Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 28

Concubine Bai had likely harbored resentment toward Sheng Mingzhu for a long time.

Now that Mingzhu’s status had declined and her most capable aide, Taoniang, had been punished, this was the perfect opportunity for Concubine Bai to exact revenge.

The corner of Sheng Minmin’s lips curled slightly. The more enemies Sheng Mingzhu has, the better.

Given Mingzhu’s temperament, she wouldn’t let today’s humiliation slide. The question was whether Concubine Bai had covered her tracks well enough.

“Father, during dance practice, I slipped on something and fell…”

Sure enough, as soon as Minmin and Qingying reached the doorway, they heard Mingzhu’s tearful voice.

“Little Sister, did someone sabotage you? Tell me who it was—I’ll break both their legs!” The hot-tempered Sheng Mingbo stepped forward aggressively.

The eldest brother, Sheng Mingjian, was only ten but already had the cold, calculating gaze of an adult. His eyes swept over the two concubine-born sons and five concubines in the room, like a venomous snake ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

“Young Master… why are you looking at me like that…?”

Concubine Bai asked timidly. With her fair skin and delicate features, she looked every bit the innocent ingénue. Her tear-filled eyes and frail posture—like a white lotus trembling in the wind—made her appear pitifully vulnerable.

Sheng Yong stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her slender waist. Immediately, Concubine Bai melted against him like a delicate wisp of silk.

Among the five concubines in the household, Concubine Bai and Concubine Hong were the most favored.

Concubine Bai had the face of a pure, delicate flower. She always dressed in flowing white robes, appearing ethereal and fragile.

Concubine Hong, on the other hand, was stunningly beautiful. She adored lavish clothing—today, she wore a dazzling golden-threaded gown—and her bold personality matched her flamboyant style.

One was a white lotus, the other a red rose. Both breathtaking, yet perpetually at odds.

Seeing Concubine Bai use her “fragile act” to cling to Sheng Yong again, Concubine Hong sneered, “Little Sister Bai, did you injure your head recently? Why are you dressed like you’re in mourning at a sickbed visit?”

Her voice was just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Concubine Bai always wore white, so no one had questioned it earlier. But now, with Hong’s pointed remark, the inappropriateness of her attire became glaringly obvious.

Sheng Yong looked awkward, as if torn between acknowledging the impropriety and not wanting to upset his other favorite. He gently pushed Concubine Bai away.

Mingzhu seethed internally, gripping her handkerchief so tightly her knuckles turned white. Yet her face remained a picture of pitiful innocence as she gazed at Mingbo.

Unable to bear his sister’s distress, Mingbo was about to reprimand Concubine Bai when Mingyi pinched his arm sharply and jerked his chin toward “Mother.”

The unspoken message: Concubine Bai is Father’s woman. It’s not your place to discipline her. Just wait—‘Mother’ will punish her harshly.

But to their dismay, their “Mother” did nothing. She stood there calmly, eerily composed.

The three brothers exchanged bewildered glances. Normally, their mother would already be at Mingzhu’s bedside, weeping and calling her “my darling, my precious.” Why was “Mother” so indifferent today?

They stared at Sheng Minmin in disbelief, but to everyone else, her reaction made perfect sense.

What kind of daughter calls for her wet nurse instead of her own mother when injured?

Any woman would be heartbroken. The concubines privately thought that if they had a daughter like Mingzhu, they might’ve died of rage long ago.

Even the servants in Haitang Courtyard sensed their young mistress had misspoken and offended the Madam. No one blamed the Madam for her coldness—after all, wouldn’t anyone be upset in her place?

Of course, none of them dared point this out to Mingzhu. Right now, they were more worried about their own necks.

Sheng Yong finally noticed his wife’s unusual demeanor and frowned. “Madam—”

“Husband,” Minmin cut him off smoothly, “since Sixth Daughter suspects foul play, we must investigate thoroughly.”

She was afraid Sheng Yong might uncover that she wasn’t the real Huang Yaning—but she also knew she couldn’t keep up a flawless act forever. The smarter move was to introduce subtle changes at opportune moments.

For instance, after Mingzhu’s betrayal with the wet nurse last time, it was only natural for her to switch from calling her “Pearl” to “Sixth Daughter.”

And today, when Mingzhu publicly called for her wet nurse instead of her “mother,” of course she’d respond with continued aloofness.

Who wouldn’t be “hurt”?

Wasn’t it normal for a wounded woman to behave differently?

With enough of these gradual shifts, over time, her attitude toward Mingzhu would no longer raise eyebrows—and Sheng Yong would never suspect a thing.

Her words successfully redirected the room’s attention.

Haitang Courtyard – Side Chamber

Xue Ningzhi paced anxiously, guarded by several stern matrons at the door.

Earlier, she’d been teaching the Sixth Young Miss a simple dance routine. Everything went smoothly at first—until Mingzhu suddenly shrieked and collapsed mid-movement.

As a renowned dance instructor in the capital, Ningzhi had her own methods.

For lesser-status girls (like concubine-born daughters or neglected legitimate ones), she trained them rigorously. Hardship bred excellence, and their success became her living advertisements.

But for families that doted on their daughters—where a scraped knee was treated like a disaster—she took a gentler approach. If the results were lackluster, she’d tactfully suggest the student “lacked innate talent.”

After all, with so many accomplished pupils under her belt, who could question her skills?

The Sheng family’s Sixth Young Miss was their treasured jewel, and the Madam paid handsomely. So Ningzhi had been extra cautious, selecting only the simplest, safest routines to avoid even minor injuries.

Today’s dance shouldn’t have caused any accidents.

After much deliberation, Ningzhi concluded that Mingzhu must’ve slipped due to lack of recent practice.

Young ladies injuring themselves during dance wasn’t uncommon. Hopefully, the Sheng family won’t overreact…