then

Yao Su'an trembled uncontrollably, but her anger seemed to be replaced by a deeper fear. Her strength seemed to be drained, and she slowly loosened her grip on Lin Xu's neck.

"You're lying... I didn't... She's my own sister, how could I kill her..."

Seeing the scene before her, Lin Xu's heart sank. Originally, this was merely a long-held suspicion in her mind, after all, so much time had passed and there was no concrete evidence. But unexpectedly, it had actually been confirmed.

Yao Suran's death was too sudden. Even though she had plotted against me many times, the Yao family had already fallen into decline. She was focused on using her beauty to marry the Fifth Prince. How could a woman with such burning ambition and a desire to restore her family have "accidentally" fallen into the lake and drowned while taking a walk?

Furthermore, the Yao family's reaction after Yao Suran's death was quite strange.

It was one thing that Duke Xu was too old to make a fuss, but the entire Duke's mansion, despite their grief, never again mentioned Yao Suran's name. Even before her mourning period was over, Yao Su'an had already appeared at various banquets in Mujing, pretending to be obedient and quiet in front of the ladies.

In his past life, Lin Xu had fought Yao Suran for so long, always suffering a crushing defeat at her hands, and was already extremely familiar with her. Yao Suran was ambitious and beautiful. Even on the eve of the Lin family's massacre in his past life, she was still at the height of her glory, enjoying a smooth and successful life. Her only worries were how to choose among her many admirers and how to gain the Crown Prince's favor.

The sudden death of such a person, followed by her older sister's unexpected marriage to a man she had chosen herself, all seemed strange. After a few moments of reflection, Lin Xu suddenly had a bold suspicion.

And ironically, Yao Suran's panicked reactions were the best proof of that.

Yao Su'an had turned around at some point, her back slightly bent as if she had lost all her strength, her lips pale.

Lin Xu's gaze fell on the cold tea on the table, and his voice rang out calmly:

"Yao Suran disliked the fragrance of lotus the most during her lifetime."

Yao Su'an was slightly startled upon hearing this, but did not look up.

“In the past, a few of us studied at Zhiqiong Hall. During the Shangsi Festival, when we went out on a painted boat, she complained repeatedly that the fragrance of lotus was too sweet and gave her a headache. How could someone who dislikes the fragrance of lotus linger in the rain to admire the lotus scenery until she accidentally fell into the lake?”

Yao Su'an couldn't listen anymore. She raised her hands and desperately covered her ears.

But Lin Xu simply continued speaking softly:

“I wasn’t in Mujing at the time, and correspondence was long. But even so, as soon as I heard the news, I became suspicious. Yao Suran wouldn’t die so easily, but who could have harmed her? I thought of all the enemies in Mujing who had ever clashed with her, and even thought of Song Jiaoling, who was threatened by her and forced to falsely accuse her of cheating. I never suspected you… until you, in less than half a year, married the Fifth Prince in a grand ceremony and became the revered Princess Zhenshan.”

Yao Su'an slowly raised her head, her face still streaked with tears, but her eyes had lost their struggle, leaving only a deep sense of resentment. She had done those things, and she had already suffered day and night for the past six months; how could she let that bitch Lin Xu continue talking about them!

"...Yes, it was my fault! At that time, the Yao family was in dire straits, and she was scheming all day long to marry into a prominent family in order to restore the Duke's mansion's prestige. I only had a few arguments with her, and she threatened to expose my affairs if I didn't help her! What could I do? Do you know that her so-called method was to follow the movements of some noble families every day so that she could 'encounter' them and thus marry into a prominent family...I am the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion, a noble lady, how could I do such a shameful thing!"

Lin Xu listened quietly for a long time before gently interrupting, "...What happened back then?"

Yao Su'an paused, realizing that she had spoken too much in a moment of carelessness.

A fleeting hint of embarrassment crossed her face, which she tried to conceal, but then Lin Xu said again:

"I clearly remember that you used to be deeply in love with Zhou Weikan, and no matter how Yao Suran tried to persuade you, you never changed your mind. The so-called argument was probably because of this. And what happened back then... perhaps it was also related to Zhou Weikan, whom you used to be so fond of?"

Yao Su'an was suddenly stunned.

She turned around, looking at Lin Xu with almost disbelief. After a long while, her lips parted and closed again before she finally showed a look of realization, pointing at Lin Xu:

"So that's how it is... So you schemed against me today all for him! So that's how it is... Su Ran told me before that you and Zhou Weikan were having an affair and that you were in love with each other, but I didn't believe it. I never thought I was so foolish... No wonder, no wonder you suddenly got a divorce. The rumors in the streets have long said that you and Zhou Weikan were living together in seclusion, living the life of a perfect couple..."

"...Haha, how could I be so stupid!"

As Yao Su'an spoke, she became more and more agitated. Her calm and beautiful face was contorted with anger, and she couldn't help but cough violently.

Lin Xu was surprised that Yao Su'an would think that way, and his lips twitched slightly, but he was too lazy to explain.

She stopped, dodging Yao Su'an who was about to pounce on her, and said coldly:

“Zhou Weikan once told me that you had done a favor for the Zhou family in your early years, and that he befriended you in order to repay that favor. Is the matter you keep talking about the favor you owed back then? If you tell me the truth, I will let you go today. As for the reason why your sister died, I will keep it a secret for you.”

Yao Su'an seemed to have been completely drained by her heart-wrenching cries, and slowly slumped into a chair in the room, remaining silent for a long time.

She had done something to betray Su Ran. At the time, she stubbornly wanted to take a boat to find Zhou Weikan, but unexpectedly, Su Ran found her on the lake, and the two sisters even got into an argument...

She had originally intended to let go of Zhou Weikan, but was simply unwilling to accept it. However, Su Ran's words were full of sarcasm, saying that she only cared about her personal feelings and didn't care about her seriously ill father and bedridden younger brother! Naturally, she couldn't bear to hear those words, and in a moment of desperation, she pushed Yao Su Ran into the lake... That day, she had gone there secretly, and those who accompanied her were her closest and most loyal maids, who would naturally cover her up...

Her subsequent marriage to the King of Zhenshan was something she had no choice but to do.

The Yao family fell from grace, and only they themselves knew how much contempt and neglect they had endured during that time. Perhaps it was out of guilt towards her sister, or perhaps it was because she couldn't let go of the questions Su Ran had asked her before her death, or perhaps she no longer wanted to be fawned over and looked down upon by those people, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and severed the long-standing affection she had for Zhou Weikan.

The fifth prince, Wei Zhao, was arrogant and conceited, and also lustful. He had shown her favor since their school days, something she was well aware of. So, everything seemed to fall into place smoothly. Yao Suran had just passed away, and Wei Zhao came to offer his condolences. Before long, she naturally became the Princess Consort of Zhenshan.

After a long while, Yao Su'an came to her senses and looked at Lin Xu standing in the hall.

The setting sun cast its light upon her, making her appear even more ethereal and aloof. Her once rather cold and aloof figure now possessed a touch of gentleness and resilience. Unlike the plump noblewomen, always adorned with jewels and exuding an overwhelming air of wealth, Lin Xu, whom she often saw, wore only light makeup. Yet, it was precisely that unadorned beauty that was captivating enough. Enough to steal one's heart.

Is this the kind of woman that Zhou Weikan, who has never been close to women, could like?

She suddenly felt a stinging sensation in her eyes and blinked gently. After a long while, she spoke softly, slowly revealing the secret that had lingered in her heart for many years.

"...That summer, I was just over ten years old and playful. I took the servants from my household to play at Jiuqiao Lake. Because it was hot, we docked the boat and sent the maid to buy me an iced drink while I hid under the lotus leaves to cool off. Unexpectedly, it was there that I saw a child almost fall into the water. Although I was a good swimmer, I didn't want to get my clothes and makeup dirty. I hesitated for a while, but then I saw several people coming from not far away. The boy in the lead was Zhou Weikan. He was so handsome. Even with his anxious expression, he had a composure and elegance that no one else could match...I fell in love with him at first sight."

"I guessed he was coming for the child who had fallen into the water, so I didn't hesitate and jumped into the lake to try and save the child. But I was too weak, and even when I pulled him out, the child was already pale and had stopped breathing..."

"Zhou Weikan, who arrived later, was unaware of this. He only saw me personally jump into the water and get soaked to the bone while saving the child, and he was extremely grateful to me. In fact, all these years he didn't know that I was the one who witnessed this scene early on, and that I was the one who selfishly stood by and watched the child die. My feigned act of jumping into the water to save the child was nothing more than lust at his eyes, wanting to get closer to him. In the end, how could I possibly be worthy of being credited to him?"

Yao Su'an coughed a few more times. Now that she had finally spoken out about these old stories that had been weighing on her heart, she felt a great sense of relief and felt much better.

"Alright," she said calmly, looking up at Lin Xu who seemed lost in thought.

"That's the truth. I now know that he never liked me and has long since let go. I've known him for so many years, and Zhou Weikan is a man of high moral character and integrity... If you really still have feelings for him, then please treat him well."

The last rays of sunlight streaming in through the window gradually faded away. Lin Xu took a few steps inside the hall, and a hint of cunning suddenly appeared in his handsome eyes, making his pure and beautiful face seem to be tinged with dust.

Seeing this smile, Yao Su'an was taken aback again. Before she could think further, she heard Lin Xu say:

"Actually... I have no idea how to get out of here. On the contrary, this whole situation wasn't set up by me. It was those people who came here specifically to target me."