The corridor was narrow and crowded with people. As everyone walked and discussed, the tide of opinion shifted.

“Isn’t the Liu family’s upbringing supposed to be excellent? How do Madam Liu and Miss Liu seem like they were deliberately trying to ruin Seventh Miss Qin’s reputation? They even wanted to use our hands to transform someone from a proper daughter-in-law into a concubine?”

“Exactly, there must be some reason behind this!”

“It seems the Liu family runs very deep!”

“Indeed, there’s something wrong with the Liu family!”

…

Liu Sujiang and Madam Liu exchanged glances. Hearing the vague clamor from over there, they felt an inexplicable strangeness and tension. They couldn’t be bothered to question Lan Chou further or explain anything to people, and hurriedly rushed over.

It was only a few private boxes away. Upon reaching the doorway, Madam Liu felt her blood rushing to her head.

Liu Junqing sat disheveled on a stool, while beside him a woman wept and wiped her tears—it was Yun Jingshu.

Seeing Madam Liu, Yun Jingshu cried even more pitifully, like a pear blossom in the rain, utterly miserable: “I don’t want to live anymore!”

With that, she threw herself toward a nearby pillar.

Fortunately, her maid was quick and flew forward to form a human wall to block her. Yun Jingshu was obviously too agitated, and although she struck her maid instead, she still fainted from the impact.

The maid cried as she looked at Madam Liu: “Madam Liu, you must seek justice for our young miss! Our miss came peacefully to watch the opera, but Young Master Liu kept pulling and tugging at her without letting go. What kind of reasoning is this!”

Madam Liu’s mind was in chaos: “What, what exactly happened here?”

Liu Junqing was no better off than Madam Liu. He had clearly been speaking with Qin Shuying in the private box, but somehow, mid-conversation, Qin Shuying had transformed into Yun Jingshu?

He instinctively defended himself: “Mother, I… I didn’t!”

Madam Liu breathed a sigh of relief and said: “Mother believes you.”

“With so many people watching, you still dare to lie!” the maid cried out loudly. “Then tell me, did you or did you not enter the ‘Earth Character Number Two’ private box?”

Under the scrutiny of all eyes, Liu Junqing answered: “I… I did enter.”

“Then, did you or did you not see our young miss?”

“I… I saw her.”

“Then, did you or did you not embrace our young miss?”

Liu Junqing denied: “…That wasn’t…”

The maid cried: “Did you embrace her or not?”

Liu Junqing frowned and didn’t answer.

Such matters always attracted crowds eager for excitement, and many men had come today, speaking without any restraint.

Someone said: “Scholar Liu, you are the Great Zhou Dynasty’s first seventeen-year-old top scholar in fifty years. As a man, don’t you dare admit what you’ve done? Lying is not the conduct of a gentleman! Besides, what’s so remarkable about a man having a few intimate female friends? Even I, a petty man, have two concubines!”

“Yes, yes, Scholar Liu, if you embraced her then you embraced her, if you didn’t then you didn’t. It is what it is, it’s not what it’s not—such a simple matter, yet Scholar Liu lacks the courage to admit it? With such spirit, how can we expect you to govern the country and bring peace to the world?”

“Scholar Liu, I see you have proper features but carry a somewhat feminine air. Could it be that even your temperament is like a woman’s? If you did something then you did it, if you didn’t then you didn’t. Are you trying to force this young lady to her death?”

Everyone spoke at once, each comment making Liu Junqing lose face.

He had never suffered such ridicule before. Though naturally intelligent, his face instantly flushed red.

Madam Liu’s face darkened like a black pot with rage, and Liu Sujiang couldn’t help saying: “Nonsense! My brother is upright and honorable, standing tall between heaven and earth. How could he be as you describe?”

“If that’s the case, Scholar Liu, then tell us exactly what happened!”

Liu Junqing wasn’t stupid to begin with—he simply rarely devoted mental energy to these inner courtyard struggles. Now, reflecting on earlier events, his thoughts gradually became clearer.

He stood up, his expression showing enlightenment mixed with determination, and slowly walked out of the private box. The tightly packed crowd parted to make way for him.

He believed Qin Shuying must be right here.

Indeed, he saw Qin Shuying at the back of the crowd.

She still wore elegant clothing—a light purple dress with simple hair ornaments that made her entire person appear plain and refined.

She stood there with a smile, her posture graceful, like a lotus flower in midsummer, emanating a subtle, pure fragrance.

Despite such an incident occurring, she was still smiling, as if the entire matter had nothing to do with her whatsoever.

Could his speculation be wrong? Was she not playing hard to get, not trying to attract his attention?

Did she truly not want to marry him?

Why?

Why would she think this way?

He couldn’t help thinking of Liang Zhe. Could she like Liang Zhe? Impossible—where would she have had many opportunities to see Liang Zhe?

Moreover, was he really inferior to Liang Zhe?

…

“Scholar Liu, speak up! Did you or did you not ruin this young lady’s virtue? Just now we were saying you’re the Great Zhou Dynasty’s once-in-fifty-years top scholar, not only talented in literature but also of excellent character. Now, you must convince us!”

Liu Sujiang looked nervously at Liu Junqing, and Madam Liu was also extremely tense.

Finally, under everyone’s expectant gazes, Liu Junqing slowly nodded and said: “Yes.”

The crowd burst into mocking laughter, and Liu Junqing’s face turned iron-gray.

Yun Jingshu, who was pretending to be unconscious, almost laughed aloud. Fortunately, everyone’s attention was on Liu Junqing, so no one noticed that the supposedly unconscious woman had a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Liu Junqing looked at Qin Shuying with complex emotions. Qin Shuying was bowing to Madam Liu: “Madam, since such an incident has occurred, Shuying will not disturb you further.”

With that, regardless of Madam Liu’s expression, she turned and left with her maids.

Madam Liu wasn’t stupid, and her mind worked quickly. She knew this Qin Shuying was probably somewhat uncanny—she had escaped like a golden cicada shedding its shell at Dongyin Temple, they hadn’t even touched her sleeve at Guangbin Tower, and today, not only had they failed to ruin her reputation, but instead Junqing had been discovered molesting Miss Yun.

All of this was probably related to Qin Shuying.

How had she managed it?

Why wouldn’t she even trust the Liu family?

Madam Liu stared in the direction of Qin Shuying’s departure, lost in thought. Even the chatter of the onlookers couldn’t break her contemplation.

Liu Sujiang tugged at Madam Liu’s sleeve and asked in confusion: “Mother, have you taken a fancy to Qin Shuying?”

Madam Liu came back to her senses and slowly shook her head: “Jiang’er, I’m afraid now it’s not a matter of whether we favor Qin Shuying, but rather… how exorbitantly she’ll demand payment.”

Liu Sujiang snorted: “What can she do? With brother being so excellent, what can she do? As long as she dares offend our family, her money-grubbing uncle will immediately marry her off to some petty clerk!”

Madam Liu shook her head, not knowing what to say. In the end, she sighed with a complex expression and a slight headache.

Liu Sujiang remained unwilling to accept defeat and continued venting her dissatisfaction: “Don’t think that just because she’s gotten close to Princess Yongjia she can do whatever she wants. Princess Yongjia can’t possibly protect you at every moment!”