109, Questioning (6 more
Yuanbao jumped with fright, and hastily knelt down, “Master, it’s this servant who hasn’t conveyed the message properly, this servant…”
It had been many years since his master had been so angry and fiery.
Yuanbao was shocked and also very worried.
“…”
Li Hengyi looked at Yuanbao’s anxious and frightened appearance; Yuanbao and Duobao had grown up with him, from their lofty heights to being the subject of everyone’s suspicion, ever loyal. He took a deep breath, and in the end, couldn’t bear to see him so humble, “Go out!”
“Master, this servant will go right away…”
“Yuanbao, in my presence, you’re not a servant!” After Li Hengyi said this, he was the first to leave the room.
Yuanbao sat on the ground, limp.
Everything was fine, how did it end up like this? Was he not clear enough when speaking with Miss Xie.
It should be like this.
With that thought, Yuanbao got up, scaled the wall, and went to look for Xie Zhinuan.
But the front gate of Xie Zhinuan’s house was tightly closed, and no one answered his knock.
“Miss Xie, Miss Xie, open the door, I want to explain things to you more clearly!”
Xie Zhinuan ignored Yuanbao’s knocking, turning a deaf ear, and continued with her embroidery, sewing a pouch in her hands.
The foolish girl hesitated several times, wanting to speak, but in the end, she didn’t dare to open her mouth.
She had known early on that Xie Zhinuan was not as easy to talk to as she seemed, and now seeing her like this for the first time, she felt inexplicably panicked inside.
Xie Zhinuan turned a blind eye to the foolish girl’s behavior.
As she bowed her head to her embroidery, a thought suddenly struck her, and she looked up, her gaze quietly and deeply fixed on the foolish girl. She asked, seemingly offhandedly, “Foolish girl, you don’t quite resemble Aunt Chen or grandma Chen, do you?”
At these words, the foolish girl’s face turned pale with fright.
“We, we…”
Xie Zhinuan’s suspicion deepened at the sight of the foolish girl’s expression; however, she said casually, “I’m just speaking off the cuff. Look how scared you’ve become!”
She thought again how she had nothing to her name, not even knowing who her family was or where they were located.
What was there for someone to plot and scheme over?
No, there was something.
The well water!
When she had left before, she mentioned it to Yuanbao. Out of curiosity, he must have drawn water from the well and tasted it. Then he drained the well to keep her from finding out and added new water into it.
She later noticed something was off and poured a bucket of Spiritual Spring Water back into the well; those guards…
Each one not naturally agreeable people, yet they came every day to dine, in the morning, in the afternoon…
The foolish girl felt tingles on her scalp under Xie Zhinuan’s gaze.
Some people are just like that, long accustomed to high positions. Even though she still acted kindly, her bones and soul radiated a sharp air.
“Foolish girl!” Xie Zhinuan called softly.
“Miss!” The foolish girl hastily responded, her eyes filled with guilt, worry, and regret when she looked at Xie Zhinuan, a mixture of emotions entangled within.
“Foolish girl, there are some things I will only ask you once. If you let this chance slip by, I will not listen to any explanations or rebuttals from you in the future, nor will I believe you again. Think carefully before you answer!”
The foolish girl’s heart clenched, and she nervously nodded.
“Firstly, regarding the matter of the Yuanji Restaurant manager in the county town, was it an accident or did someone deliberately plan it? For instance, the Yuanbao from across the road, or perhaps his master was involved in the scheme as well, fearing that I might climb their lofty branch. The Yuan Family stuck to me like a plaster, opening their mouth wide to extract a favor in return!” Xie Zhinuan’s voice was soft, yet it carried a heavy weight.
Her words struck the foolish girl’s chest like a massive hammer, causing such pain that she could barely stand, her face turning deathly pale as she looked at Xie Zhinuan.
Her lips trembled several times, unsure of how to start speaking.
“If you don’t speak, you are admitting by default. The Yuanji manager offending others and all, it’s all deemed part of the plan, someone deliberately leading the events, and the last step is for me to owe a favor to Yuanbao’s master, voluntarily cooking for him, because my food is the only thing he can swallow!” Xie Zhinuan’s words were as cold as if they were carved by a knife at this point.
Chapter 111