But the two of them were also taking a gamble when they spoke of this matter because neither could be sure of the position this issue would hold in Lady Jin’s heart, nor could they predict what her reaction would be.
And Mrs. Liu, she was completely kept in the dark by the two of them, for there was no helping it; this woman of a gentle nature truly could not act. If she had known about it in advance, she might have given herself away the moment she entered the room.
Panpan narrowed her eyes and gave Ying Tao a look that said, "Let’s wait and see how things unfold."
Lin Yuan didn’t miss the little interaction between them; she had felt something amiss as soon as they walked through the door, so she had been paying close attention to them. As expected, she caught onto it. It was clear that Lin Siyu and Mrs. Liu didn’t get along, yet Panpan and Ying Tao seemed to be in cahoots. Coupled with the matter between Lin Siyu and Li Chengzhi, along with the grievances between Panpan and Li Chengzhi, a bold speculation flashed through Lin Yuan’s mind: could this girl be plotting to bring Li Chengzhi down?
Lady Jin, seeing Mrs. Liu’s silent, downcast demeanor, asked again, "Maternal Aunt Liu, is what Maternal Aunt Lin just said true?"
Mrs. Liu bit her lip tightly and gently nodded her head: "In response to Madam, what Maternal Aunt Lin said is indeed true."
Lady Jin clearly hadn’t expected Mrs. Liu to actually admit it, and although she was somewhat angry, she managed to suppress her rage: "So there really was a man?"
Seeing that Lady Jin was angry, Mrs. Liu hurriedly stood up, eyes lowered: "Madam, please hear me out. He and I grew up together from childhood, but because my family was poor and my brother and sister-in-law disapproved, they sold me to the brothel. Later, fortunately, I was lucky enough to find favor with the master who redeemed me, saving me from the sea of misery. Madam, I have long forgotten the past. Now I know only that I belong to Li Mansion as a consort, and I would never entertain improper thoughts. As long as I can serve Madam and the master well, I am utterly content."
Mrs. Liu’s words seemed heartfelt and sincere; perhaps it was precisely because she had given up that what she said was all the more convincing.
Lin Yuan couldn’t help but feel a touch of sympathy, but even more, she felt admiration. Mrs. Liu might seem timid, but she was quite clever. After Lin Siyu revealed her past, she didn’t blindly deny it but boldly admitted it. Luckily so, otherwise she really would have fallen into Lin Siyu’s trap.
Lady Jin was also moved by Mrs. Liu’s words. Calming down and thinking it over, Mrs. Liu had been sold into the brothel, and now she had been taken into Li Mansion by Li Chang, where she couldn’t even step out of the main gate daily. Besides, which man could bear having his woman sold into a brothel and then taken as a Little Concubine by someone else? Perhaps that man had already found another woman with a spotless background to marry!
Then again, even if that man didn’t mind her defiled status and still pined for her, they had no opportunity to meet; they couldn’t even see each other, let alone do anything else.
It was Lin Siyu who, having gained Li Chang’s favor, could even leave the mansion without reporting to her; this was indeed the most worrisome person.
"You truly are thoughtful." Lady Jin was obviously very pleased with the last part of what Mrs. Liu said, serving Madam and the master well; this Mrs. Liu showed no ambition, which made her much better than Lin Siyu.
Mrs. Liu’s crisis was temporarily resolved, and both Ying Tao and Panpan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Siyu, however, couldn’t conceal her dissatisfaction and pursed her lips, but before she could recompose her face, Lady Jin already glowered at her severely: "Maternal Aunt Lin, put away your petty schemes. We are all sisters here, all serving the master dedicatedly. In the future, don’t bring up such baseless matters again, lest it harm the sisterhood among us."