Chapter 23

Ning Zhen and her sister-in-law entered the Old lady’s courtyard one after the other. 

Yao Wenluo was there, laughing and chatting with the Old lady, creating a lively atmosphere that made the Old lady smile from time to time. 

The third concubine, Xu Fangdu, sat nearby with a gentle and serene expression. 

“…Really, Ah Yu will definitely come. I specifically told him you wanted to see him,” Yao Wenluo said. 

The Old lady sighed with a smile, “He doesn’t understand a mother’s heart. When I ask him for a meal, he even accuses me of being insincere.” 

Ning Zhen knew the origin of this comment, but Xu Fangdu did not. 

Xu Fangdu, always used to soothing the situation, immediately said, “Ah Yu wouldn’t do that. He’s always been very filial.” 

The Old lady sighed again. 

Ning Zhen remained silent. 

No matter how much Xu Fangdu and Yao Wenluo pleased her mother-in-law, Ning Zhen stayed out of it, quietly playing the part of an observer. 

A car horn sounded outside. 

Yao Wenluo stood up in surprise, “Ah Yu is here already. I’ll go greet him.” 

She was overjoyed, like a young girl, grabbing her fur coat and running outside. 

As she put on her coat and stepped out, Xu Fangdu finally stood up. 

Xu Fangdu smiled and said, “Mother, look how sincere Miss Yao is.” 

She maintained an attitude of selflessness, never showing jealousy, which was what the Old lady appreciated most about her. 

Ning Zhen, however, didn’t get up. 

Since she didn’t move, her sister-in-law didn’t bother to either. 

The Old lady then said to the two of them, “You should also go out to greet him.” 

Ning Zhen gently pressed down on her sister-in-law’s shoulder and smiled, “I’ll go with the third concubine.” 

Her sister-in-law looked at her with gratitude. 

When Ning Zhen and Xu Fangdu reached the entrance, they saw two black cars parked on the road in front of the main courtyard. 

The setting sun hung low, casting a golden-red glow over the lake, illuminating the withered lotus leaves as a breeze rippled across the water. 

Sheng Changyu had already gotten out of the car and was chatting with Yao Wenluo. 

He was dressed in a somewhat worn military uniform, and his hair was slightly damp, as if he had hurriedly tidied himself up before heading out. 

Even just standing casually, he was more upright than most, his strikingly handsome features bathed in the glow of the setting sun. 

His gaze passed over the car roof, looking toward the entrance. 

Ning Zhen and Xu Fangdu stood there. 

Xu Fangdu wanted to move forward, but seeing that Ning Zhen didn’t, she remained still. 

Over by the car, Yao Wenluo kept chatting with Sheng Changyu, showing no intention of moving, while Sheng Changyu barely said a word. He didn’t seem impatient, nor did he make any move toward the entrance. 

After waiting a while, Xu Fangdu asked Ning Zhen, “Madam, should we invite the Governor and Miss Yao inside? Mother is still waiting.” 

Ning Zhen replied, “You go ahead and invite them.” 

Xu Fangdu hesitated, “Shall we go together?” 

“My shoes aren’t very comfortable, so walking is a bit difficult. Otherwise, I would’ve gone over by now,” Ning Zhen said, her words carrying a double meaning. 

Xu Fangdu froze, realizing her position as the third concubine was even less significant than a pair of uncomfortable shoes. 

She clenched her fingers lightly, unwilling to be the first to act. “Then let’s wait a bit longer.” 

Ning Zhen nodded, “Yes, let’s wait. They’ll come eventually.” 

Xu Fangdu stayed silent. 

Yao Wenluo and Sheng Changyu continued talking for a full ten minutes, while Ning Zhen and Xu Fangdu stood at the entrance the whole time. It wasn’t until the Old lady, tired of waiting, came out herself that Sheng Changyu finally started walking toward them. 

The Old lady scolded them, “Why are you just standing at the door? You’ve been there forever without coming in.” 

Sheng Changyu replied, “Just chatting for a bit.” 

He glanced at Ning Zhen. 

Ning Zhen noticed his gaze and smiled softly at him. 

Sheng Changyu didn’t respond, simply looking away, his expression indifferent. 

Ning Zhen thought to herself, “…A wasted smile.” 

As everyone made their way into the courtyard, Sheng Changyin pretended to use the bathroom. She quietly slipped behind the group and walked in alongside Ning Zhen into the Old lady’s main hall. 

Everyone took their seats, and Yao Wenluo immediately sat to Sheng Changyu’s right. 

“Change your seat,” Sheng Changyu said as soon as he noticed. 

Yao Wenluo blinked, “Me?” 

“Have some manners, Miss Yao. This is my wife’s seat,” Sheng Changyu said. 

Although he could talk with Yao Wenluo for a long time, seemingly on good terms, he always referred to her as “Miss Yao” without any particular intimacy. 

Yao Wenluo was taken aback for a moment, then smiled playfully at Ning Zhen. “Can I sit here? I just want to talk more with Ah Yu.” 

“Of course not,” Sheng Changyu interrupted again. “Move.” 

The last two words were suddenly spoken in a harsh tone, causing the atmosphere in the room to tense. 

Yao Wenluo stood up, but her face contorted slightly in pain, and she exclaimed softly, “Ouch!” 

Everyone looked at her. 

Sheng Changyu’s brows were already furrowed. 

Xu Fangdu, ever the sharp one, quickly approached and supported her arm. “Miss Yao, are you alright?” 

Yao Wenluo grabbed the collar of her fur coat with force, “It hurts! It hurts!” 

The Old lady looked surprised. “Where does it hurt?” 

Sheng Changyu’s frown deepened. 

Yao Wenluo took off her short fur coat and reached for the back of her neck. When she opened her hand, there was blood on her palm. 

The Old lady was shocked and got up to check. “Let me see.” 

Sheng Changyin, curious, also gathered around. 

Everyone could see several fine red dots on the back of Yao Wenluo’s neck, some of them deep enough to ooze blood. 

“What happened?” The Old lady was astonished. 

Yao Wenluo pointed to her coat on the floor. “The collar, there’s a needle in the collar.” 

Xu Fangdu quickly picked up the fur coat and reached into the fuzzy collar. Her fingers were pricked too, drawing blood. 

She gasped in pain, “It hurts!” 

The Old lady’s face darkened. “What’s going on?” 

Yao Wenluo looked as though she was about to cry. “I don’t know. My servants wouldn’t be so careless. This wasn’t from my household.” 

The Old lady took the fur coat and called a maid over. “Check if a needle was accidentally left in it or if it was deliberate.” 

The maid quickly said yes and took the coat away. 

Amid the sudden commotion, Sheng Changyu remained seated, his brows still furrowed. 

Ning Zhen, who hadn’t sat down from the beginning, stood with the other women. 

Yao Wenluo, still saying she was in pain, glanced toward Ning Zhen. 

Xu Fangdu lowered her eyes. 

Sheng Changyin, growing nervous, had the sense that something was about to happen. 

The maid soon returned and told the Old lady, “There were five needles hidden in Miss Yao’s collar, all very fine.” 

The whole room was stunned. 

The Old lady looked at Yao Wenluo. 

Yao Wenluo immediately said, “It definitely wasn’t my servants, and it wasn’t an accident. It was intentional. Oh…” She turned to look at Ning Zhen. 

The Old lady, Xu Fangdu, and the others also turned to Ning Zhen. 

“I went to Ning Zhen’s Zhaiyuju Residence just now, and I took off my coat there. Ning Zhen insisted I go upstairs to admire the flowers, and we chatted for quite a while,” Yao Wenluo said. 

She stopped just short of accusing Ning Zhen of putting the needles in her collar. 

The Old lady looked at Ning Zhen in surprise. 

Sheng Changyin, panicking, also looked at Ning Zhen. 

Xu Fangdu tried to smooth things over. “It must be a misunderstanding. Miss Yao, can we let this go? Ah Yu finally came back for dinner.” 

Sheng Changyu picked up his tea and took a sip. 

He didn’t say anything, and apart from a hint of impatience, he showed no other emotion. 

“I’d like to let it go, but this is no small matter. Who knows if the needles are poisoned?” Yao Wenluo raised her voice. 

Xu Fangdu’s heart sank, remembering that she had also been pricked by the needle. 

The Old lady, now furious, shouted, “Lock up everyone in Zhaiyuju Residence and interrogate them one by one!” 

Sheng Changyu put down his tea cup. “Mother, is that how you handle this?” 

“I said, ‘Interrogate them,'” the Old lady said, her face pale with anger. 

“Locking up the people in Zhaiyuju Residence means you’re saying Ning Zhen is a suspect? If I remember correctly, you were the one who arranged this marriage. Don’t you trust the daughter-in-law you chose?” Sheng Changyu said, his tone calm and measured. 

The Old lady snapped, “Are you arguing with me?” 

“I’m just stating the facts. Mother, as a senior, shouldn’t you be impartial?” Sheng Changyu responded.