The melodious sound of the zither poured out as delicate, rouge-adorned hands lifted it gently. Outside the window, there was a lively scene with ink dancing and music playing, but inside, a sudden silence descended, contrasting sharply with the slightly cloying scent of incense, creating an incongruous solemn atmosphere within the entire building.
Lou Yuan sighed, raising his gaze. “Has His Highness confirmed it’s her?”
Xiao Du nodded. “I was already almost certain. If her passing me that torn page before was unintentional, then her confession yesterday was clearly out of guilt. Only someone guilty would confess before everything was uncovered. If we truly believed her and thought it was just a momentary mistake on her part, we wouldn’t continue to investigate.” He closed his eyes briefly, a pained expression on his face. “Zhixuan has practically grown up under my eyes. How could I not see through her intentions? When has she ever been so calculating?”
He began to suspect Xiao Zhixuan from the moment he saw that torn page. Initially, he was furious and wanted nothing more than to avoid those two individuals. But after reconsidering the whole situation, he found it somewhat suspicious. Who deliberately gave him that page, and what was their motive? So, he swallowed his anger and called Lou Yuan to inquire, only to discover that this scheme had been silently orchestrated behind the scenes since the Lantern Festival, and the only person in the Marquis Mansion who knew Xiao Zhixuan and Lou Yuan were acquainted was Xiao Zhixuan herself, who had been with them in the cabin that day.
Lou Yuan’s eyes narrowed. “Miss Zhixuan is inherently kind-hearted. Someone must have been manipulating her behind the scenes, leading her astray.”
Xiao Du shook his head, still puzzled. “Even if Aunt Cai has some cunning, she’s ultimately a reclusive woman. How could she collude with someone from the Xia family?”
Xiao Du furrowed his brow. “I haven’t figured that out yet either. But many things seem too coincidental. If it weren’t for someone in the mansion colluding with him, how could Xia Xiang have known about our every move so quickly?” So, he decided to turn the tables, using that incident as an excuse to send Lou Yuan away from the Marquis Mansion and arrange to meet him here, which indeed helped him dispel Xia Xiang’s suspicions.
He paused, then continued, “And the scheme involving the Queen Consort is so well-executed, I doubt Aunt Cai could pull it off alone.”
Lou Yuan shook his head, still puzzled. “But the Marquis Mansion is her home, and Miss Zhixuan is ultimately a daughter of the Marquis Mansion. What could she gain from doing this?”
Xiao Du stood up, lost in thought for a moment. “Regardless of their intentions, we’re in the dark while they’re in the light now. But I have a way to turn the tables. It’s just…” He seemed to hesitate, sighing deeply.
Outside, the sunlight gradually climbed the window sill. Over the past few days, fallen leaves had accumulated, and the autumn days had grown cooler, prompting many households to add charcoal stoves. Xiao Xie and Xiao Zhixuan sat on the heated kang, surrounded by various embroidery patterns. Xiao Zhixuan picked up one of them and smiled, “Let’s embroider this one, with intertwined flowers in full bloom. It’s so auspicious, perfect for you and Brother.”
Xiao Xie gazed at the two lilies blooming together, thinking of someone in her heart and unconsciously smiling. Then, she hesitated, “But this pattern is so complicated. I’m afraid I won’t be able to embroider it well.”
Xiao Zhixuan patted her chest proudly. “Don’t worry, I’m here. Apart from playing the zither, embroidery is my forte. All my previous embroidery masters praised me for being clever and capable, saying I’m a talent.”
Xiao Xie couldn’t help but chuckle, “Those books I read wouldn’t suit you. You better learn from the Master. Otherwise, your Brother will blame me for corrupting you.”
Thinking of Lou Yuan, Xiao Zhixuan’s heart sank again. So, she stopped talking and began to embroider with Xiao Xie.
As the sunlight gradually reached the window sill, the two of them had been embroidering for about half an hour when Xiao Du pushed the door open and walked in. Xiao Zhixuan saw him and quickly put down her work, smiling sweetly as she called out, “Brother, since you’re back, I won’t disturb you two anymore. Sister-in-law, I’ll come to teach you tomorrow.” With a wink at them, she skipped out of the room.
She bid farewell to the maidservant and nanny outside, but when she reached the courtyard, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Carefully looking back, she saw no one paying attention to her. Then, she swiftly turned her body, sneaking into a corner outside the window.
Crouching down slowly, she listened to the sounds coming from inside the room, feeling a sudden sense of sadness. She was too familiar with every room in the mansion, knowing exactly where to eavesdrop without being easily discovered. But she would rather not know anything and return to being the innocent and naive third miss in their eyes.
At the same time, inside the room, Xiao Du picked up the embroidery pattern in front of him and smirked at Xiao Xie, “Did you embroider this for me?”
Yuanxi’s face turned slightly red, and her eyes glanced at the sachet hanging from his waist, teasingly. “To save you, the distinguished Marquis Xuan, from flaunting such an ugly sachet in public every day.”
Xiao Du pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, “Who dares to call it ugly? The one my wife embroidered for me is the most beautiful.” With that, he gently nibbled on her earlobe.
Listening to the sounds coming from inside the room, Xiao Zhixuan’s face turned red, and she was about to slip away when she heard Yuanxi’s slightly breathless voice, “By the way, are you sure about that matter?”
Xiao Du sighed deeply. “I’m afraid there’s about an eighty percent certainty. It’s likely her.”
Xiao Zhixuan’s heart skipped a beat, and her hand tremblingly grasped the wall. At this moment, she heard Yuanxi continue, “But I still don’t believe it. She’s still so young, how could she…”
Xiao Du tightened his grip on her hand, his tone heavy. ” I don’t believe she would do such a thing either, but… let’s not think about it for now. At midnight tonight, the undercover guards we sent out will bring the evidence they’ve collected to the study. The truth will be revealed then.”
Xiao Zhixuan stood by the wall for a long time, her body feeling stiff from the prolonged wait. But she couldn’t catch even a glimpse of anyone. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she stood up, intending to peek inside the room. Just as she was about to do so, the room, which had been dark, suddenly lit up brightly. The orange light cast a cold, hard figure, and a voice, so familiar yet distant, came from inside the window, “Xuan’er, come in.”
Xiao Zhixuan was suddenly stunned. That voice had warmed her countless times before, but now it felt like plunging into an ice cellar. She bit her lip, trying to calm herself down, and walked slowly into the room.
However, even though it was only a few steps away, she felt as if she had endured countless days and nights of torment. Upon entering, she saw Xiao Du standing by the window, his cold face flickering in the candlelight as he silently watched her.
Xiao Zhixuan forced a smile and said, “Brother, what are you doing here? My rabbit has gone missing again. Who knew that while searching for it, I would end up here.”
Xiao Du stared at her, his eyes showing a mixture of incomprehension, pity, and sorrow. “Xuan’er, do you remember when I told you that you were never good at lying?”
Xiao Zhixuan continued to smile, but her eyes were filled with infinite sadness. “But, Brother, I’m not the naive little girl I used to be.”
The author is suffering from a severe cold and can only offer this much for now. This chapter serves as a transition. I’ll continue tomorrow. Also, there have been fewer comments lately. Have you all abandoned me? *cries in a corner*