“You! You!” Mo Sigui threw his fan aside and reached to undo his belt. “Just wait, I’ll show you what majestic means!”
An Jiu crossed her arms, looking like someone eager to watch the drama unfold.
How could a young lady behave like this? Mo Sigui intended to frighten her a bit.
Mei Jiu, waking from a brief nap, found herself in the red maple grove. Seeing Mo Sigui’s fierce expression as he undid his belt, her heart trembled. She instinctively covered her face and screamed, “Ruffian! Ruffian!”
Mo Sigui hurriedly tried to cover her mouth. He hadn’t intended to strip; he merely wanted to see how long she could keep up her bravado.
The family head and elders, discussing matters in the main hall, were startled by the scream. They rose and came out.
Standing at the entrance, they saw Wencui supporting the trembling Mei Jiu, while opposite them, Mo Sigui was frantically tying his belt.
“What happened?” the family head asked Wencui as he approached.
Wencui, skilled in martial arts, could hear their conversation from two zhang away. But knowing that if the elders learned of her mistress’s words, there would be dire consequences, she said, “After leaving the main hall, the young master stopped my lady, saying he had something to ask her. I stepped away. When I heard my lady’s scream, I rushed back to find the young master, disheveled, embracing her…”
“Mo Sigui! Explain yourself to me! What exactly happened?” Elder Zhi exploded in anger. He hadn’t taken a disciple in seven years, and now his newly accepted disciple was being molested. This was intolerable! Did they think he was dead or what?
“It’s all a misunderstanding! Fourteenth Miss said she wanted to see… to see…” Mo Sigui realized the situation would only worsen if he continued, so he abruptly stopped, looking pleadingly at Fourteenth Miss.
To his dismay, this glance nearly made him cough up blood in anger. The girl who had just been full of domineering spirit was now cowering helplessly in her maid’s arms, trembling and tear-stained!
“First, help Fourteenth Miss back to rest,” the family head told Wencui. Then, turning to Mo Sigui with a glance, he said, “You, come with me.”
Mo Sigui followed obediently, casting pleading looks at Elder Qi as they walked.
To Mo Sigui’s alarm, Elder Qi was merely acting as an onlooker, not even showing a hint of schadenfreude.
As an outsider taken in by the Mei family after his parents’ early death, Mo Sigui somehow caught Elder Qi’s eye, allowing him to enter the Mei family school. If today’s frivolous behavior angered Elder Zhi, his chances of entering the family school would likely evaporate!
Mo Sigui silently gritted his teeth: Mei Ruxue! If I can’t enter the family school, I won’t let you off easily!
At this moment, he hated Mei Jiu intensely. It wasn’t that he blamed her entirely, but he found her alternating between shyness, arrogance, and feigned vulnerability utterly despicable!
Mei Jiu, still shaken, was helped back to Yuwei Residence. It took her a while to calm down.
“Hey!” An Jiu said irritably, “Can you tell me why you had to wail like that?”
Mei Jiu’s sudden intense cardiac reaction nearly shattered An Jiu’s soul, followed by prolonged irregular heartbeats. This was hard for An Jiu, accustomed to steady heartbeats, to handle.
An Jiu hadn’t been this angry in years. Now she wanted to obliterate Mei Jiu with an M134.
Startled, Mei Jiu said, “Why are you shouting?”
“Damn it, what else can I do besides shout? You’ve pushed the limits of my tolerance for idiots!” An Jiu felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness, like full-body paralysis. She now wished she had died completely when she was shot in the head, rather than endure this torment!
Thinking of “torment,” An Jiu quickly calmed herself: There’s still a chance to escape. This is just a trial. How could she think of retreating? When had she ever shown fear in the face of challenges?
The thought passed in an instant. An Jiu spoke calmly, “Your cousin had no ill intentions. He was just teasing you. Your wailing alerted the elders, and you might have ruined his future.”
Mei Jiu, on the verge of tears from An Jiu’s shouting, suddenly froze at these words.
“Let me ask you, did you see him naked?” An Jiu patiently guided.
Embarrassed, Mei Jiu replied, “No.”
“Did he touch you inappropriately?” An Jiu asked again.
Mei Jiu thought carefully. Mo Sigui had reached out to cover her mouth only after she screamed. She answered honestly, “No, he didn’t.”
An Jiu said, “Situations have different levels of urgency. In such cases, couldn’t you wait to understand the situation before reacting?”
Hearing An Jiu imply this was a minor issue, Mei Jiu immediately retorted righteously, “A woman’s reputation and chastity are more important than life itself!”
“…” This was impossible to communicate.
Today’s events made An Jiu reflect. Acting rashly without understanding the situation was the catalyst. Moreover, she wasn’t one to suffer in silence. If someone teased her, she’d ensure they didn’t get away unscathed. But while she could handle the aftermath of provoking Mo Sigui, Mei Jiu might not have that ability.
It seemed she’d need to act more discreetly in the future…
“All right, I was also at fault. Since we’ve caused trouble, we must clean up the mess…”
Mei Jiu was pleased.
For the first time, they seemed to be in sync. After a pause, they spoke simultaneously:
“Then I’ll explain to the family head and clear cousin’s name.”
“Let’s kill him to eliminate future troubles.”
After a long silence, Mei Jiu asked in shock, “What… what did you say? This was our fault, how could we do that to cousin?”
An Jiu believed the fault was her own, but for some reason, hearing Mei Jiu say “our” caused a slight ripple in the depths of her soul. She paused, then asked the opinion of someone she considered an “idiot,” “In such situations, isn’t it normal to prioritize one’s interests?”
Mei Jiu urgently replied, “Aside from him being my cousin, that’s a human life! Killing someone means paying with your own life. Besides, he might not hold a grudge!”
An Jiu snorted, “That depends on your performance. If you act rashly again, I’ll kill without hesitation.”
“All right,” Mei Jiu hastily agreed.
By evening, Wencui had learned of the family’s punishment for Mo Sigui.
Mo Sigui had failed to meet the family’s standards and would not be accepted into the family. He would not be eligible to enter the family genealogy or the family school.
Hearing this news, Mei Jiu’s face turned ashen. Because of her uninformed scream, she had destroyed Mo Sigui’s chance to establish himself in Meihua Village!
“No! I…”
Before Mei Jiu could finish, An Jiu interrupted, “Going there now will only implicate yourself without achieving anything.”
An Jiu acknowledged her mistake but didn’t feel guilty towards Mo Sigui. After all, it takes two to tango. If he hadn’t behaved frivolously, he wouldn’t have fallen into the pit he dug for himself.
“Ask Wencui about Mo Sigui’s background,” An Jiu said.