staged the whole thing to seduce Brother Sheng.
Although everyone, out of respect for her master’s successful rain prayer, hadn’t spread bad rumors about her afterward.
Sheng Mingzhu could still feel that the halo her master and senior brothers had given her was almost used up.
She felt a sense of crisis, like her tail was on fire.
If she didn’t do something soon, she might never be able to recover.
And the one who had caused her to suffer defeat again and again was that little wretch in Haitang Courtyard.
Damn her!
Sheng Mingzhu wished Big Brother would go in and chop that little wretch to death.
As for what would happen to Big Brother afterward, Sheng Mingzhu didn’t want to think about it at all.
Big Brother was the legitimate first son with a brilliant future ahead of him. Father would never abandon him.
After many thoughts flashed through her mind, Sheng Mingzhu spoke up, sounding soft and weak.
“Fourth Brother, Cousin…
“Big Brother is injured and just overly worried about Seventh Sister’s health. That’s why he momentarily forgot himself and brought the servants along.
“Why don’t you let Fifth Brother help Big Brother inside to visit? Once Big Brother sees Seventh Sister with his own eyes, he’ll feel at ease, and that should also put your concerns to rest—”
“No—”
“No—”
Sheng Mingshu and Huang Xianjing said in unison.
Sheng Mingzhu frowned. “Fourth Brother, Cousin, what do you mean by this?
“Big Brother is Seventh Sister’s own blood brother. Why can’t he go in to visit his unconscious sister?
“Fifth Brother, go help Big Brother inside—”
What kind of brother carries a sword, reeking of malice, and brings a bunch of servants to visit his unconscious sister?
Sheng Mingzhu was blatantly lying, only wanting to add fuel to the fire.
Sheng Mingbo hesitated, unsure whether he should step forward or not.
Sheng Mingshu, Sheng Mingli, and Huang Xianjing were all extremely anxious, their eyes locked on Sheng Mingjian, terrified that he might go into the inner room.
Under normal circumstances, these two sides would probably argue back and forth, pulling and tugging for quite a while.
But today, Sheng Mingjian couldn’t hold back any longer. The stinging pain from that place was spreading to other parts of his body.
It reminded him of the humiliation he had endured.
It reminded him that his dignity had been trampled into the dust.
Sheng Mingjian felt as if the rage had burned its way into his very bones. He desperately needed that little wretch’s blood to ease the physical pain.
Before coming, he had given someone instructions.
If he was blocked, that person was to sneak in amid the chaos and slash that little wretch’s face.
He would take responsibility for all the consequences. If successful, he would reward that person with a huge sum of money and secretly let them leave the mansion.
With that much money, they could buy a new identity and live a carefree life for the rest of their days.
Sheng Mingjian looked at the people blocking his way and flashed a sinister smile, then spat out a few words.
“Smash—everything—”
As the words left his mouth.
Everyone in the room, masters and concubines alike, had only one thought: Sheng Mingjian had lost his mind.
Gaoshan and Jingxing heard the order and led the servants to start smashing things first.
Instantly, the room erupted with the sound of shattering porcelain, the crash of cabinets falling over, and the screams of women.
Just as they were about to charge forward, they were stopped by several sturdy nursemaids who came rushing out.
Haitang Courtyard originally only had some frail maidservants, but the day before, Sheng Minmin had given Huang Yaning ten sturdy nursemaids.
Earlier, when Sheng Mingjian “stormed” into Haitang Courtyard, these nursemaids had already been instructed by Qingtian to stand guard at the door.
When they heard the commotion, they immediately flooded inside.
In an instant, the main hall was packed with people, and chaos reigned supreme.
