As the saying goes, facing one’s enemy makes one’s blood boil. Cao Li Huan’s body instantly stiffened, her expression becoming guarded. Liu Bei stopped in front of her with cold eyes but a smile on her lips, saying slowly, “I’m here on Old Madam’s orders. Old Madam says you are to pack your belongings immediately. A carriage is waiting at the gate to take you home.”
It was as if lightning had struck Cao Li Huan’s head, leaving her frozen. At that moment, the servants behind Liu Bei entered the courtyard directly. Cao Li Huan stumbled as she looked into the courtyard, seeing Si Shun sprawled on the ground like a dog. Her head spun, and when she saw people carrying out her belongings from the room, she truly became frightened.
This time… this time it was real!
Hui Er was still trying to stop the women from carrying the camphorwood chest from the kang, shouting, “What are you doing? What are you doing? These are our miss’s belongings, put them down!”
Si Qiao, terrified and tearful, stumbled to Cao Li Huan, tugging at her sleeve while crying, “Miss, what… what’s happening? Miss, please stop them!”
Cao Li Huan’s facial muscles trembled. Just as she was about to grab Si Qiao to ask what had happened, Liu Bei announced loudly, “Old Madam instructed that Miss Huan’s belongings are precious, and we shouldn’t let too many hands touch them lest things get stolen. Let’s do this – Mrs. Fang Kun, take two people and follow Miss Huan’s two maids to clear out the room. Don’t let anyone have the chance to say we lost anything!”
Mrs. Fang Kun responded and dragged away Hui Er and Si Qiao like little chickens.
Cao Li Huan realized she wouldn’t be able to learn the truth now, and she didn’t dare question Si Shun. She turned to leave but ran into Liu Bei at the door. Looking up, she saw Liu Bei watching her with a mocking smile, even performing a courteous bow: “My dear miss, why such a rush? This isn’t how a young lady from a good family, a proper relative of the Lin family, should behave. Others will laugh at your lack of manners.”
“You…” Cao Li Huan’s face turned ashen. She glared at Liu Bei but knew this wasn’t the time for confrontation. She shoved Liu Bei aside and left. When several servants moved to stop her, Liu Bei gently held them back, sneering, “If she wants to go, let her. If she wants to lose face, why should we stop her?”
Cao Li Huan flew like the wind to Old Madam’s main quarters. The maids in the courtyard seemed to have anticipated her arrival, as none tried to stop her. Standing at the hall entrance, Cao Li Huan took a deep breath before lifting the curtain and entering. As soon as she entered, she began crying, “Old Madam…”
Before she could finish crying, Madam Qin stood up and stepped forward, saying, “Old Madam is unwell due to Miss Yi’s illness. You come in crying – are you trying to upset her further?”
With reddened eyes, Cao Li Huan said, “Old Madam wants to drive me away, I feel wronged… am I not even allowed to cry?”
Madam Qin’s expression was cold from her eyes to her brows as she curved her lips: “No one’s stopping you from crying, but can’t you see Old Madam is bedridden? What if your earlier wailing startled her?”
Cao Li Huan looked and saw Old Madam Lin indeed lying on the arhat bed, looking pale, with Madam Wang sitting beside her holding a bowl of medicine.
Old Madam Lin lifted her eyelids to glance at Cao Li Huan before closing them again.
Cao Li Huan bit her lip and fell to her knees, crawling to Old Madam Lin’s side as tears rolled down her cheeks: “Old Madam, I shouldn’t disturb you when you’re unwell, but I… I have no choice. I want to ask Old Madam directly what wrong I’ve done to make you despise me so…”
Old Madam Lin kept her eyes closed and after a while finally said, “You’ve made something of yourself. Our Lin family can’t accommodate such a grand personage as you. You know very well why Young Master Ting moved out and how Miss Yi fell ill.”
Cao Li Huan’s heart sank, but she cried in defense: “Old Madam, why do you say such things? I… I don’t know anything…”
Old Madam Lin waved her hand, her expression full of disgust, as if not wanting to hear more.
Cao Li Huan kowtowed while crying: “Old Madam, please, please give me another chance. I know I’ve been willful and done many foolish things before, being naughty and making my elders angry, but… but I truly know nothing about Third Cousin Ting and Sister Yi’s matters.” Her makeup ran with her tears, making her look like a spotted cat, yet somehow pitiable.
Seeing Cao Li Huan cry and claim ignorance with seemingly genuine expression and manner, Old Madam Lin looked toward Madam Qin. Madam Qin secretly gritted her teeth, knowing Old Madam Lin was most easily swayed and soft-hearted. Fearing she might change her mind or be fooled by Cao Li Huan again, she sneered, “Miss Huan, we’re trying to save your face. Do you want to make a bigger scene?”
Though Cao Li Huan’s teeth ached with hatred, she continued crying miserably, looking pitifully at Madam Qin: “Aunt, what do you mean by this? I know you’ve long… long disliked me, only… only because I was worthless then and couldn’t meet your standards… But Aunt, you can’t just assume I’m all bad because of that…” She kowtowed repeatedly until her forehead began to bleed.
Madam Qin looked down at Cao Li Huan, then lifted the door curtain and called out, “Let her in.”
A maid entered with a lowered head, and upon seeing her, Cao Li Huan’s pupils instantly contracted.
It was Xiang Lan!
A properly dressed and groomed Xiang Lan!
Xiang Lan respectfully kowtowed: “Greetings to Old Madam, First Madam, and Second Madam,” without even glancing at Cao Li Huan. She moved naturally, her expression calm, showing no signs of distress. Cao Li Huan’s heart rose to her throat.
Madam Qin said coolly, “Speak.”
Xiang Lan kept her head lowered and said, “Miss Huan once gave me an envelope to personally deliver to Third Young Master Ting. Regardless of what was written inside, this was improper private correspondence. Moreover, there were already rumors in the household about Miss and Third Young Master Ting. I didn’t want to deliver it, but Miss Huan forced me, even having a maid secretly follow me. Not long after I delivered the letter, Third Young Master moved out of the garden.”
“You… you’re lying—” A vicious look flashed in Cao Li Huan’s eyes.
“This servant isn’t lying. May heaven strike me with lightning and my throat rot with sores if I speak a single false word!” Xiang Lan suddenly turned to face Cao Li Huan, her gaze innocent and somewhat simple-minded. “Miss even planned with Hui Er to move to Long Cui Residence because it was closer to Third Young Master’s Cloud Rest Chamber. Later, when Madam brought Si Qiao to warn Miss, Miss was very defiant and said she ‘would rather be a noble concubine in the Lin family than live in poverty,’ and that even if she started as a concubine, the position of primary wife would eventually be hers.”
Old Madam Lin’s expression grew increasingly ugly, Madam Wang’s face turned greenish with anger, while Madam Qin wore a look of delighted surprise – she had thought Xiang Lan was a dull gourd who couldn’t be beaten into speaking, but who knew she could speak so clearly and incisively!
Cao Li Huan wanted to rush forward and tear Xiang Lan’s face apart, shouting, “You little slut, you’re lying! You’re slandering me! You’re lying!”
Xiang Lan maintained her naive, unworldly appearance as she looked at Old Madam Lin: “This servant isn’t lying. I overheard these things while working in the room when Miss was speaking privately with Hui Er. I even tried to advise her, saying Miss was already engaged to Young Master Ren and would be the primary wife there, but Miss wouldn’t listen and instead beat and scolded me for meddling, so I had to stop speaking up.”
“Old Madam, Old Madam, don’t believe her!” Cao Li Huan crawled to clutch Old Madam Lin’s legs. “This maid has a wicked heart, she’s lazy, disobedient, and steals things. I was strict with her, so she harbors resentment and is taking revenge…” She looked at Xiang Lan with a heartbroken expression, lamenting, “I was only strict with you, why did you have to… why did you have to…”
Before she could finish, Xiang Lan burst into tears, crying even more sorrowfully than Cao Li Huan: “Miss, how can you say such things? I embroidered all your clothes, your handkerchiefs, and your wedding clothes and dowry. I also boiled water, swept, and watered the flowers – I did everything.” She held up her hands, “Old Madam, look at the needle marks on my hands. Miss, in all conscience, whether it was Hui Er, Huai Rui, or later Si Qiao, who worked harder than me? If I didn’t please you, Miss, it was because of my stupidity, but you shouldn’t have come to despise me just because my honest words offended you… I’m only saying these things today in front of Old Madam and the madams, otherwise when have I ever spoken ill of you behind your back or said anything wrong about you? I speak now only so Old Madam and the madams might advise you better…” This cry was genuine, bringing up memories of past grievances, truly heartbroken.
Madam Qin almost wanted to applaud – this little maid was extremely clever in her argument. Originally, betraying one’s mistress would be somewhat shameful no matter how it was explained, but she managed to present herself with such an innocent demeanor that people would think she had little cunning. In a few words, she transformed the situation into one where “she gave honest advice that her miss wouldn’t hear, so she had no choice but to tell the elders to guide her miss.”
Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Xiang Lan continued choking back sobs: “Later, Miss became even more… confused. At today’s birthday feast, Miss secretly took a peach from the table, saying she needed to use the washroom. I followed and saw her in the washroom squeezing peach juice into a porcelain bottle. Back at the table, she hid behind her sleeve and poured the juice into the wine, tricking Miss Yi into drinking several cups. I was puzzled at first, but then suddenly remembered that when Miss Yi once invited Miss Huan for a chat, she mentioned she couldn’t touch or eat peaches. Worried about Miss Yi’s health and that Old Madam and the madams would be concerned, I happened to meet Sister Hong Jian after leaving and told her about it.”
After these words, the room fell completely silent.
Cao Li Huan’s body went limp, feeling as if all the blood in her body had turned cold.