Chapter 128: Crossing the Fire Basin and Drinking the Water
Lu Yingxi had already made up her mind, "She must be pretending. I wonder how badly she's been treated! Did the doorman let her in?"
The old woman shook her head. "I followed Madam's instructions and asked the eldest daughter to step over the fire basin and drink the magic water to remove the bad luck before entering the house, so as not to disrupt your marriage. But the eldest daughter claims she is innocent and is only returning home from a trip, and she refuses to cooperate. Right now, she is confronting us at the gate, and many people are already watching. Madam, look..."
Lu Yingxi almost laughed out loud. "I was just worried about not being able to find a chance to humiliate her in public, but she took the initiative and presented herself with the opportunity! Mom, let's go and meet her!"
How could she have the nerve to confront him in front of the mansion?
Since she wanted to offer her face to them for a slap, she shouldn't blame them for being rude.
At the door of the Lu family, Lu Zhiran stood straight.
She was wearing a lilac satin double-breasted jacket with a floral pattern, and a bright red cloak with rich flowers on the outside. Her face was hidden in the fluffy fur, which made her well-proportioned figure and unparalleled beauty stand out.
At this moment, her face was calm, and her beautiful eyes were calm, revealing an awe-inspiring and inviolable coldness.
The gate of Lu's residence was crowded with people who came to watch the fun, and everyone was whispering and discussing in low voices.
Seeing that more and more people gathered around, the Lu family's doorman began to sweat profusely.
"Miss, look, there are so many people outside watching. Why don't you go into the mansion first and we can talk about it later."
Dan Yan put her hands on her hips and spat fiercely.
"My young lady doesn't want to come into the mansion? You blind bastards are going too far! You're actually asking her to jump over a fire basin and drink talisman water just to return to her own home. Who do you think you take seriously?"
The doorman smiled apologetically and said, "It's not that I want to embarrass you, but the lady has given me an order, and I have no choice but to obey."
Lu Zhiran looked at him with a clear gaze, "In that case, it's not too late to wait for mother to come and explain everything clearly before entering."
At this time, Fang and Lu Yingxi came together.
As soon as she saw Lu Zhiran, Fang raised her hand and began to wipe away her tears. "My poor sister Ran, you are finally back. You have suffered so much! If I had known you would be abducted by bandits, I should not have agreed to let you leave the city and go to the manor. You are already a second-time bride, and now you have been staying in the bandit's lair for several days. How will you ever get married in the future?"
Fang looked filled with grief, but her voice was not lowered at all, and it could be heard from far away.
Lu Yingxi's gaze fell on Lu Zhiran's face, like a poisonous snake, very vicious.
She wanted to see some trace of forced smile on Lu Zhiran's face, but she found none.
She looked even more radiant and beautiful than ever.
Not seeing the scene she had imagined, Lu Yingxi felt extremely disappointed and her face twisted slightly.
Lu Zhiran said calmly, "Mother, what do you mean by that? When was my daughter kidnapped by bandits? You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say anything you want."
Fang's expression paused slightly. She also noticed that Lu Zhiran seemed a little too calm.
What's going on?
Lu Yingxi said coldly, "Everyone knows that you were kidnapped by bandits and lost your innocence, so why do you deliberately put on a show in front of others?"
Fang reached out and grabbed Lu Zhiran, sighing, "Sister Ran, mother knows you've been humiliated, and I can't bear it, but it's already happened, and you can only accept your fate."
"It's all mother's fault. She was so worried about your safety that she reported it to the authorities. She couldn't cover up this scandal for you, but thankfully, you were rescued. As long as you're back, that's all that matters!"
She wanted to take the opportunity to lift up Lu Zhiran's sleeves to see if there were any marks left by a man on her arms, but Lu Zhiran skillfully shook them off.
"Mother, you're worrying too much. My daughter is fine and has never been kidnapped by bandits. Those rumors outside are all nonsense."
Lu Yingxi raised her voice, "How is that possible? Do you think you can cover this up by putting on this respectable outfit? We all have eyes and brains, and we won't be fooled by you so easily."
Lu Zhiran looked at her with a half-smile, "Everything must be based on evidence. Sister, you slander me with nothing. If someone doesn't know, they would think you are in cahoots with those so-called bandits!"
Fang's expression changed slightly.
In order to prevent Lu Yingxi from saying something wrong, she immediately interrupted her.
"Sister Ran, what are you talking about? Your sister also cares about you."
"I was wrongly accused of being kidnapped by bandits without any reason, and my innocence was ruined. I really cannot bear such concern."
Fang sneered, no longer playing along. "The guards who escorted you that day said it themselves, you were indeed abducted by mountain bandits. Later, the imperial court sent two thousand soldiers to suppress the bandits, and only then did they rescue you. These are all facts. When did your sister ever wrongly accuse you?"
There was a cold light in Lu Zhiran's eyes. "It seems that mother is willing to believe the words of outsiders rather than me."
Fang sighed, "Sister Ran, you've been through a sudden change and you're reluctant to face it. Mother understands, but your sister will be getting married soon. This is a huge joyous occasion and cannot be disturbed. Today, I'll have to inconvenience you. Step over this brazier and drink the talisman water to dispel your bad luck and ensure that everything goes smoothly for you in the future, and you won't encounter such misfortunes again."
Having said that, Fang signaled the servants to bring up the brazier and talisman water.
Lu Yingxi looked at her coldly, as if she was enjoying the show, waiting for her reaction.
Lu Zhiran looked at them and said, "If I don't step over this fire basin and drink this talisman water today, will I be unable to enter this door?"
Fang looked embarrassed. "Sister Ran, it's not that mother is deliberately trying to embarrass you. It's really... this scandal of yours is too unlucky. I'm afraid it will be detrimental to your sister and your father."
Lu Yingxi's eyes were sinister, and her tone was sharp. "Mother, why waste time talking to her? A woman with such a tarnished reputation shouldn't be returning to the Lu family. You've been kind to her, but she doesn't appreciate it. So why force it? Send her directly to the family temple, where she'll spend her life surrounded by the ancient Buddha and the green lanterns! Otherwise, the marriages of the other unmarried sisters in the Lu family will be affected by her, and my father's career will be hindered."
Fang pretended to reprimand Lu Yingxi, but her tone was indifferent and lacked any deterrent power.
Lu Zhiran had a half-smile on her lips. "Some people are really self-righteous. Since I can't convince you, let's wait here for father to come back and do justice."
Lu Yingxi sneered, "Since you don't mind being embarrassed, then just wait!"
Didn't she know what kind of person her father was? After such a huge scandal, her father would definitely want to banish her to the family temple. She was still naively pinning her hopes on him. It was ridiculous.
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