Why was Xiao Yuzhang here, and why was he standing up for Jiang Fu?
Not only was Jiang Yao shocked, but everyone else was stunned as well.
Seeing Xiao Yuzhang’s protective stance and hearing the way he addressed Jiang Fu, Madam Yan began to understand the situation.
This eldest son of the Xiao family must have learned Jiang Fu’s identity and taken a liking to her face. Despite all her efforts to prevent it, she had still failed.
Fortunately, the Xiao family had already broken off the engagement. By openly protecting Jiang Fu, Xiao Yuzhang would only embarrass the Xiao family. Once the Heir’s Wife found out, she would surely despise Jiang Fu even more.
Madam Yan pressed a handkerchief to the corner of her mouth, suppressing her smugness.
She stepped forward, pulling Jiang Yao back, and apologized to Xiao Yuzhang.
“Young Master Xiao, you’ve misunderstood. Yao’er was just joking with her younger sister. The two of them have always been close—how could Yao’er possibly bully Ah Fu?”
“Do you think I’m blind?”
Despite having already taken up a position in the Ministry of Revenue, Xiao Yuzhang remained as unruly as ever. When Madam Yan tried to smooth things over, he bluntly shut her down.
Whispers of laughter rippled through the hall, and Madam Yan flushed with embarrassment.
Even though the Zhongyong Marquis’s household had declined, no one had ever dared to mock her publicly like this.
These Xiao family members truly were scoundrels!
Thank goodness Jiang Fu’s engagement with the Xiao family had been called off. Otherwise, that little wretch would have risen to the top in one step, overshadowing them at every turn in the future—it would have been maddening.
“What are you saying, Young Master Xiao? The two sisters really were just playing around. Ah Fu, isn’t that right?”
Madam Yan knew she couldn’t deceive Xiao Yuzhang, so she called out to Jiang Fu, expecting her to explain.
A lone orphan like her was still firmly under her control.
Madam Yan already imagined Jiang Fu nodding meekly in agreement.
However, once again, she was proven wrong.
Jiang Fu, leaning on Bai Xing’s arm, stood on the staircase leading to the second floor, looking down at her from above.
“No.”
The young girl’s voice remained soft and delicate, but her tone was resolute.
“Second Sister was unhappy that I came out and wanted to send me away, but I was invited by Sister Yun. Does Second Sister want me to refuse Sister Yun’s invitation?”
Jiang Fu tilted her head, but her words made Madam Yan feel like vomiting blood. What did she mean by Jiang Yao being unhappy she came out? This was clearly meant to put her Yao’er under fire.
“What nonsense! When did your Second Sister ever forbid you from going out? She even went to call you this morning, but you couldn’t get up, so we didn’t bring you along.”
“Whatever Aunt says must be true. If Aunt doesn’t want to see Ah Fu either, Ah Fu can leave. I only hope Aunt will give Ah Fu some time to explain and say goodbye to Sister Yun.”
She clasped her hands together, her obedient and pitiful appearance making Madam Yan and her daughter seem even more harsh and cruel.
“Fourth Miss Jiang is so pitiful. No wonder we’ve never seen her go out before—it turns out the main branch of the family wouldn’t let her.”
“Exactly. At the Xie family’s lotus-viewing banquet last time, I suspected she was pushed into the water by Jiang Yao. If Jiang Yao dares to bully her so brazenly in public, you can imagine what her situation must be like in the Jiang residence.”
“Poor Fourth Miss Jiang. If her parents were still alive, she wouldn’t be so pitiful, and the Xiao family wouldn’t have broken off the engagement.”
“Didn’t Xiao Yuzhang break off the engagement because of her reputation for being ugly? Maybe that reputation was spread by the main branch. Now that Xiao Yuzhang has seen her, he must regret it…”
The whispers of the crowd reached Madam Yan’s ears, and her legs nearly gave way beneath her. The reputation of their main branch was completely ruined.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. It was all that little wretch’s fault.
Madam Yan’s eyes were like venom, fixed intently on Jiang Fu. Jiang Fu, frightened, hid behind Bai Xing. The onlookers, seeing this, looked down even more on the main branch of the Jiang family.
Xiao Yuzhang was so angry his eyes turned red.
“I knew it… I knew it! Sister Ah Fu’s bad reputation was all spread by you. I didn’t originally have to break off the engagement with Sister Ah Fu. You owe me my Sister Ah Fu!”
Once Xiao Yuzhang started acting crazy, no one could control him. Madam Yan, terrified, pulled Jiang Yao to hide behind the maids and elderly servants.
“You were the one who proposed breaking off the engagement. What kind of reasoning is it to demand compensation from us now? Ah Fu is right here. If you have the ability, why don’t you just marry her again?”
Xiao Yuzhang was furious. Breaking off an engagement was no trivial matter. This shrew must be deliberately provoking him.
Xiao Yuzhang raised his fist. Madam Yan could already feel the fierce aura around him, her face turning pale with fear.
Just then, a tall figure entered from outside.
“Xiao Yuzhang, stop!”
As soon as Xiao Jing entered, he saw this farce. The young girl was holding onto her maid’s hand, trembling as she stood by the staircase. Xiao Jing’s heart ached at the sight.
Upon hearing his uncle’s words, Xiao Yuzhang indeed lowered his fist, though his expression remained resentful.
“Uncle, the main branch of the Jiang family is no good. Not only do they usually bully Sister Ah Fu, but they also deliberately tarnish her reputation. If it weren’t for… if it weren’t for… I wouldn’t have broken off the engagement with Sister Ah Fu!”
Xiao Yuzhang now completely hated Madam Yan and her lot, completely forgetting that it was he himself who had proposed breaking off the engagement.
Sister Ah Fu?
Xiao Jing narrowed his dark eyes, looking past the crowd toward the staircase.
The young girl avoided his gaze, deliberately lowering her head and not looking at him.
A cold smile tugged at the corner of Xiao Jing’s mouth.
Very well!
He had only arrived half an hour late, and she had already become “Sister Ah Fu” in Xiao Yuzhang’s mouth.
If he had arrived an hour later, would she have already married Xiao Yuzhang?
A raging fire burned in Xiao Jing’s chest, searing his heart with pain.
No, it wasn’t just pain—it was sourness too.
That strange mix of pain and sourness left him with not a shred of goodwill toward Xiao Yuzhang.
“Enough! Go home!”
“Uncle?”
Xiao Yuzhang was stunned by the reprimand. His beloved uncle, who had always doted on him, had not taken his side for the first time and had even scolded him while siding with outsiders.
Xiao Yuzhang felt wronged.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all the fault of the Jiang family’s main branch. Sister Ah Fu is already so pitiful, and you won’t even help her. Fine, if you won’t help, I will!”
His posture as a protector of the flower made the veins on Xiao Jing’s forehead throb. He wished he could crack open his nephew’s skull to see if it was filled with paste.
Did he think making such a noisy fuss was helping Jiang Fu? More likely, he was pushing her into the eye of the storm.
Xiao Jing’s face darkened completely. “I will tell your father that you are too impulsive. You are not yet fit for the position of a chief clerk in the Ministry of Revenue. When you have matured and become steady, then you may take on official duties.”
“Uncle!”
Xiao Yuzhang panicked. His uncle was using his official position to pressure him, and he had no way to resist.
Xiao Jing remained unmoved, his expression growing even more severe. Xiao Yuzhang wilted.
He turned to look at Jiang Fu. His little fairy was so delicate and pitiful, yet he couldn’t protect her.
Xiao Yuzhang clenched his fists. He would become stronger and rescue his little fairy from her suffering as soon as possible!
“Uncle, I won’t make a fuss anymore. Please don’t tell my father.”
“Hmm.”
Xiao Jing nodded. A hothead like Xiao Yuzhang was easiest to control.
He hadn’t even grown his own wings yet, and he already wanted to protect others.
Ha! He didn’t know that his protection was even more fragile than a sheet of paper.
Xiao Jing looked up, his dark eyes fixed on Jiang Fu with a predatory gleam.
Hearing the commotion downstairs, Xu Yun descended from the upper floor and was immediately captivated by Xiao Jing’s gaze.
Good heavens! This Third Master Xiao truly is terrifying.
For Sister Ah Fu to have caught his eye—who knows whether it will bring fortune or misfortune.