Chapter 43: Waiting for the Rabbit

Chen Xue instructed her servants to move away and then took the carrot, walking towards a large tree. She dug a hole in the tree with her knife and placed the carrot inside.

After finishing, she dusted off her hands and waited for the bait to take effect.

Soon, rustling sounds came from the surroundings.

The servants quickly picked up thick branches from the ground, holding them cautiously while scanning the area.

Seeing the disturbance in the dense forest, everyone felt a bit nervous and subconsciously swallowed saliva.

Swish!

The next moment, they could see clearly what was causing the disturbance in the forest.

It was a gray rabbit.

The rabbit was fast, hopping through the bushes, and then bouncing towards Chen Xue's direction.

"Don't mind it!"

Just as the servants were preparing to attack the rabbit with their sticks, Chen Xue's voice rang out, and they let the rabbit go.

They saw the gray rabbit, with its eyes red, hopping towards Chen Xue and then crashing into the tree beside her without hesitation.

Bang!

With a sound, the rabbit hit the tree and slid down to the ground.

Chen Xue acted swiftly, picking up the rabbit and holding it by its ears. She looked at the rabbit with blood on its forehead, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

Indeed, it was bait from the system, incredibly effective.

The rabbit actually died from this impact.

Temporarily storing the rabbit in her space, Chen Xue saw more and more rabbits appearing around her, hopping towards her.

To prevent the rabbits from crashing to death again, Chen Xue had to take out some fabric from the space and wrap it around the tree. Not too thick, not too thin.

As long as the rabbits were knocked unconscious but not killed, it was fine.

Watching one rabbit after another emerging from the bushes and hopping towards the tree beside Chen Xue, the servants of the Chen family were dumbfounded, thinking they were hallucinating.

The servants who had previously caught fish with Chen Xue comforted themselves, saying they would get used to it.

Chen Yuan, although prepared, was still startled, staring in shock as the rabbits lined up to "die."

...

Not far away, Xu Tian, who had left Chen Xue's group, began to hunt seriously. He felt responsible for the situation the Chen family was in, believing it was his fault.

Therefore, he had to make up for it. To make up for it, he had to win the competition and catch more prey.

But considering the several unsuccessful hunts before, he felt uncertain.

"No, I must have confidence. I can only win, not lose." Xu Tian clenched his fist, encouraging himself. "Miss Chen's safety depends on me."

At the thought of Chen Xue being at the mercy of Kuang Wei and others if he lost, Xu Tian was filled with determination.

"If I can't catch rabbits myself, I'll have to catch other prey." Xu Tian pondered. Since Kuang Wei had specified that the prey must be rabbits, he could catch some bird eggs as well. It still counted as prey.

With that in mind, he looked for bird nests.

In the dense forest, there were many bird nests. Soon, he found several, but unfortunately, most of them were empty.

He didn't give up and climbed another tree. However, this nest was higher and on a thinner branch.

He didn't dare to climb further for fear of the branch breaking. Instead, he reached out to touch the nest. However, as his hand reached out, he hesitated.

He remembered the last time he touched a bird's nest; he ended up finding a snake inside. Fortunately, the snake had just swallowed several bird eggs, so its body was swollen, and it didn't bite him.

Even now, he still had a psychological shadow.

"For Miss Chen!" Xu Tian gritted his teeth, firming his resolve. He closed his eyes and thrust his hand into the nest.

He didn't feel anything slippery this time, which relieved him. However, before he could celebrate, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand. Instinctively, he pulled his hand back, but his feet slipped, and he fell from the tree.

Luckily, the branches and the grass cushioned his fall, so he wasn't injured.

He rubbed his buttocks, examining his hand. Although there were no cuts, it was red and slightly swollen, throbbing with pain.

"No snake, so why did I get bitten?" Xu Tian wondered, puzzled.

Inside the bird nest, the mother bird was still a bit confused. She had fallen asleep and suddenly felt something strange touching her nest.

At first, she ignored it, not knowing what it was.

But when she saw that it was trying to take her eggs, she became furious and bit the intruder.

"Hey!"

Xu Tian lay on the ground, looking at the bird's nest on the tree in front of him. Although it was within reach, it was still beyond his grasp.

Bang!

Suddenly, something jumped onto his face, causing him to black out momentarily. When the thing disappeared, he quickly got up, looking around for what had attacked him.

Soon, he saw what it was.

It was a rabbit.

And it seemed to have a limp.

"A perfect opportunity!"

Xu Tian's eyes lit up. A limping rabbit couldn't run fast, so he was confident he could catch it.

This time, he couldn't rush. He had to learn to anticipate.

As Xu Tian contemplated, he had learned his lesson. He just needed to anticipate where the rabbit would jump next and then pounce in advance to catch it.

Thinking like this, he stared intently at the rabbit. Soon, he leaped forward, but there was only a loud noise as he missed his target.

Before he could get up, he felt a weight on his back. The rabbit had jumped onto him.

Apparently, he had anticipated too much, and the rabbit hadn't even jumped there yet.

Or perhaps, the rabbit was startled by his sudden movements and didn't react immediately.

While Xu Tian was lost in his thoughts, the rabbit hopped away. Xu Tian couldn't let it go and quickly got up to chase after it.

"Get it!"

Seeing the rabbit jump towards the Chen family's servants, Xu Tian was overjoyed and shouted to remind them.

But the Chen family's servants glanced at the rabbit and then at him before... doing nothing.

Xu Tian's mind exploded. Were they blind?

A rabbit as big as that was hopping right in front of them, yet they remained indifferent?

This was a hunting competition! It concerned the future of their young lady!

Xu Tian decided to find an opportunity to tell Chen Yuan that these servants of his were not up to the task and needed to be replaced with more loyal ones.

But as he approached, he saw that the Chen family's servants were wearing fetters, and he sighed. Forget it, they weren't doing it on purpose.

With fetters on their feet, they couldn't move freely, let alone catch agile rabbits. He couldn't blame them entirely.

Right, the rabbit!

Xu Tian remembered his main task and hurried to catch up. What he saw next shocked him.

He saw Chen Xue standing beside a large tree, and the limping rabbit was heading straight towards her.

He watched in amazement as the rabbit crashed into the tree, slid down, and Chen Xue calmly picked it up.

Catching rabbits was this easy?

Xu Tian stared blankly at the scene, and a term suddenly popped into his mind.

Waiting for the rabbit!

Next Chapter▶▶

  Chapter 136: The Evidence is in His Hands

Hu Linquan remained silent.

Ou Yan pulled out the USB drive, held it in his hand, and smiled, "I'll trade you all the evidence for one answer."

Hu Linquan was intrigued.

"You only have three seconds to think," Ou Yan said.

"How do I know if you have a backup?" Although tempted, Hu Linquan, being an old fox, remained cautious.

"If I say I don't, then I don't! If you don't believe me, check for yourself." Ou Yan tossed the mouse to him, and Hu Linqquan hurriedly searched through it, finding no backup records...

Ou Yan raised the USB drive and began counting, "One, two..."

Hu Linquan snatched the USB drive, feeling a bit relieved. He smirked, "Young lady, as someone with experience, Uncle has to tell you, sometimes being sentimental isn't a good thing."

He was given such valuable evidence all at once?

Just to find out the truth about the drawing?

Was it because of her young age...

How foolish!

"Now it's your turn," Ou Yan said with interest. "I can assure you, I didn't make a backup."

"If you did, may you be struck by lightning and have an untimely death!" Hu Linquan demanded her to swear.

"Fine."

Seeing the girl's calm demeanor, Hu Linquan finally believed. He leaned back again, revealing his earlier relaxed look.

"The drawing was indeed given by me to Jin Shang. That day, I saw you leaving the office, so I took the spare key and went in..." Hu Linquan smirked deviously, thinking he had succeeded. "Didn't expect your office to have a spare key, right? Actually, all the offices in the company have spare keys!"

"Oh," Ou Yan smirked, her guess confirmed.

"I pretended that my office key was lost and went to the HR department. That person was clumsy in finding keys. I pointed out many of her faults and then found it myself... In the process of finding the keys, I also took the key to your office."

This was exactly what Ou Yan had guessed. Now, Ou Yan's lips curled, waiting for him to fall into the trap.

"But I still don't understand, what did Shuyi give you to make you willingly betray the company?" Hu Linqquan smiled leisurely, "30% of the total sales! If it's ten million, I can get three million in bonuses! Isn't that better than working to death in the company?"

How much do you earn in the company after working hard for a year?!

Ou Yan had seen this answer on his phone. She pretended to be surprised, "So much?"

"Of course!" Hu Linquan now looked as if he had won in life. "But you were too arrogant before. Otherwise, I could have invited you to join. We could have made money together. Why serve the Li family?"

"Is the Li family treating you poorly?" Ou Yan followed his lead.

"Poorly? It's nonsense!" Hu Linquan began to rant, completely disregarding the Li family. "A year ago, they asked me to manage the company, and they only gave me a monthly salary of twenty thousand. A company president, just twenty thousand. Can you believe it?"

Ou Yan wasn't impressed, "I've seen your records. How long have you been with the company? A basic salary of twenty thousand is already high. Moreover, there are other subsidies and rewards, totaling more than forty thousand in hand?"

"Can it compare to three million?" Hu Linquan leaned back in his chair, looking defiant. "How many years do I have to work hard to earn three million? But collaborating with the rival company, I easily get three million!"

"But your three million is built on the injustice of others. Panpan might end up in jail because of this!"

"Who made her stupid?" Hu Linquan complained, "This is the consequence of standing on the wrong side! If she had agreed to my request from the beginning, willing to let me enjoy..."

Ou Yan frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Before you came to this company, I asked her whether she wanted to live luxuriously with me in the company or rely on her own strength to establish herself. She chose the latter..."

Ou Yan immediately picked up the water on the table and splashed it on his face.

"Scum!"

He not only took advantage of the warehouse and procurement directors but even targeted Panpan, a young girl...

Fortunately, Panpan was upright and refused to yield, preferring to struggle in the company rather than bow to scum like Hu Linquan!

Hu Linquan wiped the water off his face, laughing loudly, and stood up, "Ms. Ou, don't you have any questions left? You'll be out of this company tomorrow. Let me tell you one more thing, as someone with experience: emotions are far less important than money! If you give up benefits for emotions, you're a fool!"

At a time when she could have accused him with evidence, she easily handed it to him for the sake of so-called truth.

Utterly foolish!!

"I indeed don't have a backup, but..." Ou Yan smirked, "You can come in now."

Outside the office, several people heard the sound and burst in.

Hu Linquan saw four uniformed police officers and was stunned, "You, you..."

"Officers, this is the person I reported." Ou Yan stood up, her aura icy, "The evidence is in his hands, only one copy!"

"Ou Yan, you..." Hu Linquan pointed at Ou Yan, about to curse, but before he could, his hands were seized by the officers, and the USB drive was confiscated.

So, she truly didn't make a backup. Instead, she handed him the evidence to give it to the police himself!

That was ruthless!

"Oh, by the way, this is the recording of our conversation." Ou Yan took out another USB drive, "In it, he admits to all his crimes. He should get a few more years..."

"You, you wicked girl, how dare you deceive me! Let go of me, I'm not a bad person, you've got the wrong person..."

"Don't listen to this wicked girl's nonsense, I'm a good person, I haven't done anything illegal..."

"Officers, let go, if you keep holding me like this, people will see..."

"Let go, I'm innocent..."

Hu Linquan's voice faded away.

He watched as four police officers took him away...

He looked at Ou Yan with eyes that seemed to see a "god"...

Hu Linquan was a "stakeholder" in the company, with significant power. How did Ou Yan manage to hand him over to the police?

"Spread the word, nobody in the company is allowed to talk about Hu Linquan's arrest. There's another drama to unfold tomorrow!"

Seeing Ou Yan's confident gaze, He Ning swallowed hard, "Yes..."

Why did he feel like there was nothing that Ms. Ou couldn't do...

This girl was too incredible...

  Chapter 135: Are You Trying to Deceive Me?

Hu Linquan wanted to steal the mouse, but was preempted by Ou Yan. "Do you think that by deleting it, I didn't back it up?"

"What exactly do you want to do!" Hu Linquan gritted his teeth, looking at her with hatred.

"Don't rush, there are still some things I haven't clarified." Ou Yan's beautiful eyes radiated with confident light as she casually asked, "In the past year, the clothes produced by the company's production line, the waste fabric produced, did Mr. Hu always have people send it to the landfill?"

Hu Linquan guessed what she wanted to ask. "What's the point? What's the use of useless fabric? Taking up space?"

"But from what I know, Mr. Hu sold them and made quite a bit of money..."

Ou Yan's lips curved lightly, full of confidence. "Every month, you had people take the waste fabric left by the production line to the landfill. There, you would meet with people from the Miaoqi Recycling Limited Company and sell the waste fabric for 30 yuan per hundred pounds."

Don't underestimate the thirty yuan for a hundred pounds...

Every month, there were as many waste fabrics as there were hairs on an ox, as heavy as Mount Tai...

"For a whole year, just by selling the company's waste fabric, you earned six hundred and ninety-three thousand seven hundred and eighty yuan. Am I wrong, Mr. Hu?"

Hu Linquan's face turned extremely ugly. He didn't expect her to even find out about this kind of small matter!

The landfill clearly had no surveillance, and there were no other outsiders present at their transactions. How did she find out?

How could it be possible...

Since this damn girl took over the company, he always felt that she was somewhat divine, as if nothing could escape her eyes...

"Because Miaoqi kept records," Ou Yan slowly answered his doubts.

Hu Linquan secretly angered. Those idiots, he told them not to keep records, not to leave any evidence behind, but they wouldn't listen!

Now look at this!!

"Oh, by the way, at the celebration party held in the first month of the company's establishment, Mr. Hu encouraged more than a dozen employees to bet online. Do you remember, Mr. Hu?" Ou Yan raised her eyebrows.

The former head of the purchasing department, Manager Chen, the team leader of lines four and five, and five warehouse managers, before being arrested by the police, mentioned this matter.

That night, everyone drank too much. They heard Hu Linquan say that there was a website where nine out of ten bets were winning. He even showed everyone his withdrawal amount, which was over six hundred thousand...

Although everyone was skeptical at first, after some bold attempts, they found that their luck was good. The money they won could all be withdrawn to their bank cards...

So they kept betting bigger and bigger, and even brought in their relatives and friends from the surrounding area.

Little did they know that behind the scenes, that website kept raising the withdrawal amounts. Initially, they said you needed five hundred thousand to withdraw. After they managed to pool together five hundred thousand, they said you needed a million to get the money out. So they borrowed a lot of money from various online lending platforms, and even after investing millions, they couldn't get the money back...

They ended up owing a lot of debt. Hu Linquan then used all sorts of threats and inducements to make them betray the company together...

At the time, all five of them were arrested by the police, but Hu Linquan was released soon due to lack of evidence...

"It's true." Hu Linquan didn't expect this little girl to be so thorough. "It was their bad luck, not my fault! I made quite a bit of money myself!"

Ou Yan's slender fingers tapped the keyboard, and finally clicked the mouse. A series of evidence appeared on the computer screen.

"I checked that website. You made a lot of money because, in the end, all the money others invested ended up in your account."

Ou Yan raised her lips in a smile, looking at the man in front of her. "In other words, from the beginning, you had a purpose, to deceive everyone's money!"

Hu Linquan stared at the transfer records on the computer screen, incredulous and feeling his scalp tingling!

How could Ou Yan have these records!

Each of these, he remembered so clearly!

They clearly shut down the website. Logically, Ou Yan couldn't have found out about this!!

"Running such a website is illegal. Didn't Mr. Hu know that?" Ou Yan raised her eyebrows, emitting a cold and strong aura.

Hu Linquan suddenly felt terrified. Who exactly is this girl in front of him!!

Recalling the various incidents that had occurred in the company before, it seemed that as long as this girl wanted to investigate, there was nothing she couldn't find out!

In fact, all this evidence was easy for Ou Yan.

"Oh, by the way, I checked the surveillance of the warehouse betrayal last time."

Hu Linquan's heart rang like an alarm bell when he heard this.

"That afternoon at five o'clock, I left work, and at three minutes past five, you called the warehouse manager to a corner where the surveillance couldn't reach, and whispered something. At eleven minutes past five, your conversation ended, and the warehouse manager returned to the warehouse. At thirteen minutes past five, she removed my access to enter and exit the warehouse freely."

"It just so happened that night, I had something to do at the company and wanted to enter the warehouse, but I couldn't..."

"This incident also shows that some of the warehouse manager's actions were instigated by you!"

"And, the previous purchase orders were signed by you, the quantity of goods received was confirmed by you before finally signing, and you took the lion's share of the profits. Compared to those five people, you should be the one to spend more time in jail! You should be the one to spend time behind bars!"

...

Hu Linquan looked at her, unwilling and alert. "Who exactly are you!"

He used to think that the headquarters had sent a little girl who didn't know the ways of the world to run the company. He was still dissatisfied, thinking that she was incapable and brainless!

But after interacting for more than ten days, he found that this girl was far more terrifying than he had imagined!

"How did you find out about all this?" Hu Linquan gritted his teeth.

Ou Yan's lips curled lightly. "Everything here is enough to ruin your life! Including your possession of the warehouse manager and the head of the purchasing department..."

Suddenly, videos recorded by Hu Linquan playing with the warehouse manager and the head of the purchasing department appeared on the computer screen...

There were dozens of them!

All copied by Ou Yan on his phone!

Hu Linquan was dumbfounded, unable to believe everything he saw...

These videos only existed on his phone. He hadn't uploaded them anywhere else or shared them with anyone...

How did Ou Yan find out?!

"And you colluding with Shuyi Company, sending Panpan's drafts to Jinshang..." Ou Yan raised her eyes casually and asked, "Panpan has never offended you. There are so many designers, why did you choose her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Hu Linquan refused to admit, "Are you recording? I'm not that stupid!"

"I just don't understand why you targeted Panpan when she had no grudges against you?"

Ou Yan coaxed gently, but Hu Linquan remained silent!

"Just because she was close to me, and you didn't like me, plus her designs were the best in the entire design department? So you targeted her?"

In fact, Ou Yan knew the answers to all these questions. She just wanted Hu Linquan to confess by himself.

 Chapter 200: Cao's Scheme

Next Chapter ▶▶

Chapter 31: Jealousy


"Madam, please invite Master inside quickly. It's very cold outside, be careful not to catch a cold."

"Ah... yes, yes." Madam Wen's eyes sparkled when she looked at Zhu Jin, ever since she learned about Master's feelings, she had been thinking about how to ease the coldness between husband and wife.

However, over the years, neither of them had made concessions, and she was not an initiative person, so naturally things were delayed.

She never expected him to come today of all days, how could Madam Wen not be happy, she was even a little stunned.

Feng Jinxu, on the other hand, noticed all of her astonishment, perhaps memories flooded back to him, so he showed a rare smile.

"Why are you standing there stupidly? You're just recovering from your illness, right? Go back to rest in the house."

"Master..."

When Feng Jinxu looked at Madam Wen, there was also a hint of concern in his eyes.

Madam Wen's eyes suddenly became teary like a startled deer, Feng Jinxu sighed, all the past grievances seemed to melt away in her tears, how could he continue to be cold to her.

He stepped forward and held her hand in his palm.

His fingertips were a bit chilly from touching the snow, but he didn't mind, he exhaled warm air onto them.

"You're already a mother, why don't you take better care of yourself? Do you want your eldest son to follow your example?"

Madam Wen remained silent, her eyes filled with tears, and after a moment, she smiled faintly and said somewhat shyly.

"Has Master had dinner yet? Would you like... to stay?"

Feng Jinxu was a bit surprised. It had been many days since he last ate, and this was the first time Madam Wen had asked him to stay.

Even though he had just had tea and his stomach was still full, he couldn't help but say, "Alright."

The sight of the couple entering the house together moved everyone to tears.

Master and Madam, finally reconciled.

Zhu Jin was busy instructing the maids to serve tea and prepare dishes. The courtyard, which had been desolate for a long time, finally became warm and lively.

Even the newly arrived Huanhuan was happy and was about to help, but she was stopped by a guard next to her, who dragged her to a corner and asked fiercely.

"Are you crazy? Why are you demeaning yourself as a slave? Don't you know that after selling your contract, it will be much more difficult to regain your freedom?"

Huanhuan looked at her brother's anxious expression and felt a bit guilty.

"Brother, I'm sorry, but I really don't want to marry. The marriage proposal arranged by Second Madam is just for the dowry. I secretly inquired about it. He's good at everything, drinking, gambling, and whoring. If I have to marry someone like that for a lifetime, I'd rather be a slave and never agree!"

"How could that be? Second Madam said their family is wealthy and their household is not complicated. As long as you marry into their family, you'll have the days of a mistress. Many people can't even dream of that."

"Nonsense! She's lying to you. Fooling our deceased father was one thing, but why are you also fooled by him?"

"You!"

Seeing her sister's stubborn expression, Fu Yi was at a loss.

It was also his fault for being too busy with other matters on weekdays. He thought Second Madam arranged the marriage for her own good, but he never expected there to be such malicious intentions behind it!

With a sigh, there was nothing he could do now. But Madam was a gentle person. Under her care, things wouldn't be too difficult. But if she went to Third Miss's place, it would be much more troublesome.

"Stay here for now, and be careful of the maids in this courtyard. They're not easy to deal with. Also, if Third Miss wants you to go over, try to find a way to refuse."

"Why?" Huanhuan looked at her brother in confusion. After all, Third Miss seemed like a kind person.

Fu Yi tapped her head and looked pained, "You're silly. Third Miss will be leaving for the capital next year. If you go with her and end up offending Madam, what will happen to you in the future?"

Huanhuan widened her eyes, how could she forget about this?

Then she nodded vigorously. She didn't want to leave one wolf's den only to fall into another.

Moreover, Master didn't pay much attention to her, which was much safer than the other people.

In Madam Wen's courtyard, there was laughter and joy, which made the neighboring Concubine Lin feel extremely jealous.

"Madam, you're pretending to be sick and hiding in the courtyard, but you still want to seduce Master and take the position of the legitimate wife. Now you even want to pull people over. Are you planning to bully me?"

"Madam, please keep your voice down. If someone hears you, it will be troublesome."

The maid Qiu Yue reminded her from the side, but Concubine Lin slapped her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground in shock.

Looking at her shocked expression, Concubine Lin returned to her weak appearance, lying on the couch, and instructed.

"Clean up, don't let anyone see any flaws."

"Yes."

In the following days, Feng Jinyao stayed in the courtyard to review the account books.

The account books from the previous steward Bai Mama were already delivered, and now those from the village and the shops were also sent over. The piles of account books made her too busy to think about anything else.

Looking at the detailed records in the account books, without any mistakes, Feng Jinyao admired her mother even more.

It was clear that this was the result of her mother's years of management. No wonder Father always praised her for being good at managing the household.

Indeed, she was amazing.

"The profits from the shops this year are good. Arrange for them to give a ten percent bonus to several shopkeepers as a reward."

Xiuqiu was grinding ink nearby, and when she heard this news, she couldn't help but feel happy. There was even a hint of joy in her eyebrows. Seeing this, Yunxu couldn't help but tease her.

"You still have two more years until you can redeem yourself, why are you so happy now? Is it because Master Wang received a bonus, so your dowry for the future will be a bit richer?"

"You..." Xiuqiu was teased into blushing, pointing at Yunxu and unable to speak.

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 199: Envy

Next Chapter ▶▶

Chapter 655: A Dialogue Between Clever People, a Battle of High Intelligence

  Qin Ruan had met with Rong Jing, the cousin of Rong Jing, before.

  He had a pair of affectionate eyes and looked serious, exuding a gentle demeanor.

  She examined Rong Jing, nodding slightly. "Not bad, you look... decent and quite mature."

  Rong Jing raised an eyebrow, letting out a hint of playful arrogance beneath his mature facade. "Right, I feel like this outfit gives me an elite vibe."

  But in just a few words, Rong Jing exposed his true nature.

  Fu Yinyu's gaze fell on Rong Jing as he asked, "Who is this?"

  Rong Jing waved his hand, wearing a smile on his face. "Just an insignificant person, not worthy of comparison to the distinguished identity of Young Master Fu."

  Qin Ruan chuckled, introducing him, "He is Rong Jing, the seventh son of the Rong family."

  Although Rong Jing came from a side branch of the Rong family, he was already listed in the main family genealogy. The specific reason was not clear, but it definitely wasn't about wealth.

  Fu Yinyu showed a knowing expression, politely extending his hand to Rong Jing. "Young Master Rong."

  Rong Jing faced Fu Yinyu, shaking hands with him. "No need for formalities, I'm just a lay about."

  Rong Jing knew his position very well, understanding that despite being listed as the seventh son of the main family, he had never really contributed anything to the Rong family.

  Fu Yinyu's eyes carried a faint smile. "Young Master Rong is quite humorous."

  Before coming to the capital, he had gathered information about the four major families and the other five aristocratic families. Rong Jing's situation was not completely unknown to him.

  Qin Ruan noticed a strong gaze locked on her when she turned her head. She found Su Jingshu's eyes fixed on her.

  Su Jingshu didn't show any embarrassment at being caught, offering a friendly smile in response.

  Qin Ruan thought of Su Jingshu's previous advice and approached her. "Miss Su, did you enjoy the show?"

  Su Jingshu's eyes flickered with surprise. "Is Madam Hou always so quick-witted? It's no wonder Third Young Master dotes on you."

  A dialogue between clever people always involved subtle hints, with words having double meanings.

  Some things were understood by both parties without being explicitly stated.

  Qin Ruan softly brushed back her hair, appearing gentle and lazy. "I can't help it. Who told me to be so gentle and obedient, winning his affection?"

  The words sent shivers down her spine, but if it made Su Jingshu unhappy, Qin Ruan felt it was worth it.

  Su Jingshu's lips twitched, her gaze complex as she stared at Qin Ruan's figure.

  After a while, she finally spoke, "I hope you can always be so gentle."

  Qin Ruan smiled softly. "Naturally."

  "I'll leave first."

  Su Jingshu quickly walked away, afraid of being angered by Qin Ruan.

  Not long after Su Jingshu left, Fu Yinyu also leave.

  Leaving only Lu Yichen, Rong Jing, Long Xinzhe, and Gu Qingqing behind.

  Qin Ruan didn't want to interact with these young members of various families for now. She had spent enough time at the banquet and decided to leave.

  She walked over to Lu Yichen's side. "Senior, where did Second Young Master go?"

  "He went to the banquet hall to talk to the Fu family head."

  Thinking of the topic they were discussing, Lu Yichen felt resistant.

  Qin Ruan nodded, her expression not looking good amidst the crowded hall. She nodded at Lu Yichen.

  "I'll go outside and wait. It's too noisy in here."

  "Okay, I'll find Second Young Master as soon as possible."

  Before Lu Yichen could finish speaking, he had already rushed into the crowd.

  Qin Ruan left the banquet hall with Lin Hao and Hou Qiang, stepping outside.

  Long Xinzhe and Rong Jing exchanged a glance, following them in silence.

Chapter 654: I Have a Bad Temper and Never Repay Kindness with Resentment

Qin Ruan sneered lightly, twirling the empty glass in her hand, looking utterly bored.

Her slender fingertips slowly parted, and the glass fell.

"Snap!"

The crisp sound of the glass hitting the ground rang out.

Qin Ruan lowered her gaze, staring at the shattered glass on the ground, a satisfied curve forming on her lips.

She murmured softly, "Why indeed?"

It sounded like she was asking herself, but also the girl in front of her.

Then she burst into laughter, the mockery in her laughter unabashed.

Lifting her gaze, Qin Ruan's icy, chilling eyes fixed on the girl before her, her voice slowly exposing the girl's facade.

"Don't bother playing these petty tricks of sowing discord in front of me. If you think you're clever, you need a few more years of practice. Do you truly believe you're a genius while everyone else is a fool?"

The girl looked surprised, catching the glances from the people around, she lowered her gaze and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't provoked you. I don't understand why you're doing this. Maybe there's a misunderstanding between us. Even if you're from the Hou family, you shouldn't be randomly attacking people."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, one drop after another falling to the ground.

This sense of injustice, thinking she was explaining for Qin Ruan but actually further undermining her, was truly an eye-opener.

Qin Ruan's refined eyebrows lifted slightly, and she turned to Lin Hao and Hou Qiang standing beside her, asking, "Have either of you smelled anything?"

Both of them blinked, wearing puzzled expressions, unsure how to respond.

Qin Ruan tapped her nose lightly and chuckled, "There's a nauseating odor of decayed white lotus in the air. Haven't you noticed?"

"Ha!" Lin Hao couldn't hold back a chuckle.

Quickly suppressing it, he coughed to cover up: "Cough, cough..."

Even Hou Qiang's eyes widened after hearing Qin Ruan's words. His ordinary facial features seemed to hide an intimidating fierceness due to his restrained nature.

On the ground, Weiwei looked confused, her eyes darting between Qin Ruan and her good sister. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and glared at her good sister, her voice sharp, "Are you playing me?!"

She remembered their conversation in the VIP room earlier about the Third Young Master Hou and the woman he married, who came from a humble background. They moved to the balcony because of the crowd inside, and her good sister intentionally led the conversation astray, guiding her.

It turned out that she had been manipulated by the person beside her.

Weiwei was furious, her body trembling, and this time, even Lin Hao who was holding her back.

She struggled to break free from Lin Hao's restraint and rushed in front of her good sister, grabbing her clothes and starting a fight, "I treated you as my good sister, and you're plotting against me?!"

"Stay calm, Weiwei, I didn't do it, I really didn't. Don't believe others' instigation; we are the best of friends," her good sister pleaded.

"Nonsense! You deceitful woman! I'm going to tear you apart!!" Weiwei was so angry that Lin Hao couldn't hold her back anymore.

Qin Ruan, witnessing the scene, showed no signs of anger. Instead, she seemed amused, watching the fight between the two plastic sisters.

"Junior sister!" Lu Yichen squeezed through the crowd, concerned about Qin Ruan's well-being.

Seeing Qin Ruan standing beside the fighting women, he hurriedly approached her.

"You're okay, right? What's happening here?" he asked, trying to protect her from the chaotic situation.

Qin Ruan's cold and indifferent gaze swept over the crowd as she responded with sarcasm, "If any of you dislike me, feel free to come and show off your skills to my face. We can settle our differences directly. That way, I can admire you for being someone with courage. But if you choose to talk behind my back, use those lowly means that even commoners in the West City despise, don't blame me for not giving you face."

The unfriendly glances from the onlookers wavered slightly, and some of the tension in the atmosphere dissipated.

"Mrs. Hou's words make sense," said a tall figure, stepping forward through the crowd.

He had a magnetic voice like a bass and was very attractive.

His facial features were handsome and deep, exuding an aura of seriousness like that of an old cadre.

Qin Ruan's gaze flashed with understanding as she looked at him. He was none other than Fu Yinyu, Fu Guyuan's eldest son.

He approached Qin Ruan, extending a large hand towards her. "Madam Huo, I've heard about you. I am Fu Yinyu."

Qin Ruan shook his hand with a casual smile, "Young Master Fu, I've also heard about you."

Fu Yinyu's face remained composed as he looked at Qin Ruan's exquisite appearance, and a hint of darkness appeared in his eyes.

After letting go of Qin Ruan's hand, he expressed regret, "I apologize for any inconvenience caused by tonight's incident. The Fu family will offer an explanation."

Qin Ruan raised an eyebrow, wearing a mocking expression. "How will you explain?"

If it were in the past, she wouldn't have asked this question directly, and would have simply exchanged some polite pleasantries. But tonight, her temper had gotten the better of her, and she wasn't going to be difficult with herself anymore.

Being free and unrestrained is quite enjoyable sometimes.

Fu Yinyu's composed demeanor remained unchanged, and he pointed to the two women who were still fighting not far away. "Take these two young ladies out. From now on, the Fu family will never welcome them to any events."

"Yes, Young Master."

Two bodyguards walked forward and separated the two women who were still in the middle of their fight.

Fu Yinyu stood in front of Qin Ruan, blocking the onlookers' gazes with his tall figure.

He slightly bent his body, appearing humble, and said apologetically, "I apologize for any inconvenience caused to everyone. Later, the Fu family will personally visit to express our apologies for the unforeseen incident tonight, and everyone can continue to enjoy the party."

Fu Yinyu was the most influential person in the Fu family, second only to the family head. In the southern region, he was already in charge of most affairs. Everyone was well aware of his status, so the onlookers dispersed.

Only a few familiar people remained, including Long Xinzhe, Rong Jing, Gu Qingqing, and others.

Long Xinzhe was from the Long family and addressed Qin Ruan as "Third Sister-in-law."

Rong Jing was Rong Jing, the seventh young master of the Rong family. He came to the event with his cousin Rong Menglan.

Gu Qingqing was from the Gu family, one of the four major families. She admired Third Young Master Hou and was also a student at Shengshi Academy. Her relationship with Long Xinzhe and Lu Yichen was quite good.

Rong Jing was the lowest-ranking person among them.

He looked around, left and right, seeing no one coming forward.

Fu Yinyu was still chatting with Qin Ruan, and Rong Jing, feeling somewhat anxious, walked over hesitantly.

"Qin Ruan."

Qin Ruan turned her head and saw Rong Jing, who was wearing a suit and looking decent, despite his usual careless and indifferent appearance.

Seeing that Rong Jing was about to address her, he hesitated, pulling at his tie uncomfortably, "I came with my cousin today, and he said he wanted to broaden my horizons."

 Chapter 705: Wang Changdong's Speech

Shu Yu took a glance around and noticed several new faces. No wonder Wang Changdong wanted to wait until everyone was present before saying a few words. It seemed that he intended to include these new people in the team.

When she first arrived, she had gone through a similar experience.

Once everyone was gathered, Ma Lu and Fang Xiyue came out of the hall and stood in the courtyard. Wang Changdong stood on the steps, looking at the people below. He frowned slightly as he saw the members of the Fifth and Ninth Teams standing in the middle like fools.

"Stand properly."

The members of the Fifth and Ninth Teams quickly took their positions, but their eyes kept wandering towards Wang Changdong.

Why was Shu Yu not standing in the courtyard but under the eaves?

Before they could ponder further, Wang Changdong began to speak. "Before you receive your tools, I have a few things to say."

Shu Yu thought to herself, "He really has a leader's aura."

Wang Changdong glanced around and continued, "Two days ago, the Third and Ninth Teams joined forces to kill a large beast. I'm sure you all know about it. I know you're all envious of the rewards they received, but envy alone won't help you. You have to work hard and wait until you kill the next large beast. Their success today will be your success tomorrow."

"In the past two days, many people came to me, wanting to join the hunting team. However, hunting is not something everyone can do. So I selected a few who are genuinely capable, including the newcomers you see beside you. Later, you can decide whether to form your own team or join others."

"Although you lack experience, there's no need to worry about forming your own team. You've just arrived, and there aren't that many animals to hunt. Besides, you have to believe in yourselves. Just look at the example in front of you."

Wang Changdong looked towards Shu Yu, who stood at the side, and said, "This Miss Lu, I believe you all know that she was the last person to join the hunting team, and she's also a woman. But let me tell you, a capable person like her is the same wherever they go."

Lu Shuyu's mouth twitched. So, I'm a role model, huh?

Wang Changdong became more enthusiastic as he spoke. He felt that during his tenure as the leader, the hunting team not only killed a large beast but also encountered the prefectmagistrate, which was like a mountain being split on his life's path. He had a premonition that his future would be bright.

He deliberately gave this speech today to motivate everyone and strive to kill another large beast. Without a large beast, a big bear would suffice.

"Miss Lu and Miss Fang formed a team by themselves. On their first day, they killed a deer... blablabla." He recounted the achievements of the Ninth Team.

Then, he changed the topic and said, "It was because of their abilities that they played a significant role in killing the large beast. Of course, the Third Team also contributed greatly. Now they have received rewards, with the Third Team getting a mule cart and a half-day off every month."

"Miss Fang took leave for her father and found her mother a new job."

"As for Miss Lu..." Wang Changdong suddenly raised his voice, looking excited. The sudden change startled everyone. "Because Miss Lu can read and write, and she has courage and tactics, she received high praise from the prefect magistrate. Now she is in charge of registering names and distributing rations in our village."

The scene fell silent.

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 704: Poor Relationship with the Shu Family

Lu Shuyu's chopsticks paused slightly as she looked up. "Hou Shi and her daughter deliberately went to the post station to avoid the Shu family."

Wang Changdong was surprised. "You have a poor relationship with the rest of the Shu family?"

Although he had some understanding of Shu Yu's background, he had no idea about her relationship with the Shu family.

He did notice that Shu Yu had a close relationship with Hou Shi and that Hou Shi was living with the Shu family. He assumed that her relationship with her adoptive parents was good, as she even sent them meat. But now she seemed disdainful when talking about the Shu family.

As Shu Yu finished eating, she wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and asked, "Did you tell the Shu family about the post station where Hou Shi is?"

"Don't worry, it's not something that anyone can inquire about. I'll make sure others keep it a secret," Wang Changdong assured her.

After all, not many people knew which post station Hou Shi was at.

"Thank you, Big Brother, Wang" Lu Shuyu said.

"You're welcome."

Wang Changdong now had a clear understanding of the situation with the Shu family. He lowered his head and quickly finished his noodles.

Before long, the hunting team arrived.

First to run in was Fang Xiyue. When she saw Shu Yu, she quickly walked up to her. "Ah Yu."

Shu Yu raised her head and waved at her. When Fang Xiyue came closer, she whispered, "Is your father's medicine almost used up? After you finish hunting this afternoon, come to my house to get the medicine. My brother left it for you before he left."

Fang Xiyue was touched. "Okay." She wouldn't ask for it in vain. It was the money for her father's medicine.

Although Doctor Lu said he picked those herbs himself and they were just ordinary herbs that didn't cost much, they still had to pay for them. However, their finances were tight right now.

Fortunately, she had taken the opportunity in the past two days to buy some needles and thread from the town and do some needlework to sell. She would quickly save up enough money.

As they were talking, Ma Lu and his group also arrived.

After resting for two days and going to the prefectural capital, their spirits were high, and they walked energetically.

When they saw Lu Shuyu, they greeted her. However, because Wang Changdong was present and they were concerned about the other party's identity, they didn't chat much.

On the other hand, Wang Changdong asked them about their trip to the prefectural capital. Shu Yu learned that after they arrived there, they even saved a young master who had fallen into the water. That young master initially thought they were well-off due to their height and sturdy appearance and wanted to arrange work for them.

However, when he found out they were exiled criminals, his expression changed. But since they had saved him, he couldn't turn heartless and gave them fifty taels of silver to split among themselves.

Fifty taels, ten taels per person. It truly touched Ma Lu and his group.

As they continued talking and laughing, two more groups gradually arrived.

Shu Yu planned to start working. "I'll go get some paper and a pen to register you all."

But before she could leave, Wang Changdong stood up and said, "No rush. Let's wait until all the teams are here. I have something to say, and we can register after that."

Shu Yu paused and stood by the side, waiting with Fang Xiyue.

Before long, Aunt Fang came over to clean up the dishes and utensils.

Shortly after, the hunting team was fully assembled.

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  Chapter 42: Pig teammates

"By the way, what did that woman say to you guys?"

As Kuang Wei led the group away and entered the jungle, he suddenly remembered and asked curiously.

"She just said that if we lose, we can't back out," someone replied.

"Just based on that, she thinks we'll lose and back out? How naive," others laughed.

"Hey hey hey, do you think we'll lose?"

"How could we?!"

"With just them, a woman, a useless hunter, and a few others with fetters hindering their movements, how can they hunt? There's no way we'll lose."

"Exactly."

"We might as well think about how to split the woman if we win!"

"Why split? Let's enjoy her together."

"Alright." Kuang Wei interrupted them, "Even though I'm confident we'll win, we shouldn't be careless."

"Let's split up and look for prey."

No one opposed this suggestion. They were all experienced hunters and immediately began searching for traces of prey.

"Wei Ge, there's rabbit fur here!"

"Footprints here!"

Soon, they found traces of prey.

Kuang Wei ran over, confirmed the findings, and immediately came up with a plan, "Spread out and find the rabbit burrows. Once found, set traps at the entrance and around them."

They didn't have bows and arrows. They relied on knives for hunting, but how could that be enough? However, for them, knives were more than sufficient, and there were plenty of ways to catch prey.

"Search and confirm which burrows are connected. Set traps at the other entrances and leave one entrance with smoke."

Kuang Wei was experienced. Since it was now autumn and winter, rabbits mostly stayed in their burrows. By setting smoke at one entrance, they could force the rabbits out.

Although the fox may have three holes, as long as they set traps at the other entrances, they would eventually catch the rabbits.

Their previous success in catching so much prey was due to this method, which had never failed.

"It's coming out, it's coming out!"

A bailiff crouched at the burrow entrance, holding a burning branch and blowing smoke inside. They could faintly see a white shadow coming out, then retreating back in, obviously trying to escape through another entrance.

Others stared firmly at the traps set at the burrow entrance, ready with knives to strike if the rabbit wasn't caught by the trap.

Bang!

They didn't have to wait long before seeing a white shadow dart out from inside, only to be caught by the snare, preventing its escape.

Kuang Wei acted quickly, reaching out and grabbing the rabbit's ears, lifting it up, "Two and a half pounds, not bad, it's fat and strong. We're in for a treat today."

"Hahaha, finally, a change in taste."

Although they had bought a lot of meat in the capital, they had finished it, and they didn't know how far the next post station was. Even if it was to the next town, it would still take several days.

That's why they couldn't resist going out to hunt.

"We caught a fat rabbit so quickly. We're definitely going to win this time," a bailiff laughed.

It hadn't been long since they started, and they had already caught a rabbit. There was still plenty of time before the hour was up, enough for them to catch a bunch of prey.

"Hahaha, that's right, off to a good start!"

"Xu Tian is clumsy. Even with our method, he won't catch any prey."

Thinking of Xu Tian trying to catch rabbits and not even getting any fur, everyone burst into laughter.

Kuang Wei also smiled, tied up the rabbit's legs, and looked at the others, "Continue, let's smoke out the rest of the rabbits inside."

There was definitely more than one rabbit in the burrow.

...

In contrast to Kuang Wei and the others' smooth progress, Chen Xue's group encountered difficulties.

"Quick, stop it!"

Xu Tian watched as a rabbit ran through the bushes, shouting at everyone before pouncing.

Bang!

He smashed the bushes, but the rabbit was nowhere to be seen.

"It got away again?"

Xu Tian felt a little helpless. At this rate, they were bound to lose.

Seeing this, Chen Xue's lips twitched. If Xu Tian could catch prey, that would be a miracle.

Chen Yuan also couldn't bear to watch anymore. He walked over to Xu Tian and extended his right hand, "Give me the knife."

"What does Master Chen need the knife for?" Xu Tian was curious but still handed it over.

Chen Yuan took the knife, turned, and walked away, "With you like this, we're bound to lose. I might as well go kill Kuang Wei now."

If they were missing people, they wouldn't need to compete anymore, and they wouldn't have to worry about losing.

"Master Chen, don't be impulsive."

Xu Tian panicked. He didn't know why, but Master Chen seemed particularly domineering today. But no matter how domineering, he could still die.

He quickly ran over and hugged Master Chen tightly, not letting him leave.

Moreover, he turned to Chen Xue, "Miss Chen, please persuade Master Chen. Kuang Wei and his men are numerous and ruthless..."

Chen Xue sighed helplessly, "Father, let's not waste time."

Chen Yuan snorted and nodded, listening to his daughter's words. He allowed Xu Tian to take the knife back and returned to Chen Xue's side.

"Alright!" Chen Xue looked at Xu Tian, "Let's split up. Maybe we can catch more prey that way!"

"Okay!"

Concerned about Chen Yuan's impulsiveness, Xu Tian quickly left with the knife to hunt elsewhere.

After Xu Tian left, Lord Chen looked at his daughter, "You actually agreed to the bet. Do you have confidence?"

He never placed hope in Xu Tian, and he rarely hunted himself. As for Xu Tian's boasting about hunting with the emperor, weren't all officials above the third rank required to experience that?

Moreover, he knew his daughter wouldn't do anything without confidence. If she dared to take this on, it meant she had a plan and was confident.

"Yes, I do."

Chen Xue nodded. Her confidence came from the system. She had previously exchanged fish bait from the system and almost attracted all the fish in the river.

So, this time, she wanted to use the same method.

After all, hunting with conventional methods was extremely difficult for them. Without weapons, experience, and with Xu Tian as such a useless teammate, they had little chance.

"System, do you have any bait for hunting?"

As Chen Xue spoke, the system quickly listed a menu.

"Beast Bait: Attracts all beasts, essential for hunting."

Uh...

Chen Xue immediately passed on this option. Attracting all beasts would be more than they could handle. After all, this wasn't her previous life, but an ancient world where the mountains and forests hadn't been developed, and there were plenty of big creatures like tigers, wolves, bears, and wild boars.

If they really attracted all of them, they would be inviting disaster.

Picking and choosing, Chen Xue finally chose a carrot, specifically designed to attract rabbits.

"Rabbit Carrot: 10 contribution points (extremely attractive to rabbits)"

"It's you!"

There weren't many wild meats that were edible and tasty, but rabbit meat was definitely near the top. Moreover, rabbits were easy to raise, with one litter a lifetime.

She could catch rabbits and raise them in the space. Then they wouldn't lack rabbit meat in the future.

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