Liu Heng's eyes were bloodshot, and he was breathing heavily.
He stared at Zhu Jiayu, his hoarse voice squeezing out from between his clenched teeth: "Zhu Jiayu...you are so ruthless...you will...you will suffer retribution!"
After he finished speaking, he began to breathe heavily again, as if those few words had exhausted all his strength.
Zhu Jiayu wasn't angry at his words; in fact, she found them rather intriguing.
If there really is such a thing as retribution, Rong Heng should have died a thousand times over by now, right?
And then there's Liu Heng right in front of me.
She rose from the hall, descended the steps, and came before Liu Heng. She scrutinized his handsome yet disheveled face for a long while before shaking her head: "I didn't realize you still believed in those two words. Then let me ask you, you tricked the Ning family into marriage and intended to poison my aunt. Aren't you afraid of retribution?"
She straightened up, stood with her hands behind her back, took a few steps toward the door, then stopped as if suddenly remembering something: "Do you know why I told my uncle that I was confident I could get you to tell the truth within five days?"
Liu Heng's eyes widened. He really didn't know why Zhu Jiayu was so confident. He was eager to know what other tricks Zhu Jiayu had up his sleeve.
Zhu Jiayu seemed to understand his feelings and didn't keep him in suspense, saying directly, "Because you will be spending the next few days in this chair, I won't let anyone torture you. The iron chain from before was just an appetizer."
"Do you know what happens when a person sits on a stool for too long?" she said slowly. "The flesh of your body will stick to your underwear, and to separate them, you'd have to tear off a layer of skin. You can't get up and move around, and over time, your legs will become extremely swollen. A perfectly healthy person could become useless just like that."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Heng began to struggle violently in his chair. Zhu Jiayu, however, had already turned cold and led the guards and attendants out of the hall, also ordering the door to be locked so that no one was allowed to approach.
"Send someone to me when he's willing to talk. Otherwise, there's no need to bring him food or water," she instructed.
Two guards stood at the door and solemnly said, "Yes."
Zhu Jiayu left the side courtyard and went to the front courtyard to find Xiao Wan.
As soon as she arrived at the front yard, Ning Han came out. He paused for a moment upon seeing her before saying, "Have you come to see your aunt?"
Zhu Jiayu nodded in response, still maintaining a respectful attitude towards him.
Ning Han already knew what had happened in the side courtyard. He felt quite conflicted about Zhu Jiayu, as the ruthlessness and cruelty Zhu Jiayu displayed were far beyond his imagination.
But thinking of Zhu Jiayu's gentleness and obedience in front of Xiao Wan, Ning Han felt that it wasn't a big deal. After all, she wasn't truly cold-hearted; the reason she treated Liu Heng that way was ultimately because Liu Heng had reached out to Xiao Wan.
This little girl, though ruthless, ultimately protects her own.
"Go ahead, your aunt was just asking why you didn't come to see her," Ning Han said with a smile.
Once Zhu Jiayu entered the house, Xiao Wan inevitably grabbed her and questioned her again.
She smiled and said, "I ran into my uncle on my way here. When I saw that he was also coming to your place, I naturally knew better than to step back. My uncle had just left when I arrived."
Xiao Wan looked at her and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're the most clever one."
While the two were talking, a servant brought over milk tea. Zhu Jiayu took a few sips and put down the teacup, leaving a ring of milk stains around his lips.
Xiao Wan's heart softened at the sight of her little niece, thinking how sweet and gentle she was, and wondering which young master she would end up with.
She took out a handkerchief and wiped Zhu Jiayu's mouth, then said, "Mother said she's planning a banquet for you in a couple of days. She wants you to remember to go to the Xiao residence early so she can introduce you to some elders."
Zhu Jiayu didn't ask which elders they were, since she would see them eventually, and she nodded obediently.
After having dinner with Xiao Wan at the mansion, Zhu Jiayu ordered the coachman to take her to Xingzhi Lane.
After she and Pan Luxiu agreed on today's arrangements, Pan Luxiu contacted the seller and prepared to pack her things in the next few days. Once the house was sold, she would take Xiaobao back to Shanyang.
"I thought I could stay a few more days, but I didn't expect a buyer to come and take a look so quickly. He was very straightforward and gave me the money right away. I was afraid he would bargain, so I deliberately asked for a higher price. But I didn't expect that he would not only not bargain, but also give me an extra twenty taels, saying it was to thank me for moving out so quickly."
After welcoming Zhu Jiayu into the courtyard, Pan Luxiu began to tell her about what had happened since she returned from the Dali Temple.
This fact is really too unexpected.
"I appreciate his straightforwardness and wanted to return the thirty taels, but he refused as if he had seen a flood or a beast. So I had no choice but to accept it. However... since he was so straightforward, I should be straightforward too. I originally planned to leave in a few days, but now I have to set off tomorrow."
Zhu Jiayu held her hand: "That's good. The sooner we return to Shanyang, the sooner we can forget the unpleasant things here."
Pan Luxiu sighed: "Actually... to be honest, I don't really feel unhappy or sad. Maybe I did at first, but now when I think of that person, I just feel unlucky. The reason I want to leave Yujing is not because this place is a sad place for me."
“Yujing is a big city, and it’s not easy to live there. I’m just a rough man with no skills or talents. Even if I were to become someone’s slave, I would only be able to barely make ends meet. It would be better to go back to Shanyang, where at least my son and I can eat and dress well. I’ll find him a private school and send him to study properly.”
Hearing her say that, Zhu Jiayu smiled and said, "Alright, I know you're a decisive person, so I won't try to persuade you. Just remember, if anything happens in the future, just have someone come to the Zhu family in Zhaohua Lane to find me. I'll be there."
Pan Luxiu patted her hand: "Me too. Although you may not need it, if you happen to pass by one day and think of me as your older sister, and are willing to come and see me, I would be very happy to do so."
She told Zhu Jiayu about her ancestral home in Shanyang, and then said nothing more, only lowering her head to continue packing her things.
Zhu Jiayu sat with her for a while, and before leaving, he left ten fifty-tael silver notes under the teapot on the table.
This was the only thing she could do for Pan Luxiu.
After she left, Pan Luxiu discovered the stack of silver notes. She clutched the notes and chased after her out of the alley, only to see the setting sun and the rustling of sycamore leaves in the autumn wind.
She stood under the withered tree for a long time until the crows returned to their nests. Only then did she lower her head, wipe away the hot tears welling up in her eyes, and turn back into the courtyard.
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