Her eyes blazed like stars, and meeting her gaze made one feel dim and insignificant.
Perhaps it was motherhood, but Shen Xiaoyan exuded a different aura. She no longer resembled the pretty young girl from before, but possessed a captivating, almost bewitching charm.
Looking at Shen Xiaoyan's figure, the weather was still cold, and she was surely wearing padded clothes, with a cloak draped over her. Yet, it couldn't conceal her tall, slender build, showing no sign that she had just given birth and completed her confinement.
After scrutinizing Shen Xiaoyan, Xu Xiao'e remembered her own reflection in the mirror that morning. Though she was a few months younger than Shen Xiaoyan, due to worry and hardship, even thick powder couldn't hide her sallow complexion and swollen, red eyes.
"Shen Xiaoyan."
The more Xu Xiao'e thought about it, the angrier she became. She suddenly stood up, shouting Shen Xiaoyan's name loudly, her voice filled with resentment.
"You're not pretending anymore? It would have been easier if you'd been like this earlier?" Shen Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
Xu Xiao'e calmed herself. She didn't look at Shen Xiaoyan but turned to Zheng Wei and asked, "Have you never doubted?"
Zheng Wei looked at Xu Xiao'e indifferently, not asking what she meant, appearing unconcerned.
Zheng Wei's attitude almost made Xu Xiao'e lose control again. She took a deep breath, finally restraining herself.
Xu Xiao'e walked forward slowly, stepped onto the stairs, and finally stood before Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei.
"Someone dark and ugly, who never dared to meet anyone's eyes or speak loudly, has suddenly undergone a tremendous change."
Xu Xiao'e stared intently at Shen Xiaoyan, like a starved wolf finally spotting its prey. The fierce predatory glint in her eyes made Huo Fen, standing behind Shen Xiaoyan, instinctively take a step back.
"Not only did you dare to follow Zheng Wei, whom the village people call the cold-faced god of death, but you also dared to take Shen Xiaoming away two days after your wedding. I don't need to say more about what happened afterward, do I?"
Xu Xiao'e sneered at this point, as if searching Shen Xiaoyan's face for a flicker of panic.
"Afterward, you stopped respecting your parents, somehow became incredibly strong, and wanted to cut ties with the family once you earned money."
"Each and every one of these things, how can anyone believe you are Shen Xiaoyan? The original Shen Xiaoyan lived in Baiyun Village for fifteen years, and she was nothing like you are now. Don't think that by wearing Shen Xiaoyan's skin, you are definitively Shen Xiaoyan."
Xu Xiao'e shouted the last sentence almost frantically.
Her chest heaved, but she suddenly turned to Zheng Wei and demanded sternly, "You've never doubted this? And you still like her? You're simply fooled by her beautiful face now. She is not Shen Xiaoyan at all, but some devil who appeared from nowhere and is hiding inside Shen Xiaoyan's body."
From the moment Xu Xiao'e uttered her first sentence, Shen Xiaoyan had a premonition that Xu Xiao'e's visit today was not simply to play the innocent victim. She must have another motive.
She hadn't expected Xu Xiao'e to say such a thing.
Had she suspected this for a long time, or had she only just thought of it recently?
Shen Xiaoyan's gaze flickered as she looked at Xu Xiao'e.
No, Xu Xiao'e definitely hadn't considered this before. Otherwise, given her temper, she would have already shouted it to everyone, wishing she could set herself on fire the next moment.
"Why aren't you speaking? Huh? Are you feeling guilty?" Xu Xiao'e frowned impatiently after waiting for a long time and seeing no reaction from Zheng Wei or Shen Xiaoyan.
"What do you want me to say?" Shen Xiaoyan chuckled.
"Don't be fooled by her! She's definitely a demon, definitely not the former Shen Xiaoyan. Such a demon should be burned to death, otherwise, she will surely harm us in the future." Xu Xiao'e turned to the surrounding villagers and said loudly.
The villagers' faces at this moment displayed a multitude of expressions: disdain, curious observation, fearful apprehension, and pure entertainment.
Shen Xiaoyan observed the reactions of the crowd below without the slightest worry. Although people at this time were superstitious and believed in ghosts and gods.
However, she had been in this place for two years and had never done anything to harm Baiyun Village.
On the contrary, because of her, the lives of most people in Baiyun Village had improved.
Shen Xiaoyan believed that the villagers themselves knew this.
If, under these circumstances, they still sided with Xu Xiao'e and wanted to burn her to death, Shen Xiaoyan felt she could only admit that she was blind.
Indeed, after a while, no one stood up to agree with Xu Xiao'e. They simply stood there and watched.
"You all don't believe me?" Xu Xiao'e asked, pointing to herself, incredulously.
The ground below remained silent; no one answered her question.
"What about you? Do you believe me?" Xu Xiao'e asked, looking at Zheng Wei.
"Nonsense," Zheng Wei replied indifferently with four words.
Xu Xiao'e was stunned. Only one sentence repeated in her mind: "It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this."
"Why don't you believe me? Someone told me that if I expose you, Zheng Wei will leave you and choose me, and I won't have to live a life worse than death anymore." Xu Xiao'e pointed at Shen Xiaoyan, her words sounding somewhat deranged and difficult to comprehend.
"Why? Why is all this happening? It wasn't like this before. I was clearly the best choice for a wife in everyone's eyes, I was clearly the one who should marry well and live a life of comfort. But why has it reversed now? That person was right, it's all because of you, Shen Xiaoyan, I hate you. I want you dead..."
After speaking, Xu Xiao'e quickly pulled a golden hairpin from her head, ran a few steps forward, and reached Shen Xiaoyan, stabbing the pointed end of the hairpin towards Shen Xiaoyan's neck.
"Big sister."
"Madam."
Shen Xiaoming and the servants, standing a short distance away, were all shocked. They never expected Xu Xiao'e to suddenly attack. They wanted to rush forward to stop her, but it was already too late.
But in the next second, their hearts, which had been in their throats, relaxed. Shen Xiaoyan raised her right hand and accurately grabbed Xu Xiao'e's wrist, preventing her from moving an inch further.
"With your strength, you think you can kill me?" Shen Xiaoyan sneered, and with a slight push, she sent Xu Xiao'e flying.
Xu Xiao'e, caught off guard by Shen Xiaoyan's forceful push, fell directly down the stairs.
"Ah."
Xu Xiao'e cried out in surprise, unable to react.
Shen Xiaoyan walked forward a few steps, looking at the embarrassed Xu Xiao'e lying on the ground, and scoffed, "You're shameless. You got involved with your stepson, and even the Shen family won't let you in. Now you're slandering me, do you think this can cover up your shameful deeds? I tell you, don't even think about it."
"It's not like that, I'm telling the truth. It has nothing to do with my own affairs," Xu Xiao'e got up and yelled at Shen Xiaoyan.
"Let's hurry inside. We've specially invited a chef from the town's restaurant today. Everyone should have a good feast." Shen Xiaoyan no longer paid attention to Xu Xiao'e but smiled and beckoned to the crowd.
Just now, when Shen Xiaoyan said Xu Xiao'e was slandering her to cover up for herself, everyone had looked as if they understood. Now, with Shen Xiaoyan's invitation, they all started to move forward.