Chapter 38: The Truth Exposed

Jiang You'an subsequently moved into the west wing of Old Madam Lu’s residence.

Upon her arrival, she diligently busied herself with serving tea and water, but the Old Madam would not allow her to toil over such trifles. Instead, she appreciated the girl's talent and often kept her close to discuss poetry and painting. The two, one elder and one young, would spend their days together practicing calligraphy and painting, living quite a comfortable life.

However, this tranquility did not last long before it was shattered once more.

While Jiang You'an was out in the streets buying pastries for the Old Madam, her path was suddenly blocked. The person standing before her was none other than Daoist Chongxu.

"Long time no see, young lady. I trust you have been well?"

Seeing that smile, a sense of foreboding rose in Jiang You'an’s heart. It had only been a month since he last extorted three hundred taels from her; his sudden appearance today surely meant he was here for money again.

And indeed, her suspicions were correct.

Daoist Chongxu led her to a secluded spot by the roadside and immediately demanded one hundred taels. Jiang You'an said coldly, "I already gave you three hundred taels before. We are squared away."

Too lazy to even feign politeness, the Daoist’s greed was laid bare. "I am truly short on funds lately and had no choice but to come to you. A mere one hundred taels—I’ve heard that the bride price the Marquis’s estate offered you consists of countless gold and silver. It is an act of benevolence on my part that I haven't asked you to split it with me."

Qiulan was so incensed she lashed out, "You foul Daoist, you are too shameless! You come to us whenever you run out of money. Do you intend to use this to blackmail us for the rest of our lives?"

Daoist Chongxu chuckled. "My money will eventually run out, but the glory and riches you shall enjoy after marrying into the Marquis’s estate are endless. You are pained by a mere request for money? It makes me regret helping you in the first place."

Jiang You'an realized that this man was insatiably greedy; he would not stop until he got what he wanted. For now, she had to pay to resolve the trouble. Suppressing her anger, she said, "I do not have that much cash on me. Please, Daoist, give me a few days to gather it."

The Daoist looked dissatisfied. "Give me whatever you have on you right now."

Jiang You'an handed over the five taels she had, and the Daoist snorted, "Make sure you have the rest ready as soon as possible."

Once the Daoist had swaggered away into the crowd, Qiulan fumed, "He has truly latched onto us. Young lady, shall we hire someone to beat him up and teach him a lesson?"

Jiang You'an sighed. "Beating him won't kill him, and he’ll only come back to bite us later. With the wedding only two months away, it is best not to cause trouble. Once I am married into the Marquis’s estate, if he remains this arrogant, it wouldn't be impossible to deal with him more ruthlessly."

"But where will we get one hundred taels? The money we got from Shen Heping is already running low."

Jiang You'an rubbed her temples. "We shall have to sell a few pieces of jewelry from the bride price given by the Su family."

The mistress and her maid returned to the estate, and just as they were about to go to the storehouse to retrieve the items, they heard that Lu Xuanheng had met with an accident.

Jiang You'an accompanied Old Madam Lu to Lanyue Residence, where she saw Lu Xuanheng lying in bed, his upper body bare. A three-inch-long bloody gash on his left arm was still dripping blood. A physician was dressing his wound while he leaned against the headboard with his eyes half-closed.

Madam Zhao also rushed in, heartbroken at the sight. "What has happened?"

Xiuzhu replied, "There was a sudden riot among some refugees outside the city who were brandishing blades. The young master was cut on the arm while trying to save a mother and her child."

Old Madam Lu cried out, clutching her chest, "Doctor, how is his condition?"

The physician rose and said, "Old Madam, do not worry. No bones or tendons were damaged. A few days of rest for the wound to heal will suffice."

Madam Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, muttering that it was fortunate.

Lu Xuanheng opened his eyes, his lips still pale. "Do not worry, Grandmother. It is only a superficial wound; I will be well in a few days."

As Jiang You'an supported the Old Madam, she could not help but stare at Lu Xuanheng’s arm. Suddenly, those deep eyes turned toward her, and she shifted her gaze away, feeling ill at ease.

Lu Xuanheng’s voice was somewhat hoarse. "Help Grandmother return to Rongshou Hall."

She bowed her head, murmured an acknowledgment, and left with the Old Madam without looking at him again.

Over the next few days, Lu Xuanheng remained at the estate to recuperate. Jiang You'an never visited him, continuing to stay by the Old Madam's side as usual.

One afternoon, after the Old Madam rose from her nap, she was going to have Jiang You'an accompany her for a walk in the garden when a post was delivered to the gatehouse. It was an invitation from Su Mingxiu, asking her to go out for an outing.

Old Madam Lu smiled and said, "You two are already betrothed; there is no need to be reserved. Go."

Jiang You'an was pleased, and after dressing up, she set out.

They were to meet at a water pavilion by the river. The afternoon sun shone golden upon the water, sparkling like scattered gold dust. It was their first meeting since their betrothal, and Jiang You'an walked into the pavilion full of joy.

Once inside, she saw Su Mingxiu sitting in a wheelchair, dressed in a wide-sleeved robe of sky-blue. She knew that a spring rain had fallen over the last two days, and the damp, cold weather would cause his legs to ache.

He was looking down at a scroll, a thin layer of sunlight casting a glow upon him. She walked over slowly and said with a smile, "Since your legs are bothering you, why aren't you resting properly at home?"

Su Mingxiu closed the book. Instead of engaging in light banter, he turned to the servants in the room and said, "Everyone leave for now."

Jiang You'an sensed that something was amiss in the atmosphere. Looking at his gentle, jade-like face, she noticed the usual smile was missing.

No... could it be that he knew about her and Lu Xuanheng?

Jiang You'an’s heart rose into her throat, and her expression grew stiff.

Once the others had left, Su Mingxiu slowly turned his gaze toward her. Jiang You'an felt as though her blood had frozen solid. He looked up at her, and after a long silence, he spoke: "Is there something you are keeping from me?"

It seemed as she had guessed...

Why now? No, she had to deny it to the end!

Jiang You'an clenched her fists tightly, feigning composure. "Why do you ask that?"

Su Mingxiu’s brows furrowed slightly. "If I had not asked, were you planning to hide it from me forever?"

His voice was so cold that it chilled Jiang You'an to the bone. She pressed her lips together tightly, not knowing what to say.

"I actually felt that something was wrong for a long time, but I never imagined you would keep something so significant from me, and that I would end up hearing it from someone else."

Su Mingxiu shook his head gently.

Jiang You'an felt a sense of profound misery. She had dared to lie and act before the Princess of Xian, yet before Su Mingxiu, she felt ashamed to lie, as if unable to bear the torture of her own conscience. She opened her mouth, ready to confess: "I..."

"Daoist Chongxu even came all the way to me. It is fortunate that it was me he approached; if he had gone to my mother, how did you intend to clean up the mess?"

Jiang You'an suddenly froze.