When she saw the hairpin, her eyes narrowed slightly. She stepped forward and tried to snatch it, but the person holding the hairpin dodged too quickly, foiling her attempt.
She gradually sensed something amiss from this incident.
"Mother never gave this jade hairpin to others. She always wore it on her head. How did you get it?"
Shi Muyuan sat aside, watching this good show. She seemed to have discovered something extraordinary.
Moreover, her intuition told her that He Rou was about to provide her with a juicy piece of gossip. If she weren't afraid of disturbing the two's scuffle, she would have loved to munch on sunflower seeds at this moment.
She rubbed her hands, feeling a bit itchy.
However, the person worth looking forward to never disappointed.
He Rou blinked her innocent eyes and slowly shook her head.
"Sister, what are you talking about? Back then, Mother didn't want to give you this jade hairpin because she was afraid you would damage it. This time, Mother was worried that I might not look solemn enough when I came here, so she gave me this hairpin to make a good impression."
"Impossible! Mother always cherished this thing dearly. It's a family heirloom from Mother's natal family. Who do you think you are to touch such a precious jade hairpin? Give it back to me right away, or I won't let you off easily today."
As she spoke, she seemed to have forgotten her current situation. The mistress of the He family was her bottom line, and she wouldn't allow anyone to cross it.
Seeing her ferocious face and hearing her shouting, this was the first time He Hui had appeared in such a way in front of everyone.
Even when her affair with Qing Bai was exposed, she had never shown such a face.
He Rou curled her lips and didn't take her seriously at all.
A pawn that had long been discarded by the family was now a useless piece. She, on the other hand, was highly regarded by the family head. Even if she wanted to destroy this pawn, she wouldn't be held accountable.
"Sister, what are you saying? When I left home back then, I went to Mother's room to pay my respects. She was lying in bed and specifically asked someone to give this jade hairpin to me."
These simple words contained a wealth of information.
He Hui completely lost her mind at the words "lying in bed". She rushed forward and crazily pinned He Rou to the ground, then punched her in the face again and again.
Shi Muyuan raised her eyebrows slightly. She never wanted any trouble to occur on her territory.
The maids, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, immediately stepped forward to separate the two. But this time, He Hui was determined, and it took them a long time to pull them apart.
Seeing that He Hui was about to go crazy again, the young girl felt a headache. Even if she wanted to beat someone up, she shouldn't do it on her territory.
"Lady Hui, what are you doing? Do you think this is a place where you can throw a tantrum? If so, you might as well go to the prince. I prefer peace and quiet."
He Hui gradually regained her senses. Looking at the person on the ground who had been knocked unconscious by her, she felt a bit scared.
However, she still rushed forward and retrieved her mother's jade hairpin. She even kicked the person on the ground hard.
Shi Muyuan wanted to laugh. This was almost like a dog fight.
She still had to maintain a serious expression on her face. The person on the ground no longer looked as cold and aloof as before. If Ji Huang came back, he would surely demand an explanation. Since the incident happened on her territory, she had to resolve it today.
There was nothing she could do but order someone to tie He Hui up first.
"Lady Hui's behavior today has put me in a difficult position. This matter can't be left unresolved. You injured someone in public and must give an explanation, especially since the person on the ground is your younger sister."
"Humph! She's not my sister. She's just a bastard born from a concubine. She's delusional about climbing the social ladder. This is just a small lesson for her. If I find out what happened to my mother, she won't even have a life."
These arrogant words happened to be heard by Ji Huang, who had rushed back after getting the news.
Without saying a word, he kicked He Hui, sending her flying. She hit the flowerbed not far away and spat out a mouthful of blood in public.
He Hui was about to get angry, but when she saw who had attacked her, she was shocked.
"Prince! Do you know what you're doing? Do you really want to let this woman into your harem? If so, your harem will never be peaceful."
"Since when do I need you to decide who enters my harem? Don't you know your own place? If that's the case, let me remind you of the absurd things you've done before."
These words immediately silenced He Hui.
Shi Muyuan stepped forward and quickly distanced herself from the responsibility.
"Sigh, I wanted to stop them, but it was too late. I wonder what the origin of this jade hairpin is that it could make Lady Hui so angry. Let's first check Miss He's injuries to see if they're serious. Otherwise, Huang'er, how will you explain this to her parents?"
As she was speaking, the doctor had already arrived.
Thankfully, the person on the bed was out of danger, but He Hui couldn't escape the blame for today's incident.
He Rou drank the medicine and woke up not long after.
When she woke up, instead of crying like others, she stubbornly stared in a certain direction, fully demonstrating her cold and aloof demeanor.
"Sister, Mother really gave me the hairpin. But she's not your mother. I was in a hurry and forgot to mention it. Your mother passed away from illness not long after you left. Father didn't tell you because he didn't want you to be sad."
Upon hearing that her mother had died of illness, He Hui immediately suspected the person in front of her.
"Mother was always in good health. The doctor also said she never had any serious problems. Why did such a big thing happen in the mansion right after I left, and Father didn't say a word? It must be you and your venomous mother who did something behind my back and deliberately kept it from me."
As she spoke, she wanted to attack again, but this time, Ji Huang stood in the middle, preventing her from getting close.
"Lady Hui, why don't you listen to your sister finish speaking before saying anything else? Moreover, I think a woman who could raise someone like you is hardly a good person. Even if your mother didn't die of illness, it doesn't necessarily mean someone else is to blame."
They say that words can be more lethal than a sword, and his words alone were enough to make He Hui collapse.
"No! Mother isn't like what you said. You're all in cahoots to plot against me! I won't fall for your tricks."