Wei Shuyao pursed her lips, momentarily speechless, still unable to figure out where she had gone wrong. She had clearly seen the man with her own eyes, and had even ordered her trusted maid and servant to stand guard at the courtyard gate and outside. Even if that man could fly away like a wildcat, leaping over the wall, the people outside should have seen him. Besides, Cai Die had been constantly pestering Wei Shuwan inside, giving the man no chance to escape.
But how could the person have disappeared? And where did the cat come from?
Could it be...? Could it be...?
Wei Shuyao turned to look at Wei Shuwan in disbelief: "Is he a cat demon?"
Wei Shuwan raised her hand to lightly cover her lips, laughing so hard she was shaking: "Fourth Sister has been reading too many ghost stories and monster tales, she can't distinguish between fantasy and reality anymore."
The maids and servants outside the door and windows had been trying hard to suppress their laughter for a long time, but now they finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing a few times!
Ever since they saw the Fourth Sister rushing off to catch her husband in adultery, only to find she'd only caught a stray cat, they'd felt embarrassed for her. Now, with her uttering the words "cat demon," they couldn't help but begin to doubt her sanity.
"Shuyao!"
Hearing the familiar voice outside the door, Wei Shuyao turned her head and saw several old women and maids making way for Meng Shi to come over.
What's going on?
Meng's gaze swept between the Wei sisters, Wei Shuwan and Wei Shuyao, then looked at Du Xun and Cai Die beside her, and finally swept over the crowd watching the spectacle outside, her brows furrowing deeply.
Just as Wei Shuyao was feeling frustrated that no one here believed her, she saw her mother arrive and suddenly felt like she had found a backer. She said aggrievedly, "Mother, I saw with my own eyes today that there was a man hiding in my third sister's room, right in that wardrobe!"
As she spoke, she pointed to the wardrobe with its door open, her gaze still filled with resentment.
"Wei Shuyao, you're spouting nonsense to slander my innocence. Do you even remember that you're standing on our land, living in our house, and eating our food?!"
Even if Wei Shuwan was calm inside, she still had to show some temper at this moment.
Wei Shuyao, however, felt no remorse whatsoever. Instead, she spoke her mind: "You keep saying that everything belongs to your second branch, but where did your second branch come from? Second Uncle clearly has no blood relation to the Wei family, yet he still relied on the Wei family's provisions to get married and start his own business. Even if the second branch's business is no longer related to the ancestral property, without the Wei family's provisions to raise Second Uncle, would he have been able to marry, have children, and start a business from birth?!"
"Smack—"
As Wei Shuyao's voice fell, a slap landed on her right cheek. Wei Shuwan's eyes were filled with coldness and contempt, and her words were firm and resolute:
"According to the Wei family precepts, any descendant of the Wei family who dares to openly slander or criticize their elders shall be punished by the family law as a warning!"
Originally, Madam Meng was furious to see her daughter get slapped, but she was intimidated by Wei Shuwan's stern and righteous demeanor and almost joined in to lecture her daughter.
Wei Shuyao couldn't stand it and raised her hand to retaliate. Wei Shuwan was also prepared and raised her hand to block the attack the moment Wei Shuyao raised her hand. However, Wei Shuyao's hand didn't fall and was firmly grabbed by another hand in mid-air.
That was Du Xun's hand. Wei Shuyao's face stung with pain. Seeing Du Xun stop her, she felt even more aggrieved and looked like she was about to cry.
However, Du Xun, who had been silent for a long time, remained unmoved and launched into a tirade: "Enough! You had your maid trick me into coming here just to see how you frame and slander Third Sister? Not long ago, your Wei family was unjustly imprisoned, and you yourself nearly died after eating food that had been tampered with. You should know better than anyone what it feels like to be framed and unable to defend yourself, yet you turn around and falsely accuse your own sisters, you..."
"You are a wicked woman! From this day forward, we are no longer friends."
Du Xun forcefully shook off Wei Shuyao's arm and angrily turned and left.
Wei Shuyao watched as the hem of her dress disappeared through the door. She wanted to chase after him and explain, but she lacked the courage. She understood that for a gentleman like Du Xun to say such things, he was determined to sever ties with her.
From that moment on, they would never be strangers again.
Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. Wei Shuyao no longer cared about Wei Shuwan's affairs, nor did she want to avenge that slap. She collapsed and slid to the ground like an eel.
Meng and Caizhu quickly pulled her up and led her away from Fuquxuan amidst the mocking and ridiculing gazes of the crowd.
Now that she was gone, the commotion was over. Before Zi Qiao and Miao Xiang could chase her away, the maids and servants all gave Wei Shuwan a farewell bow and returned to their respective courtyards.
Of course, they would also vividly recount what had just happened to people in other departments.
After everyone had left and Miaoxiang closed the door, Ziqiao looked around and quietly asked, "Miss, where is the young prince?"
There were always Wei Shuyao's men guarding the courtyard gate and outside the wall, so Zi Qiao naturally guessed that the Little Qiao Chuan King was still in this room.
Wei Shuwan didn't speak, but slowly raised her face to look at Pingqi above her head.
As night deepened, and given that she had intentionally extinguished the few candles high in the tree, the lamps were now shrouded in a faint, dim yellow light, making them difficult to see clearly.
Ziqiao and Miaoxiang immediately understood and raised their heads, looking at Chengchen with the same reverence as if they were waiting for a god to descend.
Immediately, a figure floated down from the painted beam and landed on the ground; who else could it be but the young Prince Qiaochuan?
Zi Qiao was quite perceptive. She bowed to the young Prince Qiao Chuan and then tactfully said, "This servant will go out and keep watch first. Miss, you and the young prince can talk for a while."
After saying that, he pulled Miaoxiang along, and the two quickly retreated.
Li Qingchen looked at Wei Shuwan, their eyes met briefly, and he said with some guilt, "I was careless today and someone caught me doing something wrong."
He was usually extremely vigilant, even in the Prince's mansion he would notice everyone who came near him, but today he was stared at through the window for a long time by a woman who had no lightness skills whatsoever, and he didn't notice her at all.
Li Qingchen let out a faint sigh of frustration. An answer lingered in his mind, but it was one he was unwilling to admit.
Was I too focused on listening to someone speak?
Wei Shuwan didn't blame him at all, and took the initiative to defend him: "Everyone makes mistakes, and even horses stumble. The young prince is not omnipotent, so there's no need to blame yourself. Besides, you came here today to remind my uncle about his visit."
Although these words were meant to excuse himself, Li Qingchen found them unpleasant to hear. He was not at all willing to be seen as a clumsy fool or a stupid horse that had made a mistake in the eyes of his young mistress.
So she quickly changed the subject and suddenly asked, "By the way, is the incense you promised to make for me last time ready?"
Wei Shuwan was taken aback at first, and then unconsciously lowered her gaze to the sachet at Li Qingchen's waist.
The sachet that was deflated last time is now quite bulging, clearly indicating that he has filled it with something he likes. Therefore, the incense I carefully blended seems somewhat superfluous.
She shook her head and lied, "Not yet."
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