Chapter 36: Reality and Illusion
"You, what did you say?!" Yanru's face changed when she heard it.
"I say, that mule and that cart, it seems they don't belong to that person." Wen Yue, who didn't know the true situation, mistakenly believed that Yanru did have feelings for her brother, and thought her behavior that day was just the strange behavior of a girl facing her lover. Unable to tie the red thread, she always looked at Yanru with a guilty look. Seeing Yanru get off a suspicious cart with an ugly man beside her, in a short moment, apology and worry urged her to grab Yanru without thinking: "Not everyone can have a mule. Only a few families in the capital can afford it. I remember that one just now. I saw it when I went to a banquet a few years ago - oh my, oh my, I was young at the time, I only remembered eating, I forgot where we went to and with whom, it's definitely not that person. This man is so ugly that he is unforgettable. I'm sure that this person was not in the host's house when I attended the banquet before."
Yanru didn't believe it: "Those mules and horses all look the same, why do they have to be owned by the family you're attending the banquet with? Couldn't they have been newly bought by his family? Couldn't they have been sold to him by the family you're attending the banquet with?"
Wen Yue was certain, "No, believe me. I've ridden in that car you just rode before. I remember the daughter of that family took me to see the lotus flowers in her pond in that car. Yes! I remember it clearly. When I got back, I asked my father to get me one. He scolded me, saying that car was very expensive and I shouldn't waste money. Tell me, even if I sold the mule, how could I sell the car used by my daughter in her boudoir? Who would want to get rid of such a person?"
Fear swept through her body, and Yanru's scalp tingled: "Really? Are you kidding me?"
"Why would I lie to you? You won't... let him bully you..." Wen Yue cautiously probed. Before she could finish her words, Yanru had already sprung backward. She was furious. She'd fought tooth and nail to secure her ticket to a life of wealth and luxury. Now that someone was saying everything she saw was fake, she couldn't wait a moment longer and vowed to confront Xue Jia immediately.
Wen Yue called the coachman to the carriage, took Yanru with him, and helped her catch up with Xue Jia. Xue Jia got out of the carriage in a daze. Miss You, who had been so delicate and adorable just a stick of incense, now glared at him with a cold brow, "Master Xue, I heard that this carriage and mule are not yours. You borrowed someone else's things to flirt with me?! Tell me! Are you lying to me?"
Xue Jia rubbed the back of his head. "Huh? What the hell? Why are you asking?"
Yanru pointed at the Wen family's carriage behind her: "My friend said so! Miss Wen! She said that this mule and this carriage are not yours! Explain clearly! Did you borrow something from someone else to trick me?"
Wen Yue, huddled in the carriage, felt a shudder as she heard Yanru confess everything. As expected, Xue Jia ignored Yanru and headed straight for the carriage. Taking advantage of everyone's inaction, he kicked the wheel, sending strands of hair flying from Wen Yue and her maidservant's hair. They huddled together, pitifully, as he listened to his outburst outside: "Wen family? Which Wen family? Come out! How can you say my mule is fake? Fuck your mother's cunt! It's just a mule these days, who would borrow a mule to flirt with a girl?"
He was furious, and the foul words he spewed out were so foul that it was hard to compete with his mouth. The Wen family's groom was afraid that he would harm his daughter, so he jumped out of the carriage and cracked the ground with his whip three times in a row, like a child catching a toad. He whipped it dozens of times and drove it to the other courtyard, forcing the frightened Xue Jia to shrink back. The Wen family's groom cursed: "Keep your mouth clean for your grandfather, you stinky fish and rotten shrimp, you have never tasted the feeling of farting in the street, and you are showing off? You are like a mad dog eating the sun, you don't know how high the sky is and how deep the earth is, right? Go out and ask your grandfather, which door of the house of the Counselor and Lord Wen opens!"
"A mere fourth-rank official, do you think I'm afraid of you? Go out and ask around, and find out who my adoptive father is." Xue Jia said this, but he didn't reveal who his adoptive father was. The Wen family's groom scanned the man, and he saw that the man, like a mad porcupine, had lost some of his arrogance. He didn't dare actually lay a hand on Wen Yue. He spat fiercely on the ground, rolled his eyes at Yanru, and then mounted his horse, taking it upon himself to escort his daughter back to the academy.
The Wen family left her without looking back. Yanru panicked: "What were you doing just now? Are you anxious? Have you been exposed? Are you going to attack my friend?!"
Xue Jia took the initiative and said, "You ask me? I gave you a hairpin and a bracelet, but it's not good enough for you? How dare you doubt me so much? You believe these nonsense? Miss You, even if you don't want my sincerity, don't trample on it like this."
Yanru was terrified when Xue Jia hinted that "if you love to marry, marry, if you don't, break up". She was afraid that the wealth that was about to be obtained would fly away, and she was also afraid that this wealth was fake. However, even if she didn't know whether the family background of the person in front of her was real or fake, the things he gave her were always good. Including Lu Zhiling and Wen Jiansheng, she had missed several men. Now she finally caught one, and she must not lose this relationship because of some unfounded words. Yanru changed her face, put on a weak attitude, and said: "Throughout the ages, which girl's marriage did not follow the orders of her parents and the words of the matchmaker. I have already secretly decided to spend my life with you, and you still say that I don't care about your sincerity and want to scare me with these words? You put on that domineering look to scare my friend. Even if she is lying, she is still my friend."
She sobbed, and Xue Jia was at a loss for what to do. Realizing he had offended someone, he repeatedly whispered in her ear to comfort and apologize. Yanru, knowing the situation, was determined to play hard to get, leaving behind a few ambiguous words and running away, covering her face.
Wen Yue returned to her own bedroom in the academy, still in shock, clinging to her maid's hand. "I've never seen anything so vulgar in my life. Good thing he scared me to death. I was really afraid he was going to charge into the car. Luckily, our Uncle Zhang was very capable. He calmed him down with three slaps of the whip."
The maidservant said, "Young lady, don't just pout. You could tie a donkey to your mouth. What's the point? Now you understand why Madam doesn't approve of our young master and Miss You. She's a traitor! We told her it was for her own good and even helped take her to be questioned. But she sold you out right away. What would you do if Uncle Zhang wasn't here?"
Wen Yue remained silent. She was too naive, a bit slow in the ways of the world, unable to discern scheming. She played with the handkerchief between her fingers. As she twirled it around her fingertips, a small worry swirled within her heart. As she pondered, Yanru knocked on her door. "Wen Yue, you're back? Are you alright?"
Wen Yue's maid was very dissatisfied: "Miss You is here? How strange! I've never heard of someone using a gun and even thinking of coming to check if it's worn out."
"It's my fault today. I was thinking of looking for him and leaving you out, which scared you. I was also going to get engaged to him. After hearing what you said, I was afraid that I had put my trust in the wrong person. Please don't be angry." Yanru apologized with a lick of her face. Connections mean money. Wen Yue's family is wealthy and has few mean minds. She must not offend this fool made of gold and jade. She cried a few times in a pretentious manner, pointed to the sky and promised to help her cut flowers and stick on a veil hat. She easily coaxed the eldest lady of the Wen family into smiling. The two of them agreed to go shopping together to buy a new veil hat after school tomorrow.
After Yanru left, Wen Yue heard the door of the other room close. He sighed softly, "I finally believed what my mother said. She said that she fell in love with my brother at first sight after seeing him and me. She was attracted to him but you didn't know it. I thought she was sincere, so I helped her meet my brother alone. Oh, I'm so stupid. Mother was right. She really didn't want to join our Wen Mansion because of my brother's character or appearance."
The maid wiped her tears with relief, "Silly girl, you finally got it for once... From the Madam to Uncle Zhang and the servants who follow you, everyone in our family has reminded you that Miss You may seem warm and cheerful, and speak gently, but in fact, she's more cunning than a monkey, with eyes that can roll to the back of her head. She's dishonest and not someone you can really get along with. And you even talked back, saying that Senior Sister Zheng from the academy is good friends with her, and that a beautiful woman with excellent character and appearance must have good taste."
"No, actually, I still think Yanru is an okay person." Wen Yue chuckled a few times embarrassedly, then said seriously, "That's right, it's really hard to believe that she likes my brother. Look at her saying that she wants to get engaged to that guy. That guy looks like a monkey carved on a broom, with no human or appearance. If Yanru really liked my brother, how could she still like him!"
[Mumbling]: Go to the cat.
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