Chapter 96 A Good Match
Xiao Su immediately dropped the stick, his eyes burning with anxiety. Before the maid could continue speaking, he lifted his robe and strode after her.
Xiao Jue lay on the ground, sweating profusely from the pain, but he still insisted on crawling out.
While still taking care of Madam Xiao, Li's mother felt a chill in her heart when she saw that the father and son were so focused on the Fourth Miss that they couldn't even take care of the Madam.
The flower hall in the Xiao family mansion where guests are received.
The Dai family members remained seated in the hall, their expressions unchanged, as if they were still at home.
"Lord Dai, it is truly unfortunate. The fourth young lady of the household has not been in good health. The master, mistress, and eldest young master have all gone to visit her. It seems they will not have time to entertain you all today. Please go home first."
The steward of the Xiao family had a wrinkled face as he explained with a forced smile.
The person who came from the Dai family was Dai Shangshu's son, Dai Cheng's father, a minor official of low rank, along with several uncles and brothers.
Including the time spent confronting the Xiao family members, I've already been drinking tea at their house for over two hours.
However, they still showed no sign of leaving, insisting that the Xiao family give an explanation—that Xiao Jue reveal the identity of the girl with whom he had secretly pledged his life to him.
Things have escalated to this point, so the marriage is definitely off. But since the Xiao family was unrighteous first, they have nothing to lose and will make sure the Xiao family is utterly disgraced in the capital!
"Really? You'd throw away your eldest son's future for an adopted daughter?"
Dai Cheng has not been in the capital for long and is not particularly close to the Dai family. However, they serve in the same court as the Xiao family. If the young lady is humiliated by having her engagement broken off and does not retaliate, wouldn't she become the laughing stock of the entire capital?
Dai Cheng's brother slammed the teacup lid down with a "bang" and let out a cold laugh:
"Xiao Jue won't have a moment's peace until he reveals whose daughter she is. I have plenty of time. You've treated our girl so badly, and you still want to let this go? No way!"
"And they call it mutual affection? In my opinion, they're just adulterers, despicable creatures who have slept together without a matchmaker! They think they can get away unscathed? Not so easy!"
The Dai brothers' words became increasingly offensive, and Butler Xiao broke out in a cold sweat, unable to utter a single rebuttal.
It's understandable that the eldest son was upset about what he did.
Putting ourselves in their shoes, if it were a girl from the Xiao family, like the fourth daughter, who did this right before her wedding, the Xiao family would be furious too.
Let alone something as simple as harassing someone at their doorstep, they might do even more outrageous things.
"Why must you speak so harshly, Young Master Dai? Love is the most unpredictable thing. Our young master is simply destined to be with the young lady of your household but not to be together."
Butler Xiao offered a few dry rebuttals, but the Dai family wouldn't listen, remaining seated firmly in their armchairs, as steady as Mount Tai.
The Dai family wouldn't let it go, so Steward Xiao had no choice but to go to Baozhen Courtyard again.
Baozhenyuan.
Xiao Yuyao had already been rescued from the white silk by the maid. Now she lay on the bed, weak and listless, with tear stains on her face, looking pitiful.
"Fourth Miss, why are you so upset? The Dai family has agreed to annul the engagement, and you and the eldest young master can be together forever. Isn't that a good thing?"
The maid didn't understand. Since the Fourth Miss and the Eldest Young Master had long been in love, why were they acting like they were about to die?
Xiao Yuyao's disgust for Xiao Jue had almost reached its peak, but the tears on her face flowed even more fiercely.
“My feelings for my elder brother are indeed overwhelming, but how could I ruin his marriage? Sister Dai is such a good person… I’m so sorry to her. I’ve thought it through, and I will never have anything to do with my elder brother again. This is something I owe my elder brother and Sister Dai, and I need to atone for it…”
Xiao Jue was helped to the bedroom door, where he heard a heart-wrenching confession.
He gritted his teeth and endured the pain, pushed the servant aside, and opened the door himself before walking in.
"Yuyao, don't cry."
Xiao Su had already been summoned by the steward to deal with the Dai family's affairs, and Madam Xiao was still being treated by Doctor Pei with acupuncture. Now that the two of them were together, they looked like a pair of star-crossed lovers forced to separate.
His wounds were bleeding, and he looked much worse off than Xiao Yuyao. Yet, his handsome face was filled with a stubborn and resilient expression, as if he were using his injuries as a symbol of his defiance against fate.
When Xiao Yuyao saw him come in, she tried her best to suppress her displeasure, and turned her head away from him while shedding tears.
"Brother, you should leave. I have sworn never to have anything to do with you again in this life. You are destined to be with someone better. I am not worthy of you."
"Yuyao, what nonsense are you talking about? You are the only one in my heart, why would I need any marriage?!"
Xiao Jue felt a mix of heartache and bitterness, tormenting him as if his heart was being scratched by a hundred claws.
If he had known that his rash decision to break off the engagement would cause Yu Yao to react this way, he shouldn't have gone. He could have just married the Dai family girl as a decoration, as long as Yu Yao was the only one in his heart.
Seeing that Xiao Jue was about to approach, Xiao Yuyao sneered inwardly, and her words became even more intense:
"Big brother, don't come any closer! If you come any closer, I'll... I'll kill myself right here!"
"Okay, okay, I won't go, I won't go, don't do anything foolish!"
Xiao Jue waved his hands repeatedly, took two steps back in a panic, and almost knocked over the flower stand next to him.
His love had nowhere to be expressed, and could only burn ever more intensely in his heart.
After a long while, Xiao Jue finally calmed down and said in a controlled voice:
“Yuyao, I understand what you mean. Don’t worry, I will never let you suffer from these rumors, nor will I let you be wronged again. I will explain to Father and Mother that those letters were just my wishful thinking and have nothing to do with you.”
Xiao Yuyao silently shed tears, her fingers gripping the blankets loosening slightly.
All her hard work was worth it; Xiao Jue was smart enough to understand her meaning.
When she heard the word "letter," she felt dizzy and her chest trembled so badly that she almost vomited blood.
It turns out that those letters exchanged with Xiao Jue that they thought had been "dealt with" were actually preserved intact!
That wretched Caihe, the things I was asked to clean up back then, she actually hid them away and they've become the weapon she uses against me today!
And that handkerchief wrapped around the letter!
She clearly remembered that it was the handkerchief she had used to bandage Shi Qi's hand wound. Why was Caihe using it to wrap the letter?
If it weren't for that handkerchief, it would be difficult to determine from the left-handed handwriting that it was her own.
Given that Shi Qi had been expelled from the girls' school some time ago, Xiao Yuyao was filled with doubts, and all sorts of ominous guesses swirled in her mind.
But at this moment, dealing with Xiao Jue and appeasing the Xiao family is the most important thing.
Fortunately, she quickly regained consciousness after fainting. After some internal reflection, she realized that in order to connect her initial reaction, she had staged this scene of self-blame, guilt, and suicidal thoughts.
Those few fools didn't suspect anything, but Xiao Jue finally used his brain and figured out the crux of the matter.
"Brother, you should go and heal your wounds first. Father hit you so hard, does it hurt?"
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