"My face, how could my face have become like this? Wuwuwu... How will I ever face people again?"
Qin Xixue's tears fell like pearls from a broken string.
The maid glanced again at the green paste smeared on Qin Xixue's face. Although she found the substance on Qin Xixue's face disgusting, as a maid, she had to do her duty no matter how unpleasant it was.
"Miss, shall I wash the dirt off your face?" the maid Mi Xin advised.
"Wash it? Can this stuff on my face even be washed clean?"
Qin Xixue looked at the bronze mirror again. Her face had the words "渣女" (zhā nǚ - scumbag woman) tattooed on it and was smeared with green paste. She cried even more heartbrokenly.
"Miss, this servant will wash it for you."
As the maid spoke, she helped Qin Xixue to sit by the washbasin. Then, she wrung out the towel and carefully wiped away the green paste from Qin Xixue's face.
However, the two black characters "渣女" (zhā nǚ) tattooed on her face could not be washed off.
"Mi Xin, my face hurts so much, did you wash it clean?" Qin Xixue asked with a pained moan.
"Miss, what if the tattoos on your face really can't be washed off?"
A hint of worry flashed in the maid's eyes.
"Let me see!"
After speaking, she ran to the bronze mirror to look again. The next moment, she completely broke down.
"Aaaaah..."
Qin Xixue waved her hand, and the ornaments on the dressing table fell to the ground with a clatter.
"Wuwuwu..."
"How will I ever face people again with this face!"
"Damn it! Who tattooed these words on my face?"
"If I, Qin Xixue, find out who it was, I will definitely skin them alive, tear out their tendons, and chop them into meat paste!" Qin Xixue said fiercely.
Meanwhile, in the room of Qin Zhihong and his concubine.
Today was Qin Zhihong's day off, so the maid called him to wake up a little later.
By the time the concubine's maid arrived outside Qin Zhihong and his concubine's room, the sun was already high in the sky. The maid knocked on the door several times but received no response from inside. She thought Qin Zhihong and his concubine were still asleep and planned to call them again later.
However, as she was about to leave, the door behind her suddenly opened. Qin Zhihong grabbed the little maid with both hands, then dragged her inside. Immediately, screams came from the room.
"Ah..."
Upon hearing the screams from the room, another servant from the concubine's courtyard quickly stopped what they were doing and hurried to inform Madam Qin.
At that time, Madam Qin in the main courtyard was wearing a pale blue, floor-length skirt embroidered with delicate orchid petals at the hem. A jade exquiste hairpin with fine silver beaded tassels was tilted in her hair. Her face was also exquisitely made up, making her look elegant and noble.
At this moment, she was leisurely eating the pastries placed on the table.
Just then, the little servant from Concubine Yang's courtyard rushed into the main courtyard but was immediately intercepted by the servants in Madam Qin's courtyard.
"Madam, Madam, something has happened in Concubine Yang's room," the little servant from Concubine Yang's courtyard shouted anxiously to Madam Qin.
Upon hearing the little servant's words, Madam Qin's eyebrows furrowed. She asked indifferently, "What happened?"
"Madam, this servant is not too sure, but the master has not yet come out of Concubine Yang's room... Just now, the master dragged Concubine Yang's maid into the room again, and then, the maid's screams were heard from Concubine Yang's room."
The little servant knelt on the ground, trembling, and told Madam Qin everything that had happened in Concubine Yang's courtyard just now.
After listening, Madam Qin's brows furrowed even more.
"Let's go, I'll go take a look!"
With that, she slowly stood up, adjusted her clothes, and walked towards the courtyard entrance with light steps.
Soon, she arrived at Concubine Yang's courtyard. Tragic screams could be heard one after another. The closer she got to the outside of Concubine Yang's room, the clearer the screams became.
It seemed that things were indeed as the little servant had said, and even more serious than what the little servant had described.
At this moment, the servants had already gathered outside Concubine Yang's room, discussing amongst themselves.
Then, they saw Madam Qin walk in, and they all immediately bowed to her.
"Except for my own maids, all of you get down! Unless I call for you, none of you are to set foot in this courtyard."
Madam Qin commanded everyone sternly.
"Yes, Madam, this servant(s) obeys!" The servants present responded in unison.
Then, they quickly left Concubine Yang's small courtyard, but the heartbreaking cries could still be heard from Concubine Yang's room.
Madam Qin took a moment to compose herself before stepping into Concubine Yang's room. She gently pushed the door open and was so frightened by the messy scene inside that her face turned pale.
Concubine Yang lay naked on the ground, her eyes wide open, her expression one of dying with grievances. Blood was flowing from beneath her.
Meanwhile, her maid was being taken advantage of by Qin Zhihong on the ground, also completely naked. Her voice was hoarse from crying.
At this moment, Qin Zhihong was also naked, like a wolf with endless energy. His eyes were red, his teeth bared, and he was brutally ravaging a flower that was about to bloom.
Madam Qin quickly realized that Qin Zhihong's condition was very wrong.
The maid saw Madam Qin enter the room and a glimmer of hope arose in her heart.
"Ma-Madam, quickly... save me! This servant... cannot bear it."
Concubine Yang's maid weakly pleaded with Madam Qin for help.
Seeing the situation, Madam Qin, fearing that another life would be lost, quickly walked to the two of them and slapped Qin Zhihong several times, trying to wake him up. However, Qin Zhihong still showed no reaction.
Finally, Madam Qin, helpless, resorted to slapping Qin Zhihong's face several times. Only then did Qin Zhihong stop his actions and release the little maid.
After being released, the little maid, with her last bit of strength, scrambled out of Concubine Yang's room.
However, Qin Zhihong shifted his target, pinning Madam Qin to the ground and tearing at her clothes. Madam Qin became extremely fearful.
Fearing that she would suffer the same fate as Concubine Yang and that little maid, she quickly regained her composure. She decisively pulled out the jade exquiste hairpin from her hair and stabbed Qin Zhihong's back three times. Only then did Qin Zhihong stop his actions.
He collapsed unconscious onto Madam Qin. At this moment, Madam Qin was also in a disheveled state.
Later, Madam Qin struggled hard to push Qin Zhihong away and let out a long sigh of relief.
She mused inwardly: Qin Zhihong's strange behavior today immediately made her think that he might have been drugged.