CHAPTER 17: CHAPTER 17: CHECKMATE, SISTER MEI

Su Qinglan narrowed her eyes at the tall, fox-faced woman.

That sharp tone, that biting sneer, where did all this hostility even come from? She had just come out for a morning walk, not to pick a fight.

But the way her words dripped with venom, as if merely breathing the same air was offensive... It wasn’t a coincidence.

Su Qinglan frowned. Wait... Sister Mei?

She dug through the messy pile of the original owner’s memories. They were like a chest full of tangled weeds, but the more she pulled, the clearer the shape became.

Ah. So that was it.

This "Sister Mei" wasn’t just any tribe female. She was her half-sister. Same mother, but different father.

And of course...what a coincidence, her father wasn’t anyone impressive. Just an ordinary three-striped beastman. Decent enough, but not strong like her father, who was a tribe leader.

Su Qinglan’s lips twitched. Oh, she got it now. No wonder this woman was practically frothing at the mouth every time she looked at her.

Since childhood, Xu Meiyan had been jealous of the original owner. Not because she was starving or mistreated—no, she had food, she had shelter. She wasn’t living in misery.

She was just furious that Su Qinglan, this "ugly toad" in her eyes, had so many good things simply because her father was the tribe leader.

Food hand-delivered by father and brother. Warm fur blankets. Extra cuts of meat. Attention and affection, she believed, should’ve belonged to her.

Su Qinglan’s eyebrow twitched. Wait, so all this grudge, all this lifelong hate, is because... She wanted my father and brother to dote on her instead?

Inside, Su Qinglan rolled her eyes so hard they almost spun out of her skull.

"What kind of logic is that?" she muttered under her breath.

Honestly. If you wanted love from your father, then go find your own father. Why covet someone else’s, just because he’s powerful? Wasn’t that basically trying to cling shamelessly to the thickest thigh in the tribe?

And let’s not even talk about their mother. The woman had other mates too. If Xu Meiyan really wanted affection so badly, why not direct her jealousy elsewhere? Why only target Su Qinglan?

Answer: because Qinglan’s father was the tribe leader.

Su Qinglan clicked her tongue. "Tsk. So that’s it. The green-eyed fox bitch is just mad she lost at the starting line."

Her gaze flicked back to Mei, who was still smirking like she’d already won something, her brown hair shimmering under the sunlight. The jealousy in her eyes had only grown sharper when they landed on Su Qinglan’s bright orange locks.

Su Qinglan’s lips curved faintly. She folded her arms and looked at Xu Meiyan with a calm smile.

But inside, she sneered.

This woman really thinks I’m the same Su Qinglan she used to bully?

Well, too bad. The old Su Qinglan was gone. That timid, spoiled fool who could be manipulated and played at her will. And Xu Meiyan had no idea.

Su Qinglan’s eyes narrowed slightly as she realized another thing: Half of the tribe hated me because of her stupid tricks. Whispering lies, twisting stories, pushing me into fights... and then standing aside like she was innocent.

Well then. If she wants a fight...

Su Qinglan’s smile grew sweeter. Let’s play.

Xu Meiyan tossed her brown hair and smirked again. "What? Did the cave finally run out of meat? You’re out early for someone who usually eats enough to feed five beastmen."

The females nearby gasped. A few looked down, pretending they didn’t hear. Others glanced at Su Qinglan, waiting for her to explode.

But to everyone’s surprise, Su Qinglan only tilted her head, smiling calmly.

"Oh?" she said sweetly. "I didn’t realize Sister Mei was keeping track of how much I eat."

Xu Meiyan’s expression stiffened. "What nonsense are you saying? When did I...?"

"I have enough food while some beastmen starve?" Su Qinglan finished for her, her voice still pleasant. "Strange. Wasn’t it your idea to divide extra food to my cave back then? You said it was ’the leader’s daughter’s right.’ Or are you forgetting something, Sister Mei?"

Xu Meiyan’s mouth snapped shut.

The nearby females blinked. Wait—what? Everyone knew Su Qinglan took extra meat to her cave, but no one knew it was actually Sister Mei’s idea.

Everyone’s gaze turned strange toward her. Xu Meiyan also noticed it and secretly gritted her teeth.

What happened to this bitch? Why is she talking like this?

In the past, she would only cower at her and never talk back. That’s why she was confident in bullying her, because this bitch never talked back, always licking her feet.

But Su Qinglan didn’t stop there.

"Funny how all the things you told the old me to do are now the reasons you use to attack me. Sister, why are you behaving like this? Has Lan Lan displeased you?" Su Qinglan said in such a sweet tone that she almost recoiled in disgust herself.

"When did I force you to do anything? Su Qinglan, don’t lie!" Xu Meiyan roared at her. She was just a simple bully who didn’t know how to react when the victim talked back. Still a noob in front of Su Qinglan, who had played countless games like this.

"Sister Mei, why are you saying this? Were you not the one who also told me to use love fruit on Hu Yan? You said he would love me," Su Qinglan continued.

Everyone’s eyes widened at this news, and Su Qinglan’s lips curled.

She knew everyone had been discussing this behind her back. And now, she needed to clear her name and Xu Meiyan had simply served herself on a platter.

How could Su Qinglan not use this opportunity?

Xu Meiyan’s eyes flashed. "Don’t twist things! You forced Hu Yan to become your mate! Everyone knows you clung to him, he never wanted you!"

Su Qinglan’s face didn’t change. But her eyes? They turned cold.

She turned slowly and smiled at the quiet white lotus standing nearby, the one pretending to be invisible.

"Bai Lianhua," she said smoothly. "You’ve been very quiet. Weren’t you the one who told me Hu Yan would protect me if I just claimed him? That it would make him stay with me forever?"

Bai Lianhua froze. "I...I didn’t mean..."

Su Qinglan said with a sad expression, "No need to explain. I remember everything now. The two of you... you were the ones who told me to claim Hu Yan. Said I’d look weak otherwise and be despised by other females."

Xu Meiyan’s face turned pale. "That’s not..."