Chapter 774 There are no unimportant people, only relationships that haven't been used yet.

Upon hearing this reason, Fuling immediately believed it to be true, after all, she knew how much Qiao Zhiyu liked that dress.

However, after looking Qiao Zhiyu up and down, she still asked, "Then why are you all soaking wet?"

Qiao Zhiyu lowered her head, like a child who had done something wrong: "To avoid being noticed, I hid all the way, and ended up accidentally falling into the lotus pond. So not only did I not get my old clothes back, but my new clothes also got soaked."

Fuling scoffed, "Oh, Miss Fuling is quite something! You managed to fall into the lotus pond while walking. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were blind!"

She mocked and ridiculed Qiao Zhiyu without any restraint, clearly showing that she didn't take Qiao Zhiyu seriously.

Qiao Zhiyu cursed her a thousand times in her heart, but her face still showed a meek and submissive look: "It was my carelessness, Miss Fuling. Please don't tell my cousin about this, otherwise she will be angry again, and you might be punished as well. Anyway, I didn't manage to get that dress back, so just pretend I didn't go out tonight, okay?"

The light was too dim, and Fuling didn't see the slap mark on Qiao Zhiyu's face. She was secretly wondering whether she should tell Meng Yunlan about Qiao Zhiyu leaving the courtyard in the middle of the night.

It wasn't that she wanted to cover for Qiao Zhiyu, but just as Qiao Zhiyu said, if Meng Yunlan found out that she had fallen asleep and hadn't kept an eye on Qiao Zhiyu, she would face unbearable punishment.

Meng Yunlan never beats or scolds her servants, because it would damage her reputation if word got out. However, she has her own insidious methods of punishing her servants, such as not allowing them to sleep for several days in a row, or ordering the nanny to stick needles into their shoes.

Only those who have experienced it firsthand know the pain involved.

She had tried Poria cocos once, and she never wanted to try it a second time.

While she was annoyed that Qiao Zhiyu was disobedient and insisted on carrying her outside, she could only compromise, saying, "This is the only time, and there won't be a next time! Miss, you'd better behave yourself in the future, otherwise, I won't help you anymore!"

Qiao Zhiyu sneered inwardly. She knew that Fuling wouldn't dare to tell Meng Yunlan the truth, because tonight was also considered a dereliction of duty on her part!

"Thank you, Miss Fuling. I will never do it again."

Qiao Zhiyu said weakly, taking small steps inside: "It's getting late, let's go back and rest! Oh, and don't turn on the lights, lest someone find out we're still awake."

Fu Ling was furious and said irritably, "Do you even need to tell me? It's all your fault, otherwise I would be sleeping soundly right now!"

——

The next day, early morning.

When Shen Wantang woke up, Gu Qianhan was nowhere to be seen.

As Du Juan hung up the curtains, she said, "Young Madam, the young master said he's going out to take care of some things, so you don't need to wait for him for breakfast."

Shen Wantang yawned: "Next time he says that, just tell him not to flatter himself. I didn't wait for him to have breakfast either; I enjoyed my meal more by myself."

Du Juan asked softly, "Young Madam, are you still angry with the young master? Don't fall for the eldest young mistress's scheme to sow discord!"

Shen Wantang shook her head helplessly: "I was very confident that I wouldn't fall for their trap, and I thought I was very clear-headed and rational. But sometimes circumstances are beyond our control. Even if you know it's a trap, you still have to fall for it. After all, I'm human too. I have joys and sorrows, and I have a temper."

Du Juan looked worried: "What should we do? You haven't really become estranged from the young master, have you?"

Shen Wantang laughed: "No, this time, the man I married is different. It's okay for me to be a little temperamental with him. Besides, he was in the wrong first. He knows he's in the wrong and won't argue with me."

Du Juan asked in confusion, "What do you mean... this time the man I married is different? Your Highness, you're making it sound like you've been married several times. You must never say that in front of outsiders, or you'll be easily taken advantage of by those with ulterior motives."

Shen Wantang chuckled: "Of course, I was just saying it in front of you."

She put on her shoes and got out of bed. Just as she was about to wash her face, Qin Xin hurriedly walked in.

"Young Madam!"

"What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"

"That Qiao Zhiyu threw the royal blue dress you gave her at the gate of our yard! She's such a scoundrel! You were so good to her, and she retaliated like this. Her heart is despicable!"

Shen Wantang said calmly, "I wasn't that good to her, I was just using her. She threw away the dress I gave her, she definitely didn't want to throw it away herself. Someone else was the one who made her throw the dress to embarrass me."

Qin Xin reacted quickly: "You mean—the eldest young mistress?"

"It's her, of course."

Qin Xin stomped her feet in anger: "I don't know what kind of evil spirit she has possessed, she's always making you unhappy! You've clearly never offended her, yet she's always targeting you! She's such a narrow-minded person, she probably has too many bad intentions and doesn't use her mind for good, which is why she can't get pregnant!"

Shen Wantang glared at her: "Keep your voice down and don't talk nonsense."

Qin Xin knew that it was inappropriate to speak ill of her master, but she was indeed angry, and at this moment she looked down on Meng Yunlan's behavior.

She lowered her voice and said, "Young Madam, do you know that the eldest young master didn't stay at Jade Dew Courtyard last night? Do you know where Qiao Zhiyu went last night?"

Shen Wantang finally perked up, knowing the real show was about to begin: "Where did she go?"

Qin Xin's eyes sparkled with excitement: "She ran to the west courtyard! Oh dear, she accidentally fell into the water, but the eldest young master personally rescued her!"

Shen Wantang's eyes lit up: "Wow, she's so capable, she found out where Big Brother sleeps so quickly?"

"That's not all! She clung to the young master's leg, refusing to let him leave. Later, she cried and begged for a long time, lying to the young master that her mother was sick and asking him for one hundred taels of silver!"

Shen Wantang wasn't surprised that Qiao Zhiyu had done these things; what surprised her was, "How do you know so much detail? Has this matter already spread far and wide?"

"How could that be! Nobody in the manor knows yet. It was Fuze, the young master's servant, who secretly told me. He said that the entire Duke's manor is being watched by the young master's people, including the west courtyard."

Shen Wantang asked in surprise, "When did you become so close to Fuze? I remember that after you came in with me, you seemed to be getting closer to Jixiang, right? What, have you switched partners?"

Qin Xin blinked: "Jixiang is the young master's most trusted servant. I have indeed focused my attention on him, but I have never neglected others. Fuze has accepted my snacks several times and even a pair of new shoes! I believe that there are no unimportant people, only relationships that have not yet been used, so I never underestimate anyone."