"Has someone in the Pei family recently fallen ill, perhaps an elder or someone else?" Guan Xuxu suddenly asked, then added, "The kind that's near death."
"Madam Pei has always been in good health," Lady Song murmured, then suddenly recalled, "But the child who used to play with our Xiaoli was recently admitted to the hospital with some illness."
Hearing this, Guan Xuxu immediately understood.
The Pei family was trying to steal a life. It had to be for that child.
The Song family members quickly pieced together the situation and, without any hesitation, marched up to the Pei family's front door and knocked.
It was already late, and seeing the large group outside, Lady Pei couldn't help but ask, "Yuehua, what's going on? Why have you brought so many people here?"
Lady Song, now convinced that the Pei family had harmed her Xiaoli, had no patience for pleasantries. She sneered coldly, "You really don't know? Your family tried to harm my Xiaoli, attempting to steal her life to extend Haohao's! Did you really think no one would find out?"
At these words, a flash of panic flickered across Lady Pei's eyes, but she quickly masked it, putting on a face of confusion and indignation.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand a word! What life-stealing? How could I possibly harm your Xiaoli? How could you believe such baseless accusations and bring people here to confront me? This is outrageous!"
Lady Song, however, had clearly seen her initial reaction and had no patience for her pretense.
The priority now was to destroy the so-called "life-stealing contract" that Xiaoli had unknowingly signed.
"Xiaoli, let's go in and find it!"
Xiaoli was quite familiar with the Pei residence. Hearing her mother's words, she eagerly raised her little hands and rushed inside.
Lady Pei then noticed the strange red string hanging vertically from Xiaoli's wrist. Her face changed dramatically as she seemed to realize something. In a sharp voice, she shrieked,
"What do you think you're doing?! Are you planning to trespass?!"
"Yes, we are trespassing today!" Lady Song declared. With a wave of her hand, the well-trained Song family bodyguards immediately stepped forward, blocking off anyone trying to interfere.
With the way clear, Lady Song and Xiaoli swiftly followed the red string's direction, leading them straight to a room on the second floor.
Pulling open a drawer, they found it—an ominous contract written on red paper.
Without hesitation, they took it and turned to leave.
Downstairs, Lady Pei was anxiously calling someone on the phone. When she saw them coming down, and noticed the document in Lady Song's hands, her face turned deathly pale. She had never expected them to actually find it. In desperation, she lunged forward to snatch it back.
"Give that back!"
Song Yuli, standing nearby, wasn't about to let that happen. With a swift step forward, he grabbed Lady Pei's wrist, twisted it, and shoved her to the floor.
Lady Song, afraid that the contract might be taken back, quickly turned and ran into the kitchen. She turned on the gas stove and set the paper alight.
Lady Pei saw what she was doing and completely lost her composure. Screaming in desperation, she tried to rush forward to stop her.
But it was too late. The paper was already burning.
Lady Song tossed the half-burned contract into the sink. Then, as Lady Pei charged at her in hysteria, she turned around and landed a brutal slap across her face.
A loud, crisp "smack" echoed through the house. Before Lady Pei could even react, Lady Song grabbed her by the hair and delivered two more slaps in quick succession.
In this moment, all semblance of a refined noblewoman was gone. The thought of the Pei family scheming against her daughter filled her with nothing but rage.
"You dared to plot against my daughter?! You used dark magic to harm an innocent child?! What has Xiaoli ever done to deserve this? She's just a child, damn you!"
Years of pent-up grievances over Xiaoli's condition, coupled with the terror of the past day, exploded in that moment. Lady Song, crying hysterically, kept slapping and dragging Lady Pei, completely disregarding any sense of dignity or decorum.
For a mother, nothing is more sacred than her child.
If you dare harm my daughter, then let me show you what it means to be an aristocratic shrew!