She hung her head and remained silent.
Wei Huaixu realized he had misspoke and immediately softened his tone, "That's not what I meant, Jiaojiao, I just..."
He really couldn't bring himself to say it right away.
So he could only coax, "I misused my words just now. Given the current situation, it's best if we don't act rashly. If others see a man in your room, even if I'm mistaken for an assassin, it will damage your reputation."
"I know." Qingying still didn't really want to talk to him.
Wei Huaixu leaned closer. The light inside was so dim that he couldn't make out her expression. Although he wasn't sure what she looked like at that moment, he could sense that she wasn't very happy.
"I know I was wrong. How about you hit me, or punish me however you want? I'll accept whatever punishment you give me, okay?"
Qingying glanced at him sideways and pouted, saying, "You are His Highness the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the country. I am merely the daughter of a subject. How could I dare to lay a hand on you?"
"Why wouldn't I dare? This is a privilege I have granted you."
The word "privilege" successfully pleased Qingying. She raised her chin and said arrogantly, "Then I'll punish you by making you lose to me in every chess game from now on."
Wei Huaixu smiled, his eyes crinkling, and couldn't help but reach out and pinch her soft cheek, saying, "You're such a child... Fine, I'll lose to you for the rest of my life, okay?"
Qingying smiled too. She thought that if a man could make a lifelong promise for a girl, then he must truly love her.
"Okay, you said it yourself, you can't lie to me."
“A true man keeps his word. Besides, you yourself said that I am the crown prince of a nation. How could I possibly deceive you?”
As they were talking, a noise came from outside the window. It was the sound of something hitting the window frame. There were three sounds in total, and then it stopped.
Wei Huaixu said, "It's a code."
Then, they heard the guards shouting from outside: "It's an assassin! Catch the assassin!"
Wei Huaixu got off the bed and, before leaving, soothingly patted her hair, instructing her, "Get some rest. Be careful with that cat you keep by your side. Have someone groom its fur regularly and don't get too close to it."
"I know, you're so long-winded. You should hurry up and go, or they'll be back soon," Qingying urged him.
He quickly opened the window and left.
Qingying sat on the edge of the bed and secretly looked out. She didn't close the window, worried that he would come back if he couldn't escape, and even more worried that he would be captured as an assassin.
Fortunately, everything turned out alright. The guards returned empty-handed without catching anyone. Seeing that it was getting late, she closed the window and went back to her room to rest.
The next day, Qingying was called by Madam Pan to have breakfast together.
Upon arriving at the main hall, I was surprised to find that the second family members were also there.
"Uncle, Aunt." She stepped forward and curtsied.
The two responded, and then Madam Pan beckoned to her and said, "Shushu, come sit here with your mother."
She walked towards Madam Pan and casually asked, "Any leads on the assassin from last night?"
Liu Chengfeng, who was standing to the side, suddenly snorted coldly and said, "He's not an assassin at all, he's clearly an adulterer!"
Qingying's heart skipped a beat, and her hands, hidden under her sleeves, clenched unconsciously as she tried to maintain her composure. She asked, "What...does brother mean?"
Pan, who was standing to the side, coughed lightly, signaling Liu Chengfeng to shut up, and then said, "Shushu, sit down and have your meal first. We can talk about it later."
Qingying was feeling very uneasy, but she dared not show it on her face.
She forced herself to sit down and remain calm, but she lost her appetite throughout the meal. Her eyes lingered on the people at the table, trying to find some clues on their faces.
As she ate, she suddenly noticed that Luo, who was sitting opposite her, was not much better off, looking as if she had lost her soul.
Wang, who sat at the head of the table, was even more silent, and the whole room seemed to be shrouded in a gloomy cloud.
It's so depressing.
Qingying felt like she couldn't breathe properly.
After a grueling breakfast, Madam Wang summoned everyone to the main room and dismissed all the maids and servants.
While Qingying was confused and terrified, Madam Wang suddenly slammed her hand on the table and coldly ordered, "Kneel down!"
Qingying was so frightened that her legs went weak and she immediately bent her knees.
There was a loud "thump."
Luo knelt down.
Her leg, which was halfway bent, froze awkwardly...
"Shushu, what's wrong?" Liu Chengfeng looked over in confusion.
Qingying quickly grabbed the armrest of the chair and sat back down. "My...legs are weak..."
"I noticed you seemed distracted during the meal, and now your legs are suddenly weak and powerless. Are you feeling unwell?"
"No..." She swallowed, let out a soft breath, and said, "Perhaps I was disturbed by that assassin last night and didn't get a good rest."
Wang, sitting at the head of the table, stared at Luo and coldly rebuked her, "Look what you've done! You have no self-control, you're not a proper woman, and you've made our whole household live in fear because of you!"
Luo knelt on the ground with her head down and remained silent.
Qingying was still confused.
Liu Chengfeng said sarcastically, "Shushu doesn't know yet, does she? The assassin who caused trouble in our mansion last night came from Aunt's room."
Upon hearing this, she suddenly realized what Liu Chengfeng meant by "adulterer."
The General's Mansion did not split up. The second branch, Liu Hui's family, has always lived in the West Courtyard. In his early years, Liu Hui followed Liu Yu to fight in battles, but he accidentally broke his leg and became a cripple. Now he can only hold a sinecure in the court.
Luo has only been married into the Liu family for a little over a year. She has always been honest and dutiful, and she and Liu Hui have always treated each other with respect. How could she suddenly do such a despicable thing?
Over there, Madam Wang continued in a cold voice, "Don't think that just because you're keeping quiet I can't do anything to you. That man has already been locked in the woodshed by Feng'er. We have plenty of ways to make him talk."
She looked at Liu Chengfeng and said, "Feng'er, I'll leave this matter to you."
Liu Chengfeng agreed, "Yes, grandson will do as he says! If he refuses to talk, I will beat him until he does."
"No..." Luo finally couldn't hold back any longer.
She kowtowed deeply to Madam Wang, her voice trembling as she said, "This is entirely my fault. If you must punish someone, Madam, punish me alone. Sheng-ge is innocent."
"Heh~" Liu Hui, who had been silent all along, let out a soft snort from his throat.
Wang grabbed a teacup in anger and threw it at Luo, the porcelain cup hitting Luo's forehead and scalding hot tea all over her.
She couldn't help but flinch, unsure whether it was from fear or pain.
“Even at this point you still care about that man! You really are…” The strict etiquette of the aristocratic family made it difficult for Wang to utter those vulgar words. She could only point at Luo, both angry and annoyed, unable to say anything coherent for a long time.
As a junior, Qingying shouldn't interrupt, but Madam Pan didn't have that concern.
She spoke sternly to Madam Luo: "Luo Xiuzhen, the Liu family has treated you well! Your brother wanted to become an official, and it was my husband who introduced him to the family. Your sister was able to marry into a good family because your mother-in-law helped her. And now you are addressed as 'Second Madam' by others, all thanks to the Liu family's reputation! How can you repay kindness with enmity and do such a thing that violates the virtues of a woman and brings shame to the Liu family?!"
Luo did not argue, but simply knelt on the ground and admitted all the guilt.
This inevitably puzzled Qingying.
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