Chapter 257 Caught Red-Handed
Xue Han remained silent for a long time after hearing what Uncle Xu said.
Uncle Xu kicked Xue Han's leg: "I'm asking you."
After a while, Xue Hansheng's dejected voice rang out: "Uncle Xu, if you want me to stay up all night, you can just say so."
Uncle Xu kicked Xue Han again, his tone gloating: "You're finished."
The next morning, after bidding farewell to Uncle Xu, Qiu Heng noticed that Xue Han had dark circles under his eyes.
Didn't you sleep well last night?
She was a light sleeper and didn't hear Uncle Xu snoring, so it shouldn't have affected Xue Han's sleep.
Looking at the girl whose face was as bright as the morning sun in the dawn light, Xue Han asked, "Did Aheng go to bed early last night?"
How do you manage to fall asleep?
Qiu Heng realized what was happening: "Are you worried that the old lady will find out?"
Xue Han was speechless for a moment when asked the question.
It would be abnormal not to worry, right?
"Don't worry, the old lady won't find out. I've sneaked out so many times and I've never been discovered."
Xue Han was encouraged by Qiu Heng's confidence and felt a little more at ease.
The two entered the city almost as soon as the city gates opened, traveled together for a while, and then parted ways.
"Ah Heng, are you still keeping the carrier pigeons I sent you?"
Qiu Heng nodded.
"Then send me a message by pigeon when you get back."
"good."
Qiu Heng waved goodbye and returned to the outside of the Yongqing Marquis's residence unnoticed.
At this time, the Yongqing Marquis's residence seemed to be still asleep, quiet and still. There weren't many people at the breakfast stalls set up on the street, and the day had just begun.
Qiu Heng slipped into the alley and went to the wall she often climbed over.
Inside that wall, not far from the base, there are several osmanthus trees. If you know the direction you're going to jump, you can use them to conceal your body, so that if someone happens to pass by, they won't be noticed.
Qiu Heng knew every plant and tree in the Yongqing Marquis's mansion by heart, and the easiest time for her to be discovered was when she climbed over the wall.
Looking around to make sure no one was there, Qiu Heng took a deep breath and leaped up, grabbing the top of the wall with both hands. As she had done countless times before, she first looked inside and met two pairs of eyes.
Qiu Heng loosened her grip, and the object fell back to its original position.
Inside the walls, the maid, who had been looking up, rubbed her eyes and asked her companion, "Am I seeing things? I saw the Sixth Miss!"
The companion should remain calm: "It's the Sixth Sister."
"Sixth Miss really knows how to climb over the wall here!" The maid looked incredulous, her head tilted back.
After landing, Qiu Heng rubbed her face to make sure she wasn't dreaming, then climbed over the wall again and landed in front of the two maids.
The two maids stepped back simultaneously, covering their mouths tightly.
Qiu Heng couldn't help but smile.
She was the one who climbed over the wall and got caught red-handed, so why did the two maids from Qiansong Hall react as if they were the ones who had been caught in the wrong?
Straightening her clothes, Qiu Heng calmly asked, "Did the old lady send you here?"
The two maids answered in unsteady voices, "Yes—"
"Don't be nervous." Qiu Heng took out a handful of silver melon seeds from her purse, gave a few to each person, and asked as they walked, "How did the old lady know I came in from here?"
With the silver melon seeds in hand, the two maids suddenly calmed down.
I wasn't panicked at first, but I was subconsciously nervous for Sixth Miss. Sixth Miss really hadn't returned all night and had climbed over the wall early the next morning.
Forgot that the Sixth Miss is the richest, highest-ranking, and most beloved daughter of the entire Earl's Mansion.
The maid who answered Qiuheng smiled and said, "The old lady said there are several osmanthus trees in front of this wall. If the sixth young lady climbs over the wall, she will most likely jump in from here. So she asked the two of us to keep watch here quietly early in the morning."
Another maidservant hurriedly said, "Sixth Miss, don't worry. Only Qian Songtang knows that you haven't returned."
"Is the old lady staying at Qiansong Hall or Lengxiang Residence?"
"The old lady should return to Qiansong Hall."
Qiu Heng lifted her foot and walked towards Qian Song Tang.
The two maids looked around furtively, as if afraid of being discovered.
Qiu Heng: "..."
She didn't really care whether the third branch of the family knew or not; even if they did, they couldn't do anything to her. But the two maids seemed to be under a lot of pressure, so she silently quickened her pace.
Inside Qiansong Hall, the old lady sat expressionlessly on the heated kang, a sign that a storm was brewing.
Chuncao walked over quietly and said in a low voice, "Madam, the Sixth Miss has arrived."
The old lady lifted her eyelids and scolded the head maid, "Could you please keep your voice down any more?"
Those who knew the truth were that the Sixth Miss hadn't returned home that night and had climbed over the wall to come back; those who didn't know the truth would have thought it was the old lady herself who had climbed over the wall to come back.
"Let her in!"
Chuncao went out to deliver the message, and soon Qiuheng came in accompanied by two maids.
"grandmother."
The old lady grabbed a teacup and threw it at Qiuheng's feet, shouting angrily, "You brat, you still know how to come back!"
Qiu Heng ran over quickly and hugged the old lady's arm: "Grandmother is wise. I knew I couldn't hide it from you."
"Let go!" The old lady tried to shake off Qiu Heng's hand, but couldn't.
"Sixth girl, let go of me!"
Qiu Heng tugged at the old lady's sleeve: "Grandmother, don't be impulsive. This dress of yours was made with imperial fabric. It would be such a pity to tear it."
The old lady subconsciously lowered her head, and immediately found herself unable to catch her breath.
This imperial fabric was bestowed upon the sixth daughter by the emperor, and she used it to show her respect.
"Grandmother, please let me explain."
"Fine, explain yourself!" The old lady chased everyone else out.
Even the most trusted head maid cannot be kept. What if this wretched girl says she slept with that bastard surnamed Xue for one night? Where would she put her old face then?
"When we were in the south, a tutor who had taught my granddaughter said he would come to the capital, so I asked Xue Han to look for him. Today—oh, it was yesterday—when Xue Han and I were strolling around, he told me he had made some progress, so we decided to go out of the city to see if it was the tutor. But the roads were bad, and by the time we came back, the city gates were already closed..."
After Qiu Heng finished speaking, the old lady frowned and asked, "So, which gentleman taught you those incense-making skills?"
"Yes. They say that a teacher for a day is a father for life. Although you have not formally accepted me as your disciple, you are like a father to me. Now that I have come to the capital, I would feel guilty if I did not visit you."
"Okay, let's assume this is the important thing you're doing, but you've climbed over the wall to sneak out more than once or twice, haven't you?"
Look how skillfully Fangzhou conceals himself!
He said he wouldn't bother her because it was too late when he got back, but the next day, she had her suspicions and sent someone to ask him early in the morning. He said he wasn't feeling well. Normally, she would have believed him, but could going out with a young boy be the same?
After hearing these explanations, she went to Lengxiang Residence. Fangzhou said he was afraid that the young lady would pass on her illness to her, so she pretended to believe him and returned to avoid the news that the sixth young lady had not returned all night from spreading.
"Grandma, please calm down. I promise I won't climb over the wall again. If you don't believe me, I swear—"
"What kind of oath are you making!" the old lady said angrily, poking Qiu Heng's forehead with her finger. "How did I end up with such an unlucky granddaughter like you?"
The problem is that she only brings bad luck to others, not herself!
The old lady's mind raced through the fates of various people, and she suddenly felt that there was no need to be so angry.
"From now on, you'd better use the side gate properly."
"yes."
"Also, tell Xue Han to come and propose marriage as soon as possible."
I'll go climb over the Xue family's wall later.
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