This wasn’t the time to laugh.

The reason she laughed was because she thought of the scene back then.

She had been suspected by A’Jiu of her identity, confronted him by the river and fallen into the water, then was rescued by Xiao Xun. To avoid getting entangled with Xiao Xun, she had grabbed onto A’Jiu and shouted those words about life and death together.

When she said those words back then, what expression did A’Jiu have? Probably as shocked as the girls in this room now, right?

Unfortunately, at that time she was buried in his embrace and didn’t see it.

However, if A’Jiu were present at this moment, his expression would definitely be one of gloating. His phoenix eyes would be upturned, the corners of his mouth full of that infuriating smile, and he would laugh at her saying, “Serves you right, you brought this on yourself.”

“A’Zhao,” Qi Leyun glared. “What are you laughing at! You’re still laughing!”

A girl beside her said softly: “It’s because this is ridiculous, right?”

Right, it’s ridiculous, right? It’s fake, right? The girls’ gazes fixed tightly on Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao looked at Liang Qin with a smile, also seeing through her intentions.

This rumor was aimed directly at her, and deliberately delivered into the hands of Liang Qin, who needed it most.

Liang Qin didn’t want an explanation at all—

“Who said this?” Chu Zhao asked with a smile, neither refuting nor explaining, but questioning instead.

Qi Leyun immediately followed up: “That’s right, who told you this? You can’t just fabricate things and slander someone’s reputation.”

The girl standing beside Chu Tang, after being coached, spoke up again. Unlike Qi Leyun’s aggressive approach, she spoke with some sympathy: “A’Qin, I know you feel wronged, but you can’t let others manipulate you. However many people took pleasure in seeing you rejected by the Xie family’s son, that’s how many people are jealous and resentful seeing A’Zhao treated as an honored guest by Third Master Xie.”

These words were powerful.

The girls in the room showed expressions of sudden understanding—that’s right, exactly so.

After Third Master Xie arrived in the capital, there wasn’t even a single female family member in the Xie household, leaving all the women in the capital with no way to visit. They couldn’t very well go to the Crown Princess to get an introduction to Third Master Xie, could they? Even the Crown Princess had only met Third Master Xie once.

Chu Zhao was the first to be invited, or rather to barge in—regardless of how it happened, she had entered the Xie family’s doors. Most importantly, Chu Zhao was personally escorted out by Third Master Xie in the end.

How many people would be jealous?

Girls understood other girls’ methods best. When you hate someone, you try to create trouble for them.

“A’Qin, who exactly said this?”

“Speak up quickly. I want to see what kind of person could overhear others saying such intimate things.”

The girls pressed her with questions.

Liang Qin was instantly surrounded and attacked. Her maids and servants couldn’t help but hold Liang Qin tighter—should they take the young lady home after all? Watching the young lady rush out of the house, the madam didn’t stop her, but was this really alright?

What if there was another fight?

All the household servants had followed, hadn’t they? The young masters were here too, right?

Liang Qin was so angry she nearly vomited blood, furious that these girls still protected Chu Zhao after hearing these words. She pushed away her maids and servants and stood up: “The whole street is saying it, everyone is saying it—go ask them, go ask!”

Qi Leyun snorted: “I don’t believe the Xie family’s courtyard has become a public street where everyone can hear what people say inside their home.”

“I never said they said it at home,” Liang Qin shouted, staring hatefully at Chu Zhao. “Who knows where these two hid to do such shameless things—there’s no wall in the world without cracks.”

Chu Zhao sneered coldly: “Such shameless things would certainly require avoiding others’ eyes and ears. Aside from the two of us, how could anyone else easily overhear? So either I spread this, or the Xie family spread it. I’m going right now to ask the Xie family what exactly is going on!”

Having said this, she strode toward the exit.

Liang Qin hadn’t expected her to just leave—to go ask the Xie family?

“Don’t you run!” Liang Qin shouted, lunging forward to grab Chu Zhao.

How could Chu Zhao let her catch her? With a wave of her hand, the frail Liang Qin cried out and fell backward, fortunately caught by her servants and maids, while Chu Zhao walked away with large strides without looking back.

“Grab her,” Liang Qin shrilly urged her maids and servants.

Before the maids and servants beside her could move forward, a Liang family maid crowding at the door was kicked aside by A’Le.

“Don’t block my young lady’s path,” she barked.

The maids crowding at the doorway, regardless of whose household they belonged to, instantly made way, watching this master and servant swagger past.

Outside the door, quite a crowd had gathered, including shop assistants hesitating about whether to mediate—alas, Miss Chu had already competed in literature, yet she still hadn’t forgotten about martial combat.

There were also quite a few customers, pointing and commenting. Some were inquiring what had happened, while others clearly already knew and were whispering head-to-head in discussion.

Seeing the girl stride out, the noise instantly froze.

A’Le raised her eyebrows and shouted: “Make way!”

Whether shop assistants or customers, they all immediately stepped back.

Chu Zhao’s expression was calm as she walked at a measured pace.

“A’Le,” she said, “Pay the bill. Coming out to have fun was spoiled because of me—I can’t let everyone else pay too.”

A’Le responded affirmatively. The shopkeeper was watching from the side and blurted out: “No rush, Miss can put it on account—”

Only men could open accounts at Elegant Interest Pavilion; women could only have charges under their husbands’ or fathers’ names.

This was probably the first time Elegant Interest Pavilion had opened an account for a woman.

Chu Zhao showed no trace of panic, only nodding: “Thank you. All expenses for the private room today go on my account.”

The shopkeeper became even more efficient after saying this, personally accompanying Chu Zhao out and saying in a low voice: “Miss Chu, whenever Chu Garden holds another literary gathering, our Elegant Interest Pavilion can provide tea and refreshments.”

Chu Zhao nodded: “Good, I’ll remember that.”

Accompanied by the shopkeeper and A’Le, she passed through the crowd and left, leaving everyone’s gazes following her, with shrill screaming still coming from inside the door behind her.

“Chu Zhao—don’t run—you shameless wretch—you slut—”

The shop assistants and customers couldn’t help but look back inside, seeing that girl throwing a tantrum and wailing. Alas, comparing the two, what a contrast.

The Liang family’s servants hurriedly closed the door.

“Why close the door! Let everyone know about Chu Zhao’s shamelessness,” Liang Qin cried out.

“Enough,” Qi Leyun said. “Liang Qin, might doesn’t make right. If you have something to say, say it properly.”

How could she make this bigger if she spoke properly? She came here to cause a scene! Liang Qin covered her face and cried: “Who isn’t speaking properly? She has nothing to say—she even ran away.”

“A’Zhao didn’t run away. She said she was going to the Xie family to ask,” a girl said with dissatisfaction.

How had these people’s hearts become so twisted? Liang Qin couldn’t be bothered to pretend to cry. She lowered her sleeve and said angrily: “So what if she goes to the Xie family to ask? She and the Xie family have colluded—won’t they just say whatever they want?”

“A’Qin, since they’ve agreed with the Xie family, why do you need to make such a fuss?” a girl’s voice said softly. “Originally, you and the Xie family were only discussing marriage, right? It wasn’t even formally arranged, much less betrothed. How is it wrong for them not to be willing?”

The logic was sound, yet something was off. Liang Qin came to her senses and recognized that this was the same girl who had been using twisted logic all along!

She saw Chu Tang standing beside the girl at a glance.

“Chu Tang!” Liang Qin jumped up in fury. “You sisters are united in purpose. Why don’t you speak for yourself instead of borrowing others’ mouths?”

Called out by Liang Qin, Chu Tang didn’t deny it. Instead, she shrank back and said timidly: “It’s precisely because Chu Zhao and I are sisters that if I spoke up, it would look like I was bullying you.”

What kind of nonsense was this—you sisters were already bullying her!

This Chu Tang, who used to be so sisterly with her before, was now treating her like this.

Chu Zhao had run away, but she couldn’t let Chu Tang go.

Liang Qin lunged forward: “You sisters are both no good!”

This time all the girls surged forward. “A’Qin, you’ve really gone mad.” “Have you made enough of a scene!” “Is this how the Liang family raises their daughters!”

The private room descended into chaos. The Liang family’s servants and maids no longer hesitated and took Liang Qin away.

The girls looked at the mess everywhere, both angry and annoyed.

“But, did A’Zhao really go to the Xie family?” a girl leaned out the window to look outside. Chu Zhao’s carriage was no longer visible on the street.

Or had she actually just run away using this as an excuse?

“Of course she really went,” Qi Leyun said decisively. “With such a good opportunity, how could she not go? Maybe she can even force Third Master Xie into marriage.”

The girls who had been feeling gloomy couldn’t help but laugh at this remark.

“Qi Leyun, what nonsense are you spouting!”

“How is it nonsense? A’Zhao is rumored to be entangled with the Xie family’s son, her reputation sullied—shouldn’t Third Master Xie take responsibility?”

“That’s hilarious. What does this have to do with Third Master Xie? You really can fabricate anything.”

“Qi Leyun, I think you wish the rumors were about you instead, don’t you?”

……

……

Chu Zhao had indeed gone directly to the Xie family. Upon arriving at the gates, she announced her name and requested to see Third Master Xie. The doors opened smoothly, and without pause, she was led by servants toward the rear courtyard.

However, she didn’t see Xie Yanfang directly. The servant said the Third Master had some business and would come later. They settled her in the waterside pavilion, and maids brought tea and refreshments.

“Would Miss like to hear the qin?” a maid asked with a smile. “We can play for you.”

Chu Zhao thanked her: “That won’t be necessary.” She looked toward the pond water, where many fish were swimming about, colorful and quite beautiful. “I’ll just watch the fish.”

The maid then brought over fish food with a smile: “This is fish food specially prepared by our Third Master. The fish love it.”

Chu Zhao accepted it, and the maids withdrew, leaving her alone in the waterside pavilion.

Chu Zhao held the fish food and fed the fish. Sure enough, the fish quickly gathered around, swaying in the water like blooming flowers.

……

……

When Xie Yanfang arrived, he saw the scene of the girl playing with fish in the waterside pavilion.

The girl wore an apricot-colored dress with black hair gathered up, revealing her slender neck. She sat at the water’s edge with both feet dangling down, nearly touching the water’s surface, gently swaying. The shadow of her dress rippled in the water, drawing the fish to swim along.

She smiled faintly, revealing fine white teeth.

Xie Yanfang had seen many scenes of women at leisure—some glimpsed by chance, others deliberately arranged for him to see—but this moment was different from all the others.

The girl smiled slightly at the corners of her mouth, her eyes deep and distant, as if she were alone between heaven and earth, both unrestrained and solitary.

“Miss Chu,” Xie Yanfang spoke, breaking the scene.

Chu Zhao turned to look at him and smiled: “Third Master Xie.”

She lifted her feet from above the water, turned lightly, and returned to the interior of the pavilion.

Xie Yanfang walked in and spoke: “This matter wasn’t our doing.”

He knew Chu Zhao’s purpose for coming.

Chu Zhao said: “I know it wasn’t you.” She smiled again. “I also know who did it.”