Not only Old Madam, but everyone except Su Leyun looked at Su Wan’er with shock.
Prince Jin swept his gaze over them, taking in their reactions. A mocking smile lifted the corner of his lips. The world praised Marquis Su for his strict household management and peaceful inner quarters, but it seemed it was not so.
A country girl like her, in this deep mansion, would surely suffer many grievances.
“This is an internal matter of Marquis Su’s household. It is not appropriate for me to stay longer. I shall take my leave.”
Prince Jin stood up and walked over to Su Leyun. His cool gaze softened with a touch of warmth as he spoke with a smile.
“Keep the jade pendant safe. I will come to see you again.”
His deep voice reached her ears, and Su Leyun couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart. She could only curtsy in farewell.
“Farewell, Your Highness Prince Jin.”
Prince Jin smiled brightly, then turned to Marquis Su with consideration. “Marquis Su still has family matters to attend to. There is no need to see me out.”
“Father, please stay. I will escort His Highness.”
Su Ye’s expression was unreadable as he strode out, catching up with Prince Jin only at the corner of the covered walkway.
“What does Your Highness mean by this?”
Su Ye stood solemnly in front of Prince Jin, blocking his path.
“Your Highness? Since when have you been so distant with me?”
Prince Jin gestured with an inviting hand, indicating for Su Ye to walk alongside him.
Su Ye took a slight step back, following beside Prince Jin, and said seriously, “I do not know when Your Highness became acquainted with my younger sister, but I hope, for the sake of our childhood friendship, that you will not play such jokes with her.”
Su Ye did not know the details, but the midwife was clearly someone he had asked Prince Jin to help find. Yet Prince Jin insisted on attributing it to Su Leyun and spoke in such an ambiguous manner.
It truly harmed a young lady’s reputation.
“You think this is a joke?”
Prince Jin raised an eyebrow, countering the question.
“How many noble ladies are there in the capital? Your Highness does not spare them a glance, yet you take a fancy to my sister who just returned from the countryside?”
Su Ye’s face darkened as he stared intently at Prince Jin, not yielding an inch. Though straightforward by nature, he was not foolish. When it concerned his sister’s lifelong happiness, he had to seek clarity.
“You think your sister is unworthy of me?”
Prince Jin chuckled lightly, rubbing the fingertips that Su Leyun had touched earlier. The unique, fresh fragrance that lingered around her seemed to still be in his nostrils.
He had always been cold-hearted and indifferent, yet somehow, he had taken an interest in this legitimate daughter of Marquis Su’s household.
The noble ladies of the capital were graceful and elegant in every way, but they all lacked that vitality and unrestrained spirit.
Remembering how she had arrogantly threatened him that night, a faint smile unconsciously bloomed on his lips.
“My sister is naturally worthy of the finest man in the capital.”
Su Ye slightly raised his head, placed a hand on Prince Jin’s shoulder, and both men stopped walking.
“Your Highness, with just one word from you, I, Su Ye, would willingly give my all to uphold the brotherly bond between us. But not my sister. She has wandered outside, suffering hardships. I only wish for her to live smoothly and happily in the future.”
After speaking, Su Ye fixed his gaze on Prince Jin, as if demanding a promise from him.
“I understand.”
Prince Jin patted Su Ye’s shoulder reassuringly, neither confirming nor denying anything. He strode out of the Su residence, followed by a line of attendants, departing grandly.
Watching Prince Jin leave, Su Ye muttered to himself, “What exactly does he mean by this?”
Pondering all the way, he returned to Zhaohua Lodge.
In the main hall, the atmosphere was icy. The maids and servants dared not even breathe loudly, and only Su Wan’er’s pitiful sobs could be heard.
Su Changqing’s face was cold as he finally vented his long-suppressed anger, smashing a teacup fiercely onto the ground.
“You still have the nerve to cry! Today, the face of our Marquis Su Manor has been utterly lost before Prince Jin!”
At his words, Su Wan’er dared not cry any longer. Covering her lips with a handkerchief, she strained to hold back, her body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Old Madam couldn’t bear to watch and shot her son a reproachful glance. She pulled Su Wan’er into her embrace, comforting her softly.
“Why are you shouting so loudly? This isn’t Wan’er’s fault.”
“Not her fault? Theft, caught red-handed, and of all people, witnessed by Prince Jin! Where do you expect me to put my face?”
Su Changqing’s face darkened as he slammed his hand heavily on the table.
Old Madam frowned, wiping away the tears from Su Wan’er, who was hiding in her arms. As if resolved, she declared clearly, “I’m old and my memory is failing. It was I who placed that jade bracelet under Wan’er’s pillow—it was meant for her all along.”
Hearing this, Marquis Su’s expression grew even worse. He flicked his sleeve and stormed out.
Sun Jiarou’s gaze held a trace of resentment. In the same situation, when it involved Yun’er, they had been relentless, searching the courtyard, yet with Su Wan’er, they were letting it go lightly. What kind of logic was that in this world?
Su Ye was even more displeased, voicing his complaints directly.
“Grandmother, stealing is stealing. How can you fabricate such a story?”
His booming voice, filled with anger, startled Su Wan’er, who buried her head even deeper.
Old Madam frowned and scolded in a low voice, “Are you questioning me? Or are you determined to ruin your sister’s reputation? What good does it do you if her reputation is tarnished?”
With that, she looked at the room full of maids and servants and commanded sternly, “If anyone dares breathe a single word of what happened today, I will ensure they have no place left to stand.”
After speaking, Old Madam took Su Wan’er by the hand and left slowly, continuing to comfort her softly along the way.
Su Ye wanted to chase after them but was stopped by Su Leyun.
“Let it go, brother.”
Su Ye sat down angrily in a chair, fuming, “Grandmother is just too biased!”
Biased? This was only the beginning…
Su Leyun sneered as she watched them leave. Su Wan’er was the apple of Old Madam’s eye—no amount of favoritism was too much.
In her past life, she had been falsely accused of stealing the jade bracelet, caught red-handed. In the chaos, the bracelet had been broken in two, and Old Madam had flown into a rage.
“You jinx! The moment you arrived, you stirred up trouble and disrupted the peace of this household!”
“Truly a country bumpkin raised in the wilds, a shallow-minded thing!”
“Why did you even come back? You’ve utterly disgraced our Su Family!”
She had brandished her cane, shouting and making a scene, as if afraid others wouldn’t know her own granddaughter was a thief…
In contrast, today, not only did she personally intervene to rescue Su Wan’er, but she also threatened the servants to keep quiet, considering every detail for Su Wan’er’s sake.
So it turned out her grandmother wasn’t unfeeling—she simply doted exclusively on Su Wan’er.
“Mother, brother, anger harms the body. Fortunately, the misunderstanding has been resolved. It’s nothing.”
Su Leyun smiled with relief, holding Sun Jiarou and Su Ye’s hands as she comforted them softly.
“I’ve actually turned misfortune into blessing. Tomorrow, I’ll be added to the family register. You should be happy for me.”
She sat beside them, deliberately lightening the mood with playful remarks.
In her past life, her mother and brother had already done too much for her. In this life, let her be the one to protect them.
No matter who the opponent was, she would never allow the tragedies of her past life to repeat themselves.
“Well, I must say we owe thanks to Prince Jin. Yun’er, when did you first meet him? And why did he give you that jade pendant?”
Sun Jiarou reached out to adjust the crimson hairpin at Su Leyun’s temple, asking with concern.
Su Ye craned his neck, his face full of curiosity.
So it turned out that their meeting by the City Moat was not their first encounter—they had a connection long before.