Chapter 4: From Now On, It’s Either You Or Me in This House

The maid immediately carried the water outside. Aunt Wang calculatively smiled.

Her plan was to have her daughter climb into the Young Master’s bed to secure her position. Who would have thought a “Young Madam” would appear out of thin air? The Shen family’s second daughter? Bring it on. I’ll show her what happens when messes with me.

Aunt Wang left with the maids. The moment she got to the door, she splashed the water out fiercely.

Splash!

C-crack!

Both sounds hit at once.

The maids jumped in fright. It’s just a bucket of water, how is it this loud?!

Immediately after, the carved, gilded iron gate before them trembled, then came crashing down!

A slim, poised silhouette appeared behind the mist.

The maids coughed and stared at her, so frightened their legs nearly gave out.

“Young Master!”

One of the maids stumbled as they rushed to report, “T-this is bad! The Young Madam…she…”

“If she’s drenched to death, then haul her to the hospital!” Xi Xingye scolded.

“We missed! Young Madam…she took the main gate apart!” the maid shrieked.

Xi Xingye paused. For a split second, he thought he was hearing things. He quickly stepped out to the balcony and looked down.

That slender figure stood under the moonlight. Where the front gate used to be was now empty, while two men stood beside her. One of them in workwear was hauling over a brand new gate.

“A little to the left…a bit more to the right. Yes, right there,” Shen Qingci instructed calmly.

Xi Xingye let out a frustrated laugh. Alright then! You want to play? Let’s play!

He slammed his wine glass on the table and marched downstairs in rage.

At the gate, Aunt Wang was still locked in a heated argument. “This is the Young Master’s house! A woman should know her place and follow the rules. He hasn’t even let you in and you’re already tearing down the gate? And you…” She turned to the property staff. “Where were you guys? Are you guys useless?”

“This…this lady is Young Master’s wife,” the property manager explained anxiously. “ We’ve seen the marriage certificate and confirmed everything with Old Master Xi himself.”

“So what if she’s his wife? This is his house. What right does she have to make decisions here? And that gate was his favorite…”

“You’re too loud.” Shen Qingci frowned. Without a second thought, she kicked the bucket next to her feet.

The bucket went flying toward Aunt Wang, who screamed and ducked out of the way.

“Shen Qingci!” Xi Xingye stormed over, full of anger.

Aunt Wang immediately seize the chance to complain. “Young Master, you’re finally here! This woman destroyed the gate, ignored everything I said, and then she even tried to kill me with that bucket! She’s out of control.”

Shen Qingci crossed her arms and looked at Xi Xingye. “Finally decided to come down?”

“Who gave you permission to tear down my gate?” Xi Xingye squinted, supressing his anger.

“This is my house. I don’t need anyone’s permission.”

“Your house?” Xi Xingye acted as if he had heard a joke. “You really think that just because we have the marriage certificate, you’re the Young Madam of the Xi family? You think everyone in this family has to listen to you now?”

“Not really.”

“At least you have some self-awar…”

“As far as I know,” Shen Qingci cut him off, her face remained indifferent. “You’re not in any position to represent the Xi family.” There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm in her voice, yet to Xi Xingye, her words sounded very sarcastic.

“You…” He was just about to explode.

“Come here and register your fingerprint.” Shen Qingci spoke again in her calm voice.

The locksmith had already installed a brand-new smart lock on the new gate.

Xi Xingye completely lost it. “Register my ass. Since you’re so capable, fine. I’m done living here. From now on, this house isn’t big enough for both of us. It’s either you or me!”

He stormed out after saying that. A moment later, a pink Phantom drove past the gate.

“Madam Xi, this…” The property manager and the locksmith looked a little lost.

“Is it done?” Shen Qingci asked.

“All done.”

“Send the bill to Xi Xingye.” She then dragged her luggage through the door.

The maids moved aside. If the Young Master couldn’t handle her, they certainly weren’t going to try.

Aunt Wang quietly took out her phone and walked into the courtyard.

As soon as the call connected, she switched to a flattering smile. “Master, Ms. Shen has already moved in. But the Young Master was so furious he left, and he even said that if Ms. Shen stays, he won’t come back.”

“What happened?”

Aunt Wang began to recount the events, adding plenty of fuel to the fire. She was ready to gloat, waiting for the Old Master to be furious. Instead, he said: “She’s the bride I chose for this family. Since when do you have the right to call her Miss Shen?

Aunt Wang froze. “But…the Young Master…he left because…”

“Young Master my foot! You listen to me! Qingci is the lady of the Xi family!”

The Old Master hung up, looking somewhat troubled.

They had only just gotten married. If they started living apart this early, that would be a problem.

Was that kid really too much even for Qingci?

He decided to wait and see how it played out.

---

After taking a quick look around the villa, Shen Qingci put her luggage in the guest room. Once she had taken a quick bath, she let down her long hair and opened the door to the study room on the second floor.

Xi Xingye truly lived up to his reputation as a rich playboy who only knew to eat, drink, and have fun. Aside from the essential appliances, the entire study had nothing in it. Even the bookshelves were completely empty.

Luckily, the maids cleaned it every day so it was still tidy.

She opened her laptop and checked the emails the company had sent. They were all detailed reports on Shenyuan.

Shenyuan was her mother’s painstaking creation. After her mother went missing, it had been taken over by the Shen family.

The study was quiet except for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. Shen Qingci sat at a large wooden desk. Her brows slowly drew tighter as she dug deeper into the files.

No wonder the Xi family was able to acquire this company. Not only were the annual expense far exceeding its income, but internal structure was a total mess. The financial statements were full of red flags.

When her mother was still around, the company had ben thriving. Now, all that was left was a complete wreck.

She quinted. Seemed like she would have to pay a visit tomorrow and see things for herself.

By the time she closed the laptop and looked up again, it was already midnight.

Has Xi Xingye not returned yet?

She gathered her things and went downstairs. Only one maid was still up.

“Where is everyone else?” She asked and sat down.

“They’ve already gone back to their rooms. Do you want me to call them over?” Sister Zhang asked cautiously.

Shen Qingci glanced around. “Bring me the loudest one.”

“Huh? But the Young Master isn’t here…” Sister Zhang muttered, then suddenly caught on. “Oh! You mean Aunt Wang?”

Sister Zhang looked up, only to meet a pair of pitch-black eyes. She quickly replied, “I’ll go right away!”

A few minute later, Aunt Wang came over reluctantly.

“Find out where Xi Xingye is,” Shen Qingci said, playing with a dart she picked up from the table.

“How would I know where the Young Master is? You didn’t stop him when he left earlier, and now you’re looking for him?” Aunt Want scoffed impatiently. “If you ask me, Young Madam, you shouldn’t have treated him like that. A wife is supposed to follow her husband’s lead. What’s wrong with being a little more acommodating? I – ”

 Whoosh!

Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp dart sliced past her ear. The gust of wind lifted the hair at her temples as the dart hit the dartboard behind her.

Aunt Wang gasped, stiffly turned around.

When she saw how deep the dark had sunk into the bullseye, her legs went weak. If it had been off by even a fraction of an inch, it would have pierced right through her ear!

Shen Qingci sat on the sofa, calm and unbothered. “I’ll ask one more time. Where is Xi Xingye?”

“I…I don’t kno…Ahh!”

Three more darts flew past her ear.

“Do you know now?”

Gripping the last dart in her hand, Shen Qingci slowly raised her hand, pointing it straight at Aunt Wang’s eyes.

Aunt Wang didn’t dare to blink. She was completely terrified. “The Young Master’s at the club! The Platinum Entertainment Center!”

“Call him.”

Aunt Wang immediately dialed the number, trembling.

Blasting music came through from the other end of the phone, mixed with a woman’s flirtatious voice and the noise of his drinking buddies clinking glasses and fooling around.

“Aunt Wang, I’m out with Xu Zijie and the guys. Don’t worry.” Xi Xingye said lazily.

“Xi Xingye.”

Shen Qingci’s voice, like a blade of ice, cut through the phone. “It’s past twelve. This counts as staying out all night. I’m giving you thirty minutes. Get! Your! Ass! Home!”