Chapter 305 Is Xiao Yeming that thug?
Back at the Lu residence, the courtyard was deserted, with only the rustling of the wind through the paulownia trees.
She staggered to the old tree, where Abao's small grave stood silently before her.
She could no longer support herself, her knees buckled, and she knelt down in the mud.
Xiao Yeming's figure appeared clearly.
That man always stood tall and straight like bamboo, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His pale complexion made his dark eyebrows and eyes stand out even more. His features were very deep, with the lines of his brow bone and nose bridge as sharp as if carved by a cold blade. He exuded a calm and composed demeanor that concealed his sharpness.
When he doesn't smile, he has a cold and aloof expression that makes people hesitant to approach him.
But his smile is completely different.
Those thin lips, always slightly pursed, would curve into a beautiful arc, and the corners of their eyes would slightly upturn, melting away any frostiness and revealing a youthful purity that was dazzlingly bright.
Her pupils were extremely dark, and when she looked at people, she was so focused that it was almost obsessive. She often made others lose their composure first, but when they met her gaze, they would look away as if they had been electrocuted, and their ears would turn suspiciously red.
Taciturn, intelligent and perceptive, reserved yet deeply affectionate.
Suddenly, she trembled.
She remembered that he always avoided looking her in the eye, his gaze always fleeting and complicated.
She recalled that his voice was always lower than usual, as if he was deliberately suppressing it.
She remembered how he willingly allowed himself to be used, yet always hid his true feelings.
She recalled how, after he confessed his feelings, he repeatedly refused to marry her, only saying "I'm sorry" over and over again.
She had considered countless possibilities before, but none of them could explain why he wouldn't marry her.
If... if he really is that lecher...
Everything became clear in an instant.
He was afraid.
He dared not.
How could he dare to marry a woman he had personally ruined?
And the source of all this suffering... this demon who ruined her life and subjected her to endless humiliation...
It could actually be this man who kept saying he loved her, who risked his life for her, and who made her feel like she could rely on him!
After that night, she went from an innocent young girl to a living hell.
The city was filled with malicious words, like poisonous arrows, piercing her body and leaving her completely wounded.
Everyone despised her as a "lost virgin" and "impure body," and there were even vulgar words from the streets calling her a "fallen willow and withered flower" and a "bad omen for the family."
Street gossip, every word piercing the heart:
"Why did you have to run into that scoundrel? It must be your own fault for behaving improperly, wandering around outside so late at night. You only have yourself to blame!"
"Since you have already lost your integrity, why not commit suicide to preserve your innocence? Living on in this world only invites criticism; you truly know nothing of shame!"
"Who knows if they were only half-heartedly complying, and seeing the strongman's bravery, they just went along with it..."
"The Lu family's reputation has been ruined by this woman! How will her sisters in the clan face any prospect of marriage in the future?"
"Any family that takes in such a woman will surely suffer misfortune! It is a great calamity!"
Shen Rongzhi took advantage of this to manipulate her, making her feel guilty and willingly stay in the Shen family as a slave to serve his parents.
She was even forced to drink abortion pills.
She endured countless scornful looks and ridicule!
Throughout the entire city of Jizhou, everyone regarded her as the subject of laughter and gossip.
When she finally arrived in the capital, Li Nian'er spread the old story again, and the whole city whispered and cursed her for being "unfaithful" and "filthy"! She endured endless filth and insults.
But what about Xiao Yeming?
When Madam Xiao tried her best to bring them together, and the entire capital was watching the marriage, he remained silent time and time again, and finally... he refused so resolutely.
He fled from her almost in a panic, as if avoiding a snake or a plague, leaving her alone to face the increasingly severe ridicule and insults.
Those people said even harsher things:
"See that? Even someone as loyal and righteous as General Xiao doesn't want her! She's truly filthy!"
"I knew it! What decent man would marry a wretch like that..."
"Fortunately, General Xiao was sober and didn't get entangled with this vixen!"
Although Meng Xi did not continue to propose marriage for the sake of the Xiao family's reputation, he quietly investigated and found that the source of the rumors was Li Nian'er, and made the evidence public.
In the end, overwhelmed with shame in front of everyone, Li Nian'er committed suicide by crashing into a stone lion.
With Li Nian'er's death, the city's foul talk suddenly subsided considerably.
At this moment, Xiao Yeming still did not step forward.
A wave of immense grief and nausea washed over me.
She suddenly bent down and burst into tears in front of Abao's cold grave.
She reached out her trembling hand and gently stroked the cold grave, as if caressing Abao's fluffy head. Her voice was broken and incoherent, filled with the last glimmer of hope, as she sobbed uncontrollably, "Abao... tell your mother... could he... could he be... the one who ruined my life... the lecherous man..."
She quickly asked, "It can't be right, can it? A single bite mark isn't enough to prove anything... Don't you think so?"
The cold wind swept through the bare branches, making a mournful sound, but no one answered.
The Grand Princess's Residence.
"Mother! Something terrible has happened!"
Yunxiu rushed into the bedchamber in a panic, "The Emperor has summoned Lu Zhaoruo! What if she makes baseless accusations?"
Linglang was leisurely pruning a potted plant when she heard this. Without even looking up, she spoke with a hint of disapproval of her daughter's overreaction: "What's the panic? The emperor is just asking questions as usual. What coherent words can a woman who has just lost her beloved pet and is mentally and physically exhausted say? She can only wail about how Abao died tragically and how Xiao Yeming was seriously injured."
She put down the golden scissors, her tone calm and unhurried: "Your punishment of the cat was a bit excessive, but you still dealt with a beast. My decision to let her stay a while to exchange embroidery skills was out of my appreciation for talent, and everyone in the capital knows that. As for Xiao Yeming..."
She snorted coldly, her phoenix eyes revealing an air of self-righteous authority: "He trespassed into the inner palace, and it is only right and proper to punish him according to the law. We are in the right in every single one of these three matters. Even if His Majesty wants to appease her, it will only be with some rewards. Would he really hold his imperial aunt and cousin accountable for such trivial matters?"
Just then, a maid entered to report that a reward had been sent from the palace as a gesture of appeasement.
Shu Linglang smiled knowingly and said to Yunxiu, "See? The Emperor's actions are precisely to appease the situation. This matter ends here."
Yunxiu was still unwilling to give up. She tugged at Shu Linlang's sleeve, her voice filled with grievance and indignation: "Mother! Is it... is it really just going to end like this? Lu Zhaoruo has harmed me to this extent. I really can't swallow this insult! Am I just going to let this go?"
Looking at her daughter's spoiled and naive nature, Shu Linlang sighed inwardly, pulled her to sit down beside her, and softened her voice: "Silly child, a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. His Majesty has just bestowed rewards and appeased us. If we make any moves now, wouldn't we be inviting suspicion?"
She gently patted Yunxiu's hand, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, a cold glint flashing within them: "Revenge isn't about acting on momentary anger. The best time is when the storm has passed and everyone has relaxed. Don't worry..."
Her tone was resolute: "I will never forget what I promised you. Lu Zhaoruo... is just a lucky ant. Let her be smug for a few more days. When times change, I will have my own ways to make her pay ten times, a hundred times the price, and get it back for you with interest!"
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