The Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Heroine in the Old Abusive Article - Chapter 33

Wen Jin’an was certain that Qin Yang couldn’t read. Their marriage certificate had been written by someone else, and Qin Yang had only pressed her fingerprint onto it. But the person standing before her now…

Wen Jin’an’s heart raced, her gaze fixed intently on Qin Yang.

Qin Yang calmly walked toward the stage, then suddenly stopped, turning to look at the handsome young man who had placed the bet. She smiled at the County Magistrate. “Please wait a moment. I have something to take care of.”

Liu Dian sneered, “Qin Yang, are you scared now? Trying to run away?”

Annoying.

Qin Yang ignored him, turning and striding over to the young man. “Is it still possible to place a bet?”

The young man blinked in surprise, then quickly recovered, grinning. “Of course, of course! Who do you want to bet on?”

“Myself,” Qin Yang replied.

Bet on herself?

The young man stared in astonishment. He’d never heard of anyone betting on themselves before. Still, money was money. “What’s your name? I’ll add it to the list.”

Qin Yang smiled. “No rush.”

“Huh?” The young man looked puzzled, staring at Qin Yang, wondering what she was up to.

“What are you still worried about?” the young man asked.

“I’m not worried,” Qin Yang said, leaning closer. “You’re from the same academy as those two, right?”

The young man nodded.

“Then you must know their skill levels,” Qin Yang continued.

The young man nodded again.

“Who do you think the crowd will bet on?” Qin Yang asked with a smile.

The young man looked Qin Yang up and down. Her features were delicate, and her eyes radiated confidence, but her coarse, short-sleeved outfit made her look nothing like a scholar. He felt uncertain.

“How about we cooperate?” Qin Yang suggested, patting his shoulder with a smile.

Cooperate?

The young man looked bewildered. “How do you mean?”

“You’ve seen it yourself—no one here will bet on a village girl like me. If I lose, the payout is one to ten. You’d lose everything you just earned. But if I win…”

The young man’s heart skipped a beat. He glared at Qin Yang, gritting his teeth. “What do you want?”

Qin Yang chuckled softly. “That depends on my mood. Winning or losing doesn’t matter to me. But you…”

“What do you want?” the young man demanded urgently.

“I don’t just want ten times the payout,” Qin Yang said. “I also want half of the bettors’ commissions.”

Half?!

How dare she ask for so much!

Qin Yang smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. “If you don’t want to give it, fine. But then I can’t guarantee I’ll win.”

There would undoubtedly be many bettors, and as she pointed out, if she lost, he’d likely be eating wind for the next month. But if she won, he’d earn at least a thousand taels of silver. Considering that, splitting the commissions with her didn’t seem like such a bad deal after all.

But…

The young man scrutinized Qin Yang again. Could she really win?

As if reading his thoughts, Qin Yang raised an eyebrow. “You have no other choice but to trust me, do you?”

Her calm confidence made her seem taller, even in her coarse, short-sleeved tunic.

The young man gritted his teeth, steeling his resolve. “Deal.”

Qin Yang chuckled softly, picked up a brush, and wrote her name on the paper.

“I’m betting three taels of silver.”

Turning to Wen Jin’an, she rubbed her nose. “Jin’an, can I borrow those three taels first?”

Wen Jin’an’s gaze shifted from Qin Yang’s name to her face, her expression complex as she stared at her.

She really could write, her characters neat and dignified. Such refined calligraphy could only come from years of dedicated practice.

Wen Jin’an was stunned, biting her lip. She really isn’t the same person anymore!

If that were the case…

Everything suddenly made sense. The original Qin Yang had been arrogant, gloomy, and quick to lash out at Wen Jin’an with beatings and insults at the slightest provocation. How could she have ever given Wen Jin’an food, called a physician for her, taken her away from the Qin Family, given her money, or indulged her every whim?

Wen Jin’an’s eyes reddened slightly, her fingers curling tightly around her sleeves as she pressed her lips together, desperately trying to conceal any trace of emotion.

Seeing her eyes redden, Qin Yang hurriedly grabbed her sleeve. Damn it, I should have remembered! The original host was a gambling addict. Whenever she lost money and was in a bad mood, she’d take it out on the Female Lead. My bet must have reminded her of those painful memories.

Anxious and self-reproachful, Qin Yang said, “Don’t be upset. I’m confident I can win against them, really… If you don’t want me to bet, I won’t.”

Though it was a bit of a pity, seeing the Female Lead in such distress left her with no heart for gambling.

“Qin Yang, you sure talk big. Come write my name down. I’m betting three hundred taels.” Li Feng tossed the money in front of the young man. “I advise you to concede now. Otherwise, you’ll be the one humiliated later.”

Seeing Li Feng’s massive bet, the others quickly placed their wagers under his name. Before long, a pile of silver coins had accumulated beneath Li Feng’s name.

Li Feng smirked contemptuously as he strode onto the arena stage, while Liu Dian headed in the opposite direction.

“Betting on Li Feng is a sure win! Didn’t you hear what Liu Dian said? This Female Qianyuan can’t even read!”

“Right, right, right! Bet on Li Feng!”

Qin Yang ignored them, patting Wen Jin’an’s arm. “Don’t worry about me,” she said before turning to walk onto the arena stage.

“Wait!” Wen Jin’an called out.

Qin Yang glanced back at her.

Wen Jin’an lowered her gaze and pulled out three taels of silver from her sleeve. “I believe in my Wife-Husband,” she said.

This is…

Qin Yang’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Jin’an!”

Wonderful!

Taking the silver from Wen Jin’an, Qin Yang immediately placed it under her own name. Turning to Qin Zhao, she said, “Come on, bet too! It’s a guaranteed win!”

Qin Zhao hesitated for a moment before taking out three taels of silver and placing them beside her sister’s bet.

Recent bizarre events involving Qin Yang had strengthened her faith in her sister. If Qin Yang said it was a sure thing, then she’d bet on it.

Qin Yang hadn’t expected such unwavering trust from Qin Zhao. First, she’d given her ten taels to support her Jinchán collection, and now she was betting without hesitation on her victory.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved.

Qin Yang stepped onto the arena stage.

The host announced, “The rules are the same as before. The theme remains ‘Autumn Moon.’ Both sides may begin.”

Qin Yang approached the desk, picked up a brush, and began to write. Just then, Liu Dian, who had just left the stage, hurried back and whispered in Li Feng’s ear. Li Feng then glanced provocatively at Qin Yang before picking up his own brush and starting to write on the blank paper.

Is the cheating this blatant? Qin Yang’s lips twitched into a wry smile as she glanced at the judges on the dais, who seemed to be looking the other way.

Li Feng finished his poem quickly, and a student rushed forward to hang it up.

“This… this is too good!”

“It’s even better than the three poems from the previous round!”

But dissenting voices soon emerged.

“How could this be?”

“When did Li Feng become so skilled?”

“He’s got money…”

Qin Yang glanced at the audience below the stage, then focused intently on the blank sheet of paper, completing the poem in one fluid stroke. A student hung it up.

“…”

“A single moon over Chang’an, ten thousand households pounding cloth. The autumn wind carries endless longing, always the Jade Gate’s yearning.”

“What a beautiful poem!”

Qin Yang’s ears rang with the murmurs of the crowd.

The County Magistrate suddenly rose from his chair. “Quickly, bring the poem here!”

A student recopied the poem and delivered it to the judges’ table.

The three academy deans widened their eyes and exchanged hushed remarks.

“Truly a remarkable poem. This old man is humbled,” one dean said, shaking his head in admiration.

“Indeed, it has been many years since I’ve seen such fine verse,” another dean praised.

“Hmm, excellent. A truly exceptional poem,” the County Magistrate said, his face lighting up with delight. He turned to Qin Yang, his tone warm and friendly. “This poem captures both the moon’s beauty and the depth of longing. Did this masterpiece also come from your master’s hand, young friend?”

Qin Yang nodded. Li Bai was the Poet Immortal, and they had studied many of his poems in their textbooks. Calling him “master” seemed perfectly appropriate.

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Qin Yang suppressed her guilt.

Wen Jin’an listened to the surrounding chatter, and though she didn’t understand the specifics, she knew the poem was extraordinary.

The lamplight illuminated Qin Yang, highlighting her delicate features and confident demeanor. What a flamboyant young man!

Suddenly, the harmonious atmosphere shattered with a discordant voice.

“How is this possible?” Li Feng pointed angrily at Qin Yang. “I refuse to accept this! We agreed she would write her own poem. Using someone else’s work is cheating!”

“Before the competition, I clearly stated that the poem was my master’s,” Qin Yang replied calmly. “Everyone present should have heard me, including the County Magistrate. Is there a problem?”

And Li Feng has the nerve to accuse me? she thought. Didn’t he cheat himself?

“You…” Li Feng turned to the County Magistrate, bowing respectfully. “Your Honor, this girl is just a wild country girl who can’t even read. She claims the poem is her master’s, but I suspect she stole it. I’ve already investigated—she was a notorious troublemaker in her village. Her character is utterly untrustworthy!”

“Indeed, Your Honor,” Liu Dian hurried forward to agree. “I’m from the same village as Qin Yang, and I know her better than anyone. She’s been a troublemaker since childhood, a notorious hooligan in our village. She’s never read a single book in her life—how could she possibly have a master? This is clearly a lie. In my opinion, she probably stole that poem from somewhere.”

As if to lend further credibility to his words, he added, “My betrothed Kunze is her Third Brother. No one knows Qin Yang’s affairs better than I do.”

“So that Female Qianyuan is her sister-in-law?”

“Aren’t they all family? Liu Dian is truly ruthless—he’d throw his own sister-in-law under the bus just to curry favor with Li Feng.”

Liu Dian’s words ignited another wave of murmurs from the crowd.

His face flushed crimson and then paled, but he stubbornly retorted, “What do you know? This is called upholding justice, even against family!”

Qin Yang raised an eyebrow, a scornful smile playing on her lips as she turned to the County Magistrate. “Your Honor, I implore you to uphold justice for this humble citizen.”

The County Magistrate waved his hand and strode to the center of the arena. “This man’s calligraphy is upright and powerful. It would take at least ten years of dedicated practice to achieve such skill. The answer to who is lying is obvious.”

The magistrate’s words brought a collective realization to the crowd below.

“This official declares Qin Yang’s poem the superior work,” the magistrate announced the result immediately.

Qin Yang wasn’t surprised by the outcome. After all, the poem was by the Poet Immortal Li Bai. She smiled and stepped down from the arena.

Having already taken up the students’ competition time, there was no need to linger now that her purpose had been achieved. Besides, she had more pressing matters to attend to.

Seeing Qin Yang leave, Li Feng glared fiercely at Liu Dian, flicked his sleeves, and stormed off in a huff.

Liu Dian hurried after him.

Qin Yang descended from the arena without even sparing a glance for Wen Jin’an, heading straight for the handsome young man.

Wen Jin’an pressed her lips together, watching Qin Yang’s urgent demeanor with a furrowed brow.

If she hadn’t already known Qin Yang wasn’t the same person as before, she would have seriously doubted her motives. Her greedy behavior was eerily identical to the original Qin Yang’s.