Xiao Xin stared at her incredulously.
Xu Rong realized something was wrong and quickly tried to salvage the situation: "What I meant was, it's so scary."
Xiao Xin looked doubtful, clearly distrusting her.
Xu Rong, with the thick skin honed by years of corporate life, ignored the failed attempt to smooth things over and, without changing her expression, gave him the card again: "Young Master Xiao, you are truly a good person."
Xiao Xin looked away, still remaining silent.
It seems like he doesn't want to talk to her anymore.
Xu Rong had already changed his mind and said, "Are you in a hurry to leave?"
Given Madam Xiao's ruthless nature in achieving her goals, it's hard to predict what will happen next if Xiao Xin disobeys her orders.
“Mrs. Wei…” Recalling Madam Xiao’s earlier words, Xu Rong pondered for a moment and guessed, “Is she your relative? Your birth mother?”
Xiao Xin's expression suddenly darkened.
Xu Rong knew she had guessed correctly.
Madam Xiao may not be unaware of Xiao Xin's temperament; she held his birth mother in her hands, which gave her the confidence that he would obey.
"Are you planning to take your mother with you?" Xu Rong asked, quite surprised.
She felt that the feasibility was very low, but Xiao Xin seemed stubborn and might actually do it.
Xiao Xin finally spoke up: "She is not my mother."
Xu Rong was taken aback: "What?"
“Don’t you know? She’s a concubine, so I can only call her Aunt.” Xiao Xin glared at her. “Calling her Mother will only bring trouble upon her.”
Xu Rong said "Oh," realizing she had made a small mistake. After all, she wasn't a native and couldn't fully integrate into these feudal dregs.
She didn't take it seriously: "It doesn't matter if someone calls out to me once or twice in private."
Xiao Xin was worried and warned her, "When we go back later, don't let it slip in front of Madam."
Xu Rong found it somewhat amusing; he had been worried she would ruin his plans. But seeing this, it seemed he was truly prepared to leave with Madam Wei, which was why he was afraid she would cause any trouble.
"you--"
Hurried footsteps came from the moon gate. Xu Rong stopped talking and turned to look.
It was Bai Fu. Her hands were empty; she hadn't retrieved any tea or snacks. A hint of urgency flickered between her delicate brows.
Xu Rong naturally stepped forward to greet him, asking with his eyes: What's wrong?
"Miss." Bai Fu called softly, glanced at Xiao Xin who was standing alone under the pavilion, tugged at Xu Rong's sleeve and pulled her outside again, then said in a whisper, "My brother is back and told me to answer your question, Miss."
Xu Rong's eyes lit up slightly; he must have gained something. What used to be a casual, impromptu sketch was now quite different.
"What did you say?"
Bai Fu's voice was tense: "My brother said that he saw Second Master Luo come out and meet someone. My brother didn't recognize that person at first, but after they parted, my brother followed them and saw that person enter the side gate of the Marquis of Changxing's mansion."
Xu Rong made up his mind and agreed.
Although Bai Fu was an inner courtyard maid, she hadn't changed her soul and knew more about the relationships between the families than Xu Rong, who was new to the place. Her lips trembled slightly, and she also sensed that this meeting was unusual: "It's just that my brother is honest and didn't dare to get too close. I don't know what they said, but I saw that person give Master Luo a purse, and the purse was bulging."
“It’s alright, your brother did a great job.” Xu Rong patted her hand encouragingly. “When you get back and have some free time, take two taels of silver from our box and give it to your brother. Don’t let his hard work go to waste.”
As the daughter of a marquis, Xu Rong had a small treasury, but as an unmarried girl, the amount in this treasury was not much. It was probably enough for her to buy cosmetics and reward the servants, but she couldn't afford to buy real property. That's why she had the idea of buying the decorations in the house when she was planning to run away.
Bai Fu was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said, "Miss, this is too much. My brother didn't do anything, so he doesn't need this much money."
"Don't rush, I still have something for your brother to do." Xu Rong lowered his head and pondered.
Bai Fu's brother's observations confirmed her suspicions, but this alone was not enough to serve as solid evidence. Given the involvement of several factions, she had to deliver a resounding blow that left them speechless.
"girl."
After a while, Xu Rong felt Bai Fu gently tugging at her sleeve, and she asked absentmindedly, "Hmm?"
"Young Master Xiao is still over there—" Bai Fu whispered a reminder.
She saw Xiao Xin turn around, and his face looked like something not to be trifled with, a far cry from the gentle and refined demeanor of the young master Xiao. Alas, her daughter was truly pitiful.
Xiao Xin was indeed getting impatient. He wasn't interested in their whispering and felt it was boring and foolish to just stand there, so he turned to leave.
Xu Rong subconsciously reached out to stop him: "Young Master Xiao, please wait."
Her outstretched hand caught Xiao Xin off guard, and he nearly collided with her chest and abdomen. Annoyed, he took two steps back and demanded, "What are you doing?"
Xu Rong hadn't really thought it through; she just had a gut feeling that he might be of some use, since she herself had very few resources at her disposal.
"You—" she thought for a moment, "Are you acquainted with Young Master Zhang from the Duke of Ying's mansion?"
Xu Huazhang was imprisoned for assaulting him. In this whole chain of events, Zhang Weiling is the person she knows the least about, yet is also the one most directly involved.
Xiao Xin remained silent for a moment, then coldly replied, "Being familiar with him is useless. Your brother broke his arm, and apart from Madam, no one can quell Grandmother's anger."
Xu Rong was not discouraged and pressed him further: "You mean, you can talk to Young Master Zhang?"
Xiao Xin frowned: "He can't make decisions at home."
Even if he could persuade Zhang Wei to be merciful and not pursue the matter, he still couldn't win over his overprotective mother.
Xu Rong understood this. Besides Zhang Weiling, there was also Madam Xiao, who was also the daughter of the Duchess of England. From the Duchess of England's perspective, she had suffered losses on both sides, and the Zhang family was determined to get their revenge.
Solving either side alone is not enough, unless—
Xu Rong had a sudden inspiration and smiled, "Young Master Xiao, I won't force you to plead for him. I only ask that you invite Young Master Zhang out for tea at a specific time, is that alright?"
Xiao Xin pursed his lips tightly, and after a long while, he spoke: "What exactly do you want to do?"
"It's just to invite Young Master Zhang for some tea and a show," Xu Rong said with a smile. "Young Master Xiao, rest assured, I will not harm Young Master Zhang, nor will I harm you. We are now in the same boat; only by working together can we achieve our goals—"
"Who's tied to you with any rope!" Xiao Xin suddenly reacted strongly, "What nonsense are you talking about, a young lady like you?"
"Okay, okay, I admit I misspoke." Xu Rong apologized immediately, his attitude very good, after asking him for a favor.
"..." Xiao Xin's expression became even more awkward and unpleasant.
Xu Rong pretended not to see it and confirmed with him, "Young Master Xiao, is it settled then? It's best if you don't intervene; just try to get Young Master Zhang to help." Without waiting for Xiao Xin's reply, she thought for a moment and asked again, "How about tomorrow? Or the day after?"
Xiao Xin said firmly, "No way. My uncle is still recovering from his arm injury and can't go out."
Xu Rong slapped her forehead. She had forgotten that Zhang Weiling's arm had only been broken for about ten days, so it certainly wouldn't heal so quickly.
Xiao Xin made his refusal clear again, saying, "He doesn't like watching plays either."
Xu Rong was not worried about this: "It's not some opera in a theater. As long as Young Master Xiao is willing to tell him, he will definitely be interested. If things go smoothly, our predicament will be solved."
...This former sister-in-law seems like a charlatan.
Xiao Xin really thought she was unreliable and wondered if she had broken her head. He didn't know what Xu Rong was like before, but she was probably not like this.
Xu Rong gently persuaded him: "Young Master Xiao, there's no harm in giving it a try. At worst, it won't work, but if it does, you won't have to run away with your mother anymore. Think about it, even if you can endure the hardships outside, what about your mother?"
Bai Fu, who hadn't heard their previous conversation, was startled: "Escape? Where to escape to? They're throwing away the family's future? They'll be expelled from the clan! And what about Young Master Xiao's birth mother—I heard that runaway concubines get caught and face legal trouble!"
Bai Fu's statement is not entirely correct, because each family may handle things differently, but the dangers they will face on this journey are self-evident.
Xiao Xin's face turned very pale.
He certainly couldn't deny these things.
He finally said, "—Five days later."
Xu Rong asked in surprise, "It won't heal in two or three days? It'll be healed in five days? Young Master Zhang's injury—"
Is it a ghost?
Xiao Xin understood her unfinished words and said calmly, "My uncle is the kind of person who can't stay still. He can only stay at home for half a month at most. After that period, no matter how closely Grandmother watches him, even if it's raining knives, he will find a way to go out for some fresh air."
Xu Rong understood; it would be much easier to lure Zhang Weiling out then. She smiled and praised, "Young Master Zhang's personality is quite wonderful."
**
After a considerable amount of time, they reached an agreement that Xiao Xin found inexplicable, and they returned to the main courtyard.
The atmosphere in the main courtyard was not good.
Madam Xu sobbed, "Next February? Why the rush? How can Rong'er live with herself?"
Madam Xiao remained unmoved and gracefully served tea: "What's the rush? After we've finished with the eldest son and Chang'er, it's time to get to the second son and the eldest daughter. I've already had the courtyard in the mansion cleared out."
Madam Xu felt a pang of pain in her heart, clutching her handkerchief and glaring. She was well aware that she had done something foolish, but she didn't know how to make it go smoothly and cleanly, nor did she know where to begin.
Madam Xiao glanced at her, not even bothering to hide the disdain in her eyes: "You're only in a hurry to marry off your daughter, but you're not in a hurry to get the young marquis out of prison as soon as possible? Let me tell you the truth, Weiling is still lying in bed and can't move. Even if I swallow my pride and go back to my parents' home to beg, it might not be of any use."
Yes, my son is still in jail!
Madam Xu's love for her daughter was overshadowed by another layer of pain. On one hand, she felt that she was having such a hard time, and on the other hand, she had no choice but to give in: "...February, then February it is. But Madam Xiao, you must keep your word and make sure that the Zhang family releases Zhang'er as soon as possible."
Madam Xiao replied dismissively, "We'll see."
Xu Rong listened attentively by the door, completely convinced.
She's not a mother at all, she's just a piece of meat that others can gnaw on however they want.
Madam Xiao turned around and spotted them. She looked them over and smiled, "You're back, so come in. What are you standing there for?"
Xu Rong went in as instructed, and Xiao Xin followed behind her. He had regained his dejected appearance, as if he owed someone eight million, or as if someone owed him eight million.
When Madam Xu saw him, she felt a pang of heartache—such a son born out of wedlock! He was not cheerful at all, and it was obvious that he had been ostracized at home. If her daughter married him, she would surely suffer the same mistreatment.
Madam Xiao was satisfied. She didn't know if Xiao Xin had listened to her orders, but Xu Rong had gone out for a stroll with a different fiancé and came back without crying or making a fuss. Her face was fair and rosy, and it was hard to fake her composure.
I heard that this girl hit her head and became confused, unable to remember many things. Perhaps her current confused state is exactly what makes her attractive to someone like Xiao Xin, which would save her a lot of trouble. However, we can't let our guard down—
Madam Xiao narrowed her eyes; no one could interfere with her son.
She beckoned Xu Rong over and asked her questions casually. Xu Rong answered what she could and smiled when she couldn't. Madam Xiao, a shrewd woman, was used to looking down on others. Seeing Xu Rong like this, she thought that Xu Rong was indeed not very bright. Her smile became more amiable, and she even took a bracelet with excellent water content from her hand and gave it to her.
Xu Rong accepted it without hesitation; she was desperately short of money.
Xiao Xin stood below, head down, wanting to roll his eyes.
She wasn't like that in the garden. She could guess everything he said. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to let her lure Zhang Weiling out in the end.
She spoke with great conviction and in a somewhat mystical tone, saying that she could solve the problem.
...I hope she really can quit.
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