Chapter 6 You and I are now tied to the same rope

Xiao Xin continued to stare at her in disbelief.

Xu Rong, sensing the situation was turning sour, quickly tried to salvage it: “What I meant was, it’s so terrifying.”

Xiao Xin’s eyes filled with doubt, clearly not trusting her.

With the thick skin forged from years of corporate drudgery, Xu Rong smoothly glossed over this failed attempt at smoothing things over and, without batting an eye, handed him another “good person” card: “Second Young Master Xiao, you truly are a good man.”

Xiao Xin averted his gaze, still silent.

It seemed he no longer wished to engage with her.

Xu Rong had already shifted her thoughts and said, “Are you in a hurry to leave?”

Given Madam Xiao’s unscrupulous nature to achieve her ends, if Xiao Xin refused to comply, it was hard to predict what might happen next.

“Wei Shi…” Recalling Madam Xiao’s earlier words, Xu Rong pondered for a moment before guessing, “Is she your relative? Your birth mother?”

Xiao Xin’s expression darkened abruptly.

Xu Rong knew she had guessed correctly.

Madam Xiao likely understood Xiao Xin’s temperament well—only by holding his birth mother in her grasp could she be confident he would obey.

“Are you planning to take your mother with you?” Xu Rong couldn’t hide her surprise as she asked this.

She thought the feasibility was quite low, but Xiao Xin seemed stubborn enough that he might actually go through with it.

Xiao Xin finally spoke: “She’s not my mother.”

Xu Rong was taken aback. “What?”

“Don’t you know? She’s a concubine. I can only call her Concubine-mother,” Xiao Xin glared slightly at her. “Calling her ‘mother’ would bring her trouble.”

Xu Rong let out an “Oh,” realizing she had made a minor mistake. After all, she wasn’t a native here and hadn’t fully internalized these feudalistic remnants.

She brushed it off: “Calling her that once or twice in private shouldn’t matter.”

Xiao Xin, still uneasy, warned her, “When we go back later, don’t slip up in front of Madam.”

Xu Rong found it somewhat amusing—he was afraid she might ruin his plans. But this also confirmed that he truly intended to take Wei Shi with him, hence his fear of complications.

“You—”

Hurried footsteps sounded from the moon gate. Xu Rong stopped mid-sentence and turned to look.

It was Bai Fu, her hands empty, having brought back no refreshments. A faint urgency flickered in her delicate brows.

Xu Rong naturally stepped forward a few paces, silently asking with her eyes: What’s wrong?

“Young Lady,” Bai Fu called softly, glancing at Xiao Xin standing alone under the pavilion before tugging Xu Rong’s sleeve to lead her further away. Then, in a whisper, she said, “My brother has returned and asked me to relay a message to you.”

Xu Rong’s eyes brightened slightly—there must be news. What had once been a casual effort now held new significance.

“What message?”

Bai Fu’s voice carried tension: “My brother said—he saw Second Master Luo meet with someone. My brother didn’t recognize the man at first, but after they parted, he followed him and saw the man enter the side gate of the Marquis of Changxing’s Mansion.”

Xu Rong felt a sense of confirmation—it matched.

Though Bai Fu was an inner courtyard maid, she hadn’t undergone a “soul swap” and thus knew more about the relationships between these families than Xu Rong, who was new here. Her lips trembled slightly as she sensed the unusual nature of this meeting: “But my brother is honest and didn’t dare get too close, so he doesn’t know what they discussed. He only saw the man hand Second Master Luo a pouch, and it looked quite full.”

“It’s alright, your brother did well,” Xu Rong encouraged, patting her hand. “When we return and have time, take two taels of silver from our box and give it to your brother. Don’t let his efforts go unrewarded.”

As the daughter of a marquis’s household, Xu Rong had a small private treasury. However, being an unmarried maiden, the amount wasn’t substantial—enough to buy cosmetics or reward servants, but insufficient for serious property investments. That was why she had previously considered absconding with some decorative pieces from her room.

Bai Fu was stunned and quickly said, “Miss, this is too much. My brother hasn’t done anything to deserve such a sum.”

“Don’t worry, I still have tasks for your brother,” Xu Rong replied, lowering her head in thought.

Her brother’s account had confirmed her suspicions, but this alone wasn’t enough to serve as irrefutable evidence against the powerful families involved. She needed to strike decisively, leaving them no room for rebuttal.

“Miss,” Bai Fu tugged gently at her sleeve after a while.

Distracted, Xu Rong responded, “Hmm?”

“Young Master Xiao is still over there—” Bai Fu whispered a reminder.

She saw Xiao Xin turn around. His expression was far from amiable, a stark contrast to the gentle demeanor of Young Master Xiao. Ah, her poor mistress truly had it rough.

Xiao Xin was indeed growing impatient. He had no interest in their whispered conversation and found standing around idly both tedious and foolish. He turned to leave.

Instinctively, Xu Rong reached out to stop him. “Young Master Xiao, please wait.”

Her sudden movement caught him off guard, nearly causing their chests to collide. Annoyed, he took two quick steps back. “What are you doing?”

Xu Rong hadn’t actually thought it through. She simply sensed he might be useful—her own resources were far too limited.

“You—” She quickly gathered her thoughts. “Are you acquainted with Young Master Zhang from the Duke of Ying’s Mansion?”

Xu Huazhang had landed in prison for assaulting him. Among the chain of events, Zhang Weiling was the person she knew least about yet was most directly involved.

Xiao Xin fell silent for a moment before replying coldly, “Even if I were, it wouldn’t help. Your brother broke his arm. No one can calm my grandmother’s rage except my mother.”

Undeterred, Xu Rong pressed, “So, you can speak with Young Master Zhang?”

Xiao Xin frowned. “He has no authority at home.”

Meaning even if Zhang Weiling could be persuaded to show mercy, his fiercely protective mother would never allow it.

Xu Rong understood. Beyond Zhang Weiling, there was also Madam Xiao—daughter of the Madam of the Duke of England’s Mansion. From the Duke’s perspective, both sides of the family had suffered losses, and the Zhangs would demand retribution.

Addressing just one side wouldn’t suffice. Unless—

A spark of inspiration flashed in Xu Rong’s eyes, and she smiled. “Young Master Xiao, I won’t ask you to plead on our behalf. Just invite Young Master Zhang out for tea at a specific time. Would that be possible?”

Xiao Xin pressed his lips tightly together before finally speaking. “What exactly are you planning?”

“Just tea and a show for Young Master Zhang,” Xu Rong said lightly. “Rest assured, I mean no harm to him—or to you. We’re in this together now—”

“Who’s ‘in this’ with you?!” Xiao Xin reacted sharply. “How improper for a young lady to speak so carelessly.”

“Alright, my apologies,” Xu Rong conceded immediately, needing his cooperation.

“…” Xiao Xin’s expression twisted further into displeasure.

Xu Rong pretended not to notice and confirmed with him: “Young Master Xiao, so it’s settled then? It would be best if you don’t appear personally—just find a way to get Young Master Zhang involved.” Without waiting for Xiao Xin’s reply, she pondered further and asked, “Can we do it tomorrow? Or the day after?”

Xiao Xin responded stiffly, “—No. My uncle is still recovering from his arm injury and can’t go out.”

Xu Rong smacked her forehead—she had forgotten. Zhang Weiling’s arm had been broken barely ten days ago and certainly wouldn’t heal that quickly.

Xiao Xin made his refusal even clearer: “Besides, he doesn’t like watching operas.”

Xu Rong wasn’t worried about this: “Not the singsong plays in the theater. If you just relay my message to him, I’m certain he’ll be interested. If all goes well, both our predicaments will be resolved.”

…This former sister-in-law sounded like some kind of charlatan.

Xiao Xin found her utterly unreliable and suspected she might have hit her head too hard. He didn’t know what the previous Xu Rong had been like, but she probably hadn’t been like this.

Xu Rong continued persuading him gently: “Young Master Xiao, trying this won’t do you any harm. At worst, it fails, but if it succeeds, you won’t have to flee with your mother anymore. Think about it—even if you can endure the hardships outside, what about your mother?”

Bai Fu, who hadn’t heard their earlier conversation, gasped in shock: “Flee? To where? Abandoning your family’s future? You’d be disowned by the clan! And Young Master Xiao’s birth mother—I’ve heard that runaway concubines face punishment if caught!”

Bai Fu wasn’t entirely correct, as different families handled such matters differently, but the dangers of such an escape were undeniable.

Xiao Xin’s expression darkened.

He couldn’t deny any of this.

Finally, he said, “—Five days from now.”

Xu Rong was puzzled: “Two or three days won’t be enough, but five days will? Young Master Zhang’s injury—”

Was there something fishy going on?

Xiao Xin understood her unspoken question and replied coolly, “My uncle can’t stand being idle. At most, he’ll endure being cooped up at home for half a month. After that, no matter how strictly my grandmother watches him, even if knives rain from the sky, he’ll find a way to sneak out for air.”

Xu Rong understood—it would be much easier to lure Zhang Weiling out then. She smiled approvingly. “Young Master Zhang’s temperament is quite marvelous.”

**

After spending a considerable amount of time reaching an agreement that Xiao Xin found utterly baffling, they returned to the main courtyard.

The atmosphere there was far from pleasant.

Madam Xu sobbed intermittently: “Next February? That’s far too rushed. How could Rong’er possibly accept this in her heart?”

Madam Xiao remained unmoved, elegantly sipping her tea. “What’s the rush? Once we’ve settled the matter for the eldest son and Girl Chang, it’s only right to proceed with the second son and the eldest daughter. I’ve already had the courtyard prepared.”

Madam Xu’s heart ached as she clutched her handkerchief, glaring. Deep down, she knew she’d made a mess of things, but she had no idea how to clean it up neatly and smoothly.

Madam Xiao glanced at her, not bothering to hide her disdain. “You complain about rushing your daughter’s marriage, yet you’re not in a hurry to get your son out of prison? Let me be frank—Weiling is still bedridden and can barely move. Even if I swallow my pride and beg my family, there’s no guarantee it’ll work.”

Yes, her son was still in prison!

Madam Xu’s love for her daughter was overshadowed by another layer of pain. On one hand, she felt how difficult her situation was, yet she had no choice but to relent: “…February, then. Just make sure you keep your word, Madam Xiao, and ensure the Zhang family releases Zhang Weiling quickly.”

Madam Xiao responded indifferently, “We’ll see.”

Xu Rong, standing by the door, couldn’t help but admire her mother’s predicament.

This wasn’t a mother—this was a mere bone, tossed for others to gnaw on as they pleased.

Madam Xiao glanced over and noticed them. After sizing them up, she smiled. “Since you’re back, come in. Why just stand there foolishly?”

Xu Rong obeyed and entered, with Xiao Xin trailing behind her. He had reverted to his usual sullen demeanor, looking as though he either owed someone eight million or was owed eight million himself.

The sight of him made Madam Xu’s heart ache—this son of a concubine! Not a ray of sunshine, clearly accustomed to being sidelined at home. If her daughter married him, wouldn’t she suffer the same treatment?

Madam Xiao, however, was pleased. She didn’t yet know whether Xiao Xin had followed her instructions, but Xu Rong had gone out with a different fiancé and returned without tears or tantrums, her complexion glowing. Such composure was hard to fake.

Rumor had it the girl had hit her head and scrambled her brains, forgetting many things. Perhaps this muddled state of hers would make her see eye-to-eye with someone like Xiao Xin—that would save Madam Xiao a great deal of trouble. Still, she couldn’t let her guard down—

Madam Xiao narrowed her eyes. No one would stand in her son’s way.

She beckoned Xu Rong closer, asking her random questions here and there. Xu Rong answered what she could and smiled demurely when she couldn’t. A shrewd woman like Madam Xiao, who habitually looked down on others, took Xu Rong’s behavior as proof of her diminished wit. Her smile grew even more benevolent, and she slipped a high-quality jade bracelet from her wrist onto Xu Rong’s.

Xu Rong accepted it without hesitation—she was desperately short on money.

Xiao Xin stood below, head lowered, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

She hadn’t been like this in the garden. There, she had dissected his every word, seen right through him. If not for that, he wouldn’t have agreed to her plan to lure Zhang Weiling out.

She had been adamant, almost mystical, claiming she could resolve their predicament.

…He could only hope she truly could.