"Why is A Niang's Buddhist temple so busy today?"
Mother Xing said "oh" and looked at Fu Ling with a smile: "It's the Third Miss who came to see Madam."
As he was speaking, Xue Zhiyi had already walked in.
She was wearing a light yellow jacket and a turquoise skirt. The beads on the velvet flower on her head swayed gracefully, making her round almond-shaped eyes look lively and intelligent.
But as soon as she entered the room and saw the people all over the floor, she was stunned. Everyone in the room was also stunned when they saw her.
"Am I here at a bad time?"
She smiled and said, "Mom, what's wrong?"
Fu Ling's eyes dimmed slightly, and her tone remained as gentle as ever: "A dishonest maid stole a hairpin. It's not a big deal. I can just sell it later."
After these words were spoken, Youlan, who had originally given up struggling, now almost regarded Xue Zhiyi as her last straw.
She crawled to Xue Zhiyi's feet on her knees: "Miss Third! I don't have it! I don't have it!"
"Third sister!" Xue Hanshu was afraid that Youlan would say something, so she quickly interrupted him, "I didn't expect Youlan to do such a thing behind my back. I almost let down Third sister's kindness."
She spoke earnestly, with sincerity gleaming in her misty eyes.
"Is that so?" Xue Zhiyi frowned slightly, seeming hesitant.
Qiuyun handed over the golden hairpin at the right moment: "Miss, this is the one. We caught the criminal red-handed, so I think there can be no mistake."
Xue Zhiyi picked up the hairpin and looked at her for a moment: "Shu'er has always been honest and would never lie."
Upon hearing this, Youlan silently let go of the hand that was holding Xue Zhiyi's skirt, and lowered her head sadly, like a clay puppet, without any hope in her eyes.
"But..." Xue Zhiyi suddenly raised his eyebrows and smiled: "But this matter, I think it is a misunderstanding."
Youlan suddenly raised her head and looked at Xue Zhiyi in confusion.
She just smiled gently, and then turned her gaze to Xue Hanshu, which made Xue Hanshu's heart skip a beat.
"Shu'er, maybe you remembered it wrongly? This hairpin originally came in a pair. I only gave Shu'er one, and the other one is in my hand."
After saying this, she raised her hand holding the hairpin and said to Fu Ling, "Mother, this hairpin is not for Shu'er, but for my daughter. I asked Youlan to take it out with her."
Fu Ling didn't understand for a moment: "Zhiyi means..."
Xue Zhiyi handed the gold hairpin to Fu Ling and sighed with a hint of guilt, "My daughter originally wanted to give one to Shu'er and me, but last night, she accidentally dropped the hairpin and the pink tourmaline on it cracked. So I thought of having it taken back to the mansion and replaced with a new tourmaline."
Fu Ling took it and took a look. The tourmaline on it did have faint cracks.
After saying that, Xue Zhiyi said to Xue Hanshu, who was already stunned, "If Shu'er doesn't believe me, you can ask someone to go back and take a look. Is Shu'er's branch still in Qingluzhai?"
Stroking the hairpin, Fu Ling asked her, "Why don't you let someone from Jiangxuexuan handle this kind of thing?"
"Because..." Xue Zhiyi paused, "Cousin Rongxin is coming, and Zhiyi is looking forward to it so much that he asked the people at Jiangxuexuan to clean up the east wing, just waiting for cousin Rongxin to come."
Xue Zhiyi felt that he was really stupid in his previous life. There were so many cousins in the Fu family, but Fu Ling just had a special liking for Fu Rongxin. Whenever he had time, he liked to bring her to the Xue Mansion to live for some time.
How come she didn't notice?
She also eagerly opened her heart to Fu Rongxin and treated her as a sister. However, she didn't know that Fu Rongxin was treating her as a fake who had taken over her position and was wholeheartedly hoping for her death.
In this life, she was looking forward to Fu Rongxin's arrival and was busy preparing a generous gift for her.
She was really looking forward to seeing Fu Rongxin...
Recovering her thoughts, she continued, "So my daughter's men couldn't spare the time, and since Youlan was free, they sent her on."
Fu Ling obviously didn't believe it completely. She asked, "Even so, why does Youlan have to hide it?"
At this point, Xue Zhiyi lowered his head and muttered like a child who had made a mistake: "It was my daughter who told her not to tell. Mother always told me to be more cautious. I was worried that if Mother knew, she would think I was reckless, so I casually told Youlan to cover up for me. Who knew Youlan was such a simple-minded person, she would not say anything even if she was about to be sold out."
Xue Zhiyi, however, took her hand and started to act coquettishly: "Mother, it's all my fault. Please don't blame Youlan, okay? I won't be so reckless again in the future."
Fu Ling almost instinctively wanted to shake off Xue Zhiyi's hand, but fortunately she stopped in time. She glanced at Xue Zhiyi, who was puffing up his face and giggling, and Youlan, who was kneeling on the ground and had not had time to wipe her tears.
Finally, he sighed helplessly: "Forget it, forget it, now that everything has been explained, why sell her out again? It's pitiful."
Outside, Fu Ling is always so compassionate and understanding, just like a living Buddha.
But Xue Zhiyi knew that Fu Ling's blood was cold, the kind that was bone-chilling, but she always liked to show hypocrisy to others and deceive herself with hypocrisy. After a long time, she was afraid that even she herself believed that she was really like that.
Xue Zhiyi smiled and looked at Xue Hanshu: "So Shu'er, don't blame Youlan. It's all Third Sister's fault. She made you misunderstand."
Xue Hanshu felt extremely guilty at the moment. How could she not know whether the gold hairpin was hers or Xue Zhiyi's?
It was obvious that Xue Zhiyi knew all about this, and everything he said was a lie to help Youlan out of trouble.
She also tried to make amends: "Third sister, Shu'er really didn't sell the gold hairpin that third sister gave her."
Xue Zhiyi's smile deepened: "Third sister knows."
Xue Hanshu was stunned, the corners of his mouth seemed to be stuck with glue. He moved slightly but couldn't say anything.
Tears were streaming down Youlan's face. She knelt on the ground, looking up at Xue Zhiyi with a devout and earnest gaze, as if she were looking at a goddess.
Qiuyun took the opportunity to help up Youlan, who was covered in injuries.
"Alright." Fu Ling was already exhausted from all the torment. "Now that the truth is out, Si Niang, take the man back."
After saying yes, Xue Hanshu stood up.
Looking at Youlan again, Xue Hanshu's expression changed slightly, and she forced a stiff smile on her lips: "It was just a misunderstanding. I'm sorry you've been wronged. Youlan, let's go."
Youlan just lowered her head and hunched her chest. Her expression could not be seen clearly, and no one knew what she was thinking. She just stood up and took her leave, then supported the limping Xue Hanshu as they left the Buddhist temple.
The two servants also retreated angrily, leaving only Mother Xing and Fu Ling and Xue Zhiyi, mother and daughter, in the room.
But it was obvious that Fu Ling didn't really want to see her, so he asked, "Zhiyi, what brings you here?"
Xue Zhiyi sat down next to Fu Ling as usual. "I came here to ask Mother. Mother said a few days ago that she would take a few cousins from the Fu family to visit for a while. I wonder when they will come? I can't wait to meet cousin Rongxin."
Upon hearing this, Fu Ling's expression darkened: "Your cousins can't come for the time being."
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