Chapter 27

When Lu Qi Huai finished speaking, no one responded. The people in the room turned to look at him, their gazes filled with disdain, curiosity, or even concern… but no one spoke. Eventually, it was Lu Qi Xuan who stepped out of the crowd and walked toward Lu Qi Huai.

His face showed some worry, and his voice carried a tone of concern as he said, “Cousin, where have you been?”

After saying this, Lu Qi Xuan didn’t wait for Lu Qi Huai to reply but continued, “Cousin, your clothes…” His words were not too soft, not too loud, but they immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Lu Qi Huai was wearing a set of dark blue clothes, different from the ones he had worn when he arrived earlier. These were simple garments, without the gold and silver embroidered cranes and lucky symbols that decorated his usual attire. If one didn’t look closely, it would have been hard to notice the difference.

Why had he changed clothes for no apparent reason?

Moreover, it was quite an unfortunate coincidence that this happened at such a time.

The discussions that had temporarily stopped began again, but this time, Zhao Wan didn’t intervene. She bit her lip as she looked at the young man, her eyes filled with a struggle, seemingly unwilling to believe that it was indeed this young man’s doing.

Shen Wei’s expression remained unchanged. Since Lu Qi Huai had come out, her previously anxious heart had finally settled. Since Lu Qi Huai appeared and looked like this, it seemed the matter had been resolved, at least Lu Qi Huai was no longer involved. With that thought in mind, she spoke up, “Xuan Yue, where have you been?”

Lu Qi Huai had not spoken until then. Hearing the discussions around him, he just smiled and pretended not to hear. Only when Shen Wei asked did he respond, “I had a few drinks earlier and spilled some wine on my clothes, so I went to change.” After finishing this sentence, he looked at Qing Liu, who was already seated at the banquet, and added, “I didn’t expect such an incident to occur here.”

As soon as he finished speaking—

Hong Ling came over, leading a maid. She first bowed to Zhao Wan, then spoke, “When I went over, I happened to meet this maid. She said she could testify for the young master of the Lu family, confirming that he indeed changed clothes in the changing room earlier… and she was the one who found the clothes for him.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wan finally sighed in relief.

However, thinking about the scars that Feiguang had mentioned earlier, her heart tightened again. Even though someone could testify that Lu Qi Huai had indeed changed his clothes in the side room, how could the time frame be explained clearly? If those marks were found on Lu Qi Huai, it would mean that Qingliu had indeed been harmed by him.

If it were anyone else, Zhao Wan would not have said a word, simply instructing people to investigate. But now, facing Lu Qi Huai… Zhao Wan raised her eyes to look at him. Seeing his familiar brows and eyes, she couldn’t make up her mind.

Huo Feiguang, who stood by Zhao Wan’s side, naturally noticed her unease.

She was somewhat puzzled, not understanding what had happened to her mother. Over the years, although her mother seemed gentle, she had always been decisive in handling family matters. Yet, at this moment, she hadn’t said a word, as if she were trying to find a way to exonerate the young master of the Rongguo Mansion.

As she thought about this, she also looked up at Lu Qi Huai…

Though she had never met the young master of the Rongguo Mansion, she had heard much about him. The Rongguo Duke had fathered Lu Qi Huai after a drunken night at a pleasure house. For many years, he had been raised outside, only to return to the family after the Duke’s death. The elderly matriarch, pitying his youth, allowed him to return to his ancestral home.

For many years, the Huo family and the Lu family had little interaction, let alone this unacquainted young man. How could her mother want to exonerate him?

The people around them, like Huo Feiguang, were also confused and couldn’t understand what was going on with the Princess of Qinghe. She had come with such a strong determination to uncover the truth, yet now, hearing Lu Qi Huai’s words, she remained silent? But with her high status, no one dared to speak further in her presence. In the end, it was Shen Wei who took a step forward.

Shen Wei bent his knee and bowed to Zhao Wan, then said, “Your Highness, since Xuan Yue is here, let’s have someone investigate. Otherwise, people might make baseless speculations and tarnish Xuan Yue’s reputation.”

Zhao Wan didn’t expect that the first to speak this way would be Shen Wei. She turned to look at him and muttered, “You…”

Before she could finish, Shen Wei continued, “I trust Xuan Yue’s character. He would never do such a thing. If he hasn’t done it, why should he be afraid?” After saying this, he glanced at Lu Qi Huai not far away and added, “Xuan Yue, are you afraid?”

Hearing this, Lu Qi Huai smiled gently. His demeanor, already refined, became even more like a cool breeze in the mountains… Many young ladies from noble families couldn’t help but blush and look away, as if they couldn’t bear to look any longer.

Lu Qi Huai didn’t pay attention to the gazes from those around him. He simply stepped forward and walked toward Shen Wei.

When he reached them, he first bowed to Huo Longting and Zhao Wan, then said, “Xuan Yue has read Confucius’s teachings since childhood. Though not as skilled as the young masters here, he understands the principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame. Since Xuan Yue is suspected today, how could he leave just like that? Please, Minister, send someone with me so we can clear Xuan Yue’s name and also bring justice to the innocent life lost.”

Huo Longting, upon hearing this, looked at him.

Because of Zhao Wan’s earlier words, Huo Longting had paid attention to Lu Qi Huai when he first saw him. This young man’s features did resemble those of the person from many years ago, but it was only a slight resemblance.

He wondered whether Lu Qi Huai had been raised outside for too long. Although his appearance was extraordinary, he seemed too delicate, lacking the imposing presence of Lu Buwei.

Though Huo Longting didn’t like Lu Buwei, he still respected him.

He had originally thought that Lu Buwei had a son, who would carry on his legacy. But now, seeing that the son left behind wasn’t an exceptional person, it was somewhat regrettable.

So, Huo Longting paid little more attention to Lu Qi Huai. But after hearing his words, he found himself unusually admiring him. His expression remained unchanged, but his tone softened. He lowered his eyes and said, “Come with me.”

After saying this, he took a step forward. Lu Qi Huai didn’t say anything further. He bowed to Zhao Wan and then followed Huo Longting’s steps.

Since the matter had moved forward, the people around them stopped speaking.

Lu Mi Zhi tightly held Shen Wei’s hand, her delicate face somewhat pale…

Shen Wei, sensing what she was thinking, gently patted her head, and as Lu Mi Zhi looked up at her, he silently mouthed two words: “Don’t be afraid.”

Looking at Shen Wei’s smile, Lu Mi Zhi’s tense expression relaxed a little. But she still held Shen Wei’s hand tightly, her body leaning close. Her round eyes were fixed on Lu Qi Huai’s retreating figure, not moving an inch.

—-

About two quarters of an hour later.

Huo Longting came out leading Lu Qi Huai. Seeing the gazes from the crowd, he shook his head and said sternly, “It’s not him.”

With these words, the crowd, who had been waiting for news, reacted in various ways. Some were indifferent, some were disappointed, some were relieved, and some couldn’t believe it… Lu Qi Xuan looked at Lu Qi Huai with a pale face.

How could this be?

He had clearly seen Lu Qi Huai pour that drink, which was known to be highly intoxicating.

Though Lu Qi Huai waking up so early had caught him off guard, now that the maid was dead, how could Lu Qi Huai be unharmed?

This… How could this be?

Before Lu Qi Xuan could think it through, Lu Qi Huai walked over to him.

Seeing the paleness on Lu Qi Xuan’s face, Lu Qi Huai, with concern, asked, “Second Brother, what’s wrong? Why do you look so pale?”

Lu Qixuan, hearing these words, snapped back to his senses. His hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly, and after calming his emotions, he spoke in his usual manner, “It’s nothing. Perhaps I caught a chill from the wind earlier…” As he finished, he smiled and looked at Lu Qihuai, then softly added, “Still, I must congratulate Cousin on clearing your name.”

Lu Qihuai, upon hearing this, only smiled faintly. “Thank you, Second Brother. However…” He paused slightly, then continued with a smile, “Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Third Brother around. Where has he gone?”

Lu Qixuan was momentarily stunned…

He hadn’t been paying attention to Lu Qiyan earlier because he had been so concerned about Lu Qihuai. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t noticed where Lu Qiyan had gone. He looked around, but he didn’t spot Lu Qiyan.

Now that the maid was dead and Lu Qihuai was out here, where could Lu Qiyan be?

For some reason, a sense of fear, one he had never felt before, suddenly rose in Lu Qixuan’s heart. He turned his head to look at Lu Qihuai. The man beside him was still smiling, with his elegant and refined features just as usual. But for some reason, Lu Qixuan felt that the smile on his face carried an almost endless mockery.

Could it be that Lu Qihuai already knew?

“You…” Lu Qixuan’s voice became hoarse. Before he could finish, a maid hurried over. Her face was pale, and when she reached Zhao Wan and the others, she saluted before speaking in a rush, “Your Highness, Old Madam Li has discovered the true murderer of Qingliu.”

Her words were like thunder out of nowhere, and everyone turned to look.

Zhao Wan, knowing that this matter had nothing to do with Lu Qihuai, had already composed herself. Upon hearing these words, she immediately spoke with a stern expression, “Let’s go!”

She was always decisive in her actions, and the maid did not dare to delay, quickly leading the way. The others, eager to find out the truth, followed behind.

—-

Not far from there, near a pile of fake rocks, an older woman stood waiting. She was Old Madam Li, a servant by Huo Feiguang’s side. Old Madam Li had been sent by Huo Feiguang to search the garden. When she saw the group approaching, she quickly greeted them, then without waiting for Zhao Wan to speak, she began, “Your Highness, when I found him, he was already unconscious.”

As she finished speaking, Old Madam Li took an earring from a maid and presented it. “Besides the wounds on his body, I also found this earring on him. It belongs to Qingliu. Moreover…” She took a few more steps forward, leaned in, and whispered something in Zhao Wan’s ear.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wan’s face changed, and with a cold gaze, she turned to look at the man lying on the ground, her voice full of anger, “Flip him over! I want to see who dares to commit such an act in my Huo family!”

As she spoke, two maids immediately carried out her orders and flipped the man over, exposing his face to everyone.

Naturally, those who had come with Zhao Wan were eager to see the true face of the criminal. Wang Shi, who loved such spectacles, craned her neck to look at the man, but when she saw his face, her expression turned ashen.

She staggered back a few steps, muttering in disbelief, “No, this can’t be…”

Wang Shi then pushed aside the maids in front of her and rushed toward the man. Seeing the wound on his head, she cried, “Yan’er, what happened to you?”

But no matter how much she called, Lu Qiyan did not wake up.

Seeing this, Wang Shi looked up at Old Madam Li, her face filled with anger. She demanded, “What is the meaning of this wound?”

Old Madam Li furrowed her brow at Wang Shi’s expression, but still answered truthfully, “When I arrived, Third Young Master Lu was already unconscious. He must have been in such a hurry that he accidentally bumped into the fake rocks.”

Although Old Madam Li spoke cautiously, the surrounding people understood the implication: this was saying that after committing the crime, Third Young Master Lu had been so flustered that he blindly ran into the fake rocks.

Wang Shi, too, understood and her face turned red with fury as she shouted, “You lowly servant! How dare you slander my son’s reputation! You—”

Before she could finish, Zhao Wan’s cold voice interrupted, “Enough! Are you accusing me of not knowing how to manage my household, Madam Lu?”

Wang Shi snapped out of her rage at the sound of Zhao Wan’s voice.

Her face pale, she turned to look at Zhao Wan, who radiated an aura of authority. Her heart tightened. Before, she had been so focused on Lu Qiyan’s state that she hadn’t paid attention to anything else, but now, seeing Zhao Wan’s expression, she realized her mistake. The “lowly servant” she had spoken of was a servant of the Huo family—when had it become her place to scold them?

Her thoughts became even more chaotic, and she stammered, “Your Highness, I did not mean to— I was just…”

She couldn’t finish her explanation.

Lu Qixuan, who had been standing outside, hurried over and knelt in front of Zhao Wan and Huo Longting. “Your Highness, my mother did not mean to blame you. She was just panicking because of my younger brother’s situation… Please forgive her.”

“As for my younger brother…”

At this point, Lu Qixuan turned his head to look at Lu Qiyan. Seeing the state Lu Qiyan was in, his hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched even tighter. He had originally thought that by setting up a trap for Lu Qihuai, he could ruin him for good, but he hadn’t expected this to be a trap within a trap, with him and Lu Qiyan caught in it. Perhaps Lu Qihuai had already seen through their scheme, and everything he had done earlier was simply to play along.

Realizing this, Lu Qixuan’s clenched hand tightened further. He sensed the gazes of the others on him, and with the events of the day, Lu Qiyan’s reputation was irreparably damaged. And as for him… people would soon tie him to today’s incident as well.

All these years of maintaining his clean reputation were now ruined by his own hands.

No!

He absolutely could not allow such a thing to happen.

Lu Qi Xuan took a deep breath and then looked up again at Zhao Wan. He spoke again, “My younger brother has committed such an unfilial act. As his older brother, I cannot escape responsibility. Please, punish me accordingly.”

With this, he had already pinned the fault on Lu Qi Yan.

Wang Shi, upon hearing this, froze. She turned to look at Lu Qi Xuan, seemingly unable to believe he would say such things… If Lu Qi Yan’s crime was confirmed today, it would truly ruin him!

Though her heart leaned more towards Lu Qi Xuan, Lu Qi Yan was still her son, the one she had carried for ten months. How could she just stand by and watch him lose his future?

Her hand tightened around Lu Qi Xuan’s arm as she angrily scolded, “Qi Xuan, how can you say such things? You know what kind of person your brother is, don’t you? What happened today absolutely cannot be his doing!” After saying this, she turned to Zhao Wan and added, “Princess, please look into this. Someone must be framing my son!”

Zhao Wan watched her quietly and said nothing. She had always looked down on such women, and if it weren’t for the Lu family’s connections, she would have already kicked her out.

Zhao Wan looked down at them coldly and said in a calm tone, “Framing? I haven’t said everything yet, as I was giving the second wife of the Lu family some face. Does Madam Lu really want me to explain everything here?” After saying this, she glanced at Wang Shi’s pale face and sneered, “Today is my daughter’s birthday feast, and yet Lu San Gongzi dares to do such things under my watch. Although the person who died was just a maid from our family, she is still one of us, and we cannot allow anyone to treat her with such disrespect.”

Zhao Wan paused for a moment, then continued, “Master Lu has served diligently in the court for many years, yet he has such an unfilial son at home. It’s truly a disgrace.”

Her words were too harsh.

Wang Shi wanted to argue but found herself at a loss for words. She sank to the ground, kneeling in despair. Even Lu Qi Xuan beside her looked pale.

Shen Wei, seeing this, released her grip on Lu Mi Zhi’s hand and walked over. When she reached Zhao Wan, she performed a deep bow.

Zhao Wan frowned upon seeing this. While she disliked Wang Shi, she did have some regard for Shen Wei. Seeing her like this, Zhao Wan quickly reached out to support her and said, “Why are you performing such a grand gesture? What is this for?”

Shen Wei replied, “The birthday banquet of the Princess of Changping was disturbed by such an incident, which truly spoiled the mood of the guests. It should not have happened. Now that the evidence is clear, I dare not argue. But as a wife, I humbly ask for a favor… My husband is still unconscious, and even if he has committed a crime, it is difficult to make sense of it while he is in this state.”

“Please, allow me to take him home and let a doctor examine him. Once he wakes up, I will give you and the Hou family a satisfactory explanation.”

Zhao Wan looked at her for a while before speaking. “Alright, for the sake of you and Old Madam Xie, I will not pursue this matter any further…” After saying this, she let go of Shen Wei’s hand and coldly looked at Wang Shi, adding, “Madam Lu, when you return home, you must keep a tight grip on your son. At such a young age, he behaves so disgracefully. If someone like him were to enter the court in the future, who knows how many people he would harm?”

After finishing, she ignored Wang Shi and the others, turning to address the rest of the guests. “Today was meant to be a joyful occasion with all of you, but I did not expect such an incident to occur. I owe you all an apology.”

The guests, hearing this, immediately responded with polite words like “Princess, please don’t say that.”

Then Zhao Wan led the guests out, leaving the Lu family behind.

Once everyone left, Shen Wei was helped up by Mo Qi. She lowered her gaze, calm and unaffected, as she looked at Wang Shi and the others. Then, in a faint voice, she said, “Help the third master, we are going home.” After saying this, she didn’t speak to them again, simply taking Lu Mi Zhi’s hand and looking at Lu Qi Huai. “Let’s go.”

—-

At Dachen Zhai.

Old Madam Xie sat on the Luohan bed, her hands tightly gripping the Buddhist beads. No matter how many times she fiddled with them, her heart could not find peace. How long had it been since she had been this angry?

The room was quiet. Old Madam Xie coldly looked at Wang Shi and her son below, saying nothing. She just kept turning the beads, their clinking sound echoing in the room.

After a while, Wei Mama lifted the curtain and entered. Upon seeing the scene, her expression remained unchanged. After greeting Old Madam Xie, she said, “Doctor Xu has treated the third young master. He only has some minor external injuries, nothing serious. He should wake up soon.”

Old Madam Xie, hearing this, didn’t respond. She just faintly murmured, “Mmm,” before another pause and then spoke again, “Prepare things for the third young master. Once he wakes up, send him to the manor.”

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room froze. Even Wei Mama was stunned. She stared at Old Madam Xie and asked, “Madam, you…”

Old Madam Xie looked at her calmly.

Her expression was indifferent, and her voice was flat, but that very calmness made it even more chilling. She gazed at Wei Mama and said, “What, you’re not going?”

Wei Mama, who had served Old Madam Xie for many years, could tell from her tone that she should not ask anything further. She hurriedly responded, bowed, and retreated.

Wang Shi only came to her senses after Wei Momo left.

She was already kneeling on the ground, but now she crawled a few steps towards Old Madam Xie. As she crawled forward, she kept repeating, “Mother, Yan’er is only fourteen, and he still needs to go to school. How can he go to the estate?”

After finishing her words, she kowtowed a few more times, and her voice was filled with undisguised panic. “Mother, the princess has already said that it’s over. Yan’er must know he was wrong. In the future, I will discipline him well and make sure nothing like this happens again.”

Wang Shi’s face was pale, but her forehead was red from the kowtowing. When she finished speaking, she kowtowed again, saying, “Mother, please forgive him this time.”

Old Madam Xie continued to hold the Buddha beads in her hand, listening to the sounds of the kowtows, and her expression remained unchanged. When Wang Shi finally stopped, Old Madam Xie spoke coldly, “The princess said it’s over, but that was to save face for our Lu family. Yan’er dared to do something so outrageous in the Hou family, and everyone saw it. If you want him to be looked down upon in the future, you can keep him at home.”

Wang Shi froze upon hearing this, her body stiffening as she knelt on the ground.

She looked up at Old Madam Xie, and seeing her expression, she softly asked, “But what about the Yang family?”

Old Madam Xie paused in her movement with the Buddha beads, then looked at Wang Shi with an impassive expression. “Let him go stay at the estate for a while, until the fuss here dies down, then bring him back. As for the Yang family, you can forget about them.” Offending the Princess of Qinghe and Ho Longting, what future does Lu Qiyan have?

Wang Shi could no longer hold herself up and collapsed to the ground. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but before she could, Lu Qixuan lowered his voice and said, “Mother, stop talking. While Yan’er hasn’t been sent out yet, go see him one last time.”

Wang Shi, hearing this, closed her fingers that were gripping the floor. Her son had been wrongly punished, his future shattered, and now he was going to be sent to the estate—how could she not resent this?

But no matter how much she hated it, what use was it?

She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and then knelt up straight again. She saluted Old Madam Xie and, with Lu Qixuan’s help, stood up and left.

After Wang Shi and Lu Qixuan left—

Old Madam Xie stopped fiddling with the Buddha beads and looked at Shen Wei and the others. Her face showed signs of weariness, and even her voice had a trace of exhaustion. “You all may leave now.”

Shen Wei had originally wanted to stay, but upon seeing Old Madam Xie’s condition, she abandoned the thought. She stood up, exchanged a soft word with Lu Qihua, and after saluting Old Madam Xie, they both left.

The curtain rose and fell, and once the room was empty, Old Madam Xie’s body, which had been holding up earlier, finally slumped. She leaned her hand on the armrest, her usually straight back now bent slightly, and even her calm face appeared older than usual.

When Wei Momo entered and saw this, she quickly lowered the curtain again and walked over to Old Madam Xie. Before she could speak, Old Madam Xie opened her eyes and asked, “Has it been arranged?”

Wei Momo replied softly and began massaging Old Madam Xie’s head, saying, “I’ve already passed on the message, and someone is preparing the third young master’s luggage.”

Once she finished, she glanced at Old Madam Xie and then cautiously asked, “Do you really believe that the third young master would do something like this?”

“Though the third young master has been reckless in the past, I can’t believe he would get drunk and harm the maid to the point of killing her,” Wei Momo continued. When no response came, she added, “Perhaps, as the second madam said, there may be some hidden circumstances we don’t know about.”

Old Madam Xie didn’t respond immediately. She allowed Wei Momo to continue massaging her head, leaning back against her cushion. After a long pause, she finally spoke, “Do you think I don’t know what you’re saying?”

Wei Momo was startled by her words, her tone filled with confusion. “Then…?”

“You want to ask why, even though I know Qiyan might have fallen into someone else’s trap, I still punish him?” Old Madam Xie raised her hand to stop her from continuing. The sky had darkened outside, and the half-open window showed a dim, gloomy sky. She gazed at the sky, then spoke softly, “Because Qiyan is not innocent.”

“He has been too bold. Now he dares to offend someone of that stature. This time, that person was generous and gave him a small punishment, but if that person had truly been angered, do you think Qiyan would still be alive?”

Wei Momo, who had been confused, now understood. Her expression changed as she stuttered, “You mean this incident was… caused by that person?”

Old Madam Xie didn’t reply. She closed her eyes with a faint sigh and then added, “This incident, aside from Qiyan, I’m afraid Qixuan is also involved. Didn’t you notice what Suisui said earlier? Qixuan admitted Qiyan’s guilt in front of the princess and didn’t allow anyone to investigate further. That shows he was afraid that if it was truly investigated, it would implicate him.”

At this point, Wei Momo’s face returned to its usual calm, but she couldn’t help sighing inwardly. Old Madam Xie, who had always desired a united family, now looked more aged than before. It seemed that this simple wish of hers was increasingly difficult to achieve.

She poured a fresh cup of tea for Old Madam Xie, then softly said, “That person may be indifferent, but since he hasn’t taken the lives of the two young masters, it shows that he still holds our Lu family in regard. You don’t need to worry too much.”

“However, the Second Young Master still needs to be cautioned. If he truly does something irreparable, there will be no turning back.”

Hearing this, Old Madam Xie shook her head. “Qixuan has always been clever since childhood, but it’s his overabundance of intelligence that has made him arrogant… If I speak more about this, he might only harbor more resentment toward that person. At this point, I can only hope that person will consider the fact that our Lu family has protected him for so many years and show some leniency.”

After saying this, she closed her eyes again.

Wang Mama, seeing her look, opened her mouth but didn’t say anything further.

—-

Shen Wei, supported by Mo Qi, had just stepped out of the courtyard when she saw Wang Shi and her son waiting there. She furrowed her brows but didn’t stop her pace.

Wang Shi had intentionally been waiting there. As soon as she saw Shen Wei and Lu Qihuai come out, she broke free from Lu Qixuan’s support and walked over. She shot a cold glance at Lu Qihuai and then coldly said, “It’s definitely you, you’re the one who harmed my Qiyan! You little bastard, ever since you came, there hasn’t been a peaceful day in this house.”

“You are simply a star of misfortune!”

After saying this, she raised her hand, intending to slap Lu Qihuai.

Shen Wei hadn’t expected Wang Shi to act this way. Her face turned cold as she raised her hand to block the slap. Her voice also dropped, “Second Sister-in-law, you come from a respectable family, yet you behave worse than the commonest of shrews? I won’t hold this against you this time, but if it happens again, I won’t let you off lightly.”

As she spoke, she used some force to brush Wang Shi’s hand away.

Shen Wei’s strength wasn’t light, and Wang Shi, caught off guard, staggered backward several steps. If it weren’t for Lu Qixuan supporting her, she would have fallen. Shen Wei looked at her but didn’t say anything further. She simply withdrew her hand and looked at Lu Qihuai before speaking indifferently, “Come with me.”

Lu Qihuai responded quietly and didn’t pay any attention to Wang Shi and her son. He simply followed Shen Wei’s lead.

At this point, Wang Shi had been helped back to her feet by Lu Qixuan.

She watched the two of them and tried to follow, but after a few steps, she was stopped by Lu Qixuan. Lu Qixuan, holding Wang Shi, gently advised, “Mother, don’t chase after them. If Grandmother finds out, you’ll be punished.”

Wang Shi was furious, and upon hearing this, she slapped away Lu Qixuan’s support without thinking. She looked up at him with a complicated expression and said, “Qixuan, that’s your real brother! It’s bad enough that you don’t protect him, but how could you let others treat him so contemptuously?”

Lu Qixuan’s expression remained unchanged.

He reached out again to support Wang Shi, lowering his voice to say, “Mother, don’t worry, I will avenge Qiyan’s grievance.”

Wang Shi was taken aback by these words. She looked at Lu Qixuan, stunned. “You…”

Lu Qixuan didn’t say anything further. He simply kept his gaze fixed on the direction Lu Qihuai had gone, his eyes filled with hidden emotion. When Lu Qihuai turned onto a side path, he finally shifted his gaze back to Wang Shi, speaking in a soft tone, “Mother, let’s go back.”

—-

At Taoran Studio.

Shen Wei sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea that Mo Qi had just served her.

The window shutters were tightly closed, and the outside world had turned dark. The candles in the room were already lit. All the maids who had been attending to her had been sent away. She sat holding the tea, looking at Lu Qihuai standing on the floor. She spoke coolly, “Tell me, what exactly happened today?”