PFC Chapter 288: Being splashed
Chapter 288: Being splashed
Chapter 288
When Lu Zhaozhao heard the conversation between Ye Yunzhou and Madam Hou, she felt a moment of panic in her heart, but it was only for a moment.
When she glanced at Nanny Chu, who was standing in the crowd and giving her a silent look, she felt a bit more calm. Yes, she had already planned this matter and made all the arrangements. Even Ye Yunzhou would probably find it difficult to see through her tricks. Why should she panic?
Her actions were extremely covert, and she thought she was completely unnoticed. However, she was completely unaware that the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery and Ye Yunzhou, father and son, had observed her actions clearly. They exchanged a tacit glance, each pretending to be completely oblivious. However, Ye Yunzhou's fingers, hidden behind his back, moved slightly, and in an instant, the Hidden Dragon Guards, lurking in the shadows, vanished. All this went unnoticed by anyone except the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery and Luo Shuiyao.
Luo Shuiyao had originally seen Lu Zhaozhao like this, clearly fully prepared. Even though she knew what was going on, a hint of uneasiness still rose in her heart. Now, seeing Ye Yunzhou acting like this, even she herself didn't notice, and the uneasiness in her heart quietly faded away.
Well, she had already made all the necessary preparations. How bad could things get? Thinking this way, she felt relieved and waited to see how Lu Zhaozhao would deal with this matter next.
After Lu Zhaozhao calmed down, she rolled her eyes and came up with a plan. Glancing sideways, she spotted Ye Yunxing sitting in a reclining chair in the porch. She quickly walked over, feigning bewilderment. "Brother, how are you? It's all my fault for being careless and letting someone plot against you, causing you to be so seriously injured. Don't worry, my aunt, uncle, and eldest brother are all sensible and perceptive people. They will definitely find the real culprit and will not let your suffering be in vain."
She thought her words were perfectly appropriate and could not be faulted. She expected Ye Yunxing to be kind to her as he always was and to comfort her by saying that he did not blame her, but Ye Yunxing just remained silent and looked at her coldly.
Ye Yunxing wasn't as dignified as his father and elder brother, but they were father and son, and brothers, after all. His stern expression could be quite intimidating. The fact that he stared at Lu Zhaozhao in silence made her feel uneasy and a bit embarrassed.
The Marquis's wife had been skeptical to begin with, but now that things had taken a turn for the better, and her eldest son had already sent someone to investigate, she didn't want to jeopardize the relationship between her son and Lu Zhaozhao before the matter was settled. Seeing this, although her expression remained grim, her tone softened a bit, and she said, "Okay."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunxing glanced at his mother helplessly. He could naturally hear the warning in his mother's words, but he didn't want to upset her. There was indeed no clear evidence on this matter. To avoid worrying his mother, he just said "hmm".
Seeing this, Lu Zhaozhao took the opportunity to save face. She put on a smile and said, "Second brother must be feeling unwell. I still have a few high-quality medicinal herbs that my mother brought as a dowry. They are excellent for treating broken bones. I'll have someone from the courtyard bring them over later. Once Second Brother is better, I can rest assured, and you, Auntie, can also focus on handling all the affairs of the mansion."
Hearing this, Luo Shuiyao glanced up at Lu Zhaozhao, who now wore a perfectly composed smile. It was no wonder the Marquis's wife favored her; Lu Zhaozhao's flattering words were flawless. With these words, not only the Marquis's wife, but even the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery's expression brightened considerably.
Luo Shuiyao glanced casually and then looked away. However, the moment she turned her head, her eyes met Ye Yunzhou's. This was the first time they had looked into each other's eyes in many days. Ye Yunzhou's expression was calm, but a hint of comfort was faintly visible in his eyes.
Luo Shuiyao was slightly startled, as if something had touched her heart. Then she slowly lowered her eyes, no longer looking at him. She sneered inwardly. Sure enough, if a person is lonely for a long time, their heart will be easily touched. However, this was just her feeling. The gap between them was too great, and she didn't want to have any more extravagant hopes.
Ye Yunzhou looked at the top of her head, his eyes dimmed slightly, then he looked away without saying anything more.
At that moment, Ye Yi entered the courtyard with long, swift strides, followed by a man. The man, dressed in the attire of a gardener in the Marquis's mansion, lowered his head, appearing somewhat timid. As soon as Ye Yi entered the courtyard, he clasped his fists and saluted everyone in turn. He was interrupted mid-sentence by the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery.
He didn't force it, but straightened up and said in a clear voice, "My Lord, Madam, Young Master, I went to investigate and learned that this person has been taking care of the gardens recently. After asking him, he hesitated to speak. So I brought him here."
As he spoke, Ye turned sideways and shouted at the people standing cowering behind him, "Hurry up and tell the masters what you know!"
The man was so frightened by his shout that he trembled all over. With a plop, he knelt straight down in the yard and kowtowed heavily. "Yes... yes, I will tell you..."
Seeing him, a grown man, acting so timidly, the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery couldn't help but feel a little impatient. He scolded him, "What are you afraid of? Tell me what you saw. If it's true, I won't blame you."
Perhaps this man was too timid. Marquis Zhongyong did not expect that his words would make him tremble even more violently, and his speech became more stuttering and unclear.
Seeing this, the Marquis's wife glanced at the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery with a look of reproach, and then said, "This child is a coward, why are you so fierce?"
Then, she looked at the gardener with a gentle expression and said softly, "Don't be afraid. Tell me everything you know. I will make the decision for you."
The gardener was comforted by the Marquis's gentle words and finally calmed down a little. He swallowed hard and slowly raised his head, only to see a young boy who was no more than ten years old.
The Marquis sighed softly, thinking to herself, "No wonder he's so timid." But she remained gentle and repeated her words.
The young man glanced at the Marquis' wife before nodding slightly. Then, his gaze moved around the people present one by one, finally landing on Luo Shuiyao.
Luo Shuiyao met his gaze, but saw that although he looked at her, his eyelashes quickly drooped and he lowered his head. The young man muttered, "It's... it's this lady."
"what?"
Lu Zhaozhao was secretly delighted when he heard this. Seeing that he stopped talking after saying one sentence, he hurriedly asked, "This is Miss Luo. What did you say happened to her?"
Lu Zhaozhao was so overwhelmed with joy that she rushed to ask.
As soon as she said this, she saw the displeased looks of the people present, especially the Marquis's wife, and she came to her senses. She quickly lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, aunt, it was Zhao Zhao who overstepped the bounds. It's just that Zhao Zhao was so anxious, so..."
The Marquis's wife said "hmm" softly and ignored her.
The Marquis's wife then fixed her gaze on the gardener, her expression no longer as gentle as before, and asked, "What did you say happened to this young lady?"
The gardener lowered his head, but everyone could still see him biting his lip. After a moment, he let go and continued, his voice still halting, "That day, I was weeding in the garden when I saw the prince and his two cousins approaching. I was just trying to get away when I saw this cousin, while the prince wasn't paying attention, actually...actually took the jade pendant from his waist."
As soon as the words came out, everyone in the courtyard, except Ye Yunzhou, instantly focused their attention on Luo Shuiyao.
Even though Luo Shuiyao had anticipated this, she still felt uneasy. Lu Zhaozhao quickly walked over to the Marquis's side, confronting Luo Shuiyao head-on. She covered her mouth in surprise, her face filled with disbelief, "Sister Yao, my aunt and second brother have treated us well. Why...why would you do such a thing?"