Chapter 191 Dong Rou stumbles upon a shameful affair
Upon hearing this, many of the ladies present felt a strange sense of awe, and even felt ashamed of themselves.
Lu Zhaoruo finally fixed her gaze on Geng Qionghua, whose face was ashen: "Madam Meng invited me here today simply to continue using me, to maintain the dignity of your Meng family, and even to try to get me to speak for your family in front of the officials."
She was resolute and showed no mercy: "Sorry, I, Lu Zhaoruo, cannot do that."
"Today, I would like to make myself clear in front of all the ladies: although I, Lu Zhaoruo, and Geng Qionghua have had dealings in the past, we have never been close friends. From now on, we will have no further connection with each other!"
Geng Qionghua staggered back a step, her whole body weak, and she only managed to stay upright thanks to the strong support of her maid.
Everything she had painstakingly built, the dignity she relied on to maintain, was torn to shreds by Lu Zhaoruo at this moment, leaving not even the last shred of fig leaf behind.
I thought I could turn my life around with her help.
But.
Yet she uttered such humiliating words.
The light was dim behind a carved sandalwood screen on one side.
A man dressed in a cloud-gray robe sat languidly in a chair, a few loose strands of hair falling down his neck, his hair casually tied up in a bun with a dark ebony hairpin.
His face was pale and handsome to the point of being almost eerie, with a sense of detachment and weariness in his eyes that showed indifference to everything.
It was Meng Xi, the eldest son of the Meng family.
He heard every word of the heated argument that had just taken place in the front hall.
When Lu Zhaoruo said "self-reliance and self-sufficiency" in a resounding voice, Meng Xi, whose eyelashes were originally half-closed, suddenly lifted them, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He recalled witnessing her courage and quick wit in Jizhou City.
At that time, he only felt that this woman was meticulous and efficient, and all her actions were nothing more than trying to climb the social ladder.
He always despised such "scheming" and even sneered that she took the initiative to seek him out and offer him gifts, probably because she also wanted to use him as a stepping stone.
Strangely, she never tried to curry favor with him, and she had little interest in even glancing at him.
This unusual occurrence caused cracks in his initial conclusions.
At this moment, listening to her words, Meng Xi suddenly felt that, standing in her helpless situation with a cliff behind her, that "scheming" and that desire to "climb higher" were nothing more than a survival instinct forced out by a desperate situation.
If I were in her shoes, I might not have been able to do it as decently or openly as she did.
A complex emotion swept through my heart.
He still disliked scheming and calculating, but he couldn't help but feel a genuine respect for the woman in front of him who openly displayed her ambitions and earned them with real ability.
As Lu Zhao decisively severed ties with Geng Qionghua, he muttered to himself, "She's so resolute... I underestimated her back then. Interesting, very interesting."
Chang Hong, who was standing beside him, was already so excited that his eyes were shining. He tried his best to lower his voice: "Young Master! Madam Lu is no ordinary person! She has courage, boldness, and quick wit! Now it seems that my judgment was correct!"
Chang Hong changed the subject, looking at Meng Xi with understanding and admiration: "No wonder you, sir, remained silent after returning from Jizhou, even though you already knew about Shen Rongzhi's survival, Madam Lu's smashing of the memorial arch, and her lawsuit against her husband's family. You were waiting for today's exhilarating show, to see her personally tear off the hypocritical mask of the stepmother?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Xi did not deny it. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his deep phoenix eyes peering through the gap in the screen at the composed figure in the hall once more.
Chang Hong couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration: "Incredible, truly incredible... Such courage and spirit are rare, not to mention women, even among men..."
"like?"
Meng Xi did not turn his head, but continued to look outside the screen, his voice as cold as a chilling spring, coldly cutting off his words.
He didn't even glance at Chang Hong, his tone flat and emotionless: "Perfect. She's now free to marry as she sees fit. If you're interested, I'll act as matchmaker and help you marry her. What do you say?"
Upon hearing this, Chang Hong shuddered, his admiration freezing on his face. He hurriedly bowed and lowered his head, not daring to look at the hall again. He said awkwardly, "My lord, please don't tease me! How could I, a mere nobody, dare to have such presumptuous thoughts? A person like Madam Lu is like the bright moon in the sky, shining with her own clear light. In this world... I'm afraid there are few men who can truly stand shoulder to shoulder with her, let alone be 'matched' with her."
After hearing this, Meng Xi snorted softly and said nothing more.
He turned his gaze back to the hall, a barely perceptible ripple passing through his deep eyes.
If I were a man like myself, would I be worthy of her?
The thought flashed through his mind, and just then, he caught sight of a figure rushing towards him from outside the hall, who whispered, "Another big show is about to begin."
Just then, Geng Qionghua's personal maid, Yang, appeared in a panic at the entrance of the hall. She staggered, her face filled with fear, but her eyes quickly scanned the entire room.
Finally, she rushed in, knelt down with a thud, and cried out, "Mistress! Something terrible has happened! In the backyard...something terrible has occurred in the backyard!"
This cry instantly shattered the delicate tension in the hall.
All eyes were on them.
Geng Qionghua was still upset about Lu Zhaoruo's matter. Seeing her maidservant behaving so rudely, she scolded her sharply: "Granny Yang! How can you shout and yell in front of such an important guest!"
She suppressed her anger and asked with a frown, "What exactly happened?"
Granny Yang seemed frightened, shrinking her neck as she replied, "It was...it was that wretched maid Aru! She...she used some trick to lure the drunken master into her own room! To do such a shameful thing in broad daylight, she has utterly disgraced the Meng family!"
She glanced at Lu Zhaoruo almost imperceptibly, her voice rising: "What's even more coincidental is... this shameful affair was caught red-handed by Miss Dongrou, who's always by Madam Lu's side! Now the whole backyard is in an uproar!"
These words caused an uproar in the hall!
The ladies exchanged glances filled with shock, disdain, and a knowing look.
While it's not uncommon for a maid to have an affair with her master in her own room, it's a huge scandal to be caught so openly and exposed at a banquet with many guests!
What's even more intriguing is that it was actually Lu Zhaoruo's maid who stumbled upon this!
Whispers arose immediately:
"Tsk tsk, they say it was a maid who seduced him, but who knows if it was Lord Meng who came looking for him himself..."
"That's right. It takes two to tango. If Aru had no confidence, how could she have been so audacious?"
"That makes sense. Who can say for sure whether it was a maid climbing into bed or the master having an affair? It's just that the reputation of the Meng family has been completely ruined today."
As Geng Qionghua listened to these unvarnished discussions, she felt a rush of blood to her head, her vision blurred, and her whole body trembled slightly.
Not only was she utterly humiliated, but her husband's official reputation and the Meng family's good name were also trampled into the mud at this moment.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoruo was filled with surprise and doubt.
Dong Rou was just going to change her clothes, how could she have stumbled upon such an embarrassing incident?
This matter is too strange; there's probably more to it than meets the eye.
At this moment, Geng Qionghua was trembling with rage, completely disregarding any semblance of dignity or composure.
She suddenly stood up, knocking over the teacups on the table. The cups and plates crashed with a loud "crash," and broken porcelain and tea splashed all over the floor.
She ignored everything, her face ashen, and angrily stormed off to the backyard.
The ladies present exchanged glances, their curiosity burning, but it was inappropriate to go and witness such sordid affairs of other people's homes.
So they all found excuses, whispered among themselves, and left.
Jiang glanced back at Lu Zhaoruo, gritted her teeth, and left as well.
Lu Zhaoruo was the only exception.
Her personal maid, Dongrou, was currently embroiled in trouble, and for both reason and emotion, she had to be there to find out what was going on.
She straightened her sleeves slightly, her expression calm, and then walked towards the backyard.
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