Xue Ning’s expression remained calm and indifferent. She only said, “Shouldn’t Father be asking me what happened and why His Highness sent me back?”
She thought that if it were Xue Mingzhu whom Feng Xian had sent back, her father would have already comforted and reassured her, instead of glaring at her with anger.
Xue Ning’s gaze swept toward Xue Mingzhu. “I went to the Marquis’s residence openly and properly to pay my respects to Old Madam Jiang. Xue Mingzhu knows this best—did she not tell Father? Does my cousin want Father to misunderstand me so badly?”
Faced with Xue Ning’s gaze, Xue Mingzhu felt an inexplicable pang of guilt and quickly looked at Xue Youdao.
“Father, I was just too anxious earlier and forgot to mention it…”
Xue Youdao frowned slightly, observing Xue Mingzhu’s evasive demeanor, and for the first time, he felt a rare flicker of doubt.
The anger on his face faded somewhat as he spoke in a low voice.
“Xue Ning, what exactly happened? I heard from Mingzhu that Zhao Pan was beaten. Does this have anything to do with you?”
Xue Ning calmly recounted what had just occurred. Xue Youdao’s expression shifted dramatically—shock, complexity, and anger mingled together.
For the first time, as a father, he felt anger because his daughter had been wronged.
“What kind of person is Zhao Pan? Who gave him the audacity to bully my daughter, Xue Youdao’s daughter!”
Even if Xue Youdao did not particularly like Xue Ning as a daughter, she was still his legitimate child. If her reputation were tarnished without cause, it would be a direct insult to him.
Moreover, the Zhao family currently held only a minor official position in Jingdu—how could they even compare to the Xue family?
“Father…”
Xue Ning was visibly moved. Her father believed her—this was the first time she had told the truth without him instinctively refuting it.
Xue Ning even began to think that her father was usually busy with official duties and perhaps had simply overlooked her in the trivial matters between her and Xue Mingzhu…
But when something serious happened, her father could still distinguish right from wrong. If he knew she had been poisoned and nearly died, would he protect and care for her?
Xue Mingzhu couldn’t bear to see Xue Youdao defending Xue Ning. “Father, but Zhao Pan has always conducted himself with propriety when visiting the Xue family. If he admired Ningning, he could have simply come to propose marriage. Why would he resort to such a harmful and self-defeating method…
I—I’m not saying I don’t believe Ningning, but Cousin is diligent in his studies, reliable in character, and has never had a bad reputation before. Perhaps Ningning misunderstood…”
With these words, Xue Mingzhu all but accused Xue Ning of shirking responsibility and falsely accusing Zhao Pan.
Sure enough, Xue Youdao, who had just been ready to defend Xue Ning and stand up for her, immediately wavered.
He scrutinized Xue Ning with suspicion and said coldly, “Xue Ning, is it as your cousin said? Are you once again trying to shift blame and slander others?”
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. This daughter of his had always been of questionable character. Ever since returning to the capital from Gusu, she had caused no end of trouble. Every time he tried to discipline her, she insisted it wasn’t her fault!
“Xue Ning, if that’s truly the case, I’ll have your mother take you to the Zhao family to apologize! How can the Xue family bear the responsibility for ruining the promising future of the Zhao family’s only son?”
With just a few words of provocation from Xue Mingzhu, the situation had completely reversed.
A sharp pain pierced Xue Ning’s heart, and her voice grew slightly hoarse. “Father, you don’t believe me? Do you think I would use a woman’s reputation to slander someone?”
Xue Ning’s fingers tightened slightly as she numbly withdrew her gaze, the flicker of anticipation that had just risen in her eyes dissipating.
“As for why Zhao Pan would do such a thing, you should ask Xue Mingzhu.”
Xue Youdao frowned angrily, “What does this have to do with your cousin? Xue Ning, you truly haven’t improved at all. Every time you leave the manor and return, you try to drag your cousin down. How can you be so jealous and malicious!”
Xue Ning took out a soiled handkerchief from her sleeve. The moment Xue Mingzhu saw it, the panic on her face nearly became impossible to conceal.
She said, “Why would Zhao Pan have the handkerchief I lost earlier in the manor? Cousin now lives in my Xiyan Yuan, so she must have picked it up there. If Father wants to get to the bottom of this, you shouldn’t be questioning me, but Xue Mingzhu.”
Beneath Xue Ning’s calm gaze, a storm brewed that made Xue Mingzhu tremble with fear.
“Cousin had better pray that Zhao Pan doesn’t wake up. Otherwise, given my aunt’s temperament, she won’t let this go easily. She’ll surely come to the Xue family to make a scene and demand you marry him as compensation.”
Xue Mingzhu’s pupils contracted, and she instinctively retorted, “Mother would never agree!”
Only after speaking did she realize her slip, quickly putting on a wounded, teary-eyed expression.
“Ningning, why are you falsely accusing me like this? I was watching the opera with Miss Jiang and the others the whole time—they can all testify. When did I ever get involved with you and my cousin? You can blame other things on me, but when it comes to a woman’s reputation, you really shouldn’t…”
Xue Mingzhu tearfully looked at Xue Youdao, “Father, it really wasn’t me. The Bandu Linxuan is approaching, and I practice the qin diligently every day. Today, I only went to the Ningyuan Houfu to inquire on behalf of Eldest Brother. Had I known Ningning would be so jealous of me entering the marquis’s manor, I would never have gone.”
Xue Youdao looked at Xue Mingzhu with heartache, “Of course I believe you. You’ve always been upright in character and would never stoop to such petty schemes.”
“Xue Ning, let this matter rest for now. Don’t drag Mingzhu into it again. You’re always causing trouble. From today onward, you are not to leave the manor!”
Xue Ning said nothing more, but her direct gaze at Xue Youdao inexplicably made him uncomfortable, unable to meet her eyes with confidence.
Perhaps, without even realizing it, he knew his favoritism was wrong.
Xue Ning walked all the way back to the Fotang, footsteps hurrying after her.
Xue Zhaofei caught up, “Fifth Sister! Wait!”
He pressed a packet of pastries into her hand.
Xue Zhaofei said with an unnatural expression, “I bought these earlier when I went out.”
A warmth spread in Xue Ning’s heart, and her gaze softened slightly as she looked at Xue Zhaofei. She had indeed felt stung before by how well he treated Xue Mingzhu.
But Xue Zhaofei was sincere toward everyone in the Xue family, like a little sun. He had warmed her before, but the sun would never revolve around her alone.
“Zhaofei…”
Xue Ning unwrapped the oiled paper. The pastries inside emitted the fragrance of peonies, but her slender fingers paused abruptly, never quite touching them.
She heard Xue Zhaofei continue, “Don’t get too moved. I was thinking of Cousin’s fondness for these, so I brought you a portion along the way. After all, you always compete with her over everything. If you found out I didn’t buy you any, you’d just make a fuss and go bully Cousin again!”
Xue Zhaofei felt that by offering Xue Ning this small, insignificant warmth, he had earned the right to lecture her.
“Xue Ning, I just saw Cousin crying again. When I asked if you had bullied her, she even defended you.”