Апрель

Глава 48

"Master, the matter is clear. It must be that the bandit failed to kidnap the young lady and is now trying to frame our Jiyu Manor!" someone immediately said.

Shen Chen raised his hand to stop him and continued to ask, "Miss, when you woke up, was there anyone else besides you?"

Zhao Yan shook her head, "Apart from the maid, there is no one else."

"Has the young lady remembered it clearly?" Shen Chen asked.

Zhao Yan thought for a moment and said, "There was nothing in that room except candles. I am absolutely sure I am not mistaken."

Xiao Xiao was stunned into silence. The secret passage contained nothing but candles? Impossible! There should have been Gu worms or walking corpses at least. And… she looked up at Mo Yun's expression; what Zhao Yan said was definitely not true!

Tsk, all the evidence was burned to the ground, leaving no way to testify. This clearly meant they were planning to prevent her and Xiaoxi from testifying... Could it be that Zhao Yan...

"It seems that someone is indeed trying to frame my Jiyu Manor," Shen Chen said, frowning.

"Don't worry, Master. That notorious bandit Yin Xiao has committed countless evils and deserves to be punished by everyone. Now he has committed such a shameless act as kidnapping a young girl. We will do everything in our power to capture him and bring him to justice!" someone said indignantly.

Immediately, public sentiment was agitated.

Shen Chen stood up, signaling everyone to calm down. "Our Jiyu Manor has never made any enemies in the martial arts world, so how did we provoke such vicious people? There must be something fishy about this matter, and we need to investigate it thoroughly. We are law-abiding businessmen, so let's report to the authorities first and discuss this further."

"What the master says is very true," the crowd agreed.

"Alright, this young lady has been frightened. Let her rest well," the old lady said with a sigh.

Everyone nodded immediately and left.

Only Xiaoxiao, Mo Yun, and Zhao Yan remained in the room.

Mo Yun hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Why did you lie..."

Zhao Yan glanced at him, then turned to look at the maid standing by the bed. She recognized Xiao Xiao at a glance, and her eyes immediately lit up with surprise, but then she smiled and reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Which of my statements was a lie? Could Young Master Mo Yun please tell me?" Zhao Yan asked, gently stroking her hair.

Mo Yun frowned, unable to refute.

Zhao Yan threw back the covers, stood up, walked to Xiao Xiao, and bowed, "Miss Zuo."

Xiao Xiao was terrified and took several steps back.

Zhao Yan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Miss Zuo, you don't also think this servant is lying, do you?"

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao glanced at Mo Yun. "Me? I'm just here to work. I don't know anything!" she said immediately.

"Work?" Zhao Yan smiled faintly.

Xiao Xiao nodded. "Yes, yes, thirty coins a day. Ah, what are your instructions, Miss Zhao? I'm here on the orders of the head steward to take care of you!"

Zhao Yan nodded. "That's good. However, as a disciple of the 'Ghost Master,' Miss Zuo should be even more aware of her own status."

Xiao Xiao immediately recognized this as a threat. Zhao Yan had also been in the tunnel at Hero's Fortress that day, and with Zhao Yan's cunning, she must have seen through the charade that had become real. However, the fact that someone dared to threaten her to her face meant they knew she couldn't possibly kill them to silence them.

Zhao Yan glanced at Mo Yun. The only reason was undoubtedly this young master Mo Yun. Zhao Yan had already calculated that even if someone wanted to kill her, Mo Yun would definitely protect her. Such confidence was chilling.

Xiao sighed softly. She looked at the two people in front of her. Well, one was a wolf, and the other clearly knew the other was a wolf, yet still protected them unconditionally. What a combination! It seemed that if she offended Zhao Yan, she would definitely be "cracked" out by Mo Yun. Ah... survival was the priority, survival was the priority.

"Young Master Mo Yun, could you please leave? This humble servant wishes to rest," Zhao Yan said expressionlessly.

Mo Yun wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent and walked out.

"Miss Zuo, this servant can take care of herself. Please leave as well." Zhao Yan gave her another order to leave.

Xiao Xiao felt as if she had been granted a pardon and ran away without looking back.

...

She rushed back to her room and bumped into Lian Zhao.

Oh no! I forgot he was still there! I was caught in a dilemma, but I couldn't avoid it, so I had no choice but to go over there.

Lian Zhao sat by the doorway and heard footsteps. He looked up and, upon seeing who it was, a smile instantly appeared in his eyes.

“Xiaoxiao.” He stood up and said.

She nodded slightly, unsure what expression to make.

"Xiaoxiao, are you alright?" Lian Zhao asked with concern. "I didn't know my own strength earlier, did I hurt you?"

She shook her head slightly and watched him quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me that your uncle asked you to do something so dangerous?" Lian Zhao's tone was slightly reproachful.

Xiao Xiao smiled. "If there's a next time, I'll tell you." After she finished speaking, she reached out to help him up. "I was startled by you, and I wasn't careful when I attacked. Is your wound alright?"

Lian Zhao shook his head. "It's good that you're alright."

For some reason, Xiao Xiao remembered the taste of dried plums—just that sour, just that bitter. But she could only swallow it; she couldn't spit it out.

“Lian Zhao,” Xiao Xiao said, looking at him, “Actually, you don’t have to be so nice to me.”

Lian Zhao didn't understand why she suddenly said that, and couldn't help but feel a little nervous, "Xiao Xiao, what did you say..."

Xiao Xiao smiled slightly, "Lian Zhao, why did you marry me?"

Lian Zhao paused for a moment, hesitated, and then said softly, "We've already been intimate, isn't that just the way things are?"

"So, on that day, no matter who the girl in bed is, you will marry her, right?" Xiao Xiao asked with a smile.

Lian Zhao looked at her in confusion and remained silent.

"Is that right?" Xiaoxiao asked again.

Although Lian Zhao was puzzled, he nodded nonetheless.

When she saw him nod, Xiao Xiao felt a little helpless. Yes, she knew from the beginning. To Lian Zhao, this was perfectly natural. If a woman's reputation was ruined, she had to take responsibility. Whoever that person was, she would receive his care and tenderness. It wasn't about love, but simply about duty and morality…

“Lian Zhao…” Xiao Xiao sighed and laughed, “Are you really willing to marry a girl you don’t like?”

Lian Zhao looked bewildered, unsure how to answer.

"Even if you could, have you asked me if I was willing to marry you?" Xiao Xiao asked with a smile.

When she finished speaking, Lian Zhao's confusion turned into bewilderment. "Xiao Xiao, did I do something wrong and make you angry?"

She shook her head slightly, her expression sincere and gentle. "You didn't do anything wrong, I was the one who was wrong." She smiled helplessly. "It's chilly at night, let me help you back to rest!" After she finished speaking, she took Lian Zhao's hand and started walking.

Lian Zhao didn't know what to say, so he could only follow silently.

They walked in silence until they reached the courtyard where the servants lived, but before they even reached the gate, they heard someone calling out.

"Brother Li!"

Looking up slightly, she saw Lianbao, the maidservant of the eldest daughter of the Shen family.

Lianbao ran over in a few steps and said, "You're finally back. Miss heard that you were fighting with someone in the main hall and was a little worried, so she specifically asked me to come and check on you. Now that you're alright, I'll go back and report."

After she finished speaking, she ran away in a few quick steps, leaving Lian Zhao and Xiao Xiao standing there, stunned.

Lian Zhao was a little embarrassed and was about to say something when Xiao Xiao chuckled and said, "Wow, Miss really cares about you. Speaking of which, you showed off in front of the old lady again this time. Be careful you don't end up being married off!"

Lian Zhao frowned. "I already said that's not true."

"Hehe..." Xiao Xiao laughed carefree, "You should get some rest, I still have to take care of Miss Zhao."

After she finished speaking, she let go of his hand and ran away.

Lian Zhao stood there, stunned, unsure what to do. He watched the small figure run away and murmured to himself, "Willingly...willing..."

...

She ran around for a while and got a little tired. She slowed down and walked back to her room, but as soon as she entered, she was startled.

Yin Xiao sat leisurely at the table, holding a teacup and sipping tea with a smile. Yue Huaixi, on the other hand, held a fan and diligently fanned himself.

"Oh, so you've decided to come back." Yin Xiao put down his teacup and glanced at her.

Xiao Xiao stiffly said, "Yin...no...Brother Qi..."

Yin Xiao nodded in satisfaction, then extended a finger and beckoned.

Xiao Xiao obediently walked over and fawned, "What do you need?"

Silver Owl pointed to his shoulder.

Xiao Xiao immediately understood and reached out to massage his shoulders.

"Hmm, not bad, I'll tip you later," Silver Owl said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Yue Huaixi fanned even more attentively, "Sir, is there enough tea? Would you like some more?"

"Hmm, Xiaoxi is so understanding. Then add some more." Yinxiao smiled smugly.

Xiao Xiao was speechless. How could he even laugh? He'd just been unfairly blamed again… Sigh… Should he say anything?

“You’re not hitting hard enough, change the person!” Yin Xiao noticed her distraction and said.

Yue Huaixi immediately stepped in, pounding away enthusiastically, "Will this work?"

"Hmm." Yin Xiao smiled at the stiff Xiao Xiao, took a sip of tea, and said, "What's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?"

Her lips twitched slightly as she said, "Uh... Brother Qi, it's not really appropriate for you to be here right now..."

Yin Xiao blinked. "Oh, you mean to mention that a girl just now said I failed to pick flowers and then framed Jiyu Manor?"

"You knew?" Xiao Xiao asked, slightly surprised.

Yue Huaixi raised his hand, "I said it."

"Yes. The news spread pretty fast. It's worth six qian of silver." Yin Xiao nodded with a smile.

Yue Huaixi smiled broadly, extremely satisfied.

Xiao Xiao was even more speechless.

"Sigh, I don't know if I killed that girl's whole family or if I seduced her and then abandoned her. She really went to great lengths to frame me..." Silver Owl sighed. "Tsk, what a run of bad luck. Don't you think so, Little Broom?"

Xiao was slightly surprised, "Oh, this is also attributed to me?"

"Yes! Who told you to misuse my feathers!" Silver Owl said righteously. "Come over here and massage my legs!"

Knowing she was in the wrong, Xiao Xiao could only pout and obediently squat down to massage her legs.

"Silver Owl Hero, what are you planning to do?" Yue Huaixi asked. "If you need anything, besides killing and fighting, I'm always at your service!"

Yin Xiao smiled. "Hmm, very sensible. Worth an ounce." He held up his teacup and said, "I hate being framed more than anything. Since that's the case, I might as well do the truth, so it won't be unfair."

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao looked up, puzzled.