Jade Evans's Weakness

Cynthia Green was instantly dazzled by the brilliant scheme that bloomed in her mind.

"That's it!" Cynthia Green was practically trembling with excitement at catching Lily Evans and Jade Evans's weakness: "Jade Evans was once a teacher at Phoenix Academy, and Lily Evans's vegetarian restaurant sat right across the street. A scholar like Jade Evans surely adored vegetarian fare—perhaps back then, the restaurant was their cover for secret rendezvous!"

The more Cynthia Green mulled it over, the more feverish her imagination grew: "Now that both are in the Capital, they're rekindling old flames, using Eight Treasures Pavilion as a smokescreen, having their servants shuttle messages to hide their scandalous affair!"

"It must be true—I'm simply too clever for words!" Cynthia Green preened inwardly. "Lily Evans, you shameless wretch, and Jade Evans, you two-faced fame-chaser—one's a princess consort, the other's a renowned dean—who would ever dream you two have been consorting in secret all along! Hah, Heaven must favor me for letting me uncover their secret! With Jade Evans's weakness in my grasp, I can force him to let Young Master Jasper Cheng enroll. If Jasper is pleased with my triumph, maybe he'll take me as his concubine. I refuse to remain a mere chamber maid forever. Tsk, maybe I'll even become his main wife!"

"As for Lily Evans, hmph, I refuse to believe it—even if Alexander Hayes dotes on you, no man would stomach such humiliation! I won't even need to lift a finger; Alexander will surely deal with you two adulterers himself!"

Cynthia Green savored her scheming—soon, she'd win Jasper Cheng's favor and be married, while Lily Evans would be cast into the abyss, never to rise again.

Just as Cynthia Green was basking in her triumph, she turned—only to receive a stinging slap from Jasper Cheng, who barked, "You lazy wretch! Sneaking off again? Haven't had enough beatings, have you? Get inside and get to work!"

Cynthia Green's smugness vanished. Clutching her aching cheek, she trembled as she entered, stammering, "Young Master, I have a way to get you into the Royal Academy of Mathematics!"

"What!? You have a way!?" Jasper Cheng stared at Cynthia Green, eyes wide with disbelief.

Cynthia Green hurried to claim credit: "I know Jade Evans's weakness! This time, he'll have no choice but to agree to whatever we demand!"

Confidence radiated from Cynthia Green. If she pulled this off, Young Master Jasper Cheng would surely see her in a new light.

Just as Cynthia Green was dreaming of Jasper Cheng marrying her, he suddenly lashed out with a vicious kick to her stomach, sending her sprawling to the floor, her face twisted in agony.

Jasper Cheng jabbed a finger at Cynthia Green and sneered to the old maid watching nearby, "Did you hear that? This stupid sow claims she knows Jade Evans's weakness! Ha! Cynthia Green is filthier than a dog and dumber than a pig—who does she think she is!"

The old maid joined Jasper Cheng in mocking Cynthia Green: "Young Master speaks true. Cynthia, you shameless chit, you'd best behave yourself. What clever scheme could that pig brain of yours hatch? Stop disgracing yourself and get to work—no more idling!"

With that, the maid seized Cynthia Green by the hair and dragged her toward the kitchen.

Cynthia Green's stomach throbbed as though sliced by knives, her scalp aflame from the maid's grip, yet she flailed and cried out to Jasper Cheng, "Young Master, you must trust me! I can truly pull this off—please, believe me!"

"Shut up! You're driving me mad!" The maid sneered viciously, crammed a filthy rag used for scrubbing toilets into Cynthia Green's mouth, hurled her to the floor, and kicked her hard: "You filthy wretch, get to work! Slack off again and I'll beat you to death!"