The Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Heroine in the Old Abusive Article - Chapter 20

After suffering a significant loss at Qin Yang’s hands, Chen San, in a foul mood, decided to head to town for a few rounds of gambling. He hadn’t gone far when he ran into Widow Miao.

The young widow had a delicate, willow-like figure and was a soft, tender Kunze.

Chen San’s heart immediately stirred with lust. Without hesitation, he grabbed Widow Miao’s hand. Though her husband had died shortly after their marriage, she was still a woman of good breeding and naturally resisted fiercely. But as a frail Kunze with no one around, her struggles were futile.

Even if someone were nearby, they might not help her. The villagers avoided her like the plague.

Miao Zhiru felt a wave of despair. “Chen San, I’d rather die than let you have your way!”

“Hmph, I’ve never played with such a fresh Kunze before,” Chen San sneered lewdly.

Miao Zhiru stumbled backward, her feet tangling. She closed her eyes in despair, bracing herself for Chen San’s clutches. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.

A faint fruity fragrance filled her nostrils as she was caught in a pair of soft arms.

“Are you alright?” Qin Zhao asked, steadying her.

The next moment, Miao Zhiru’s eyes snapped open in terror. She looked up to see the unfamiliar Qianyuan holding her, a head taller than herself, with delicate features, lips pressed into a thin line, and an intimidating air.

“Qin Zhao, I’m warning you—mind your own business, or you’ll regret crossing me!” Chen San shouted, his voice strained and lacking strength.

He couldn’t defeat Qin Yang, and this Qin Zhao looked equally formidable. Chen San’s confidence wavered; after all, this was another Qianyuan. He swallowed hard. “I’ll let you off this time.” Today was just bad luck.

Chen San spat on the ground, his resentment burning. He hadn’t even touched that delicate Kunze before Qin Zhao ruined everything. Cursing under his breath, he stormed off.

Qin Zhao released Miao Zhiru.

“Thank you,” Miao Zhiru murmured, looking up at her. When Qin Yang glanced over, she quickly lowered her gaze to her feet.

This Qianyuan looked so fierce; she was terrified.

Qin Zhao paused, then opened her mouth. “It’s nothing. Where do you live? I’ll take you home.” Her voice was flat and expressionless, making the words sound harsh.

Miao Zhiru flinched. “Huh?” Was she going to…?

Realizing what was happening, she stumbled back in panic. “Ah!”

Qin Zhao quickly steadied Miao Zhiru, her brow furrowing as she examined the Kunze before her. Her gaze shifted to Miao Zhiru’s foot—it must have been twisted during the struggle with Chen San. Irritation flared in her chest. “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

“No… no need… I can manage…” Miao Zhiru murmured, her face flushing crimson.

Her voice was so soft that Qin Zhao, standing behind her, barely caught a word.

“Don’t worry about it. Can you really get home on your own like this?” Qin Zhao asked, her tone uncertain, having only grasped fragments of Miao Zhiru’s reply.

Miao Zhiru’s ears reddened. She pressed her lips together. Since marrying into this village, she had rarely ventured out. Partly because she dreaded interacting with strangers, and partly because the villagers all believed she was a jinx, avoiding her like the plague. She didn’t want to bring misfortune to others.

If I tell her, this Qianyuan will probably run away too, she thought.

For some reason, a pang of disappointment struck Miao Zhiru’s heart. Despite still being somewhat afraid of this fierce-looking Qianyuan, she felt a strange reluctance to let her go.

Qin Zhao, unaware of the Kunze’s inner turmoil, waited impatiently for a response. When Miao Zhiru remained silent, she repeated, “Are you sure you can get home on your own?”

“I…” Miao Zhiru raised her head to look at Qin Zhao, noticing the Qianyuan’s worried gaze fixed on her. She replied softly, “Then I’ll trouble you. My house isn’t far from here, it’s the one at the foot of the mountain.”

The one at the foot of the mountain?

Isn’t that Chen Fei’s house?

Could this timid Kunze be the young widow?

Qin Zhao had never met her, but he had heard rumors about Miao Zhiru in the village: her husband had died on their wedding night, and she was ostracized by her in-laws.

No wonder Chen San dared to bully her. He saw she was alone and vulnerable. Qin Zhao said nothing more, bending down to scoop Miao Zhiru into his arms.

Meanwhile, Qin Yang, preoccupied with the Female Lead, hurried back inside as soon as Chen San left.

She must have overheard everything I said to Chen San just now.

Wen Jin’an leaned against the bed, her waterfall of long hair cascading over her shoulder. She looked up at Qin Yang with a fixed gaze, still reeling from the conversation she had just overheard. Could she really trust this person to cut ties with Chen San?

Can I believe anything she says?

Qin Yang took a step forward. “Don’t misunderstand. I went out to see Chen San to get back the money he borrowed from me. See?”

Qin Yang handed the two taels of silver she had retrieved from Chen San to Wen Jin’an. She squatted by the edge of the bed, looking up at Wen Jin’an.

With her harmless face and pitiful eyes, Qin Yang even managed to squeeze out two tears that clung to her eyelashes, threatening to fall. Anyone who saw her would never suspect such a Qianyuan of harboring any ill intentions.

“Really, I really did just go to get the money back,” Qin Yang insisted, feeling she was giving the performance of a lifetime. “If you don’t want me to see Chen San, I promise I won’t see him again.”

The Female Lead is such a naive girl. She should believe me, right?

In truth, everything she said was true, except for those two tears. She wasn’t the Original Host, so she had no intention of seeing Chen San again. Once she finished testing Qin Zhao, she planned to find an excuse to take Wen Jin’an away from the Qin Family.

Is she… crying?

Wen Jin’an froze, caught off guard. Before she could react, Qin Yang had already pressed the silver into her hand.

“Hide it well,” Qin Yang said sternly. “Don’t let them see it.”

What does she mean by this?

A complex emotion flickered in Wen Jin’an’s eyes. The twenty copper coins Qin Yang had given her before were nothing, but this was a full two taels of silver—enough for an ordinary family to live on for half a year. Why would she give it to her like this?

And… can I really trust what she said?

Wen Jin’an hesitated.

“Don’t just stand there, hurry and put it away. Oh, and the physician said you need to rest properly. Don’t worry about anything outside; I won’t go hunting today. I’ll stay here and keep you company,” Qin Yang said with a smile. Hunting wasn’t urgent; they had enough food for two or three days.

The priority now was to test Qin Zhao’s intentions. When they had time, they should visit the county town to find a place to stay, so they wouldn’t be homeless after leaving the Qin Family.

“I’m fine. Just go about your business,” Wen Jin’an said, suppressing her doubts.

She couldn’t fully trust Qin Yang’s words, but since she was offering the money, she would accept it.

“Let me help you lie down,” Qin Yang said.

Wen Jin’an’s heart tightened, her fingers clenching the sleeves of her robe.

“The physician said bed rest is best,” Qin Yang continued.

Relief washed over Wen Jin’an. She slowly relaxed her grip, her gaze fixed on Qin Yang, her emotions complex.

As if trying to see through her.

Qin Yang carefully took Wen Jin’an’s arm, the faint scent of peach wine from the Qianyuan’s body filling her nostrils. Wen Jin’an’s breath caught, her strength draining away instantly. She gripped her sleeves tightly.

Qin Yang lifted the covers and helped Wen Jin’an lie down, oblivious to the other woman’s discomfort. She tucked the blankets around her, carefully smoothing the corners, and stood by the bed, gazing at Wen Jin’an with a tender smile.

Wen Jin’an: “……”

Why is she looking at me like that?

As she moved away, the scent of Peach Wine in the air faded, becoming barely noticeable. Wen Jin’an bit her lip, suppressing the strange feeling in her chest, and looked back at Qin Yang, who was still grinning foolishly at her.

Am I overthinking this?

Wen Jin’an lowered her gaze.

Qin Yang stood by the bed for a moment, watching Wen Jin’an. “Sleep well. I’ll be over there. Call me if you need anything.”

Wen Jin’an: “……”

She couldn’t fathom what Qin Yang was planning, and her frustration only deepened.

The Kunze turned her back, cutting off that irritating gaze.

Qin Yang: “……” She rubbed her nose, her eyes fixed on the Kunze’s slender shoulders. Dark hair spilled across the pillow, revealing half of her pale, swan-like neck. Even though the dark strands obscured it, the image of the Kunze from that night involuntarily resurfaced in her mind.

Qin Yang’s throat tightened as she swallowed hard. The pheromone of a Kunze was fatally alluring to a Qianyuan, and her nape pulsed twice with excitement.

A second later, she snapped back to reality. Was she out of her mind?

Daring to… towards the Female Lead…

Qin Yang whirled around and stiffly sat down on the straw.

That was close! Knowing she’s the Female Lead, I still dared to have such thoughts? Is this the plot’s influence?

Lying down, Qin Yang’s mind barely had time to recover. The straw beneath her was rough and prickly, a stark contrast to her previous luxurious bed—heaven and earth.

But after that ordeal, her mind was too frazzled to think about what to do next. She simply closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Some time later, Liu Yue’e’s voice echoed from the courtyard again.

Qin Yang groggily opened her eyes. Is she causing trouble again?

“Qin Yang, get out here!”

Still after me.

Qin Yang yawned, glancing at the shadow outside the window. It hadn’t changed much since she fell asleep, so she probably hadn’t been out for long.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside the door.

“Mother, I saw the money in Fourth Elder’s hand with my own eyes…”

“Really?”

“How could I lie about something like this?”

Having failed to get anything out of Qin Yang, Zhao Chunhua went to Liu Yue’e to complain. Liu Yue’e, who had always controlled the family’s finances, couldn’t tolerate the thought of Qin Yang hiding money. Enraged, she began pounding on the door.

Qin Yang stood up, opened the door, and stepped outside. Liu Yue’e stood there, hands on her hips, her expression fierce. Her murky eyes, sunken deep in their sockets, glared at Qin Yang with malice.

“Fourth Elder, are you hiding money?” Liu Yue’e demanded, her gaze burning with hatred, as if she wanted to devour Qin Yang alive.

Qin Yang had already prepared her response. Her gaze swept the group before settling on Zhao Chunhua’s face. “Eldest Sister-in-Law told you, didn’t she? I borrowed money from Chen San earlier. You know Jin’an hasn’t been feeling well these past few days, and the last time we called the physician, we had to put it on credit. We can’t keep running up debts, so I borrowed two taels of silver from Chen San. Since you’re asking, Mother, please help me repay him.”

“What?!” Liu Yue’e’s eyes widened in disbelief. After a long moment, she regained her composure and raised her voice. “You spent two taels of silver on that Wen Jin’an woman? Does seeing a physician really cost that much? That damned…”

Qin Yang scratched her head. “Jin’an wasn’t feeling well. What else could I do but call a physician? Mother, please help me repay this debt.”

Liu Yue’e refused to pay. She had hoped to extract some money from Qin Yang, but now the girl was trying to make her pay up. And Wen Jin’an—what kind of illness required so much money?

That sly fox spirit must have tricked Qin Yang into spending so much on her, Liu Yue’e thought, her heart aching at the thought of the money. She wanted to drag Wen Jin’an over immediately.

Seeing her mother’s silence, Qin Yang pressed on relentlessly. “If you don’t repay this, I won’t stop Chen San from causing trouble at home.”

“You…” Liu Yue’e faltered, guilt creeping into her voice. “Where would I get that kind of money?” Her gaze drifted to Zhao Chunhua, the jinx. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here being pressured by Qin Yang for money.

There was absolutely no way she would pay.

Qin Yang glanced at Liu Yue’e, then at Zhao Chunhua, thinking about the Qin Family’s fate. Wasn’t it all their own doing?