Chapter 27 Chapter 27 "How can you not trust me?"...

The eldest young lady was reluctant to recognize her, but when she saw clearly that it was indeed their concubine Jasmine from the Duke's Mansion, she lost her composure.

The eldest young lady pointed at Jasmine, then at the waiter, with a look of disbelief on her face, and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

Jasmine hurried forward to explain, "Madam, please don't misunderstand me. I'm just here for some snacks. He's the waiter at the restaurant. You should recognize him, right?"

"Don't come over here!" The eldest young lady's wife didn't believe her. "Everyone comes here for snacks. Why is he so nice to you and not to others? Madam, I've been here several times, and he's always behaved well."

When she said this, there was a hint of grievance in the eldest young lady's words. Then, the eldest young lady could no longer accept it.

Jasmine wanted to cry but had no tears: "Madam, please listen to my explanation."

The waiter made matters worse: "Madam, you really misunderstood. There is nothing wrong between me and this lady. She has no feelings for me. It's just..."

Jasmine suddenly felt that something bad was going to happen.

really!

The waiter's voice was heard shrilly: "It's just that I fell in love with you at first sight. However, I dare not pursue you too high. I just want to see you from afar and talk to you. Nothing else!"

...

Jasmine didn't know how she walked out of the teahouse.

Mrs. Luo sent her to the carriage and kept apologizing to her, saying that she shouldn't have invited her to the teahouse and it was all her fault.

The eldest young master's wife sat in the canopied carriage in front. She leaned out of the window and said with a smile, "Since that's the case, Madam Luo, why don't you come back to the Duke's Mansion with us so that we can explain the whole thing to the old lady."

Mrs. Luo hesitated for only a moment, then nodded, "That's fine."

"Oh!" The eldest young lady's wife suddenly stood up.

Everyone was looking at her.

The eldest young lady's wife slapped her forehead and shouted anxiously, "Quick, quick, the two of you, go and catch that waiter from just now. How dare he covet our Duke's backyard!"

Just now, the eldest young lady's wife was afraid that Aunt Jasmine had run away, so she was only staring at her. Now she realized that there was an adulterer!

The eldest young lady's wife had a loud voice, and in her anger she shouted so loudly that the whole street could hear her.

Jasmine sat in the car, feeling like crying but unable to cry. At this moment, she just hoped that the eldest young lady would leave quickly.

"Oh no, Madam, the person ran away!"

How could they possibly find the person with just the driver and the maid? The eldest young lady made a quick decision: "Let's go back to the mansion! Notify the Duke to arrest the person!"

The guest hall in the outer courtyard of Duke Yan's mansion.

It was only mid-afternoon, and the Duke hadn't returned home yet. The Old Madam was the one making the decision on this matter.

When the old lady heard about it, she immediately sent a team of guards from the Duke's Mansion to arrest the man. She then gathered everyone in the guest hall to talk.

After listening to the eldest young lady's wife's description of what she saw, the old lady smiled and listened carefully to the Luo family's wife's narration of what happened. Finally, her eyes fell on Jasmine.

When the old lady looked at Jasmine, her eyes suddenly turned serious: "Auntie, do you really not recognize that waiter?"

Jasmine was kneeling in the middle of the living room. She had been terrified when she entered the room and had immediately fallen to her knees. Now she felt some regret.

The prisoner had just knelt down to plead guilty, and she was acting like a criminal on trial, which made people suspicious. But if she stood up now, she was afraid that it would offend the old lady.

Jasmine could only bite the bullet and kneel down to explain, "I really don't recognize that person. Since I entered the Duke's Mansion, I have never left the house alone, so how could I recognize that waiter? To answer the old lady, this is truly a misunderstanding!"

The old lady said, "Just like the eldest young lady's wife said, the waiter has been in the teahouse for two years and is always polite to other female guests. Why is he different when he comes to the aunt?"

Jasmine: "You'd have to ask the waiter. I don't know."

The old lady's face darkened. "The waiter has escaped. You're asking this even though you already know the answer."

Jasmine: "No, I really don't."

The eldest young master's wife's eyes were filled with complexities as she asked Jasmine, "Auntie, are you attracted to that waiter's face?"

The eldest young lady sighed and said, "That waiter is indeed good-looking, but Auntie should also be mindful of her status. You can't just go along with the Duke because he doesn't understand romance, right?"

Jasmine: "What the hell are you talking about, Madam? I swear to heaven, there's no one else in my heart except the Duke!"

The Third Young Master's wife glanced at Mrs. Luo and said nothing.

The Fourth Young Master's wife said, "Mother, could it be, as Madam Luo said, that the waiter in the teahouse was plotting something bad against Auntie? If so, then this matter has nothing to do with Auntie."

Mrs. Luo gave the Fourth Young Master's wife a knowing smile and said, "Yes, old lady. Today, my daughter made an appointment with my aunt. I feel really ashamed of my aunt for something like this."

Jasmine quietly raised her eyes to look at the Luo family's wife, and saw that she looked regretful and anxious, as if she noticed someone was watching her. The Luo family's wife turned her head and met Jasmine's eyes.

Mrs. Luo looked even sadder. She said to Jasmine, "It's all my fault that I harmed Auntie. Once this matter is resolved, I will apologize to Auntie."

Jasmine opened her mouth, but the old lady interrupted her, "What does this have to do with Madam Luo? Besides, Jasmine is just a little concubine in the Duke's backyard. Madam Luo will be the Duke's wife in the future. How can she apologize to a concubine? It doesn't make sense."

The old lady's words were not to be disputed.

When only Jasmine was around, the old lady would naturally be polite to her, but now, Madam Luo and Jasmine were standing together, and the old lady wanted to win Madam Luo to her side, so she naturally favored Madam Luo.

It was the first time that Jasmine heard the old lady being so strict with her, but she had thought of this day as early as the first day she entered the Duke's Mansion.

It's difficult to deal with the mistress of a small family, let alone the old lady who outlasted the old duke and his several concubines.

So at the moment, she didn't feel strange at all.

After hearing what the old lady said, Mrs. Luo stood up and saluted: "Yes, I will follow your wishes."

Seeing how obedient the Luo family lady was, the old lady became more friendly towards her. She then said to the Luo family lady, "Don't speak for my aunt anymore. Once we catch that man, we'll know the truth after the first trial."

The guards at the Duke's Mansion were all elite, on par with the imperial guards. In less than two hours, they had recaptured the teahouse waiter, who had already fled the city.

Like a rice dumpling, it was thrown into the yard.

The old lady and the others stood under the eaves. The old lady looked at the people below with dignity and asked, "Who are you?"

Teahouse waiter: "Xiao-Xiao is from Dongshun Teahouse."

The old lady asked again: "Since you are a teahouse waiter, why are you running for your life?"

The waiter glanced at Jasmine, who was kneeling in the corridor, and kowtowed, saying, "Madam, spare my life. I dare not do it anymore. Please give me a chance to live!"

The old lady frowned and asked sternly: "Speak clearly, what are you afraid of?"

The waiter shuddered and said quickly, "I mean, I shouldn't have run away. I shouldn't have coveted my aunt. I know I was wrong. Please, Madam, forgive my aunt and me."

"you……"

Jasmine couldn't believe it and was about to die of anger at this waiter. He could have begged for mercy on his own behalf, but why did he do it for her too?

Anyone would misunderstand.

Sure enough, as soon as the waiter finished speaking, everyone's eyes fell on her.

Jasmine quickly defended herself, "Old Madam, you heard it. It was this man who was so bold as to plot against me, but I have no feelings for him at all!"

The old lady ignored her and stared at the waiter, asking, "My aunt said she doesn't have you in her heart and doesn't recognize you. She said it was just wishful thinking. Is that true?"

The waiter kowtowed without hesitation: "It's true, what Auntie said is true. It's all my fault. Auntie didn't recognize me at all. I was just wishful thinking and self-righteous. I saw Auntie smiling at me twice and thought she was interested in me too. Please forgive me, old lady. I really won't dare to do it again!"

Jasmine gasped when she heard what the waiter said. She stood up and rushed to the waiter, pointing at him excitedly: "What nonsense are you talking about? Who smiled at you?"

The waiter kowtowed to her again: "I said the wrong thing. Auntie didn't laugh. Auntie really didn't laugh at me. I don't know how to speak. I said the wrong thing. Please forgive me, auntie!"

Jasmine suddenly found that she had no way to defend herself!

The old lady said: "The matter is now cleared up. Fortunately, no major disaster occurred. However, the concubine must give the Duke an explanation for this matter."

Jasmine and the old lady exchanged serious glances. Needless to say, the old lady knew that she had smiled at the waiter, which was why she gave the waiter the opportunity to misunderstand her.

As to whether it was a real misunderstanding or Aunt Jasmine did it on purpose, you can guess.

Jasmine knew that it was futile to explain further, so she simply shut up and stopped talking.

It doesn’t matter whether the old lady or anyone in the Duke’s Mansion believes it or not, as long as the Duke believes it.

But how could she make the Duke trust her?

Jasmine is sad.

Once a person has a prejudice in their mind, it's hard to erase it. Jasmine grew angrier and angrier, her eyes reddening with anger.

But she had no choice.

"I can't let the Duke think that I, as his mother, haven't helped him run the Duke's Mansion well. Until the Duke comes back, I'll just kneel there and don't get up."

After the old lady finished speaking, she turned and went back into the house. She also called out to Mrs. Luo: "Mrs. Luo, don't pay any attention to her. Only she knows what she did."

Mrs. Luo looked at Jasmine apologetically and had to turn and leave.

Several young ladies naturally followed into the house.

Jasmine hadn't been kneeling for long when the Duke returned, more than an hour earlier than usual.

Jasmine had been waiting anxiously for a long time. When she saw the man striding in, she rushed over, grabbed her master's arm, and hurriedly explained, "Master, I am innocent. I didn't smile at this man, and I don't even know him! Master, you must believe me."

It was the first time that the Duke saw his aunt so excited. Her usually calm and fair face was twisted into a ball, and her eyes were a little red.

The Duke said, "It's nothing serious. You just stand aside."

"yes."

Her grandfather had told her to stand, but she was stupid enough to continue kneeling. After Jasmine followed her grandfather into the living room, she stood obediently to the side.

The reason why the Duke came back so early was because he heard the report from the mansion.

It was the old lady who sent someone to inform him. The old lady didn't want him to come back immediately, she just wanted to tell him that such a thing had happened.

This would prevent the Duke from finding out when he returns and blaming her as a mother for not telling him earlier.

The old lady even asked the concierge to tell him that there was no rush and that they could wait until he came back in the evening.

But the Duke still arranged the official business of the camp and went home early from work.

The Duke naturally also found out what had happened.

When the Duke heard that his aunt was having an affair with the waiter at the teahouse, he immediately realized that it was a lie and that he had to seek justice for his aunt.

Nanny Qian, who was behind the old lady, repeated to the Duke what had just happened.

Matron Qian recounted everything, including what the old lady had asked and what the waiter in the teahouse had replied to, including what Aunt Jasmine had said.

After Nanny Qian finished speaking, the old lady said, "It's a good thing nothing serious happened. Don't take it to heart, Duke."

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the old lady was trying to comfort the Duke.

The old lady added, "It's all because of that waiter who has an attractive face!"

The Duke then turned to look at the man kneeling in the courtyard. He had noticed him when he first entered the room, but he didn't have time to take a look.

At this moment, the Duke's face looked unhappy when he saw it.

The doorman only talked about the concubine and the waiter, but he didn't say that the waiter had the face of a waiter.

The Duke couldn't help but look at his concubine, only to see his concubine waving at him desperately.

The Duke lowered his eyes, his face sullen and he remained silent.

Everyone thought, the Duke must be angry. No wonder, any man would be unable to tolerate such a thing.

My aunt wouldn't disappear from the mansion within three months of entering it, right?

The old lady sighed and said to the Duke, "Your wedding will be in three months. Please don't worry about this matter. If you can't bear it, please leave this matter to me."

The Duke then looked up at the old lady and asked, "Mother, are you sure that my aunt is related to this person?"

The old lady said: "It's not certain how deep the relationship is. After all, your aunt really doesn't have a chance. But whether your aunt has this intention or not, even if she doesn't admit it, everyone knows it in their hearts. No one here is stupid."

The old lady said earnestly, "The Duke is a man and doesn't understand women, but I understand them better than anyone else."

The Duke looked at his concubine again and remained silent for a long time.

Having been dealing with this man for six months, Jasmine knew exactly what he was looking at. He was actually believing the old lady's lies!

Jasmine was extremely anxious.

Then her father turned away, his eyes dark, and said to the people below, "Don't bother with this matter, mother. Since Jasmine is my concubine, I will take care of it myself."

The old lady knew that she had already torn her face with the concubine today, and that the concubine would never listen to her in the future. How could the old lady keep her?

The old lady asked unwillingly, "I wonder how the Duke intends to deal with my concubine?"

The Duke looked gloomy and said nothing.

Everyone had different expressions.

The old lady secretly thought it was not good. She knew that he was trying to show some leniency. She said, "I know that the Duke has always distinguished between good and evil. Although the backyard is not as good as the front hall, the Duke must know that once a precedent is set, it will be difficult for the Duke to control the backyard in the future."

The Duke thought to himself that it would be bad to beat her to death.

The Duke: "Mother, she didn't make any serious mistakes."

Look, the Duke's words clearly show that he is covering up for someone.

Being misunderstood to this point, Jasmine could no longer bear it. She ran to the Duke and the Old Lady in two steps. Without even glancing at the Old Lady, she only said to her master, "Master, how could you not trust me? As for that man, how could he be compared to you? I have you in my heart, so how could I possibly look down on him?"

Jasmine pointed outside, almost bursting into tears: "How could you not believe it!"

Jasmine was so angry!

The concubine's appearance did not seem fake. The Duke was startled, then reflected.

The two looked at each other, one furious, the other stunned.

However, everyone could clearly see the affection in their eyes. Everyone was stunned.

Mrs. Luo's face instantly turned gloomy. What else did she not understand?

...

Following the master back to the main courtyard, Jasmine once again expressed her loyalty. She also specifically criticized the waiter to the point of being worthless.

"...That waiter even has sachets hanging from his body. I'm not saying he can't, but he's a waiter serving refreshments in a teahouse, and wearing one would only make people feel disgusted. Also, I don't think the waiter is particularly handsome. What's the point of having regular features? He has no manners or manners at all, and he's all pretentious and crying. As a servant of mine, how could I possibly be interested in him?"

"Let's take a break."

The Duke personally poured her a glass of water.

Until the Duke added, "I believe you."

Jasmine took the cup and drank happily.

Even if the matter between Jasmine and Xiao Er was true, the Duke did not intend to pursue it.

What's more, when he was in the guest hall of the outer courtyard, after listening to his concubine's words, the Duke was convinced that he had misunderstood his concubine.

Of course, it is even less likely that Jasmine will be in trouble.

At that time, the old lady was about to say something, but the Duke said to her, "It was that man who coveted my concubine. It has nothing to do with my concubine."

The Duke then continued, "My aunt is beautiful and gentle, so it's inevitable that people will miss her. I will take good care of her when she goes out in the future."

What else could the old lady say? She could only watch helplessly as the Duke and his concubine left.

After the Duke left, the living room fell silent. Everyone's eyes fell on the Luo family's wife again.

Mrs. Luo was still in shock. She noticed everyone was looking at her with concern. The old lady spoke to comfort her: "She is just a concubine. You don't need to worry about it."

Mrs. Luo finally reacted and alarm bells rang in her heart. Would the Duke guess that this matter was related to her?

Even if there is no evidence, it would not be good if I suspected her.

She should have followed the concubine's example and explained.

The more the Luo family's wife thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She said to the old lady, "I have a few words I forgot to say to the Duke. Can I see the Duke again?"

The old lady nodded immediately. "You are his wife-to-be, so why ask such a question? Let the eldest uncle and his wife take you to the main courtyard."

The eldest young lady was very happy to take on this task, as it gave her the opportunity to please the future Duke's wife.

The Third Young Master's wife looked at the First Young Master's wife's smiling face and sneered.

The fourth young master's wife lowered her eyes and said nothing.

In the main courtyard.

The two sat opposite each other and drank tea.

Jasmine, after receiving the Duke's permission, arranged tables and chairs in the courtyard. The main courtyard was unlike her own small courtyard. It wasn't about being exquisite, but about being something that would make people afraid to step foot inside.

Therefore, Jasmine chose a long table with four corners made of golden nanmu wood, and the chairs were also golden nanmu armchairs, but with a comfortable cushion on top.

At this moment, the Duke was sitting at the head of the table, and Jasmine was sitting on his right, the two of them talking while drinking tea.

Of course, it was Jasmine who was talking.

The Duke's expression has been somewhat unnatural since he came back.

Jasmine was so happy to have escaped this disaster that she didn't notice that something was wrong with her master. Jasmine thought about it and asked, "By the way, master, if you don't trust me, what are you going to do with me?"

She had seen her grandfather's reaction in the outer courtyard, and she was asking this question on purpose. Mainly because her grandfather hadn't said it out loud at the time, and she wanted to hear what he would say.

The Duke glanced at his concubine, then immediately looked away. He then looked at the teacup in his hand and said, "Since nothing happened, then nothing will happen."

"Then ask yourself, Master, will you alienate me from your servant in the future?"

The Duke thought about it and said, "Yes."

Jasmine's heart sank, and she was filled with fear. Fortunately, the problem was solved.

Jasmine asked aggrievedly, "I really didn't do anything, so why would you do that, Master?"

Only then did the Duke look at Jasmine and said seriously, "Since my aunt likes it, I shouldn't force it. If my aunt asks, I will also agree to it."

Jasmine didn't know how to react to her grandfather.

She chuckled: "Wow, you are such a good man."

The Duke lowered his eyes again, his expression becoming increasingly unnatural.

Jasmine finally saw through it. Was he embarrassed? Was he embarrassed by her praise?

Are you embarrassed about this?

Jasmine was speechless.

"In Auntie's heart, Master..."

"We are here to see the Duke. Please inform us..."

The eldest young lady's wife's thin and bright voice came from outside the courtyard. The Duke stopped talking and looked towards the outside of the courtyard with Jasmine.

Soon, Chunli came to report: "General, the eldest young master's wife and the Luo family lady are here."

The strange expression on the Duke's face faded away, and he once again had a face that commanded awe.

"Let them in."

Jasmine quickly stood up and retreated behind her grandfather.

"The Duke left in such a hurry that Madam Luo didn't even have time to talk to him. So I brought her here."

If this wasn't the Duke Yan's mansion, where she was the eldest sister-in-law and Duke Yan wasn't known for being unconcerned about small matters, Jasmine felt that the eldest young lady's life wouldn't be easy if she moved to another mansion.

The Duke stood with his hands behind his back, accepted the greeting from the Luo family lady, and said, "Please sit down."

Then he said to Jasmine, "Auntie, make some tea."

"Yes." Jasmine came out from behind, sat at the end of the long table, and began to make and pour tea skillfully.

The eldest young lady's wife found that the main courtyard was not like this when she came back last time. She looked around curiously.

The Luo family's wife was equally surprised. How could this possibly be the Duke's main courtyard? Had the eldest young master's wife brought her to the concubine's courtyard?

But she immediately realized that this was impossible.

This is the main courtyard of the Duke's Mansion. There are many guards outside. How could the concubine's courtyard be here?

It is obviously the main courtyard.

But why is the Duke's main courtyard like this?

Not only are there inappropriate tables and chairs in the yard, but there are also rabbits hanging in the corridor... no, there are all kinds of lanterns, and not just red ones, there are even yellow lanterns!

Besides the lanterns, if you look closely, you'll find wind chimes, one hanging on every other pillar. Ding-ding-dang-dang, Duke, you've been tiring all day, can you rest well?

"What do you want to say to me, Madam Luo?"

Only when she heard the Duke asking questions did Mrs. Luo come back to her senses.

Madam Luo immediately collected her thoughts, looked at the Duke earnestly, and said, "I have come to apologize to the Duke. The misfortune that befell the concubine today is all because of me."

The Duke's expression became even more solemn, and he frowned and asked, "Are you saying that you deliberately harmed my concubine?"

When these words were spoken, the three women present were frightened.

Jasmine looked at the Luo family lady, surprised by her actions. The eldest young lady looked at this and that, her face full of excitement.

The Luo family's wife hurriedly explained, "The Duke has misunderstood. How dare I? My point is, it's all my fault for asking my concubine to leave the house. If we hadn't gone to that teahouse, if we had changed the venue, this wouldn't have happened today."

Mrs. Luo paused for a moment and continued, "I feel deeply sorry for this and have come to apologize to the Duke."

The Duke's expression remained unchanged as he said, "You are very thoughtful. However, the person Madam Luo should apologize to is not the Duke, but the concubine."

Mrs. Luo was stunned for a moment before responding, "The Duke is right."

Mrs. Luo turned to look at Jasmine and said solemnly, "I hope you won't blame Ming'er."

Jasmine stood up immediately and said that it was not Mrs. Luo's fault.

Jasmine had wondered if this might be related to Madam Luo, but looking back, it all seemed like coincidence. Jasmine had no evidence, so even if she suspected something, she didn't dare make a scene.

Once she has a rift with Madam Luo, she will probably have to live a hard life in the future.

Jasmine decided to pretend it hadn't happened. She'd better emulate her grandfather and be open-minded. Her grandfather was generous enough to support her and Xiaoer, so she certainly couldn't be left behind.

Mrs. Luo then said to the Duke, "I am relieved that you and my aunt have forgiven me."

The Duke nodded without saying anything.

"Would the Duke mind if my daughter asks out my aunt again in the future?"

"Mrs. Luo, please feel free to do as you please."

Mrs. Luo was even more delighted. She casually glanced at the corridor and asked, "What a beautiful conch wind chime! Was this made by my aunt?"

The Duke nodded.

"The sound of wind chimes is pleasant, but it seems not everyone likes it. My daughter's father dislikes the noise and even scolded Concubine Xue in the mansion for it."

The Duke nodded again: "You are absolutely right. It is indeed noisy, especially at night."

Before Madam Luo could speak, Jasmine, upon hearing this, said anxiously, "Master, why didn't you tell me earlier? I'll go and take down the wind chime right away."

"I'm not busy." The Duke stopped him. "It's been quite good these past two days. Without the noise, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to sleep if it was too quiet."

The Duke would certainly not lie for a concubine like her. Jasmine then sat back down with a clear conscience.

Mrs. Luo was not expecting the Duke to say this and was a little stunned.

Ever since the Duke agreed to accept the marriage with the Luo family, the eldest young lady has been trying her best to find an opportunity to make the lady of the Luo family recognize her as her own.

Now that such a good opportunity has come to her, how could the eldest young lady let it go?

Seeing the embarrassment on Mrs. Luo's face, the eldest young lady's wife said, "Indeed, not everyone likes these wind chimes. Those with sensitive ears might find them too noisy. The Duke may not mind, but he also has to consider the new bride. What if the new bride moves into the main courtyard in three months and finds the noise too noisy? What will we do? In my opinion, we'd better take them down as soon as possible."

The Duke had not expected this. He glanced at the eldest young lady with displeasure.

The eldest young lady was used to seeing the Duke's serious and solemn demeanor, so she didn't realize that he was really unhappy.

Seeing that the Duke didn't say anything, he continued, "Duke? What do you think?"

After all, she was the eldest sister-in-law, and they were family. The Duke did not want to embarrass the eldest young lady.

Duke Suiguo did not respond to the eldest young lady's words, but only said: "I am busy with official business today, and my sister-in-law has nothing else to do. You may come back another day."

Was this a sign of driving her away? The eldest young lady's wife realized it belatedly and finally reacted.

The eldest young lady's wife had not forgotten Madam Luo: "But I have to accompany Madam Luo."

The Duke looked at Madam Luo and said, "It's getting late. Madam Luo must be anxious to return home."

Mrs. Luo couldn't help but hear what was going on, so she said, "Yes, I've been out for a long time, it's time for me to go home. I'll take my leave."

"Please."

Mrs. Luo bowed, took two steps back, and left in a hurry after exiting the courtyard.

The eldest young lady followed behind him.

Jasmine didn't want her master to bring it up, so she said, "I'll take down the wind chimes and lanterns right away."

The Duke looked at her silently.

Jasmine said apologetically, "It's my fault for not thinking it through. The eldest young lady is right. When Madam Luo comes home in three months, she must stay in the main courtyard. Madam Luo may not like this arrangement."

The Duke still didn't speak.

Jasmine slapped her forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, Madam Luo didn't come into the room to look. I've also removed the decorations in the room. If Madam Luo likes them in the future, I'll give them to her."

"I'll go and do my work first, you stay here for a while." Jasmine said, and walked into the house.

The Duke watched her disappearing figure for a while, then he raised his foot and followed her.

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