She was buried alive at the start, but she's determined to smash her ex-husband's head in

The bet with Lin Qingwei was nothing in itself, but it still terrified Ye Shi.

What could be more chilling than a scheming, ruthless person who has been pretending to be an innocent flower by your side for over a decade? This was a direction she had never imagined.

If Lin Shuhui were truly a scheming person, probably no one in the Lin family would have discovered it...

"I'm sorry, Father, I'm late." The voice was heard before the person was seen.

Lin Shuhui's tone remained the same as before, full of timidity and insecurity, with apology and trembling, making people think that she was just an introverted and timid child.

Ye clutched the handkerchief in her hand, her heart pounding. When she finally saw the clothes on the person who had stepped across the threshold, her heart sank, and her face turned deathly pale.

Lin Zhengwen frowned and looked at Madam Ye: "Didn't you make some new clothes for Shuhui? It's one thing to neglect her usually, but to let her enter the palace dressed like this, won't the people in the palace accuse our Lin family of mistreating our concubine's daughter?"

The Ye family is truly innocent! Aside from Lin Qingwei, she has never mistreated anyone!

When Lin Shuhui walked up to Lin Zhengwen and Madam Ye, she blushed and kept apologizing, giving Madam Ye no chance to question her about why she wasn't wearing the new clothes she had sent.

Lin Xiuyao looked at Lin Shuhui with disdain, feeling that having such a younger sister was a disgrace to her.

"I hate it when she looks so wronged, like she's been bullied." Lin Xiuyao rolled her eyes.

Lin Qingwei looks much better than Lin Shuhui.

Before setting off, Lin Zhengwen specifically instructed the three girls that they must support each other after entering the palace and must not cause any trouble.

"I trust Qingwei very much, and Shuhui has always been well-behaved. Yao'er, you must be especially careful not to act childishly and anger the nobles in the palace."

Lin Xiuyao pouted in dissatisfaction. Why was her father only telling her to be careful? Among the three of them, her own rules were the most comprehensive, weren't they? She originally wanted to talk back, but she shut up under Ye Shi's prompting gaze and nodded to indicate that she would be careful.

Then the three of them boarded the carriage.

Lin Shuhui was especially attentive to Lin Qingwei, following behind her like a maid, helping her up and holding up her skirt, which made Lin Xiuyao want to vomit.

"I've never seen anyone so eager to become someone's maid." With no elders present, Lin Xiuyao couldn't help but start to be sarcastic.

Lin Shuhui shrugged and looked at Lin Qingwei with red eyes, which further angered Lin Xiuyao.

She really wanted to slap Lin Shuhui a few times; it was always the same! She'd only say a few words before starting to cry, just crying and crying! All she did was cry! She hadn't even bullied her!

"If you dare to cry, I'll throw you down! Anyway, you look so poor, no one will recognize you as the third young lady of the Lin family!"

Her mother only told her not to provoke Lin Qingwei, but didn't mention Lin Shuhui.

Lin Shuhui was so frightened that she hid behind Lin Qingwei: "I'm sorry, Second Sister, I didn't mean to. If you're angry, just scold me a few more times. It's all my fault..."

"It's your fault! You're crying all day long! What's there to cry about!"

Lin Qingwei didn't want to get involved, so she stood up from between the two and sat down in another spot: "I'll give up my seat, you two can argue face to face."

Lin Shuhui's face froze for a second, then quickly recovered, looking at her with a wronged expression: "I didn't, I didn't, how could I dare to argue with my second sister?"

Every word she said hit Lin Xiuyao's breaking point. Lin Xiuyao couldn't stand it at all and grabbed Lin Shuhui by the collar and started cursing.

"You make it sound like I'm the one bullying you! Don't think I don't know! You're the most scheming person in the manor! I don't know what methods you used to get Father to agree to bring you into the palace too! What? You think you can step on my head like that?"

Lin Xiuyao pinched Lin Shuhui's chin until it turned red, and Lin Shuhui looked at Lin Qingwei with innocent and frightened eyes and tears in her eyes.

"Alright, let her go." Lin Qingwei rubbed her temples, her head aching from their noise.

"Lin Qingwei! I am your own sister, born of the same mother! You're siding with her?" Lin Xiuyao was furious, thinking, "Those two little bitches!"

Lin Qingwei looked at her coldly: "If you want me to slap you, just say so."

Her cheeks seemed to be throbbing again. Lin Xiuyao glared at Lin Shuhui and let go. She must have been incredibly unlucky to have entered the palace with these two idiots!

Lin Shuhui's eyes caught sight of the sachet Lin Qingwei wore at her waist, her expression changed slightly, then she put on a very grateful look.

"Thank you, big sister."

"Why thank me? It's because you're capable." Lin Qingwei looked at Lin Shuhui with a meaningful smile. "Anyway, Third Sister would never let herself suffer a loss, would she?"

She stared with her round, innocent eyes, seemingly oblivious to what Lin Qingwei was saying.

She pursed her lips shyly and asked, "Sister, are you talking about me being able to enter the palace to accompany you in your studies? Father was just worried that you would be too lonely if you went to the palace alone, so he asked me to accompany you. I'm just benefiting from you. I didn't expect that you would be even more capable and gain the favor of Prince Duan, who specifically requested that you also enter the palace."

Lin Xiuyao was very smug. She snorted through her nose, crossed her arms, and raised her chin almost to the sky.

"It's good to be capable. It's never too much to work hard for what you want, as long as you don't use your abilities for crooked or unethical purposes."

Lin Shuhui nodded and looked at Lin Qingwei sincerely: "I will keep in mind what you said, big sister, and be a dutiful person who will never cause trouble."

Being used by others only proves one's own incompetence. Lin Qingwei doesn't blame Lin Shuhui for using her influence to climb the social ladder. Before investigating the cause of Miss Lin's death, she harbors suspicions about everyone in the Lin family.

She asked Lin Shuhui, "Which road did you and Aunt Liu take when you went back to your hometown to visit relatives?"

"It's the official road; although the journey is slower, it's safer."

Lin Xiuyao snorted and looked at Lin Qingwei: "You don't actually think she'll come to visit you on the way, do you?"

Lin Shuhui's expression changed drastically, and she said apologetically, "I'm so sorry, big sister! I didn't know you were around there! If I had known earlier, I would definitely have come to visit you!"

She looked extremely regretful, biting her lower lip lightly, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked so pitiful that no one could bear to blame her.

"It's okay, I'm back now. We'll have plenty of time to talk later."

Lin Qingwei held Lin Shuhui's hand and patted it affectionately, making Lin Xiuyao feel like vomiting. Her disgust for Lin Shuhui reached its peak.

What kind of person is Lin Shuhui? She didn't believe Lin Shuhui had no bad intentions at all!

The carriage moved quickly and soon arrived at the palace gate.

Eunuchs were already waiting at the palace gate, and besides the three daughters of the Lin family, there were also many other people's carriages parked there.