Ich verkaufe meine Kleidung und kaufe etwas Wein, den ich mit dir trinken kann

Kapitel 58

"Sister Qingyang, don't worry, I'm not here to persuade you." Xiuyu turned me around and stared seriously into my eyes. "I always thought you were a brave, kind, and reasonable girl. I never expected you to be a cowardly, cruel, and unreasonable person."

"Xiuyu?!" I was stunned—what had I done to offend her?!

“Did I say something wrong? When I suffered misfortune, you were the one who reached out to me in time. You told me to face reality bravely, move on from the past, and live a strong life.” She held my hand and said softly but firmly, “But look at yourself. When you discovered that Jiang Da Xia had betrayed you, you didn’t even have the courage to confront him face to face. You chose to run away and become a deserter. Just because you were afraid of facing failure! What is this if not cowardice?”

"I..." I opened my mouth, but found myself speechless—she was right, I was indeed afraid of hearing Huaiyuan tell me that he liked Rumei, which was why I didn't go directly to Huaiyuan to confirm—but, could what I saw with my own eyes be wrong?!

"After you chose to leave without saying goodbye, recklessly hurting Master Jiang, you weren't satisfied. You even left a suicide note to torment your beloved, plunging him into an abyss of unbearable pain and self-blame. What is this if not cruel?!" Xiuyu's large eyes were filled with undeniable reproach. "Of course, I can understand how utterly devastated you felt back then, because I've been through it too! But precisely because of that, it's even more unacceptable..."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by leaving a suicide note to torment him?!" I raised my hand, interrupting Xiuyu's long-winded explanation. "Did I leave a will? Or did I say I was going to die?! I just chose to leave!"—Could it be that Huaiyuan showed that handkerchief to everyone? At this thought, I suddenly looked up angrily at Xiuyu.

"I'm sorry, I was cleaning that day and found a handkerchief on the floor. I picked it up and looked at it. Later, Master Jiang came to ask me for it. Please don't blame him," Xiuyu explained calmly.

"Do you know how helpless and pitiful Jiang Daxia looked during those days, frantically searching for you on every road leading to Bianjing with that handkerchief in his hand? He had no clue whatsoever, and could only gamble that you were coming to the capital to find your sworn brother, but he wasn't even sure if you could actually make it to Bianjing! To search for an idiot in the vast sea of people who might not even know where he'll end up next, what kind of torment is that?!" Xiuyu's face was filled with indignation, and I trembled with fear as I listened—was my behavior really that bad?

"How do you know? You didn't even know him back then. These are all just your wild imaginations." I stammered as I retorted, my voice so weak that even I felt guilty.

“Xiuyu didn’t lie to you.” Wufeng walked in silently, looking at me with a complicated expression. “That period was the most painful time I’ve ever seen Brother Jiang. His calmness, his wisdom, his shrewdness, his pride… it seems like you took all of it away.”

"He finally ran into me and knew you had arrived safely in Bianjing, but before we could even meet, you suddenly disappeared again." At this point, Xiuyu couldn't help but chuckle, glancing at me sideways and shaking her head helplessly. "Sister Qingyang, your 'Invisible Form' lightness skill is truly masterful! It caused everyone to practically turn Bianjing upside down!"

"That's Zhao Gou's fault, it wasn't my intention." I muttered softly, head down.

"Yes, that's all Prince Kang's fault. But who was it that ignored Prince Kang's pleas and insisted on going to the battlefield?" Xiuyu looked at me with a mocking smile in her bright eyes. "And who was it that refused to forgive and hated the deception, causing Brother Jiang to be so close to you yet afraid to acknowledge you? I'm afraid that in a fit of anger you would really run off to marry a barbarian and become a barbarian's wife?!"

I blushed crimson from her teasing, gritted my teeth, and remained silent, inwardly cursing Jiang Mohui to the core—you Jiang Mohui, you didn't say a word to me, but you come to all of you and pour out your grievances, saying so many bad things about me? What do you mean? Are you deliberately trying to ruin my image so you can shirk your responsibility?!

"To be honest, it might have been unbearable when I first saw it. But more than four months have passed. Knowing Jiang Daxia as you do, Sister Qingyang, haven't you ever had any doubts during this time?" Xiuyu looked at me in confusion. "Do you really believe that Jiang Daxia is the kind of man who is unfaithful and irresponsible? Anyone with eyes can see his feelings for you. How come you have no confidence at all? Have you not considered how much of a blow it is to him that you judged him guilty without even asking him?"

“How would I know? He never told me,” I stated softly.

"Is that even a question?!" Xiuyu exclaimed, her elegant demeanor completely shattered. "Do you really think that feelings expressed with words are more reassuring than those expressed from the heart?! I can't believe it..."

"Xiuyu, stop talking." Huaiyuan had entered at some point. He gently shook his head, stopping Xiuyu from her next speech. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have hit her."

Wu Feng sighed softly and pulled Xiu Yu away. Xiu Yu reached the door, then suddenly turned back and made a face at me, her smile strangely enigmatic. "Sister Qingyang, do you know what the biggest news in the martial world is these past two days? Everyone's speculating about who this amazing person is who actually managed to beat the Heartless Swordsman Jiang Mo Hui so badly that his head was bleeding, hehe!"

Suddenly, a rush of heat shot to my head, and my face burned red. I glared fiercely at Xiuyu—that heartless, treacherous, womanizing bastard who hadn't uttered a single word in my defense from beginning to end, siding entirely with the Jiang family! If I had known this would happen, I would never have bothered with this whole thing!

"Qing'er, I'm sorry." Huaiyuan looked exhausted and pleaded with me.

"You're really something! You acted all innocent and obedient in front of me, not saying a word in your defense. So all you ever do is stab people in the back?!" I vented all my anger on him.

"I didn't, I didn't say a single word to them, really!" Huaiyuan protested repeatedly. "Don't you even know that?!"

"I don't care about anything else, but how did they know about what happened in Cizhou?" I pressed him relentlessly—humph! Let's see how you try to deny it!

"Well, uh, it seems like you were the one who told Butler Zhou this yourself," Huaiyuan reminded me cautiously, putting on an innocent expression as if it really had nothing to do with me.

"Okay, even if that person could be someone else in disguise, how do you explain that jade?" I took a breath, determined to resolve my doubts once and for all.

"What jade?" Huaiyuan asked, looking completely bewildered.

“That day, I saw you being intimate with Rumei, and later you even personally gave her the jade I saw in your study.” I looked up, staring directly into his eyes. “I didn’t believe it at first, which is why I asked you for the jade. But you couldn’t produce it at all!”

"You mean this jade?" Unexpectedly, Huaiyuan immediately pulled out the 'culprit' from his person and handed it to me. "Are you sure you're not mistaken?!"

"Yes, that's it." I nodded firmly. Since I'd already started, I might as well get to the bottom of it. "You said that wasn't you, so where did you go that day? Why weren't you waiting for me at Ryoutein Temple after receiving my letter?!"

"I've been waiting for you in the yard, but you clearly didn't come." Huaiyuan raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Where did you see them together?"

"Of course it's in your room! Where else would it be? I heard Rumei's voice, so I hid behind the door. She didn't see me." Now, I also found it strange.

"Impossible. I've been standing at the gate waiting for you. I could spot you the moment you arrived." At this point, Huaiyuan suddenly glanced at me suspiciously. "Are you lost again? Did you go to the wrong place?"

"No way! Your place is so close, how could I get lost?!" I retorted loudly. Under his suspicious gaze, I shrank back and reluctantly told the truth, "I was indeed a little confused when I got to that intersection, but I've recalled what happened that night countless times—I remember very clearly that I looked at the road signs and followed them to Liaotingyuan. I definitely wouldn't have gone the wrong way."

"I see." Huaiyuan pondered for a moment, then revealed a look of sudden realization, followed by a cold smile, his gaze as icy and penetrating. "I originally thought it was just a small misunderstanding, something that could be resolved quickly. Now it seems this was a carefully crafted trap, exploiting your weaknesses. If I, Jiang Mohui, don't find this person, how can I face his painstaking efforts...?!"

[Volume 4, Finale: Chapter 2, Holding a Candle in the Still of the Night]

"What do you mean by a trap specifically designed for me?" I was more and more confused—who would be so bored as to create such a misunderstanding? What would they gain from it?!

"You may not know this, but the overall design of our Jingyou Manor is symmetrical. That is to say, the basic structure of Liaoting Courtyard and Chuifeng Pavilion is the same, only the furnishings are slightly different according to the preferences of the residents." Huaiyuan's narrowed eyes flashed with a cold light. "My residence has always been very simple, so it is very easy to imitate. As for the road signs, that is even easier, just swap the two."

"Isn't the person living in Chuifeng Pavilion the most suspicious? He can't be that stupid, can he?" I wondered—could things be that simple?!

"No one lives in Chuifeng Pavilion. Of the four courtyards near Liaoting Courtyard, only you and I live there. The others are empty," Huaiyuan answered calmly. "I don't like being disturbed, so I've never arranged for anyone else to live near my residence." —No wonder I've lived here for so long and never encountered anyone else nearby!

"But, besides you, no one else...?" I was about to say that no one else knew except Huaiyuan when I suddenly remembered that I had told Xiaofeng something when she asked me about the wrong handkerchief that day. A sudden shock struck me—could it be her? No wonder her eyes darted around that day, avoiding my gaze. I thought she was frightened by my expression, but it turned out she was just feeling guilty!

Huaiyuan didn't notice the change in my expression. He just frowned and pondered, "However, this matter is inextricably linked to the people living in our village! Originally, I had a suspect in mind, but..." He looked up at me and paused before continuing as if he had made a great decision, "However, because of Rumei's pregnancy, she has been cleared of suspicion, which makes me have to reconsider."

"Rumei is pregnant?!" I was utterly shocked—actually, among the young men staying at the villa at the time, Lu Jianfeng was the most suspicious—not only was he similar in height to Huaiyuan, but they also looked somewhat alike. Didn't I mistake him for someone else when I first saw his back on the boat?! Most importantly, I always felt that he harbored some inexplicable hostility towards Huaiyuan. But he's Rumei's older brother, so how could he possibly do such a thing to Rumei? Sigh! It's all a tangled mess, I can't make sense of it.

“Yes, so Grandpa arranged for her to stay in Jiangning.” Huaiyuan glanced at me with concern and quickly continued, “The most important thing now is to find out the origin of that fake jade as soon as possible.”

“But, in my opinion, that piece of jade doesn’t look fake at all, in terms of color, texture, shape, pattern, carving skills, etc.! Otherwise, with Ru Mei’s sharp eyes, she wouldn’t have missed it for so long, would she?!” I shook my head slightly—although that night was a little far away, I still had confidence in my eyes.

"Really? If that's the case, then things have taken a turn for the better. Perhaps some things I wasn't sure about did happen." Huaiyuan smiled thoughtfully. "This is getting more and more interesting. But overall, Rumei's pregnancy was supposed to be a troublesome matter, but now it seems to be working in our favor. I will definitely get to the bottom of this."

What does "originally troublesome, now advantageous" mean? I didn't understand, so I chose to remain silent, only looking at him with a slightly judgmental gaze—his expression was so calm, it was obvious that the child in Rumei's belly was not his.

"Sigh! Qing'er, do you still not believe me?" Clearly, Huaiyuan misunderstood my silence—his brows were furrowed, and his handsome face was full of helplessness.

I quietly reached out and pulled him closer, gently stroking his brow to smooth out the wrinkles. I lightly brushed aside the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing a thin scar. I pouted slightly and couldn't help but mutter softly, "Fool, why didn't you move away? That should have been so easy for you!"

Huaiyuan's dark eyes shone brightly, his smile as dazzling as the stars. "If I didn't do this, would I be able to quell your anger? My young lady, now that my face is ruined, you must take full responsibility!" Meeting my coquettish yet slightly ashamed gaze, his expression turned serious, and he stared at me intently. "Xiuyu, there's something you said today that really hit the nail on the head—your 'Shadowless' lightness skill is truly unparalleled! Promise me you'll never use that move again, okay?!"