"Sis, how can you say that? If someone hears you, they’ll think Old Ma is some kind of pervert."

When it came to sowing discord, Ding Caiyan was absolutely a natural; she never needed to "go home and fetch it," it was always at her fingertips.

After all, all these years, she’d done that sort of thing more than enough.

If a husband and wife don’t get along, then they can’t blame the third party for stepping in and whispering poison on the pillow.

Ding Caiyan’s thoughts were filthy and disgusting. They couldn’t stand up to scrutiny, yet she still had to force them into seeming "reasonable."

"Fine, I’m crooked, I’m overthinking it, okay?!"

Ding Suzhu really had been pushed into a dead corner: one was her husband, the other was her younger sister.

The two of them were united as one, obsessed with seeing her dead, refusing to let her have a single good day.

Ding Suzhu only felt her heart turn cold. She said, "Ma Zongyu, this is an expedient measure. You’ll endure it whether you want to or not. I can’t help you, and I can’t save you!"

Bai Yingqing was quite decent about it, she actually remembered this matter.

After going back, she had the housekeeper arrange it, sent some reliable people over to give Ma Zongyu a good warning, and this matter blew up big in the company; everyone already knew.

Once the bow is drawn, there’s no taking back the arrow. Now that it had come to this, Ding Suzhu had to see it through to the end.

No one had expected Ding Suzhu to be this tough...

There was absolutely no room for negotiation. She was so decisive and ruthless it was frightening.

A string of her words had clearly gone far beyond what the two of them had anticipated.

Originally, they thought they only had to kick up a fuss, beat Ding Suzhu up a bit, and she would cave like before.

Ma Zongyu couldn’t help feeling flustered.

Could it really be that the Bai Family’s eldest miss was putting on the pressure, that Ding Suzhu couldn’t withstand it and had no way out...

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help glancing at Ding Caiyan, and disgust rose in his heart.

If it weren’t for Ding Caiyan overestimating herself, insisting on arguing like a shrew and snatching clothes from Bai Yingqing, things wouldn’t have blown up like this.

When Ma Zongyu thought of that, he practically wanted to cut ties with her on the spot.

Ding Caiyan wasn’t stupid. She’d been with Ma Zongyu this long and knew his temper, so she hurriedly said, "It was Sis who went to explain things to the Bai Family’s miss. Right after she explained, Old Ma was removed from his post. This one’s not on you..."

She forcibly shifted the blame, shoving the dirty water back onto Ding Suzhu and stirring up Ma Zongyu’s suspicions.

With that move, they didn’t look like real sisters at all anymore, more like mortal enemies.

...

The second-floor staircase window.

Xia Xi arrived late. Looking at Gu Tong standing by the window, she said, "What are you looking at?"

Gu Tong replied evenly, "People."

Xia Xi leaned closer to the window, took a glance, and laughed. "Oh, it’s Ding Suzhu’s family."

Xia Xi had also stayed in Shoucheng for a while, so she knew all about the internal affairs of these families.

On top of that, Ding Suzhu’s big mouth was famous, so it was hard not to know about her.

"You know her?" Xia Xi knew Gu Tong’s personality. If it wasn’t someone she knew, she’d never stand around watching drama.

Now that she’d been standing by the window this long, it had to be someone familiar.

Gu Tong propped her elbow on the window ledge, pressed her lips together, and said, "She once helped me."

At a banquet, there were calculations everywhere.

With the enemy still in the dark, Ding Suzhu had stepped out on her own and called out the names of several rich young ladies.

She wasn’t afraid of offending people, and she didn’t even know if Gu Tong could turn things around. She still spoke up rashly just to help her. Gu Tong remembered that favor.

Xia Xi let out a light chuckle, took a few steps forward, and said, "She helped you? Then I really have to take a good look."