Meanwhile, Qin Ruolan was walking in hurriedly. While still some distance from the door, she raised her voice: “Grandmother Ruan, Grandmother Ruan.”
“What happened to Xue’er? Why is she crying so pitifully?” Nanny Yun stepped over the threshold and came forward.
As Qin Ruolan and the others drew near, Old Madame Ruan also heard Xue’er’s unusual cries from inside the room.
“Xue’er.” Nanny Yun walked up to Xiaoxi and reached out both hands, then froze.
Xiaoxi said ingratiatingly, “Nanny Yun, you must hold her tight, be careful not to hurt her.”
“Did Xue’er cause the wounds on your hands?” Nanny Yun asked as she took the cat.
“It’s nothing, this servant has thick skin.” Xiaoxi said this, but the pained expression on her face was a completely different matter.
After being held by Nanny Yun, Xue’er let out whimpering low growls, curling up and trembling, looking utterly pitiful.
Qin Ruolan was the first to step over the threshold, with Nanny Yun carrying Xue’er close behind, and Xiaoxi following the two of them. The three of them entered the hall in single file.
Old Madame Ruan craned her neck: “A-Yun, what’s wrong with Xue’er?”
“Old Madame, Xue’er seems to be injured.” Nanny Yun lowered her head to examine. “Her body is filthy, especially her tail—she won’t let anyone touch it.”
Hearing what Nanny Yun said, Xiaoxi lowered her head guiltily.
On the way there, after everyone had gathered, Qin Ruolan felt Xue’er didn’t look pitiful enough, so she had Xiaoxi pin the cat to the ground and raised her foot to stomp on its back a few more times.
“What? Bring her here quickly, let me see.” Old Madame Ruan stood up anxiously.
Qin Ruolan rushed over to support Old Madame Ruan: “Grandmother Ruan, please don’t worry.”
“Ruolan, what exactly happened?” Old Madame Ruan reached out to stroke Xue’er’s round head.
After being held by Nanny Yun, Xue’er lay limply in her hands. Seeing her master approach, she meowed a few times, her round cat eyes brimming with tears.
“Quickly summon the household physician to take a look.” Old Madame Ruan was grasping at straws.
Nanny Yun looked at Xue’er with a face full of distress: “Old Madame, who knows if the household physician can even treat Xue’er?”
“Summon him to take a look first, then we’ll see.” Old Madame Ruan said as she took Xue’er.
Noticing that Xue’er’s back was filthy with what looked like chaotic footprints, Old Madame Ruan asked angrily: “Who was so bold? Don’t they know Xue’er is mine?”
Seeing that Old Madame Ruan was truly angry, Qin Ruolan suppressed the joy in her heart, but the corners of her mouth couldn’t help curving upward.
“Just now in the garden, I saw from afar a young boy bullying Xue’er. Unfortunately, by the time I hurried over, the person had left, leaving only Xue’er collapsed on the ground.”
“A young boy?” Old Madame Ruan’s face was full of confusion.
“From a distance, he looked like the young master.” Qin Ruolan shot a look at Xiaoxi, who picked up the thread.
Old Madame Ruan’s eyebrows rose: “You mean Mianmian?”
“It was a bit far, I couldn’t see very clearly either.” Xiaoxi replied vaguely.
“Old Madame, it might not have been the young master. Perhaps it was a servant’s child being mischievous, not knowing Xue’er is your cat.”
Qin Ruolan sneered inwardly and made another mental note against Nanny Yun. That day she had praised the little mute, and now she was speaking up for him again. She would definitely tell her aunt, so she could find an opportunity to settle accounts with this old creature.
“Xiaoxi, perhaps we were mistaken.”
Hearing Qin Ruolan suddenly change her tune, Xiaoxi was a bit bewildered, but she was also a clever one and smoothly followed along: “The young miss is right.”
“Xue’er must be in so much pain!” Qin Ruolan pretended to dab at non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes.
“How pitiful. By the time I rushed over with the young miss, Xue’er couldn’t even get back up.”
The mistress and maid played off each other in perfect harmony, and Qin Ruolan was thoroughly pleased with Xiaoxi’s performance.
“Grandmother Ruan, I wanted to bring Xue’er back right away for treatment, but she was so frightened that she wouldn’t let anyone near. Look—Xiaoxi was even injured trying to catch her.”
The young miss was putting in a good word for her, and Xiaoxi’s face lit up with delight: “This is this servant’s duty.”
Old Madame Ruan and Nanny Yun’s gazes fell simultaneously on Xiaoxi’s hands. Several scratch marks were oozing beads of blood, along with a few teeth marks—indeed, Xue’er’s handiwork.
“You’re called Xiaoxi?”
“Yes, Old Madame.”
“Hmm, you’ve done well. Nanny Yun, take her down and tend to her wounds first—apply some medicine and bandage them.”
“Thank you, Old Madame.”
Xiaoxi bent her knees in a curtsy, her heart blooming with joy. The young miss had kept her word after all—the Old Madame had taken note of her. Perhaps the First Madam would even promote her because of this.
Just as Xiaoxi was being led away, the old Marquis arrived from afar with Ruan Mianmian in tow.
Seeing the old Marquis return, the servants and maids waiting outside hurried forward to greet him with bows and salutations.
“Why aren’t you all inside attending to your duties? Why are you out here?”
The servants of Fu’antang knew the old Marquis came from a military background and never stood on such fussy ceremony, so they chimed in one after another.
“Qin Ruolan came with Xue’er—she’s inside right now.” Ruan Geng seized on the key point. “No need to announce me. Go about your business; I’ll go in myself.”
Ruan Geng’s temperament was as straightforward as his name suggested, and he truly couldn’t fathom why Qin Ruolan would dare personally deliver Xue’er after injuring her.
When Ruan Mianmian heard from the servants that Xue’er was a cat, she immediately thought of that big white cat in the garden.
“Grandfather, let’s go take a look.”
“Alright.”
As Ruan Geng and Ruan Mianmian reached the foot of the steps before the door, unusual commotion came from inside.
It turned out that Qin Ruolan, seeing Old Madame Ruan cradling the cat with heartache and anxiety, had feigned kindness by stepping forward to reach out and stroke Xue’er.
“Ah—!” Qin Ruolan cried out in shock as she tumbled to the ground.
“Xue’er, be good.” Old Madame Ruan scolded in a low voice.
The docile Xue’er, held snugly in Old Madame Ruan’s arms, suddenly lashed out with her claws the moment Qin Ruolan drew near, swiping straight for her face.
“Thank goodness—it’s over now.” Nanny Yun hurried forward to help Qin Ruolan to her feet.
Damned beast! Qin Ruolan couldn’t help but glare viciously at Xue’er.
Qin Ruolan’s venomous gaze did not escape Old Madame Ruan and Nanny Yun’s notice, and doubt stirred in both their hearts.
Ruan Geng was about to enter when Ruan Mianmian stopped him. Qin Ruolan didn’t seem like a cat lover, and yet she’d brought Xue’er back even though the cat was hostile toward her.
By instinct, Ruan Mianmian felt something was off about Qin Ruolan. Going inside now wouldn’t be wise—she wanted to see what tricks the woman was up to.
Though she was just a little puffball of a girl, she deliberately put on a knowing, scheming expression, even blinking her eyes to show off.
Ruan Geng was delighted by Ruan Mianmian’s adorable expression and indulged her, playing along. The old man and the little girl grinned slyly at each other, hiding just outside the door to listen.
Damned beast! It even holds a grudge. Drawing a deep breath, Qin Ruolan suppressed her fury.
Not daring to get too close, Qin Ruolan pointed at Xue’er and said, “Grandmother Ruan, look. What’s that on Xue’er’s collar?”
Nanny Yun leaned in for a closer look. “Old Madame, Xue’er’s necklace has a small bell added to it.”
“Let me see.” Old Madame Ruan bent down and idly flicked the bell, which let out a pleasant tinkling sound.
“There are even words on the bell,” Qin Ruolan prompted.