Chapter 37 Questioning
"What is this smell?!"
She hurriedly dropped the sachet in her hand and took a step back.
The servant wasn't afraid of this at all. He quickly stepped forward, picked up the sachet, and opened it to reveal the medicinal herbs inside.
The sachet was exquisitely made, with two layers. One layer contained ordinary spices to mask the scent, while the other layer contained a small pinch of pink powder.
"This, this smells really good, I can't smell anything wrong with it..."
He then had the other servants smell it, and they came to the same conclusion.
Qi Wenyue was somewhat annoyed, and these servants naturally had no chance to know what it was.
She was ignorant before; she barged into the Imperial Concubine's palace and secretly opened the incense box to play with it. She only found out after interrogating the palace maid.
The pink powder has a unique honey fragrance from the Western Regions, and its production is extremely limited. Although there is only a little, it is enough to stir one's emotions.
How could such a filthy thing possibly be something Yuyao wore close to her body?!
"Fine, perhaps I can smell the stench on you. Keep your things safe!"
She glanced at Xiao Yuxuan, who was behaving herself, and felt a lump in her throat.
No, she had to ask Lin Chuanxu! She absolutely had to find out what was going on!
Qi Wenyue glared at Xiao Yuxuan, then led a large group of people away.
Xiao Yuxuan stood there watching them leave, wondering what scent the sachet contained that could make Qi Wenyue look so unhappy.
It seems that this was the reason why Xiao Yuyao was sent back to the Xiao family by the Fourth Prince in her previous life. This time, because Xiao Yuxuan was keeping a close eye on her, she not only didn't have a chance to use it, but was also caught red-handed by Qi Wenyue.
In the guest room where he was resting, Lin Chuanxu had changed into dry clothes and was waiting in bed for the doctor and ginger soup to be brought over.
In April, the wind on the mountain was still a bit chilly, and the lake water, which was formed by the convergence of mountain streams, was even colder. He hadn't been soaking in it for long, but he still caught a chill.
"Princess Wenyue, what brings you here? I haven't even put on my coat yet!"
He hurriedly crawled under the covers, breaking out in a cold sweat from fright.
Oh no! Princess Wen Yue and Xiao Yu Yao are such good friends, she's here to interrogate them!
Qi Wenyue didn't care about anything else and barged in like a wild boar that had just come down from the mountain. Qi Huan followed closely behind and gave Lin Chuanxu a reassuring look.
"What happened by the waterside pavilion just now? Tell me every single word!"
Qi Wenyue's eyebrows furrowed, but Lin Chuanxu seemed not to hear her and simply shrank deeper into the blankets.
How could he dare to say it!
What fourth prince, eldest cousin... his two cousins' words were more and more frightening than anything else; he wished he hadn't heard a thing!
Since he knew that saying anything would offend people anyway, he decided to pretend he was deaf and dumb.
"Princess, you have frightened Young Master Lin."
Qi Huan sat to one side, also curious about what had happened by the waterside pavilion, but he knew that Qi Wenyue's pressing attitude would definitely not get him the answer he wanted.
"Then I'll ask, and you answer yes or no!"
Qi Wenyue was used to being tough, and her expression at this moment was anything but gentle; she still looked like she was waiting to see what would happen if she didn't say anything.
Qi Huan added, "Young Master Lin, if you don't want to talk about it, you can choose not to answer."
Lin Chuanxu paused, then nodded hesitantly.
"Did Yuyao lose this sachet?"
Lin Chuanxu nodded; he had witnessed it with his own eyes.
Qi Wenyue bit her lip, still unwilling to give up, and asked again:
"Did Xiao Yuxuan push Yuyao into the water?!"
Lin Chuanxu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head frantically.
If we really investigate, Xiao Yuyao fell into the water because she suddenly realized his existence, scared herself, and that's why she fell in.
Recalling Xiao Yuxuan's indifferent expression when facing the drowning person, and her calmly saying that this was Yuyao's fate... he had no doubt that if he were to falsely accuse her now, she would also watch him die with the same expressionless face.
That cousin Yu Xuan is absolutely terrifying!
Qi Wenyue's brows were so tightly furrowed they could trap a fly. Could it really be that Xiao Yuxuan didn't harm Yuyao, and that it was all a misunderstanding, an accident?
But thinking of the honey powder in the sachet, she said impatiently:
"Besides the three of you, is there anyone else nearby?"
She didn't believe that thing belonged to Yuyao. Either she was unaware of it, or someone was definitely trying to harm her!
Lin Chuanxu was uncertain and looked at Qi Huan.
Qi Huan stood up and said:
"Alright, since we can't get any information out of him, let's go out and not disturb Young Master Lin's rest."
Lin Chuanxu nodded gratefully, wishing they would leave as soon as possible.
Qi Wenyue was furious at his pathetic appearance. The thought that he had saved Yuyao today, witnessed by so many people, and that Yuyao might very well marry this scoundrel in the future made her feel even more heartbroken!
The two left the guest room and walked a distance before Qi Wenyue said angrily:
"Brother Qi Huan, Yu Yao might be marrying that good-for-nothing Lin Chuanxu! Aren't you worried?"
Qi Huan's expression remained unchanged, even showing a hint of surprise:
"Wen Yue, do you know what you're saying?"
"Miss Xiao's marriage is a matter for her parents to decide. How can we interfere? Besides, Miss Xiao and I are friends of the highest order. Why should I be anxious about her getting married?"
It's true that he likes beautiful women, but he only likes women whose family background is worthy of him and who are pure and innocent.
Xiao Yuyao, he used to think she was alright, but now that she is neither a biological daughter of the Xiao family nor a virgin because she fell into the water and had intimate relations with another man, how could he possibly waste his time on such a girl?
However, her younger sister, the newly found fifth daughter of the Xiao family, seems to be even more beautiful than Xiao Yuyao...
He was preoccupied with Xiao Yuxuan, so of course he didn't care about Xiao Yuyao's life or death at this moment, since it wouldn't concern him in the future anyway.
Qi Wenyue looked at her brother in disbelief, almost thinking she had misheard.
"Brother Qi Huan! Could it be that you... never..."
She was, after all, just a young woman of marriageable age, and it was difficult for her to say such things to a man. She was so anxious that her eyes turned red.
"Fine, fine, I thought Brother Qi Huan was a good man, but I didn't expect him to be just like those heartless men in those storybooks! Yu Yao's feelings have all been misplaced!"
Duke Huan of Qi was already a seasoned veteran, having dabbled in countless women without ever getting attached, yet he still feigned ignorance:
"Wen Yue, what you're saying confuses me even more. Did you catch a chill from the wind? I'll summon the imperial physician for you—"
"snort!"
Qi Wenyue stomped her foot and quickly walked away.
Qi Huan crossed his arms and watched the person walk away leisurely, without intending to chase after them.
Uncle Duan was injured and has been barely clinging to life all these years. He's practically a cripple. If it weren't for the fact that he had to pretend to be on good terms with Qi Wenyue in front of others and give them the appearance of royal leniency and benevolence, he wouldn't bother associating with this willful fool.
On the other hand, with this incident at the poetry gathering, everyone lost their enthusiasm and most people dispersed and went home.
Xiao Yuxuan is also facing questioning from Xiao Min.
After hearing the whole story, Xiao Min rubbed his temples.
"Why is it that nothing good ever happens when Yuyao is with you?! It was the same last time..."
"Young Master Xiao, be careful what you say."
A male voice suddenly rang out, and Xiao Yuxuan looked up, following the sound—
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