Ye Lanfeng's arrival provided Wang Xiuxiu with ample financial support.
Wang Xiuxiu gently stroked the silver notes with her fingertips, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up—with these, her move into the Gu family's pearl farm could finally be officially put on the agenda.
Ye Lanfeng is a rare and capable assistant.
He is decisive and efficient, and also very good at reading people.
Sometimes, Wang Xiuxiu only needs a glance for him to understand and handle things perfectly.
Even Wang Xiuxiu couldn't help but sigh: Although this young Marquis Ye seems unreliable, he is truly as easy to use as an extension of his own limb.
Unfortunately, he's a bit lacking in character. His habit of teasing cats and dogs in his spare time is somewhat annoying.
At the same time, the collaboration between Wang Xiuxiu and Ms. Liao was officially finalized.
The two spent the entire day in a teahouse on the outskirts of the city, and finally reached a consensus.
Miss Liao is indeed a seasoned businesswoman; she had already planted spies around Gu Linxiao and deliberately spread several false rumors.
Gu Linxiao fell into the trap as expected, and his ambition, which he had suppressed for many years, could no longer be contained.
Zisu rushed in, her face filled with anxiety: "Miss, you're incredibly insightful. Gu Linxiao has already bribed most of the managers at the pearl farm, and even replaced the night watchmen with his men. Judging from this, it seems he's about to..."
"A coup?" Wang Xiuxiu scoffed. "This guy has endured for so many years, and now he can't wait any longer."
Suddenly remembering something, she turned and asked, "Have you asked Miss Liao? How is Madam Gu doing?"
Upon hearing this, Zisu's face showed a look of disappointment: "Miss Liao went to see Madam Gu yesterday and presented all the evidence we found, but..."
Wang Xiuxiu saw through it at a glance: "Madam Gu doesn't believe me?"
"It's more than just disbelief!" Zisu stomped her feet in anger. "Madam Gu threw those account books on the ground right then and there, saying that Miss Liao was trying to sow discord between them. In the end... in the end, she even kicked Miss Liao out of the house, saying that she was never allowed to come again."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Wang Xiuxiu gazed thoughtfully out the window, when she suddenly heard Zisu hesitantly add, "So Miss Liao sent word this morning, hoping... hoping you, young lady, could try to persuade them."
"Me?" Wang Xiuxiu raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to persuade them when they can't even handle it themselves?"
Wang Xiuxiu rested her chin on her hand, her fingertips tapping lightly on the table, feeling uncertain about the situation.
Madam Gu's trust in Gu Linxiao seemed to be even more deeply rooted than they had imagined.
——
Three days later, Wang Xiuxiu's carriage stopped in front of the Gu Mansion.
She specially changed into an elegant, non-threatening moon-white dress, and only wore a white magnolia hairpin in her hair.
"Mr. Wang, you've finally arrived!" Madam Gu's personal maid, Chun Tao, had been waiting at the door for some time. Upon seeing Wang Xiuxiu, she greeted her, "Madam has been waiting for you for many days!"
Wang Xiuxiu smiled and handed over a brocade box: "The journey took a few days."
This is rouge for Miss Chuntao; I heard it's the latest jasmine scented one.
Chun Tao accepted the gift with a flattered expression, her smile becoming even more genuine: "Sir, you're too kind! Madam is waiting for you inside!"
As she walked through the winding corridors, Wang Xiuxiu secretly surveyed the increasingly desolate mansion.
The once meticulously trimmed flowers and trees now appear somewhat messy, and the paint on the pillars is peeling off.
It seems its owner hasn't taken care of it for a long time.
"I wanted to come earlier," Wang Xiuxiu said to Chuntao as they walked, "but only after Madam's matter was settled did I dare to see Madam Gu."
Chun Tao nodded knowingly: "Madam knows that you, sir, have gone to great lengths for her sake, and she is very grateful!"
As soon as she entered the house, Wang Xiuxiu was warmly embraced and seated by Madam Gu.
Compared to their last meeting, Madam Gu looked even more haggard, with obvious dark circles under her eyes that even makeup couldn't conceal.
"I brought something nice for you this time, Madam!" Wang Xiuxiu said with a smile as she opened the wooden box she carried with her.
A magnificent ivory-bone silk-embroidered round fan comes into view, with lifelike peony and butterfly patterns embroidered on the fan surface and delicate pearl tassels adorning the edges.
Madam Gu gasped in shock, her fingers trembling as she reached out to touch it but dared not.
"This...this..." she stammered, "Didn't you say it was already ordered and the new one wouldn't be ready for a while? How come it's been delivered already!"
Wang Xiuxiu gently placed the fan in Madam Gu's hand: "The new one hasn't been made yet; this is the only one available. It was given to you by an earlier guest."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu stammered, "Is...is that so..."
She stroked the fan ribs, her eyes darting around, as if she were thinking of something.
"Not only that," Wang Xiuxiu took out a small carved wooden box from her sleeve, "this guest also asked me to deliver something."
Madam Gu's hand trembled violently, and the round fan nearly slipped from her grasp. She stared at the small box, hesitating to take it.
"Doesn't Madam want to know what this is?" Wang Xiuxiu tilted her head, feigning innocence. "But I'm extremely curious!"
At Wang Xiuxiu's urging, Madam Gu finally accepted the box with trembling hands.
She took a deep breath and slowly opened it—inside lay a dark red pill.
"What is this? A pill?" Madam Gu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but her tense shoulders remained uncomfortably relaxed.
Wang Xiuxiu replied, "It doesn't seem to be an ordinary pill."
She leaned closer and lowered her voice, "It's said that this is called the Hundred Poisons Pill, which can cure a hundred kinds of poisons in the world, and this Ebony Powder is one of them."
"What...what is Ebony Powder?"
"A slow-acting poison," Wang Xiuxiu said, looking directly into Madam Gu's eyes, emphasizing each word, "As the dosage increases, the symptoms of dizziness, blurred vision, and fatigue will gradually worsen."
The fan in Madam Gu's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".
She clenched her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Wang Xiuxiu noticed that the dark spots on her wrist seemed to be more numerous than before.
"This ebony powder has a unique fragrance," Wang Xiuxiu continued, her voice soft yet unmistakable, "so it's usually blended into perfumes and circulated among the women of the inner quarters."
She glanced meaningfully at the incense burning in the room, "This medicine is quite peculiar; when the toxins accumulate, they will cause inexplicable black spots that cannot be washed off a woman's body."
Madam Gu suddenly stood up and knocked over the teacups on the coffee table.
Her hands trembled so much she could barely hold them, but she forced herself to look at Wang Xiuxiu: "I don't know... I don't know what Mr. Wang means by these words?"
"Nothing more," Wang Xiuxiu bent down to pick up the round fan from the ground, gently brushing away the dust, "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Madam Gu stood frozen in place, tears silently streaming down her face.
Wang Xiuxiu took a letter out of her bosom and placed it on the table. The envelope bore the handwriting that Madam Gu was familiar with.
"As the old folks often say," Wang Xiuxiu's voice suddenly softened, "that people who seem unkind to you on the surface aren't necessarily bad people, and people who seem kind to you on the surface aren't necessarily truly caring for you."
She placed the round fan back into Madam Gu's trembling hands. "These days I've come to some realizations. Some people's love is like a shard of porcelain wrapped in paper. The paper is so thin that even if you pretend not to know, one day you'll be pierced and bleeding profusely."
Mrs. Gu finally broke down and slumped into a chair, tears streaming down her face.
She opened the letter with trembling hands, and burst into tears after reading just the beginning.
Wang Xiuxiu stood quietly to the side, watching as this woman, who had been deceived by lies for many years, finally began to face the truth.
A gust of wind blew through the window, lifting a corner of the letter on the table.
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