Zhenxia Residence was brightly lit, with a crowd of people standing in the darkness.
Maternal Uncle Zhang’s face was dark as water as he berated Eighth Uncle and Aunt: “What exactly were your intentions, sneaking into my niece’s courtyard in the middle of the night?”
Despite their usual eloquence, Eighth Uncle and Aunt were now speechless, their old faces flushed red and dripping with sweat.
Maternal Aunt snorted coldly: “Well, well, Eighth Master and Madam claim to be family to our Yin Lou and Qingyao, yet they sneak into Qingyao’s courtyard at night dressed like this—I’ve truly learned something new about ‘family’ today.”
Eighth Aunt wracked her brains for an excuse: “I… I just had a nightmare where Qingyao was in trouble and crying terribly… Madam, you don’t understand, the dream felt so real. I woke up worried sick, so I came with the old man to check. Old man, isn’t that right?”
Eighth Uncle nodded repeatedly: “That’s right—”
Xie Qingyao’s cold laugh cut them off as she waved the white paper mask: “If Eighth Aunt was so worried about me, is this why she wore this to see me? Did you think I wasn’t dying quickly enough?”
Eighth Uncle fell completely silent, wiping sweat continuously.
Eighth Aunt struggled desperately: “Qingyao, you don’t know, at night when your aunt gets cold air, my face breaks out in rashes…”
Xie Qingyao threw the mask at Eighth Aunt’s face, her pretty face flushed with anger: “I see you wanted to frighten me into illness so Eighth Aunt could brazenly take over like a cuckoo in the nest!”
Eighth Aunt opened her mouth, then suddenly shuddered as she looked at the ice-cold young lady before her.
Only now did she realize this girl wasn’t soft-hearted like her mother.
This one wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense.
“Qingyao, listen to your aunt explain—”
“Enough!” The two simple words rang out like ice pellets, chilling everyone to the bone.
Xie Yin Lou looked at Eighth Uncle and Aunt expressionlessly, his lips curling slightly: “See them out of the mansion!”
The mansion’s servants had long despised Eighth Uncle and Aunt’s behavior. Hearing Xie Yin Lou’s order, they immediately seized the couple and pushed them toward the exit.
Eighth Aunt wailed: “Yin Lou, we’re your uncle and aunt! No matter what, we’re your elders—you can’t drive us away!”
Xie Yin Lou ignored the crying woman and asked the embarrassed clan elders: “Uncles and aunts, these two snuck into my sister’s quarters in the dead of night, intending to frighten her by playing ghost. Is it disrespectful to elders if I ask them to leave?”
Those questioned sighed repeatedly. The eldest among them stomped his foot: “What a mess. Old Eight, you couple have lost your minds.”
Many had long resented how the couple lorded over others in the countryside, relying on Eighth Uncle’s father being the Clan Leader. Now seeing their behavior, they felt even more contempt. Even those who usually flattered the couple couldn’t speak up for them now.
As the servants pushed the struggling couple toward the exit, Xie Yin Lou suddenly called out: “Wait!”
Eighth Uncle and Aunt immediately turned back, hope flickering in their eyes.
Xie Yin Lou looked at them like stray dogs, with contempt and disgust: “After this incident, the familial bonds between the Earl’s mansion and you are severed. Don’t ever darken our doorstep again!”
Eighth Uncle never expected such ruthless words from Xie Yin Lou. His face darkened: “Yin Lou, your Great Uncle is the Clan Leader!”
Xie Yin Lou smiled coldly: “You misunderstand—I haven’t severed ties with Great Uncle. After my parents’ funeral, I will personally explain your actions today to him and ask him to uphold justice for my sister and me!”
“You—” Eighth Uncle was dumbstruck.
Though they had come to help with the funeral arrangements with ulterior motives, they hadn’t planned on this reaching his father’s ears.
Even if his father, as Clan Leader, wanted to favor them, he couldn’t do so openly in front of so many clan members.
The more Eighth Uncle thought about it, the more alarmed he became. Glancing at his sallow-faced wife beside him who looked like she’d lost her parents, he struck her with a slap: “This is all your evil doing, you vicious woman, and you’ve implicated me too!”
This good-for-nothing old woman who could only ruin things!
But Eighth Aunt wasn’t one to take things lying down. She sprang up and returned the slap, no longer caring about appearances: “What do you mean I implicated you? Weren’t you the one who urged me on? Now that we’ve failed, you blame it all on me? You heartless old fool…”
The clan members shook their heads repeatedly, feeling utterly embarrassed. The eldest darkened his face: “Young Master, quickly have someone send this couple away.”
How shameful!
“I won’t go, I won’t go! Why should I be driven out?” Eighth Aunt wailed, unwillingly looking back.
In the brightly lit courtyard stood the young lady in white hemp mourning clothes, her gaze as cold as an icy pool.
Eighth Aunt shuddered and pointed at Xie Qingyao, shouting: “You nasty girl was waiting to trap us all along! You deliberately watched us fail!”
“Has she gone mad, still spouting nonsense at a time like this?” the crowd in the courtyard scorned.
“I’m not talking nonsense! If this wasn’t a deliberate trap, why would a young lady from a good family keep monsters in her courtyard?”
Er Niu, lying behind the banana leaves by the wall, swished its tail disapprovingly.
Did this person know how to speak? It was a magnificent dog, how could it be a monster?
Hearing Eighth Aunt’s words, Eighth Uncle suddenly remembered and jumped up: “That’s right! There are monsters in this courtyard—it was that monster that plotted against us, that’s why we—”
“That’s why you were exposed?” Xie Yin Lou finished, his eyes flashing coldly. “If that’s true, then I should thank this ‘monster’ you speak of.”
Er Niu rested its snout on its front paws and narrowed its eyes.
Hmm, this person had good judgment, though still not as good as its mistress.
“There are indeed monsters in Zhenxia Residence, not just one but two!” Xie Qingyao spat, pointing at the couple. “To do such vile things to your niece who just lost her parents—you are the monsters! How else could anyone’s heart be so black?”
As she spoke, tears fell like rain, the lonely girl standing in the courtyard like a delicate flower bud beaten by wind and rain, inspiring sympathy in all who saw her.
Xie Yin Lou stepped forward and wrapped an arm around his sister’s shoulders.
“Get them out quickly!” Maternal Uncle Zhang ordered.
Even as they were pushed out, Eighth Uncle’s indignant shouts could still be heard: “There was a monster that attacked me—look, my bottom is still bleeding!”
Everyone: “…” This madman—his bottom wasn’t sprouting flowers, why would anyone stare at it?
Er Niu lazily wagged its fluffy tail.
As it had been said, how could such a magnificent dog be a monster? It seemed most humans were still sensible.
Jiang Si’s gaze shifted to the gleaming green banana leaves, her lips curling slightly.
Er Niu was truly excellent at guarding the house! How could her Er Niu be a monster? People just loved to talk nonsense.