MY PRINCE HUSBAND HAS SEVEN WIVES AND I AM HIS FAVOURITE!
Chapter 124: Were you looking for me?

Chapter 124: Were you looking for me?

(This Chapter is long.)

The hall remained silent, waiting for his response.

Jiang Lei took another slow, measured breath.

His pride told him to ignore it. To refuse. To walk away.

But the growing pressure from the audience—the whispering nobles, the amused scholars, the judgmental glances from those who knew better—left him with no choice.

His jaw tightened.

His hands curled into fists beneath his sleeves.

And yet—

And yet—

Just when Jiang Lei was about to succumb to the pressure, his lips parting, ready to force the words out—

A smooth, melodic voice sliced through the air.

"Oh my, what is this?"

Chen Li’s voice was honeyed, laced with the kind of elegance only years of practice could perfect.

Jiang Lei shut his mouth instantly, the weight of expectation lifting from his shoulders as though he had been granted an unexpected reprieve.

Saved.

He was saved.

And the one who had come to his rescue was none other than the mistress of the Hua household herself.

Chen Li glided across the room, every step calculated, every movement filled with the effortless grace of a woman who was used to controlling any and every situation.

Her dress shimmered under the lantern light, embroidered silk flowing behind her like waves, her golden hairpins glinting with every step she took.

And yet—

Despite her beautiful, dignified exterior, the air around her was suffocating.

It was in the way her eyes, filled with warmth, held an unmistakable chill.

It was in the way her smile, so bashful and doting, barely concealed the venom lurking beneath.

As soon as she reached them, she reached for Jiang Lei’s hand—delicate fingers curling around his wrist as though to shield him.

"That’s enough, you two," she said, her voice rich with false amusement.

She turned to Hua Jing, her expression still warm, though her grip on Jiang Lei’s wrist subtly tightened.

"He will be your brother-in-law after all," she continued, her tone so gentle it was almost condescending. "You should let him be just this once."

Hua Jing did nothing but watch.

She had known this woman all her life.

She had known every single one of her tricks, her lies, her false benevolence.

And yet, every time, Chen Li still thought she could outmaneuver her.

How amusing.

Hua Jing tilted her head slightly, an amused glint in her eyes as she observed the woman before her.

Chen Li, in all her poisonous glory, stood with the confidence of a queen.

How unfortunate for her, Hua Jing mused, that I am here to ruin her reign.

Before Hua Jing could utter a single word, Chen Li had already motioned for Jiang Lei to leave.

And Jiang Lei—humiliated, flustered, eager to flee—wasted no time.

He turned swiftly on his heel and walked away, his back stiff with embarrassment.

His retreat, however, was not enough to erase the shame that still clung to him, almost as bright as the sun.

Hua Jing watched him go, eyes gleaming with mirth.

So predictable.

So utterly pathetic.

The murmurs around them slowly resumed, the noble guests whispering amongst themselves.

But Chen Li wasn’t done yet.

The madam of the Hua household turned her attention fully to Hua Jing now, her false smile softening into something more intimate.

If Hua Jing didn’t know better, she would have thought it was almost affectionate.

But she knew better.

"It has been so long since you’ve returned," Chen Li said, voice silky smooth. "Now that you are here, I would look like a terrible host if you didn’t even take a cup of tea before the wedding begins."

Hua Jing said nothing, merely watching her with quiet amusement.

She knew exactly what this woman wanted.

This was not a simple invitation.

This was an attempt at punishment.

Chen Li thought she had behaved improperly.

She thought Hua Jing needed to be reminded of her place.

She thought she still had the power to make her kneel.

How amusing.

Hua Jing’s lips curved into a slow, syrupy smile.

A smile so sweet it could rot teeth.

"Sure," she said, voice dripping with honey.

"Why not?"

Hua Jing rose from her seat with a slow, deliberate grace.

Her movements were fluid, elegant, practiced—so much so that even the most skeptical noblewomen in the room could not find a flaw in her demeanor.

She walked as if she owned the very ground beneath her feet.

A living contradiction—calm, yet utterly untouchable.

Her silk dress rustled softly as she moved, the muted green catching the light just enough to accentuate her delicate frame.

The guests, despite the murmurs and curiosity that had surrounded her arrival, could not help but be impressed.

She was no ordinary woman.

And as she followed behind Chen Li, who had already turned to leave, the air in the hall shifted.

The only pathway to the main hall led her right past the bridal chamber.

And there—standing outside, waiting, seething—was Hua Ling.

Her lips were painted the perfect shade of red, her makeup pristine, and yet her face twisted with unfiltered rage as her gaze locked onto Hua Jing.

The hatred was palpable.

Murderous.

If looks could kill, Hua Jing would have already dropped dead at the doorway.

But Hua Jing was not one to back down.

She smiled.

A slow, deliberate, taunting smile.

Then, as she brushed past Hua Ling, she leaned in ever so slightly and whispered,

"Nice wedding, dear sister. I could not miss it for the world."

Hua Ling’s entire body went rigid.

Her hands clenched into fists.

Her teeth ground together so tightly that Hua Jing swore she could hear the faint sound of enamel cracking.

"I am going to finish you," Hua Ling spat, her voice low with unbridled fury.

Hua Jing turned her head slightly, her expression still calm, but the amusement in her gaze never wavered.

"That is," she murmured, "if you even make it through today."

The smile vanished from her lips.

And for a brief moment, a cold chill swept between them.

There was no one here to witness this moment.

No one to play pretend for.

The masks had been discarded.

They both knew exactly where they stood with each other.

Chen Li led Hua Jing forward, oblivious to the silent war being waged in mere glances.

But Hua Ling—unable to let Hua Jing have the last word—stormed after them, her words sharp, relentless.

"You have some nerve showing up here," she hissed, her voice laced with poison.

"Did you think you could seduce Jiang Lei again? Hoping he’d crawl back to you like the pathetic dog he is?"

Hua Jing let out a dramatic sigh and lifted a hand to pick at her ears, pretending to clean them out.

Hua Ling’s eye twitched.

"I should have known you’d try to ruin my wedding. You’ve always been jealous of me—"

"You talk too much," Hua Jing cut in, voice flat.

Hua Ling’s mouth snapped shut, caught off guard by the sheer indifference in Hua Jing’s tone.

She had expected anger, denial, maybe even an insult thrown back at her.

But Hua Jing?

She wasn’t even looking at her anymore.

She was... bored.

That realization sent a fresh wave of fury coursing through Hua Ling.

Her fists trembled at her sides.

Before she could respond, they arrived.

The door to the private room loomed ahead, and Hua Jing—knowing exactly what kind of woman Chen Li was—kept her eyes sharp.

The moment was coming.

She saw the faintest movement from the corner of her vision.

The way Chen Li’s shoulders shifted ever so slightly.

The way her fingers curled in preparation.

The way she turned—

With lightning speed.

Hand raised.

Fingers spread.

The force behind it was undeniable.

It was a slap meant to humiliate.

To punish.

To remind Hua Jing of her place.

But what Chen Li did not realize was—

This was not the same Hua Jing.

At the very last second, Hua Jing stepped aside.

It was a small movement.

So effortless.

So smooth.

And yet—

The slap did not land on her.

Instead—

PAH!

A loud, resounding slap echoed through the room.

The impact was deafening.

Hua Ling gasped.

Her head snapped to the side, the sting of her mother’s palm burning across her cheek.

A bright red mark bloomed instantly.

The silence was suffocating.

Hua Ling stood frozen in place, disbelief plastered all over her face.

Chen Li—equally stunned—stared at her own hand as if it had betrayed her.

And Hua Jing?

She merely tilted her head.

Then—

She smiled.

"Oops."

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