The farce finally concluded. Aunt-in-law cast a contemptuous glance at the Xie family members before embracing Xie Qing’ao comfortingly, “Qing’ao, your uncle and aunt are here. If you’ve been wronged, just tell us. There’s no need to be polite to those with ill intentions.”

Xie Qing’ao shrugged off her aunt’s hand, saying coolly, “I understand.”

The aunt-in-law felt awkward.

Many people secretly scorned her: Who was it that had a fit in the funeral hall earlier today, saying so many unspeakable things, and now is pretending to be virtuous?

Under the intense gazes, the aunt-in-law became calm instead.

People fear comparison. Originally, she had lost face along with Eighth Madam and shouldn’t have spoken up. But since Eighth Madam and her husband had tried to scare people by pretending to be ghosts, as a relative of the Marquis of Yongchang’s wife, she felt it was her duty to speak up.

The Xie family members were indeed speechless in the face of the aunt-in-law’s sarcasm, feeling only embarrassment and growing angry at the Eighth Aunt and Uncle.

At this moment, Xie Yinlou bowed to everyone: “Uncles, aunts, my sister, and I are not disrespectful to elders, nor do we disregard family ties. We were truly forced into this situation today. In the future, all expenses for the clan’s ancestral hall, clan school, and other matters will continue as they were when our parents were alive. I ask the elders to return to the estate and explain this on our behalf.”

Xie Qing’ao looked at her brother in surprise.

Usually, her brother was cold and taciturn, rarely speaking so much.

There was a coldness hidden in Xie Yinlou’s eyes.

People value filial piety and clan ties. Even though the Marquis of Yongchang’s mansion and these clan members were several branches apart, they were still considered family. It was a universally acknowledged principle that whichever branch had the means should contribute more to the family. If he were to stop the offerings to the clan’s ancestral hall and school, it wouldn’t be as simple as driving away Eighth Uncle and Aunt; it would ruin his reputation.

Even if he didn’t care about his reputation, he had to think of his sister, who would eventually marry.

Sure enough, upon hearing that everything would continue as before, the Xie clan members immediately felt relieved and said, “Young Master, don’t worry. Eighth Uncle and Aunt indeed went too far. This isn’t your fault. If anyone speaks nonsense later, we uncles will stand up for you!”

“Then my sister and I thank you all,” Xie Yinlou bowed again. “It’s very late now. Elders, please go back and rest. I still need to go keep vigil for our parents.”

The seventeen-year-old youth, dressed in white mourning clothes, stood like a tall white poplar in the night, resilient and reliable.

The Xie clan members nodded to themselves: With this child around, the Marquis’s mansion might not fall into decline. They should be polite to this child in the future; after all, he would be the future Marquis.

Tsk, such a young Marquis, no wonder Eighth Uncle and Aunt had ulterior motives, wanting to marry Eighth Aunt’s niece to him.

After persuading the Xie clan members to leave, Xie Yinlou bowed to Uncle Zhang and said, “Uncle, please go back and rest too. It’s late.”

Uncle Zhang, thinking of his wife’s earlier behavior, felt too ashamed to put on the airs of an uncle. He awkwardly said, “Then I’ll head back first. Don’t exhaust yourself while keeping vigil. Take care of your health.”

Xie Yinlou lowered his eyes and thanked him.

Even as they walked out of the courtyard, the aunt-in-law was still complaining in a low voice, “Qing’ao is feeling wronged. What a good opportunity to mend relationships. Why did we just leave?”

Uncle Zhang sneered, “If it weren’t for your nonsensical ramblings earlier today, this indeed would have been a great opportunity. Now it’s best to forget it. Haven’t you noticed? Those two children are not so easily manipulated.”

At this point, Uncle Zhang’s eyes darkened, “Do you think the sudden fit in the funeral hall today was just a coincidence? In my opinion, the siblings must have had a hand in it.”

The aunt-in-law’s heart skipped a beat, “Are you saying my fit was caused by them?”

Uncle Zhang didn’t respond, clearly implying agreement.

The aunt-in-law’s face turned ugly as she muttered, “That can’t be, right? They’re still children. How could they have such abilities?”

Uncle Zhang looked back at the still brightly lit courtyard and sighed softly, “Children are different from one another. History has seen twelve-year-olds become prime ministers.”

“But aren’t those extremely rare?” the aunt-in-law grumbled.

Uncle Zhang turned back and gave her a look, “Are you sure they’re not two of those rare ones? Besides, I am their uncle after all, and I do hope for their success. Of course, it would be better if our two families could become even closer through marriage. If not, we at least shouldn’t become enemies. How could we face my sister otherwise?”

Upon hearing the terrible news of his sister and brother-in-law’s deaths on the same day, arranging for his daughter to marry into their family was partly self-serving, but it was also out of concern for the siblings. It would be better than letting them be devoured alive by the clan members. Now it seems he had overstepped.

“All right, don’t pursue those ideas anymore. Let nature take its course,” Uncle Zhang advised.

The aunt-in-law pouted and said nothing, feeling irritated: They hadn’t caught the fish but had gotten themselves covered in a fishy smell.

Back in Zhen Xia Residence, the Xie siblings and Jiang Si were still standing in the courtyard.

“You all can go now too,” Xie Yinlou said to the group of servant girls and older women.

After the servants had all withdrawn, he turned his gaze to the two girls and asked first, “Were you frightened?”

Jiang Si vaguely felt his gaze enveloping her, somehow different from before, and silently shook her head.

Xie Qing’ao smiled, “Not at all. I saw a good show that vented some of my anger.”

Xie Yinlou looked at Jiang Si.

Jiang Si felt a bit puzzled.

Did Young Master Xie need to hear her speak?

“I’m fine too.”

Xie Yinlou gazed at Jiang Si in silence, his eyes profound.

Even Xie Qing’ao sensed something was amiss and instinctively stepped forward, standing between them.

On one side was her brother, on the other her good friend. Although she hoped they could become a couple, since Ah Si had made it clear she wasn’t suitable for her brother, she couldn’t act as a matchmaker recklessly, at least not until Ah Si changed her mind.

Even someone as innocent as Xie Qing’ao knew that this world was far harsher on girls than on men. If her friend became close to her brother but ultimately didn’t end up together, it would be her friend who would suffer.

“Brother, what’s wrong?”

Xie Yinlou gazed deeply at Jiang Si and finally asked, “Fourth Sister Jiang, are there any demons in this courtyard?”

Jiang Si met Xie Yinlou’s gaze, her eyebrows slightly raised in surprise.

So this was what Xie Yinlou suspected.

She smiled, looking completely innocent, “No, there aren’t.”

Behind the banana grove was only her Ernui, of course, there were no demons.

Xie Yinlou was taken aback.

He certainly didn’t believe that Eighth Uncle and Aunt’s failure was just bad luck. Others might not have noticed, but he had already seen the blood spattered on the ground and the hole in Eighth Uncle’s backside.

He knew his sister’s situation well, and with the recent string of strange events, each benefiting the siblings, he would be a fool not to figure out who was behind it all.

But Fourth Sister Jiang was lying to him, and without even blinking.

Fourth Sister Jiang wasn’t this kind of person before.