CHAPTER 200: CHAPTER 200: BEATEN (1)_1

"I always thought Auntie Li, as a stepmother, was the kindest, but it turns out that all crows under the sky are black. No matter how kind a stepmother acts daily, in the end, her heart is still so cruel. Auntie Li, Grandfather was right to drive you away, and I never want to see you again either. BOO HOO HOO! Auntie Li, you’ve let me down."

Shangguan You spoke with heartache, her body swaying. Could Li Wanying garner sympathy from others, but she couldn’t?

"Truly malicious, acting one way to someone’s face and another behind their back. So cruel to her own stepdaughter. Someone like her deserves to be kicked out. She absolutely deserves it."

"Utterly inhumane. A stepmother will always be just a stepmother; she can never become a real mother. Such hypocrisy."

"A vicious woman. I’m glad I raise my own children. Otherwise, if they encountered such a woman, they’d be the ones to suffer."

"Poor child."

"Auntie Li, you’re not allowed to come to our house ever again! I don’t want to see you, and I’m sure Dad wouldn’t want to see you again either!" Shangguan You covered her face with her hands, crying as she ran towards the parked car.

Watching Shangguan You run off, Li Wanying suddenly jolted. Recalling the words she had just spoken and seeing the crowd around her pointing and whispering, her face turned deathly pale. She then watched Shangguan You heartbrokenly run to the car, get in, and drive away; she wished she could die.

How could things have gone so wrong? How could she have blurted out her innermost thoughts? What on earth was happening? She wouldn’t have spoken those words even if beaten to death, but now she had said them in front of so many people. She even vaguely remembered someone recording it with a phone. If it got out on the internet, it would cause trouble not only for her but for the Li Family as well, and her chances of returning to the Shangguan Family would be next to none.

Even if military marriages were difficult to dissolve, divorce would surely be granted given what a venomous heart she had just revealed. Thinking of this, Li Wanying’s face turned even paler, and she staggered. It was over. Completely over.

"Shameless, wicked stepmother! To think you just played the pitiful part so convincingly. It was all an act! I despise such a shameless and vicious stepmother!"

One of the older women in the crowd roared in anger and threw the vegetables she had just bought right in Li Wanying’s face. Once one person started, others quickly followed suit, their emotions running high. Eggs, fruit, vegetable leaves—anything they could throw—was hurled at Li Wanying’s body and face.

An egg smashed directly onto Li Wanying’s face, and her expensive designer clothes were instantly splattered and ruined. A potato struck her chest, jolting her out of her daze. Sharp pain flared on her forehead and chest.

Li Wanying wiped her forehead; her hands were covered in disgusting egg white and yolk. As more objects rained down on her, she dodged and screamed.

"What are you doing? This is intentional assault! I’m going to sue you! I’ll sue all of you!" Li Wanying roared. She was already distressed by the words she had blurted out and completely unaware she was about to be physically attacked. Her designer clothes were now a complete wreck.

"Sue us? You think we’re afraid? You wicked woman! To think you have such a venomous heart, wanting to harm your husband’s child—you deserve this! Get her! Beat this woman to death!"

"Sisters, get her!"

"Exactly! If our children had to deal with such a wicked stepmother, would they even survive?"

"That’s right! Beat her hard! Beat her fiercely!"

"Get this shameless woman!"

"Get her! Get her!"

One person started it, and others quickly joined in. Many onlookers sprang into action, and even some supermarket staff members participated. Far from backing down, the mob grew more ferocious. They continued to throw things at her, and a stone struck her on the forehead, making blood gush out. Blood streamed down her face, an eggshell clung to her hair, and she frowned in pain.

Li Wanying screamed in pain, shouting as she desperately tried to dodge the blows. This continued until two men pushed through the crowd and shielded her. Only then did the attackers finally retreat.

The onlookers themselves didn’t quite understand why they had gotten involved. They were usually the type to mind their own business and watch from a safe distance, never getting physically involved. Even when angry, they wouldn’t normally resort to violence. Yet today, they had found themselves defending a girl they barely knew. It was as if they had been bewitched.

Still, seeing Li Wanying’s bloodied head and her body covered in egg yolk, they felt a grim sense of satisfaction.

The reason these people had acted so uncharacteristically violent was, of course, Shangguan You’s doing. This just went to show that talismans could indeed be very useful—capable of harming someone without leaving a trace.

Shangguan You watched the video that had been sent to her phone, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly. With a light tap of her finger, she posted it on Weibo. Now, let’s see how Li Wanying tries to cause trouble, she thought. Even if Li Wanying herself disagrees with the divorce, this marriage has to end.

A faint smile playing on her lips, Shangguan You watched as the disheveled Li Wanying was taken to the hospital. She then tossed the device in her hand into a nearby trash bin. Next, she materialized a fish from her storage space, dripped some Spirit Fruit onto it, and then revved the engine, heading towards the military compound.

Her car had barely disappeared from sight when a dark, shadowy figure materialized where she had just stood. A malevolent glint flashed in its eyes. After a long, hard stare in the direction she had vanished, the figure quickly faded away again.

「In the military compound」

"Mother Liu, Aunt Zhang, I’m back!" Shangguan You’s cheerful voice rang out as she briskly walked into the kitchen with a fish and fruit in her hands, presenting them to Aunt Zhang like treasures.

"Miss is back." Aunt Zhang and Mother Liu were relieved to see her return. They took the items from her hands. Thankfully, she had only been gone for half an hour, and it seemed nothing untoward had happened.

"Eh? What kind of fish is this?" Aunt Zhang asked, looking at the still-lively fish with some surprise. It was indeed remarkable that the fish was still so active after being out of water for so long.