"Young lady, are you alright?"
The aunt from the palace took out a handkerchief to wipe Han Lingxi's clothes while anxiously asking, "If Miss Cui gets frightened and something bad happens, we'll lose our lives too."
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Han Lingxi felt sorry for her because her face was pale with fright, so she gently comforted her.
Another aunt had already taken a cloak and draped it over Han Lingxi before escorting her back to her own courtyard.
"I...I'm not me."
Seeing this scene, Cui Shuying was at a loss. After all, she was just a teenage girl. Things were developing in a direction that deviated from her expectations, and she was completely at a loss.
"Take the young lady away."
It was only thanks to the intervention of the Cui family patriarch that Cui Shuying's situation was prevented from becoming even worse.
Upon hearing Master Cui's words, Han Lingxi stopped walking out and said gently.
"That maid didn't do it on purpose, so please don't pursue the matter further, sir. Yiran wasn't injured."
Han Lingxi's words seemed to be pleading for the maid, but in reality, she was telling others that it wasn't that maid who poured the hot soup on her.
The only people involved in this matter are the maid and Cui Shuying. If it's not the maid, then it must be Cui Shuying. Although others might make this connection, they wouldn't think that Han Lingxi deliberately wanted to kick Cui Shuying while she was hurt. Instead, they would think that Han Lingxi was kind for pleading for a maid despite being injured.
When Han Lingxi returned to her courtyard, her aunt breathed a sigh of relief after a thorough examination. Han Lingxi's arm was only slightly red, and there was no serious injury. Applying some burn ointment would be enough, and it wouldn't leave a scar.
Han Lingxi was not surprised by this result. Since it was Cui Shuying's doing, why would she let herself get hurt and scarred?
She didn't know what happened after Han Lingxi left. She only knew that Master Cui had sent a lot of tonics. According to her maid Pingdie, after the clansmen left, the master ordered the servants to keep quiet. Anyone who dared to spread the word would be beaten to death.
Pingdie was very angry when she said this. Cui Shuying deliberately hurt her young lady, and then just scolded her and let it go so easily. It was really too much.
Han Lingxi patiently comforted Pingdie, telling her not to be angry. Pingdie looked at her good-natured mistress and was a little annoyed by her lack of self-control.
Pingdie was picked up by Han Lingxi on the road when she arrived in Qinghe from Lingnan. Although she was a bit impatient, she was loyal to her. Another maid, Pingxue, was arranged by Mi Hang. Although she knew that Pingxue would not harm her, it was hard for anyone to be sincere with someone who obeyed others. Therefore, Han Lingxi was more lenient with Pingdie.
In fact, Han Lingxi wasn't a saint who didn't care at all about others harming her. She wasn't angry simply because she knew that Master Cui's actions were useless. There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Even if the servants didn't say anything, there were so many clansmen present at the time, so it was hard to guarantee that others wouldn't talk.
Sure enough, within a few days, rumors spread that Cui Shuying wanted to disfigure her cousin with hot soup because she was jealous of her cousin's beauty, and that Cui Yiran, being kind-hearted, spoke up to save the scapegoat maid.
Enraged, Cui Shuying smashed all the porcelain in the room and even beat and scolded several maids. She only calmed down after being reprimanded by Madam Cui.
Han Lingxi's arm burns were not very serious. Compared to her previous injuries, they were insignificant. However, her two aunts did not know that Han Lingxi used to be a bodyguard, so they were always very careful about her injuries.
This book was first published on Canghai Literature Network. Please do not reproduce it!
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