Shen Tangning's gaze swept over the two of them, her expression unreadable. She responded to Ji Wuyai's question with an attitude that was neither cold nor warm: "Thank you for your concern, Young Master Ji. My husband is doing well."
Ji Wuyai and Tang Xu exchanged a glance, noticing her aloofness and politeness. Ji Wuyai pursed his lips and hardened his heart: "Sister-in-law, why don't you hit me? You can scold me! This whole thing is my fault. If I hadn't insisted on going to see Miss Pingting, Chi Yan wouldn't have suffered this undeserved disaster..."
Tang Xu also lowered his head apologetically: "We all believe that this matter has nothing to do with Chi Yan! If we had been there at the time, maybe Chi Yan wouldn't have... In short, we are to blame!"
Their expressions were extremely sincere, and they showed no sign of guilt. Either they were truly not the ones who did it, or they had exceptional mental fortitude.
Shen Tangning examined him for a while, her face remaining calm, and her tone composed: "Whether or not Chi Yan was responsible for this, the Prefect of the Capital will definitely investigate the truth. It's getting late, you two should go back as soon as possible. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
After saying this, she walked towards the carriage on her own. Watching Shen Tangning get into the carriage, Ji Wuyai's eyes dimmed: "My sister-in-law must be resentful towards us!"
“It’s only human nature.” Tang Xu sighed. “Think about it carefully. The three of us came out together, but only Chi Yan ended up having this kind of incident. It’s hard for Miss Shen not to be angry with us.”
Ji Wuyai murmured in despair, "How could this be? I don't believe that Chi Yan forced Miss Pingting to jump into the lake and commit suicide, but... but why Chi Yan of all people? He and Miss Pingting have never met, let alone had any enmity."
Tang Xu patted his shoulder heavily: "Go back and get a good night's rest. If we want to help Chi Yan clear his name as soon as possible, we need to be on our toes."
——
"Does Miss think that Young Masters Ji and Tang are suspects?"
Xueqing had observed for a while and had figured out some of the tricks of the trade; her young mistress never spoke without a purpose.
Sitting in the carriage, Shen Tangning's expression had long since returned to its usual calm. She said thoughtfully, "At the time of the incident, both of them had alibis. Do you think this is just a coincidence?"
"From this perspective, the two of them are indeed highly suspicious. But I've heard that the two young masters and the son-in-law are quite close. How could they do such a thing?"
Xueqing still couldn't understand it. These three people had bad reputations among the young masters of prominent families in Yanjing. They would cause trouble together and be criticized together. They could barely be considered as casual acquaintances.
Logically speaking, such a friendship should be quite profound.
Shen Tangning paused, her voice tinged with a cold mockery, as if she were talking about Chi Yan, or perhaps someone else: "There are no eternal friends in this world, only eternal interests. What you consider a bond stronger than gold may be just as burdensome to others, no different from abandoning someone else."
Xueqing found her mistress's words particularly intriguing, and before she could ask any further questions, they had already arrived at the Chi residence.
She lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage first, and was stunned when she saw the grand procession at the entrance.
Shen Tangning followed closely behind and heard her voice tighten: "...Miss."
She looked up as if sensing something, and slowly raised her eyebrows.
...
"You bastard! How could our Chi family produce such a lawless and unfilial son! How am I supposed to face our ancestors?!"
In a fit of anger, the old lady scattered the teapot and teacups on the floor, the crackling sound making the room even quieter.
Madam Chi Er quietly wiped away her tears at the lower seat, while Master Chi Er remained silent with a solemn expression.
Lady Hou, with her imposing demeanor and especially cold eyes, sneered, "If it weren't for the clever gatekeeper, the Chi family would probably be the laughingstock of the entire Yanjing tomorrow, and we would still be kept in the dark!"
Chi Yue harbored deep resentment, glancing indignantly at the composed Shen Tangning, and pouted: "Second sister-in-law, this is really wrong of you! Second brother has caused such a disaster, how can you still be thinking of keeping it from us! What are you really up to?"
Chi Jingyu also frowned and glanced at Shen Tangning with a somber expression.
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