Xiao Shuer stepped forward and affectionately took Lu Ming's arm, saying with a smile, "Miss Lu, what are you saying? You're being so formal. If you want to get to know my nephew, I can help you. Why do you have to pretend to be friendly with Chang Lili?"
Yes, this is Xiao Lingshou's aunt. If you want to get to know Xiao Lingshou and build a good relationship with her, it is indeed a good choice.
“I think you should stop associating with someone as hypocritical as her. I think she even brought a gift as a pretense. Given the situation, you should refuse her gift and cut off all contact with her. Let the world know about her despicable deeds.”
As Xiao Shu'er spoke, she became more and more excited, and her feigned gentleness and dignity vanished, revealing her to be nothing more than a shrew who spewed spittle everywhere.
Lu Ming awkwardly pulled her arm away from Xiao Shu'er's embrace. She really wanted to get to know Xiao Lingshou better, and even have a more intimate relationship, but she couldn't put Chang Lili in an unjust position because of this.
Just as she was about to refuse, a woman's voice rang out: "Princess."
Bai Mei came to the two of them. When Xiao Shu'er saw her, she seemed to come to her senses and immediately put away her arrogant expression. She smiled at Lu Ming with a guilty look.
"Thank you for your advice, Princess, but I don't think I need this strategy." After saying this, Lu Ming turned to leave, feeling even more annoyed.
Bai Mei frowned upon hearing this and said, "How dare you speak so rudely to the Princess, and even dare to refer to yourself as 'I' in front of her..."
"Bai Mei!" Xiao Shu'er shouted, "You must not be rude to Miss Lu."
Bai Mei wisely shut her mouth and bowed obediently.
Lu Ming had no intention of dealing with them and simply walked out of the backyard.
Before Lu Ming could take a few steps, Xiao Shu'er had already looked at Bai Mei impatiently. Bai Mei returned a confident smile, causing Xiao Shu'er to look away, and she smiled coldly with satisfaction.
It seems that the poisonous powder, Bai Mei, has already been sprinkled on Chang Lili's body. Xiao Shu'er had gone to great lengths to find that poisonous powder.
The packet of poison powder was white, odorless, and as light as dust. It was difficult to detect when sprinkled on a person, and even if it was just sprinkled on a person, nothing would happen.
However, if a person has a wound, even a tiny bit of the poison powder will quickly seep into the bloodstream, and even a celestial being would be powerless to save them.
Before scattering the poison powder, Bai Mei hesitated and asked somewhat uneasily, "Princess, if this poison powder is scattered, anyone who comes into contact with Chang Lili may be contaminated. It's beyond our control; won't we accidentally harm someone?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shuer laughed heartily and said, "You've been with me for so many years, how can you still be so stupid? Isn't this exactly what we've been hoping for? If she herself gets poisoned, it will be a great relief. If the unlucky ones around her get poisoned, what loss will we suffer? I don't have a single person around her that I like."
Bai Mei immediately relaxed her brows and said obsequiously, "The princess is right. If something happens to someone around her, it won't be traced back to us. The blame will only fall on Chang Lili. This move is truly ingenious!"
Xiao Shuer revealed a smug yet sinister smile.
Lu Ming stepped out of the backyard, thinking to herself that Chang Lili was just ignoring her like this, and anger suddenly burned in her chest.
Could it be that she went to catch up with Xiao Lingshou? Thinking this, her face darkened.
She looked up angrily at the guests in the hall, only to find Chang Lili hurriedly following behind someone, walking through the crowd towards the gate of the mansion, looking anxious.
She felt strange and wanted to follow after her, but suddenly realized that Xiao Lingshou was chasing after Chang Lili.
Unfortunately, the crowd was huge, and Chang Lili walked very fast. He hadn't chased after her for more than a few steps when her figure disappeared in front of the mansion gate.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Lu Ming looked at the figure she longed for, forgetting her anger, and suddenly felt very sentimental.
Xiao Lingshou stood there dejectedly, looking in the direction where Chang Lili had disappeared. His tall but thin figure exuded a coldness and made him appear very lonely.
"When did she disappear? Why didn't you keep an eye on her?" Chang Lili asked anxiously as she followed Ke Shou out of the Lu residence.
Ke Shou lowered his head and said guiltily, "I happened to be away for a while at the time, and the general had something to arrange for me."
"How could the others just let her go out alone? She's so old, and the mountain roads are so difficult to walk on." Chang Lili became more and more frightened as she thought about it, and she seemed about to cry.
This was the first time Ke Shou had seen Chang Lili like this, and he said helplessly, "Miss Chang, please don't rush, get in the carriage first."
Chang Lili said urgently, "The carriage is too slow, take me there on horseback!"
Ke Shou's expression remained unchanged, but he took a few steps back, a look of panic flashing in his eyes. He cupped his hands and said, "Miss Chang, it is inappropriate for men and women to have intimate relations."
Chang Lili was taken aback by his overreaction. She paused for a moment, then snapped angrily, "You're still worrying about this? If anything happens to your mother-in-law, I won't let you off the hook!"
She strode aggressively toward Ke Shou, intending to drag him directly onto his horse.
But for every step she took forward, Mu Shou would take a step back.
Suddenly, a strong force grabbed Chang Lili's arm and pulled her up. As she stumbled, a hand wrapped around her waist and scooped her up. When she came to her senses, she was already sitting steadily on the horse's back, leaning against a broad and sturdy chest.
The familiar scent instantly filled her nostrils. The faint scent was pleasant and reassuring, and Chang Lili knew who it was without even looking.
But as she calmed down, she felt an uncontrollable pang of sadness, and her nose started to sting. She turned around with a pitiful expression, her voice trembling with tears: "My mother-in-law is gone."
Meng Yuxiu held the reins in one hand and put his arm around Chang Lili's shoulder with the other, and said softly, "It's nothing. Grandma left the restricted area on her own. She said she wanted to bring you something. There were two soldiers with her. She said she needed to relieve herself and left for a while. The soldiers didn't hear her calling and when they went to look for her, they didn't see any signs of a fight."
"What do you mean? Are you saying that your mother-in-law came out on her own... and doesn't want us to find her?" Chang Lili was a little confused.
Meng Yuxiu frowned and thought for a while before saying, "That would be for the best. But I'm afraid that someone might have been watching my mother-in-law early on and kidnapped her when no one was watching."
Upon hearing this, Chang Lili froze. The ruthless images of the assassins from the previous encounters flashed through her mind. They carried short knives and exuded murderous intent. If her mother-in-law fell into their hands, or into the hands of Xiao Shu'er or Hu Pin, she would probably have no chance of survival.
His slightly rough, warm hands pulled her into his arms, and he said gently, "If you were kidnapped, you wouldn't be in any immediate danger. Those people are after you, and they'll definitely use your mother as a bargaining chip."
Chang Lili's eyes lit up: "Yes, they will definitely threaten me. As long as my mother-in-law is alright, that's all that matters."
"Let's search the area first; things aren't at their worst yet." Meng Yuxiu pulled on the reins, and the horse galloped away.
Chang Lili nodded in his arms.
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