Chapter 27

Wei Wanyun opened her mouth.

Seeing the worry all over her face, Su Jinyuan said, “You go check on Eldest Madam first—her health has never been good. She was bedridden for several days after an outburst of anger, so don’t let her get upset again.”

“But…” Wei Wanyun began.

“I’m really fine,” Su Jinyuan replied, tugging at the corner of her mouth into a smile. “Now hurry along.”

Wei Wanyun looked at her, her smile tinged with discomfort.

In fact, Su Jinyuan was much younger than Wei Wanyun—she was even two years younger than Huo Rou, who had only recently married into the family. She had barely turned fifteen; her youthful features and soft contours still held a trace of innocence, yet she carried herself with the calm maturity of an elder sister, no matter what she faced.

With a slightly bitter look in her eyes, Wei Wanyun said, “Sister-in-law, Mother has only just woken up and doesn’t yet know what you’ve done. Don’t be sad—I’ll persuade her.”

“Alright.”

After Wei Wanyun left with a conflicted expression, Su Jinyuan sat back on the couch. Rubbing her face, she lifted her eyes to see the little maid standing outside, her face ashen and tears streaming down.

“Why are you crying?” Su Jinyuan asked. After all, it wasn’t you the one getting beaten.

Xing’er suddenly burst into tears. “I— I’m not at fault… I swear it wasn’t intentional…”

“Third Young Madam asked me about the eggs, and in my panic, I said that you were injured. I didn’t know Eldest Madam would hit you—I should have woken you up instead…”

Seeing the little maid crying uncontrollably—tears and snot mingling as she clutched the eggs in her arms—Su Jinyuan sighed, “I don’t blame you.”

Still sobbing, the little maid was beckoned closer by Su Jinyuan, who gently wiped away her tears. “Eldest Madam is angry, but it has nothing to do with you.”

Eldest Madam’s grudge against her ran deep. It all stemmed from the day of her grand wedding with Xiao Yunxi when she ran away and eloped. Although she’d offered explanations upon her return, the truth was that she indeed ran off with someone—and in her previous life, she never came back, even as the Xiao family was completely wiped out.

Her elopement made a mockery of the Xiao family. If Xiao Yunxi were still alive, Eldest Madam might have happily arranged another marriage for her son, and the matter might have been forgotten. But after that day, Xiao Yunxi died in battle, and Su Jinyuan’s runaway act became an unhealed wound in her heart.

Su Jinyuan then glanced at the minor injuries on her shoulder—several long, thin streaks of blood and some bruising. At first glance, they even seemed to resemble marks left after a scandalous liaison. It was just that earlier, she had been so focused on the injury on her neck that she hadn’t noticed anything else.

Su Jinyuan saw Xing’er’s tears streaming down and said in a gentle tone, “Alright, don’t cry anymore. Go fetch some hot water so I can wash my wound.”

After coaxing the little maid to leave, Su Jinyuan peeled an egg while massaging her neck, though her thoughts were on Eldest Madam Xiao—she only hoped that she wouldn’t get angry again.

Old Madam Xiao was talking with Second Madam Xiao. The mansion had dismissed some people, while most stayed on. Although there were guards outside and others venturing out, Old Madam Xiao still had to arrange an escape route for them. They were loyal to the Xiao family, and she couldn’t really have them all march to their deaths.

When Eldest Madam Xiao stormed in, her forceful entrance caused the doorframe to resound with a loud crash.

Old Madam Xiao frowned, “What now? Your condition had just barely improved, and now you’re worked into such a fury.”

“Mother, don’t you know what Su Jinyuan has done? She actually went out and fraternized with men!!”

Eldest Madam Xiao’s face was a mask of anger. “I’ve already told you that her elopement was true—there are even people who witnessed it. Yet you chose to believe a few of her nonsensical words and even allowed her to live in Yuqing Hall, sullying Xi’er’s place!”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Old Madam Xiao snapped.

Second Madam Xiao also interjected, “Sister-in-law, perhaps you’ve misunderstood—Ah Yuan isn’t that kind of person…”

“How isn’t she? What I saw with my own eyes—could that be fake?!” Madam Xiao fumed.

“She’s covered in bruises, and there are plenty of scratch marks left by men. Her neck and collarbone are riddled with marks—how on earth can that be faked?”

“I knew that she returned to the Xiao family with ill intentions. Now, while we’re all trapped in this mansion unable to step outside, she has the nerve to run off and fraternize with men—and then she comes back flaunting all those marks. Has she no shame at all?!”

When Wei Wanyun hurried over, she heard Eldest Madam Xiao’s angry scolding from inside. Panting a little and feeling a faint ache in her abdomen, she didn’t think much of it. Enduring the pain, she walked over and said, “Mother, sister-in-law isn’t like that. We all know about her leaving the mansion; even Grandmother approved it.” She was about to explain earlier, but Eldest Madam Xiao stormed off in her fury.

Seeing that her sister-in-law was dumbfounded, Second Madam Xiao said, “When you were so enraged that you fell unconscious for two days, Mother was afraid you would worry again once you woke, so she didn’t get the chance to tell you all of this.”

“Before Ah Yuan left the mansion, she discussed it with Mother, and it was an important matter—even accompanied by our own people from the Xiao family. How could she possibly go out and fraternize with men?”

“But…”

“You don’t believe it?” Old Madam Xiao saw that she was still simmering with anger and knew that unless she saw certain things with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe them. “Nanny Chen, go and call Xiang Lei over here.”

Xiang Lei had been staying at the General’s mansion during this period, acting as a purchasing agent and messenger between the mansion and the outside world. When Nanny Chen called him over, he immediately noticed that the atmosphere in the room was somewhat off, and he hurriedly said, “Old Madam.”

“Did you go out with Ah Yuan today?” Old Madam Xiao asked.

Xiang Lei nodded. “The Eldest Young Madam left with her subordinates this morning to Pengyun Pavilion to meet Heir Duan.”

“Is she injured?”

At the mention of that, Xiang Lei instantly recalled what had transpired in the backyard of Pengyun Pavilion. Hastily, he replied, “The Eldest Young Madam, in order to goad Heir Duan into taking action to help the General’s mansion, used such harsh language that it provoked him to anger.”

In a low voice, he recounted Su Jinyuan’s words, then added, “Heir Duan has already promised to help us find someone and also agreed to assist the Xiao family. It was our subordinate’s failure to protect the Young Madam in time that led to her injury. Please hold him accountable, Old Madam.”

Old Madam Xiao glanced at her pale-faced eldest daughter-in-law and said to Xiang Lei, “This isn’t your fault. She took the risk by seeing Qi Sheng, and I only found out about her injury because she didn’t inform us. That’s why I asked you, not to blame you.”

“What about the Eldest Young Madam…?”

“You should just follow her lead. In the future, you need not report back on anything—simply obey Ah Yuan’s instructions.”

After Xiang Lei left, Eldest Madam Xiao looked rather flustered and said, “Mother, I didn’t know…”

“Does your not knowing mean you have the right to insult her?” Old Madam Xiao scolded.

“You yourself are a woman. Don’t you understand what your words mean when they fall on the ears of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl? If even half a word gets out, it will ruin her reputation beyond repair!”

As Eldest Madam Xiao pressed her lips tightly, her eyelashes trembled violently.

Old Madam Xiao fixed her steady gaze on her and continued, “I understand that you are proud and resentful, especially over how Ah Yuan’s elopement on her wedding day brought disgrace upon Xi’er. But the Xiao family of today is nothing like what it used to be—it isn’t that lavish nest everyone dreams of climbing into.”

“Everyone else avoids the Xiao family. If Ah Yuan truly harbored any ulterior motive, why would she return at such a critical moment—and even risk herself to secure the Xiao family’s well-being?”