Chapter 26 2/2

The couple, however, still couldn’t relax, and they ate their breakfast with a heavy heart.

Ji Taoyu waited until it was fully bright outside before putting on an extra layer of clothing and heading out.

With things as they were, she couldn’t neglect her health anymore; falling ill wouldn’t solve anything.

Ji Taoyu left the house with a small basket on her back, pretending to go pick vegetables while assessing the situation.

She glanced in the direction of the You family’s house, hesitating about whether to go find Yu Lingxiao.

But even before the engagement was called off, her family had told her to be reserved and not to go to Yu Lingxiao’s place without a reason. In fact, most of the time, Yu Lingxiao came to her.

Lost in thought, she walked on, encountering two villagers along the way.

The villagers greeted her warmly as usual, but their eyes held a hint of scrutiny.

Most likely, they already knew about the situation. Since she had the courage to come out, she didn’t care about the villagers’ gazes.

Continuing on, she passed by a bamboo grove when someone called out to her, sounding both unfamiliar and yet somewhat familiar.

Ji Taoyu turned around and saw Yu Lingxiao. She hadn’t thought of a way to find him, but now she had bumped into him.

Seeing this person again, Ji Taoyu suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, as if it had been ages since they last met, even though it had only been half a month.

“Yu, do you need something?” Ji Taoyu asked.

Yu Lingxiao, finally seeing the person he had been longing for, naturally smiled. But when he heard Ji Taoyu’s unfamiliar tone, his smile froze on his face.

“Ah Yu, I know you must blame me, but whether you believe it or not, I never intended to hurt you. I genuinely wanted to marry you,” Yu Lingxiao said.

Ji Taoyu looked at Yu Lingxiao’s furrowed brows, his sincere gaze, and the subtle hint of concealed distress on his clear and refined face. If it weren’t for the scene she witnessed at Ten-Mile Cloth, where Yu Lingxiao showed his opportunistic side, Ji Taoyu might have been moved to think that he really had no other choice.

No wonder Huo Shu had asked her if she could remain clear-headed. It turned out that she had been naive and hadn’t seen through the true nature of the person in front of her.

For a moment, she couldn’t help but feel amused.

“If you truly meant it, why did it come to this today?” Ji Taoyu asked.

Yu Lingxiao quickly replied, “When Uncle came to our house to call off the engagement, I tried my best to stop him, but my mother was afraid I would miss the imperial examination and agreed to it. It was my fault for not stopping my mother that day. I wanted to come and find you several times, but Uncle stopped me at the door and scolded me harshly.”

“Ah Yu, I’m not afraid of Uncle’s scolding; I deserved it. It’s just that I couldn’t see you, and my heart was in turmoil. I couldn’t sleep peacefully every night. If this continues, not only will I miss the imperial examination, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to endure it any longer.”

Ji Taoyu quietly watched Yu Lingxiao’s pretentious performance. He was undoubtedly good at playing the victim.

Having grown up as an orphan with a widowed mother, he had become adept at self-blame and apologizing. Coupled with his good looks, he could easily deceive people.

But seeing his opportunistic behavior now only made Ji Taoyu more repulsed.

“I’ve always known that my father cares about his reputation. When someone flip-flops, how could he not be angry?” Ji Taoyu said.

Seeing this, Yu Lingxiao said, “I know it’s my fault, but now the rumors outside are so bad. If Uncle remains determined, won’t it harm you?”

Ji Taoyu pretended not to hear: “What rumors?”

Seeing Ji Taoyu’s unawareness, Yu Lingxiao hesitated to speak. After a moment of indecision, he said, “Promise me you won’t get upset.”

Ji Taoyu remained silent.

“I don’t know who spread these rumors, but they are saying that there was something improper between us. The village is abuzz with gossip. It’s bad enough for a man like me, but for you, a young girl, to be subjected to such talk… these idle gossips are truly vulgar!”

“How could such rumors exist? Could someone be intentionally spreading them?” Ji Taoyu carefully observed Yu Lingxiao’s expression and asked, “Do you know who started these rumors?”

“How would I know!” Yu Lingxiao’s tone became agitated. “I don’t know who started spreading these rumors. If I did, I would definitely make them pay for their gossip.”

“I only heard a few village women talking about it, so I can’t say who started it,” Yu Lingxiao explained after a moment, noticing that Ji Taoyu’s reaction seemed off. “Ah Yu, it seems like you’re not bothered by these rumors?”

“Truth will prevail. I trust that Mr. You will help clear my name for the sake of his reputation,” Ji Taoyu said coldly.

“Otherwise, wouldn’t it be embarrassing for Mr. You?” Ji Taoyu added sarcastically, eyeing Yu Lingxiao.

Yu Lingxiao felt a pang of unease, wondering if Ji Taoyu knew about the Xue family’s affairs.

“Ah Yu, it’s all my fault. I’ve caused you trouble. If you’re willing, we can still get married and forget the past,” Yu Lingxiao said.

“No need. Besides, Mrs. Sun has never liked me. If Mr. You defies his elders’ wishes, it would be disrespectful. Even if we were to disregard that, how could I marry into the prestigious You family when the Ji family is so humble?” Ji Taoyu mocked, refusing to entertain further discussion.

“I’ll take my leave,” Ji Taoyu said, turning to go.

“Ah Yu!” Yu Lingxiao was shocked by the sudden change in Ji Taoyu’s demeanor. The once gentle and agreeable girl had become cold and distant. He couldn’t accept it and hurriedly chased after her, “Things are not as you think.”

“Mr. You, I can’t afford to be gossiped about by the villagers anymore. It’s best if we don’t see each other again,” Ji Taoyu said firmly.

Ji Taoyu quickly disappeared from Yu Lingxiao’s sight. He furrowed his brows, thinking about their conversation and wondering if there was anything suspicious. Lost in thought, he almost bumped into someone who suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Sorry!”

Looking up, Ji Taoyu saw it was Huo Shu and let out a sigh of relief.

“You weren’t scared by Yu Lingxiao, but you scared me,” Huo Shu joked.

Ji Taoyu smiled faintly, realizing that sometimes Huo Shu, despite his tall stature, could be quite petty.

“That’s not nice.”

Huo Shu didn’t intend to tease Ji Taoyu about someone from the past anymore and asked, “How did it go?”

Ji Taoyu looked disappointed as he shook his head. “He’s tight-lipped, and I couldn’t get much out of him. I haven’t heard firsthand how the villagers are gossiping, so it’s hard to judge.”

“It’s normal not to find any clues. If he’s really involved, he’s not the type to slip up easily,” Huo Shu reassured.

Just as he finished speaking, Huo Shu’s expression suddenly changed, and he sternly demanded, “Who?”

Ji Taoyu instinctively wanted to avoid the situation, but when she turned her head, she saw Yu Xia not far away in the woods. She couldn’t tell if Yu Xia was eavesdropping on their conversation or just passing through, but she was afraid of Huo Shu, and even her slightest movement was noticed by him.

Yu Xia was indeed afraid of Huo Shu. Shrinking back when he was noticed, he cautiously approached Ji Taoyu, avoiding eye contact with Huo Shu, and whispered, “I… I have something to tell you.”

Ji Taoyu was puzzled. Since the last time Mrs. Sun brought Yu Xia to apologize, she hadn’t seen him again. She wondered why Yu Xia suddenly sought her out today.

She glanced at Huo Shu and saw no objection from him, so Ji Taoyu figured it was safe to proceed.

“Go ahead,” Ji Taoyu said.

Seeing that Huo Shu showed no signs of leaving, Yu Xia gave up. “The villagers are all gossiping about you and your cousin. Do you… do you know?”

Ji Taoyu nodded in response.

“A few days ago, I saw Mrs. Wang from Jian Gou sneaking into the You family’s house. She’s notorious in the village for gossiping about everyone’s affairs and has had disputes with many families. She used to be poor, but she’s very proud and only associates with respectable families. She wouldn’t interact with someone like Mrs. Wang,” Yu Xia said, keeping his head down. “I feel guilty for what happened to you before. No matter how many apologies I offer, it won’t change anything. Consider this my way of making it up to you.”

With that, Yu Xia hurried away.

Ji Taoyu furrowed her brow, watching Yu Xia disappear down the village road. She felt a bitter taste in her mouth, finding it hard to believe that the You family would stoop so low as to ruin her reputation.

From being in-laws to having no relation at all, while disappointing, Ji Taoyu still held onto the bonds of the past. She couldn’t believe the You family would harm her and the Ji family in such a malicious way.

Even if, as Huo Shu suggested, Yu Lingxiao was jealous and trying to win her back, why resort to such destructive measures?

Ji Taoyu felt weak in the knees, and Huo Shu steadied her by grabbing her sleeve. “Is he accusing the You family?”

Ji Taoyu’s eyes were red, but she nodded. “Mrs. Sun is indeed as Yu Xia described. She’s proud and wouldn’t associate with someone like Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Wang’s husband was a troublemaker in the city who lost his life, leaving behind a son who followed in his footsteps, often bullying the villagers.”

“Mrs. Sun had a bad reputation in the past, and Mrs. Wang has gossiped about others plenty of times. Mrs. Sun couldn’t stand her, let alone associate with her after Yu Lingxiao was chosen. Women like Mrs. Wang, who know everyone’s business and love to gossip, are looked down upon by everyone in the village, but they still entertain her and listen to her idle chatter. Sometimes, they even let her take the blame for things they’ve said themselves.”

Due to this, Mrs. Wang still had a decent reputation among the villagers.

Using someone like her to spread rumors would be convenient, but it could also backfire easily.

Upon hearing this, Huo Shu said, “Now that we know who started it, we can confront Mrs. Wang and make her confess.”

Ji Taoyu expressed concern, saying, “But she’s not likely to admit it easily. Their family has no shame, they’re practically thugs. It’s unlikely she’ll confess to spreading rumors, and we might even end up being accused instead.”

“Do you think thugs would dare to attack me? People like me are experts at dealing with thugs.”

With that, Huo Shu glanced at Ji Taoyu and said, “Go home. Leave the rest to me. In a couple of days, I’ll make sure the You family clears your name.”