Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 100

The bailiffs in the hall moved to seize Huang Yaning, but she turned tear-filled eyes toward Magistrate Jiang.

Perhaps moved by her youth or simply amused, the magistrate waved the bailiffs off, signaling that no action was needed.

Then Sheng Yong’s furious voice erupted—the sound of a man whose schemes had been exposed, lashing out in shame and rage.

“Nonsense! What kind of rubbish are you spouting? And who do you think you’re calling ‘Father’?!”

“There’s no use denying it,” Huang Yaning trembled, her small frame shaking as if terrified, yet her words remained sharp. “The way you looked at me just now—like a hunter eyeing prey—if you take me away, I’ll probably vanish from this world!”

She then turned to Magistrate Jiang, laying the flattery on thick.

“Your Honor, the village scholar told me that Magistrate Jiang of the capital is fair, selfless, and incorruptible. That’s why I traveled all this way—to beg for your justice!

“You’re the righteous judge here. You can’t let him take me—!”

“Don’t worry,” the magistrate said firmly. “No one will take you away.”

Huang Yaning caught a flicker of sympathy in his gaze and felt a surge of gratitude. When he motioned for her to return to the center of the hall, she obeyed without pushing her luck, kowtowing respectfully before kneeling again.

…..

“Husband, a mother knows her own child. The moment I saw her, I knew she was my daughter—!”

Seeing how Huang Yaning’s performance had Sheng Yong seething—veins bulging, eyes murderous—Sheng Minmin decided to pour oil on the fire.

“Only now do I realize—Sheng Mingzhu looks nothing like you or me. But she does resemble that wretched Taoniang!

“That servant doted on Mingzhu like her own flesh and blood, while the child she abused… looks just like me.

“Husband, there’s no such thing as this many coincidences! That vile woman must have switched the babies. Sheng Mingzhu is a fraud!

“Oh, my poor daughter… all these years, you’ve suffered so much—!”

Sobbing uncontrollably, Sheng Minmin swayed as if about to faint, supported by her maids, Qingying and Qingxiang.

Though Huang Yaning longed to embrace her daughter, she held back, staying on her knees as tears streamed down her face.

To the crowd, “Madam Huang’s” reasoning was flawless. Her immediate recognition of the girl as her own made it undeniable—this had to be the Sheng family’s true heiress.

A mother’s words carried weight!

Some women in the crowd, imagining themselves in Madam Huang’s place, felt murderous rage on her behalf. Their eyes reddened with pity for the thin, trembling girl on the floor…

What a tragic pair…

That damned servant ruined their lives—!

Curses against Taoniang spread, and soon, whispers about Sheng Mingzhu followed.

…..

Sheng Yong had never felt so cornered in his life.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, he forced his expression to soften, gazing at his “wife” with feigned tenderness.

“A’Ning, trust me. This wild girl popped up out of nowhere—she’s clearly scheming against us! Don’t let her manipulators win!

“Mingzhu is the child we raised. She’s our real daughter. Think of all the happy years we’ve shared…”

A’Ning—the intimate nickname he’d used during their honeymoon phase. In the past, just hearing it would melt Huang Yaning’s resolve, making her yield to his whims.

Sheng Yong expected the same today.

But he didn’t know this “Huang Yaning” wasn’t the love-struck fool of before.

Inside, Sheng Minmin recoiled, her mind screaming in disgust.

“Husband, I know she’s my child. If you still doubt me… let’s call an imperial physician for a blood test.”

Blood. Test.

The words shattered Sheng Yong’s facade. His tender gaze twisted into shock, then fury.

Trembling, he pointed at “Huang Yaning” and roared:

“Huang Shi—HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!”

Not even Sheng Mingzhu’s broken leg had provoked this much rage. His apoplectic reaction delighted Sheng Minmin.

She should have been crying, but she was too busy reveling in his misery. Hiding behind her handkerchief, she fake-sobbed:

“Husband, I’ve been blind for years. Today, I finally see the truth—Sheng Mingzhu isn’t my daughter. This girl is!

“Why… why must you force me to abandon my own flesh and blood—?”

…..

“Father… I know you don’t want to acknowledge me.”

Huang Yaning seized the moment, her voice trembling with grief.

“I’ve heard… Prince Qi adores that imposter…

“I know I can’t compare. She grew up with maids and tutors—she can sing, dance, play instruments… while all I know is feeding chickens, tending pigs, and gathering firewood…

“I… don’t deserve to be your daughter…

“I don’t blame you for rejecting me… I just blame my miserable fate… for being too worthless to catch a prince’s eye…”

Bowing her head, she burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

For a moment, the hall echoed with the cries of mother and daughter.

And the crowd?

Their eyes locked onto Sheng Yong like he was a monster—a cold, calculating beast who’d discard his own blood for profit!

Sheng Yong felt their judgment.

If Huang Yaning’s earlier defiance had angered him, and “Huang Yaning’s” defiance had enraged him further…

Then this—this performance—nearly made him vomit blood.

The metallic tang flooded his mouth, but he swallowed it down with sheer willpower.

There was no way out. He couldn’t take the girl now, nor could he let harm befall her—unless he wanted the entire capital branding him a child-killing demon.

For the first time, despair flickered in his eyes.

Mingzhu’s identity… is lost.

His heart turned to ice.