“Sixth Sister!” Xiao Ruqiong called after her again, her tone strangely probing. “Do you truly feel not the slightest stir of affection for Xu Hengce?”
Xu Hengce was crippled, yes—but his face was still handsome, more so than the Third Prince or the Fourth Prince. Before his injury, he had been an extraordinary figure—around 1.85 meters tall, slender and upright, strikingly handsome without equal. This was the main reason she had delayed breaking off the betrothal, even after befriending two princes. She dragged it out until his accident, and then found it difficult to speak of dissolving the engagement without seeming heartless.
Xiao Yunzhu, raised in the inner chambers with little contact with men—how could she feel nothing at all for such a man as Xu Hengce?
Xiao Ruqiong could not understand.
After all, Xiao Ruxiu and Xiao Ruwen both admired Xu Hengce. If not for their lower status, she would not have needed to involve Xiao Yunzhu.
Xiao Yunzhu turned back angrily. “Fourth Sister, must you insult me further? What respectable daughter of a good family would fall for a man she has only met a few times? What kind of person do you take me for?”
Xiao Ruqiong instinctively stepped back two paces. “I was only asking. If not, then not—why be angry?”
Xiao Yunzhu: “Did Second Uncle and Second Aunt never teach you? Illness enters through the mouth, disaster through the tongue!”
With a flick of her sleeve, she strode away.
Xiao Ruqiong watched her retreating figure, both furious and helpless, feeling as though she had no way to strike back. She could only return resentfully to the main hall to consult with Old Madam Xiao.
If Xiao Yunzhu opposed them firmly, fighting desperately to protect her reputation, Xiao Ruqiong would not care—she would proceed with her plan regardless. If she refused the wine offered in courtesy, then she would be forced to drink the wine of punishment. Even without her cooperation, the scheme could still be carried out. In later generations, countless slanderous rumors were fabricated out of nothing, without the victim’s involvement. She was only one mouth—how could she resist the entire Xingyuan household?
Soon, the whole capital would know: Sixth Miss Xiao loved her cousin’s fiancé, forcing her cousin to break the betrothal and yield. Yet Xiao Yunzhu’s indifferent attitude gave Xiao Ruqiong pause.
Old Madam Xiao also hesitated. Sixth Girl’s words seemed to carry some truth.
The people of the capital were indeed shrewd. If their intentions were exposed and stirred gossip among all the noble families, it would be disastrous.
Grandmother and granddaughter looked at each other, momentarily unable to decide.
When Xiao Yunzhu entered the main hall of Furong Residence, her maids were stopped outside and did not follow her in. Thus, they did not know what Old Madam Xiao had said to her.
But at the courtyard gate, they had heard clearly what Xiao Ruqiong and Xiao Yunzhu said to each other, and guessed that Fourth Miss was once again scheming against their mistress.
Back at Cangyu Courtyard, Qing Zhi asked cautiously, “Miss, what are Old Madam and Fourth Sister planning? Did they make things difficult for you again?”
Xiao Yunzhu thought to herself: more than difficult—they wanted to destroy her for the sake of their beloved granddaughter. But on her face, she smiled. “It’s nothing.”
Long ago, she had realized that she was the backbone of the main branch. If she was cheerful, everyone in the household was cheerful. If she were troubled, the maids and servants would share her worry. So she had learned to hide her emotions, keeping herself steady.
Hearing her say this, Qing Zhi and the others relaxed. In their eyes, their mistress was formidable—nothing could defeat her.
Xiao Yunzhu truly did not fear the second branch’s slander. If Xu Hengce had been healthy, their rumors might have been believed. But now that he was crippled, his future darkened, their lies would not hold. If they forced the rumors, they would only expose themselves.
As she had said before, Xiao Ruqiong’s best course was to break the betrothal openly.
Perhaps there would be some gossip, but it would not last long. Soon, people would move on. She had gained much from this engagement. Now, wanting to escape, paying a price was only natural.
But Xiao Ruqiong was too proud—she wanted freedom without bearing any loss. How could the world ever grant such easy bargains?
After a moment’s thought, Xiao Yunzhu ordered her stewards to watch the streets for any rumors about herself and the second branch.
Normally, after her analysis, Old Madam and Xiao Ruqiong should have abandoned their foolish plan. But she sensed they were not in their right minds—almost deranged.
And when people lose reason, anything can happen.
So precautions were necessary.
Soon, the stewards reported back: indeed, people were talking. They said that the talented Fourth Miss Xiao despised her fiancé, Xu Hengce, for being crippled, wanted to break off the betrothal, but feared public reproach and damage to her reputation. So she sought to drag Sixth Miss Xiao into it, making her marry Xu Hengce instead.
Sixth Miss, without father or brothers, could only be bullied by the second branch—how pitiful. It was even said that several nobles had already warned Marquis Xingyuan not to go too far.
Xiao Yunzhu felt a warmth in her heart. Though her father and brother were gone, their legacy still sheltered her. And the world was not entirely cold—there were still people with true loyalty and compassion.
That day, while reading at home, she suddenly received an invitation. The second young madam of the Vice Minister of Justice’s household requested her presence the next day.
Lan Hua asked curiously, “Miss, how do you know this lady?”
Qing Zhi quickly scolded, “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t!”
Xiao Yunzhu: “She is an old acquaintance.”
Among her four maids, Qing Zhi and Zi Ye were born into the household, while Lan Hua and Lü Mei had been purchased from outside. So there were some things they did not know.
That second young madam’s maiden name was Gu Lanfen. She was supposed to have been Xiao Yunzhu’s elder sister-in-law.
Before the tragedy, she had already been betrothed to Xiao Yunzhu’s eldest brother, Xiao Wenqi. The two were a perfect match—a talented man and a beautiful woman, deeply in love. If nothing had gone wrong, they would have married by the end of that year.
After the incident, Gu Lanfen wept as though her life were ending. She insisted on marrying into the Xiao family with Xiao Wenqi’s memorial tablet, vowing to remain a widow for him all her life. But the Gu family would not allow it, and Madam Xiao did not wish her to waste her youth and years in vain.
Suppressing her grief, Madam Xiao spoke with her at length, finally persuading her to change her mind.
Later, Gu Lanfen married elsewhere. Only four years ago did she return to the capital with her husband’s family. Her father-in-law was skilled in officialdom, rising step by step to become Vice Minister of Justice.
After returning to the capital, Gu Lanfen had invited Xiao Yunzhu to meet several times. Xiao Yunzhu went only once and declined the rest.
At banquets of various households, when they occasionally met, Xiao Yunzhu behaved coldly. Gu Lanfen thought she disliked her and gradually stopped inviting her.
In truth, it was the opposite. Xiao Yunzhu liked this elder sister very much.
Gu Lanfen was gentle in nature, treated her like a real younger sister, and excelled at needlework. She had given Xiao Yunzhu many handmade items. Xiao Yunzhu’s favorite was a set of cotton cats, each with different expressions, which she treasured carefully—though now their colors had faded.
But even four years ago, though still young, Xiao Yunzhu understood that Gu Lanfen’s closeness to her was not proper. No husband’s family would welcome a wife who still wished to care for her former fiancé’s sister. Cutting ties with the Xiao family and ceasing contact was the wiser course.
Xiao Yunzhu only hoped that Gu Lanfen and her husband would live harmoniously and that everything would go smoothly. Whether they met or not was unimportant.