An overwhelming panic swept over Jiang Pei, causing her to involuntarily step back.
She didn’t know why she was panicking, but the sight of Jiang Qian before her sent chills down her spine.
“The mansion is in such disarray. We shouldn’t disturb the Second Sister as she attends to family matters. I’ll take our sisters home first,” Jiang Qiao spoke up at the right moment.
Jiang Qian’s sinister gaze returned to normal.
She still needed to discuss with her parents what to do next. Now was not the time to lose control.
“I’m sorry you sisters were frightened today.” Jiang Qian’s eyes slowly reddened, putting on the act of someone who had suffered a blow but was trying to stay strong, completely different from her earlier coldness.
Seeing that Jiang Qian wasn’t stopping them, Jiang Qiao secretly sighed in relief, keeping a firm grip on Jiang Si’s hand. “Second Sister, please take care. There’s no need to see us out.”
She truly feared Jiang Qian might lash out in desperation and take it out on Fourth Sister.
“Take care on your way back, sisters. I’ll send you something later to help calm your nerves.”
Jiang Pei couldn’t help but shudder.
She didn’t want anything to calm her nerves. The Marquis’s mansion was too terrifying; she never wanted to come back!
The carriage ride home was silent, with no one willing to speak. The heavy, oppressive atmosphere persisted until they reached their mansion.
“Third Sister, should we report this matter to Grandmother?” Jiang Li, who usually avoided the spotlight, broke the silence.
She had never encountered such a horrifying situation and was at a complete loss about what to do.
“Of course, we must report it. How could we possibly keep such a thing secret?” Jiang Qiao pursed her lips.
She could imagine the storm that would sweep through the Earl’s mansion due to the events at the Changxing Marquis’s residence, but—
What of it? The beast who had designs on Fourth Sister was finished. It was truly satisfying!
After all, her father was a son born of a concubine. Whether the Earl’s mansion prospered or fell on hard times didn’t affect their branch of the family much.
In Cixin Hall, Old Madam Feng’s eyelid had been twitching badly since early morning. Having experienced sudden blindness once before, the old lady was particularly sensitive to such signs and hurriedly had Second Madam Xiao summon the imperial physician.
Despite the physician’s assurance that there was nothing seriously wrong, Old Madam Feng remained in low spirits. Second Madam Xiao and Third Madam Guo had no choice but to keep her company and make conversation.
“Old Madam, the young ladies have returned to the mansion and are here to pay their respects.”
Old Madam Feng rubbed her temples and said impatiently, “Tell them to go rest.”
These young girls, attending flower-viewing banquets one day and outings the next, how could they understand the suffering of the elderly?
In her foul mood, Old Madam Feng was even less inclined to see her blooming granddaughters.
The head maid Afu returned shortly after leaving: “Old Madam, the young ladies say they have urgent matters to report.”
Before Old Madam Feng could react, Madam Xiao raised her eyebrows slightly.
The girls had gone to the Marquis’s mansion for flower viewing today, and now they returned saying they had urgent matters to report. Her instincts told her it wasn’t good news.
“Let them in.”
Soon, Jiang Si and the others entered. Old Madam Feng straightened up as soon as she saw them.
Judging by their pale faces, something must have gone wrong.
“What happened?”
Jiang Qiao was the first to kneel: “Grandmother, something terrible has happened at the Marquis’s mansion.”
“What is it?” Madam Xiao stood up abruptly, her face dark as she stared at Jiang Qiao.
If this little hussy dared to make a mountain out of a molehill, there would be time to deal with her later!
But Jiang Qiao wasn’t afraid of Madam Xiao at this moment. She spoke quickly: “The Prefect of Shuntian unearthed ten female corpses from the Marquis’s garden and took away the Heir of Marquis Changxing…”
“What?” Madam Xiao had to grab the back of her chair to keep from falling.
Old Madam Feng accidentally knocked over her teacup. Tea dripped down the edge of the table, but at this moment, even the maids didn’t dare to step forward to clean up, keeping their heads lowered to minimize their presence.
“Tell me everything from beginning to end, in detail!” Old Madam Feng, having regained some composure, slammed her hand on the table.
Jiang Qiao eloquently recounted the events, concluding with, “The evidence was irrefutable. When we left, the corpses were still in the Marquis’s garden, not yet removed…”
Old Madam Feng’s face was as dark as water, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair as she took deep breaths.
“What about Qian’er? How is your Second Sister?” Madam Xiao, despite her years of managing the household, had lost her composure in the face of such earth-shattering news and asked frantically.
“Second Sister seemed fine for now. She’s probably dealing with the aftermath. The Marchioness of Changxing fainted.”
“Heavens, how could such a thing happen!” Madam Xiao collapsed back into her chair, with only one thought in her mind: her daughter was doomed.
Although Old Madam Feng’s face was grim, she had finally regained her composure. She immediately ordered servants to summon Jiang Ancheng and his two brothers home to discuss this major issue.
This was no longer a matter for Jiang Si and the others to be involved in. As they left Cixin Hall, Jiang Si prepared to return to Haitang Residence, but Jiang Qiao grabbed her hand: “Fourth Sister, I’d like to sit with you for a while.”
Jiang Si, of course, wouldn’t refuse. She smiled and said, “Third Sister, please come with me.”
Jiang Pei opened her mouth.
She was shocked and scared, almost suffocating, and wanted to join them.
But thinking of her relationship with Jiang Si, Jiang Pei sighed dejectedly and could only watch the two of them leave with longing eyes.
Back at Haitang Residence, Jiang Qiao gulped down a cup of tea and patted her chest, saying, “That was truly nerve-wracking. My heart is still racing.”
Jiang Si smiled: “I think Third Sister handled herself very well today.”
“It was all an act.” Jiang Qiao waved her hand, then after a moment of silence, asked, “What do you think Jiang Qian will do?”
At this point, Jiang Qiao was no longer willing to call Jiang Qian “Second Sister.”
She wasn’t stupid. If Jiang Qian would help the Heir of Marquis Changxing’s scheme against her cousin, who knew if she wasn’t involved in the deaths of those girls?
Of course, for the sake of the Earl’s mansion’s reputation, she certainly wouldn’t speak out of turn, but it wouldn’t stop her from keeping her distance from Jiang Qian from now on.
Jiang Si’s answer, however, left Jiang Qiao feeling dejected: “She might return to the Earl’s mansion.”
“What do you mean?”
“To minimize the impact of this incident on the Earl’s mansion, guess what Grandmother and Second Uncle will decide after their discussion?”
Jiang Qiao suddenly understood: “Divorce! After all, Jiang Qian doesn’t have any children yet. Divorcing someone like the Heir of Marquis Changxing is completely understandable, even severing ties entirely is possible.”
Saying this, Jiang Qiao sighed: “How annoying!”
The thought of living in the same mansion with a sister of such character made her uncomfortable.
“It’s nothing. When she was the esteemed wife of the Heir in the Marquis’s mansion, she couldn’t do anything to us. What could she do if she returns to live in the Earl’s mansion?” Jiang Si said calmly.
Jiang Qiao blinked: “Fourth Sister, you’re hiding something from me.”
“What?”
“Be honest, what’s the story with that big dog?”
“Huh?” Jiang Si played dumb.
Jiang Qiao spoke excitedly: “That time on the way back from the Changxing Marquis’s mansion, that big dog disrupted Ji Chongyi’s wedding procession. This time it dug up the corpses in the Marquis’s garden. It must know you!”
Jiang Si adamantly denied it: “I don’t think so. Maybe it wasn’t even the same dog.”
Jiang Qiao reached out and pinched Jiang Si’s cheek: “Do you think I’m stupid? A dog that is intelligent, clever, and majestic is one in a million. How could there be two? Ah, I wonder who its owner is.”
Meanwhile, in a quiet civilian residence deep in Quezi Hutong, Yu Jin rubbed Erniu’s head, praising, “Well done. You’ve earned a bowl of meat bones.”
If only he could bring Asi over, that would be even better.