16 Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Seeing that Meng Qingyue ignored her, Meng Changle sneered sharply and stepped forward, knocking over Meng Qingyue’s medicinal bowl with a loud crash.

The scalding broth splashed onto the back of Meng Qingyue’s hand and the bedding, causing a stinging, searing sensation. In the freezing weather, the heat vanished quickly, leaving the liquid to harden into the cotton quilt, emitting a faint, unpleasant bitter stench.

Meng Qingyue sat upright on the bed, remaining calm. Watching the overbearing Meng Changle before her, she suddenly laughed.

"Meng Changle, looking at you now, one truly cannot find a trace of the person you were three years ago."

She still remembered when Meng Changle first returned to the estate three years ago. Her gaze had been as helpless as a fawn’s; she would lower her head, shrink back in fear, and kneel before anyone she met—she was the picture of a pathetic, bullied girl.

Back then, having been pampered by her parents and older brother, Meng Qingyue felt a complex mix of emotions upon meeting this true daughter of the family whom she had never known. Yet, following etiquette, she had stepped forward and called out, "Changle..."

Unexpectedly, Meng Changle had stumbled back several steps, crouched down on the spot, and covered her head with both hands, crying, "Don't hit me, please don't hit me..."

Her parents and brother had wept instantly.

From then on, their gazes toward Meng Qingyue turned cold. "Changle has only just returned; you are not allowed to target her!"

The group crowded around Meng Changle and left, leaving only Meng Qingyue standing there in a daze. She had clearly done nothing at all.

And just like that, she was openly branded as someone who targeted Meng Changle.

At the time, Meng Qingyue did not know that this would continue every single day for the next three years.

When dining, if she happened to sit next to Meng Changle, Meng Changle would immediately bolt up, bowing in apology: "It’s all my fault; you sit here, Qingyue."

Once, when both of them took a fancy to the same bolt of fabric, before Meng Qingyue could even speak, Meng Changle had collapsed to her knees with a thud.

"Qingyue, I didn’t know you liked this one too. I didn’t mean to steal it from you; please forgive me..."

Such incidents happened too often and too frequently, playing out in the household almost every other day.

Consequently, the Meng family guarded against Meng Qingyue as if she were a wild beast, terrified that if they were not careful, their precious, beloved Meng Changle would be bullied by her.

But had Meng Qingyue ever bullied Meng Changle?

She could only remain silent day after day, watching as Meng Changle exerted herself to put on a show, gradually turning the hearts of the Meng family until, at last, they were completely biased in her favor.

Meng Qingyue’s lips curled in mockery as she looked at the jewel-adorned Meng Changle. She laughed.

"If Mother and Brother knew you were like this now, they wouldn’t have had to worry day and night three years ago, fearing that your character was too humble and submissive and that you would be bullied by others."

Ignoring the sarcasm in Meng Qingyue’s words, Meng Changle chuckled. "Three years ago, you were the apple of the Meng family’s eye, while I was a newcomer with no foothold. Naturally, I had to keep my tail tucked to win the pity of our mother and brother. But now..."

She cast a disdainful look at Meng Qingyue, her gaze as arrogant as if she were looking down on an ant.

"Now... Meng Qingyue... what do you have to compete with me? Look around this entire marquis estate—is there a single soul who treats you with sincerity?"

Meng Qingyue gripped the silk quilt tightly, the words stabbing at her heart with a dull ache.

So, even Meng Changle knew that no one in the marquis estate treated her with sincerity anymore.

If so, what were those people she called her parents and brother deceiving themselves about?

Seeing the pallor on Meng Qingyue’s face, clearly indicating she had been deeply wounded, Meng Changle smiled triumphantly. Just as she was about to speak again, she heard the faint sound of footsteps coming from outside.

Her mind raced. She immediately dropped to her knees.

Meng Qingyue, still immersed in her sorrow, was stunned. Before she could react, Meng Changle had already begun to sob.

"Sister, even if you despise me so much, you cannot hold such resentment against our brother! He is the best brother in the world; how could you slander him like this?"

Meng Changle’s voice was naturally soft; in this moment of weeping, with tears streaming down her face like rain on pear blossoms, she could melt anyone’s heart.

"What act are you putting on now..." Meng Qingyue frowned, but before she could finish, a figure rushed out from behind the screen.

"Changle!" Meng Xingzhou exclaimed, heart-wrenched as he helped Meng Changle up. He then turned to glare at Meng Qingyue, his eyes filled with rage. "Are you never going to stop! Changle has already humbled herself to this extent, must you target her at every turn!"

That’s right, it was always like this.

Meng Qingyue stared at Meng Xingzhou’s moving lips, thinking to herself that for the past three years, it had been exactly like this every single time.

Next, Meng Changle would continue to fan the flames, pushing Meng Xingzhou’s anger to its peak.

After that, if nothing went wrong, he would likely resort to violence. Even if he didn't, he would surely punish her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall or copy scriptures.

Meng Qingyue had become quite experienced with the routine this brother-sister duo never tired of over the past three years.

Sure enough, the next second, Meng Changle pouted, and tears fell. "Brother, don't blame Sister. She is naturally upset because I married the heir... In the end, it is we, as her siblings, who have not been thoughtful enough."

"Brother, let’s find a marriage match for Qingyue? That way she will feel better, and she won’t come looking for trouble with me anymore..."

Upon hearing the first half, Meng Qingyue had wondered if Meng Changle had turned over a new leaf.

But once she heard the rest, she understood. She frowned, "Meng Changle, will you never stop? I haven't even looked closely at Qiao Xian’s face; not every woman in the world treats your man like a treasure!"

Meng Changle wept even louder, leaning into Meng Xingzhou’s arms, sobbing, "Brother, look at her, talking about men constantly. For a young lady to be so shameless, doesn't it just show that she is desperate to be married!"

Seeing Meng Changle in such distress, the words of refusal Meng Xingzhou had prepared caught in his throat; he couldn't bring himself to say them.

How could he bear to see his pampered sister so heartbroken?

But... if he were to truly find a suitor for Meng Qingyue...

His mind was in chaos. He turned his head and saw Meng Qingyue’s defiant expression. "Find me a match then. If that can truly dispel the worries of the eldest Miss Meng day and night, it would be a virtuous deed for Master Meng!"

Meng Changle was overjoyed at these words.

She tugged on Meng Xingzhou’s sleeve, looking pitifully at him. "Brother, Qingyue has agreed..."

Meng Xingzhou’s face paled slightly.

Meng Changle continued to add fuel to the fire. "Brother, Sister said she wants to marry... As her brother, no matter how reluctant you are, you shouldn't ruin her prospects..."

Meng Xingzhou let out a long sigh and was about to speak when Meng Qingyue interrupted him with a cold laugh.

"He is reluctant to let me go? Then you are truly overthinking it. I fear my dear brother is desperate for me to be married off as soon as possible, just so he doesn't have to look at me!"