"Xiao Lan?"
Xiang Wan ignored the shocked Qin Rong and turned to look at the maid Xiao Lan. This maid had been by Qin Rong's side since childhood and was indeed loyal to her mistress, but whether such loyalty was worthwhile was worth considering.
"Second Miss." Xiao Lan's eyes flickered with panic for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
"There were three of you when you went out. Why did Xiaozhu and Xiaomei disappear? Instead of telling us, you went to find your own master. What are you up to?"
"I was just thinking that my young lady is familiar with the environment, and perhaps we can find Xiaozhu and Xiaomei together."
Xiao Lan wasn't stumped by Xiang Wan's question; her answer was fairly standard and, under normal circumstances, not wrong.
"The pastry shop is right next door, why turn into a secluded alley?"
"This servant...this servant..." Xiao Lan hadn't expected Xiang Wan to ask such a question, and couldn't help but glance at Qin Rong.
"You did this on purpose!" Xiang Wan blocked her view and shouted at her sharply.
"No, no, my young lady asked me to go buy something." In her haste, Xiaolan hurriedly made up an excuse.
"You're lying!" Xiaozhu stood angrily in front of Xiaolan, pointing her finger at her forehead. "You clearly said that the last pastry shop was far away, and Xiaomei and I wanted to go back. You said we could take a shortcut and get back in time, so we went with you."
“That’s right, I can testify too!” Xiaomei stepped forward, her expression resolute.
Xiao Lan suddenly sat down on the ground, looking at Qin Rong with a pleading expression. Qin Rong, however, seemed to stare wide-eyed in disbelief, shaking her head, tears streaming down her face. After a long while, she lowered her eyes and stopped looking at Xiao Lan.
"Xiao Lan, how could you say that? I've always treated you well."
Qin Rong's words rang out like a murmur, but everyone present heard them. Xiao Lan's eyes widened, looking as if she had been struck by lightning, staring at Qin Rong in disbelief.
"I have no idea where the pastry shop is," Xiang Wan said, leaning down in a voice only Xiao Lan could hear.
Xiao Lan seemed not to hear, staring blankly at Qin Rong.
“Xiao Lan, we grew up together and are like sisters. Now that this has happened, I…I…Don’t worry, no matter what happens today, as long as I’m here, I will definitely treat your parents well.”
Seeing Xiaolan stunned, Qin Rong's eyes flashed with a hint of pity, but then hardened. As if unwilling to see Xiaolan sitting on the ground, she helped her up and wiped her sweat with a handkerchief. If Xiang Wan hadn't been watching her closely, she probably wouldn't have noticed that Qin Rong was gripping Xiaolan's hand so tightly that her nails seemed to be digging into her skin.
Xiao Lan stared blankly at Qin Rong until the pain from Qin Rong's grip brought her back to her senses. Her eyes flickered, then she resignedly patted Qin Rong's hand gently before pulling her arm away.
"Second Miss, this has nothing to do with my mistress. It was my own idea to go to a shop further away to buy some things. I was afraid that Xiaozhu and Xiaomei would not agree, so I lied. I am willing to accept the punishment."
“You accept the punishment? How many lives do you have to accept it? Xiaozhu and Xiaomei are lucky to have escaped this calamity. If something had happened to them, even killing you wouldn't have been a pity.”
Xiang Wan understood perfectly well that Qin Rong was using Xiao Lan's parents as leverage, and the entire conspiracy behind it had been framed by a maid, leaving Xiang Wan completely uninvolved. Xiao Lan was the key to this tactic of sacrificing a pawn to save the king. Once Xiao Lan confessed, Qin Rong would certainly not let her off the hook, but unfortunately, the maid still thought it was just a matter of accepting punishment.
"What your young lady did won't have happened to her, but if you admit it, you'll have no way out. Are you sure you want to die for your young lady?"
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