Qin Mingyan was startled, "What are you doing? Do you think you can barge into a guest's room as you please?"
"You slut, stop pretending to be pure. Haven't you been involved with my eldest brother for a long time? If you don't fancy me, I'll make sure you experience it!" Su Xingzhe threw his clothes on the ground and strode over.
"Ah!" Qin Mingyan cried out in surprise and instinctively tried to dodge, but he grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the dressing table.
"Get off, get off me!" she struggled and shouted.
Su Xingzhe tried to pull down her pants. She kicked and punched him, inadvertently hitting a vulnerable spot.
Su Xingzhe cried out in pain, his eyes blazing with fury, "Damn slut, how dare you kick me? I'll kill you!"
His eyes turned scarlet, losing all reason. He grabbed Qin Mingyan's neck with both hands, squeezing tightly.
Qin Mingyan pounded on his chest, her eyes rolling back. Her struggles gradually weakened, and her tongue lolled out.
"Die, die!" Su Xingzhe continued to exert pressure, but soon the person in his hands stopped struggling.
He slowly came to his senses. When he looked up again, Qin Mingyan's face was ashen, and she had lost consciousness.
Su Xingzhe let out a startled cry and recoiled, releasing his grip.
Qin Mingyan fell to the ground.
He panicked, standing frozen for a long time before cautiously reaching out to check for a breath.
Qin Mingyan had stopped breathing. She was dead.
Su Xingzhe's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground, "How is this possible..."
He had killed the legitimate daughter of the Qin family?
If anyone found out, he would be completely finished! Prison was terrifying, and he absolutely couldn't be locked up again!
"Ah!" A scream also came from the doorway.
Su Xingzhe looked up to see Su Xingfu had arrived at some unknown time. "Eldest brother? Don't misunderstand, I didn't..."
"You killed her?" Su Xingfu exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock. He pointed at Su Xingzhe and shouted, "Are you crazy? You killed the daughter of a second-rank imperial official! If His Majesty finds out, you'll be executed!"
"No, eldest brother, don't tell anyone. Please help me conceal it!" Su Xingzhe scrambled to his feet in a panic.
Su Xingfu took two steps back, "How can I help you conceal something like this? We can only go tell Mother first and see what she decides."
He turned and walked towards the exit.
Su Xingzhe watched his retreating back, the panic in his eyes turning to hatred. He then grabbed a stool nearby and charged out.
The stool was raised high and smashed onto Su Xingfu's head, creating a bloody gash. Su Xingfu fell to the ground.
Su Xingzhe turned back, only to see Su Xingfu's crazed eyes.
"It's you! It's all because of you! If you hadn't spoken ill of me to that slut, I would have been the Qin family's son-in-law! It's all your fault!" Su Xingzhe wailed hysterically.
Su Xingfu wanted to explain, but before he could utter a single word, another stool came down on him.
Su Xingzhe continued to swing his arms, repeating the action until the body beneath him was bloody and mangled.
When Dou Ying arrived with her people, Su Xingfu was unrecognizable, and the courtyard was filled with the stench of blood.
"Xingfu! How could this happen, my son..." Dou Ying cried out tragically, unable to withstand the shock and fainted.
Zhou Wan You followed in and, seeing the bloody scene, covered the eyes of the little dumpling in her arms. "Someone, drag the second young master away!"
The servants, suppressing their nausea, stepped forward and dragged Su Xingzhe away.
Su Xingzhe was still screaming wildly, "Hahaha... they're all dead, all dead! No one will compete with me anymore. I'll be fine, no one will know, haha..."
"Yan'er? Yan'er!" Qin Shu rushed into the room, only to see the disheveled body of Qin Mingyan.
He also threw himself down and began to weep.
The entire second branch of the Su family descended into chaos.
Su Cheng Hai, who was out on business, rushed back upon hearing the news, only to be met with a ruined scene.
Qin Mingyan's body was taken back by Qin Shu. Before leaving, he made a scene, insisting that Su Cheng Hai provide an explanation.
Su Xingzhe had killed two people, one of whom was the legitimate daughter of a second-rank imperial official and the sister of Consort Qin. The京兆府尹 could not handle this matter and directly filed it with the Ministry of Justice.
Su Xingzhe was arrested and taken to the Ministry of Justice, and even Su Cheng Hai was summoned for questioning.
For a time, no one came to collect Su Xingfu's body.
Only Zhou Wan You remained in the courtyard, holding the little dumpling.
Su Yin Yin entered from outside and knelt by Su Xingfu's side.
She looked coldly at Su Xingfu's bloody and mangled body, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Dead, they're all really dead..."
From now on, only she would remain as a daughter in the family, and her mother would only have her. No one would bully her anymore.
"Hahaha..." As she laughed, her laughter gradually turned to sorrow, and she began to weep uncontrollably.
Seeing her alternating between laughter and tears, Zhou Wan You seemed to understand something. She shook her head and left with the little dumpling.
Su Yun Mo, resting on Zhou Wan You's shoulder, also averted her gaze.
From then on, there would be no more disturbances from the second branch.
The Ministry of Justice delivered its verdict within three days: Su Xingzhe, for the unforgivable crime of killing two people, was to be executed immediately.
Upon learning of the matter, Emperor Ye Yao specifically sent someone to the Qin residence to comfort Qin Shu.
Although Qin Shu had lost his daughter, he also knew that with the incident in the cold palace, his family would have no further connection to the imperial harem. Fortune or misfortune.
News of the Ministry of Justice's judgment reached the Su family. Dou Ying fainted three times from crying and continued to scold and rage.
Su Yin Yin stayed by her side.
The next day, a piece of news spread throughout the capital.
The incident where Su Siyuan had violated Su Yin Yin was purely fabricated. Both of them were victims of Dou Ying's scheme, the purpose of which was to rescue Su Xingzhe, who was then imprisoned.
The news shocked everyone. They all cursed Dou Ying for framing the legitimate son of the General's Mansion and for her cruel nature. They also felt indignant on Su Yin Yin's behalf.
However, regardless of the truth, Su Yin Yin's reputation as "damaged goods" would gradually improve with people's sympathy.
That afternoon, Dou Ying, accompanied by Su Yin Yin, personally went to the General's Mansion to apologize.
Her face was pale, her eyes vacant, and her gaze unfocused as she spoke.
In contrast, Su Yin Yin was dressed neatly and properly, generously apologizing on behalf of her mother, showing no sign of being a victim.
As the mother and daughter were leaving the mansion, they encountered Su Yun Mo.
Su Yin Yin's eyes, as she looked at Su Yun Mo, glinted with pride. She reached out to hold Dou Ying's hand, deliberately calling out "Mother" in a loud voice, and snuggled into Dou Ying's embrace.
Luoluo, seeing the mother and daughter's demeanor, found it strange. "Miss Yin Yin is truly peculiar. With what happened at home, why does she seem so pleased?"
Zi Yuan sneered, "Except for those she wants to eliminate, she naturally feels pleased."
From then on, Su Yin Yin would become Dou Ying's sole pillar of support. Even if Dou Ying suspected that there was something sinister behind this matter, she could only acquiesce and focus all her attention on Su Yin Yin, acting as a 'loving mother.'
However, it remained to be seen how long this mother-daughter affection would last. What was fake was fake, and it would eventually shatter. Su Yin Yin was merely living in the dream she had woven for herself.
She might not have been unaware of this truth herself, yet she willingly deceived herself.