If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Shouan Hall Upper Room

Qu's face was ashen as he sat at the head of the table.

Yu's fingers gripped the handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning bluish-white.

Cailing knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf in the wind. She kept her head down, her shoulders heaving, but dared not make a sound.

Xi Lingxian stood to the side, her expression unchanged.

Qu's gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally landing on Cai Ling, and she said in a deep voice, "Speak, what happened?"

Cai Ling trembled even more violently, her lips quivering, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Qu turned her gaze to Xi Hui: "Hui'er, speak."

Xi Hui raised his head, glanced at Cai Ling, and then lowered his eyes again.

Cai Ling suddenly raised her head.

That tear-streaked face had changed its expression at some point.

She looked at Xi Lingxian, her eyes revealing a resolute determination born of a willingness to risk everything.

"Young lady," she began, her voice trembling, "why are you treating me like this?"

Xi Lingxian looked at her, her brows twitching slightly.

Cailing knelt on the ground, crawled two steps, turned to Madam Qu, and kowtowed twice: "Old Madam, I am guilty, I admit it. But I was forced into this today!"

Madam Qu's face darkened: "You were forced? Who forced you?"

Cailing raised her head, tears streaming down her face again, but her gaze was fixed directly on Xi Lingxian:

"It was the lady! The lady forced me!"

The surrounding area erupted in uproar.

Xi Hui suddenly raised his head and looked at Madam Qu. "Grandmother, I didn't want to say it, but now that things have come to this, if I don't speak up, I will truly die a wronged death."

Madam Yu paused for a moment, then held Xi Hui's shoulders, her voice filled with heartache: "Hui'er, what grievance have you suffered? Just tell me! With the old lady here, no one will dare to bully you!"

Xi Hui raised his head and glanced at Xi Lingxian, his eyes filled with disappointment and heartache: "Grandson only now understands that today's whole thing was deliberately planned by eldest sister. It was eldest sister who deliberately sent Cailing to find grandson."

Cailing sobbed uncontrollably, "Grandma, please understand! This young lady suddenly said she wanted to arrange a marriage for me. I didn't want to, but she wouldn't listen. I had no choice..."

Xi Hui sighed, "Grandmother, my elder sister and I have always gotten along well and never had any disagreements. I really don't understand why my elder sister would do this to harm me and ruin my reputation..."

Madam Yu turned to Madam Qu, her voice choked with emotion: "Grandma, you know Hui'er, he's the most obedient and well-behaved child, never causing trouble. Today's incident is clearly a trap someone set, waiting for him to fall into it!"

Xi Yao quickly chimed in, "Grandmother, I was wondering why my sister was being so attentive today, insisting on dragging you to see the flowers! She's never been this filial before. She clearly knew something was going on there and deliberately brought you there!"

"Sister, how cruel you are! What did Third Brother do to offend you that you would do this to him?"

Xi Hui sighed, his voice filled with disappointment: "Elder sister, I know you've never liked my mother, but I've never offended you, and I've always treated you with courtesy. Why resort to such despicable means?"

Xi Yao sneered, "Sister, you really have some tricks up your sleeve. First, you tried to match Cailing with someone, forcing her into a corner, and then you led Grandmother to witness it, so you could shift the blame onto Third Brother. One thing leads to another, you've really gone to great lengths!"

Xi Hui lowered his eyes, his voice low: "Grandmother, I accept the punishment. I shouldn't have been soft-hearted, I shouldn't have listened to Cai Ling's cries and pleas. But I really only felt sorry for her because she said her eldest sister was forcing her..."

"My grandson and Cailing, the only thing I did was help her out once when she made a mistake at a family banquet. That's all. I swear to God."

Suddenly, Madam Yu knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face: "Grandma, I beg you to investigate! Hui'er is my only son. If he ruins his reputation because of this, I won't be able to live anymore!"

Xi Yao also knelt down, her voice shrill: "Grandmother, my sister did it on purpose today! She fooled us all!"

Ms. Qu sat at the head of the table, her prayer beads stopped moving.

Xi Lingxian stood there, listening to the tearful accusations, and thought it was quite a show of turning black into white.

"Did I force you?"

"Cailing, put your hands on your heart and speak. I'm arranging a marriage for you out of pity for the years you've served me. The dowry I'm giving you is enough for an ordinary family to live on for a lifetime. The courtyard I've prepared for you is a detached house with blue bricks and tiles. Go and ask around, which maid in the manor has ever received such treatment?"

Cai Ling's crying paused.

Xi Lingxian continued, "If you're unwilling, you can simply tell me. You've been with me all these years, when have I ever made things difficult for you? But what do you do—you don't come to me, but instead run to my third brother crying and complaining?"

As she spoke, she turned to Xi Hui, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment:

"Third brother, please enlighten me. You are a dignified young master from a prestigious family, how could you be entangled with a maid in your own sister's courtyard? If word gets out, what will outsiders think of you?"

Xi Hui's expression changed slightly.

Cailing panicked and crawled two steps on her knees. "My lady! I've said I don't want to! But you won't listen, you insist on arranging a marriage for me..."

"What kind of people did you choose for me? The servants in the front yard are vulgar and crude, their words are always filthy! And that Steward Wang, he's over forty, two wives have died, and people say he's cursed to bring misfortune to his wives! I... I'm scared..."

Madam Yu's voice choked with sobs: "Grandma, this child was driven to desperation! Eldest daughter, why did you do this? This girl has been with you since she was little, there must be some bond between you. Which girl wouldn't be afraid of the men you chose for her?"

Xi Yao's eyes darted around, and she quickly chimed in, "That's right! Sister, aren't you afraid that treating the servants like this will make them feel disheartened?"

"The people I chose for Cailing were the servants and stewards from the front courtyard who had asked others to mediate. I had them each introduce themselves and explain their situation, hoping to select the best one from among them."

Lingxian paused, then looked at Cailing: "That Manager Wang you mentioned, I've never considered him from beginning to end. Over forty years old, a widower, why would I send someone like that to you?"

"As for those uncouth and vulgar ones," Xi Lingxian's tone remained calm, "the servants in the front courtyard are naturally not as respectable as the young masters in the mansion. But they honestly asked someone to mediate, they're not petty thieves. If you dislike them, I'll find you better ones. Why are you so scared that you run to other men and cry?"

As she spoke, her gaze shifted from Cai Ling's face to Xi Hui:

"Besides, even if you feel wronged and want someone to plead for you, there are so many people in the whole household, why did you have to come to Third Brother?"

She paused, then chuckled softly:

"The way you two were practically glued together behind the rockery just now, to say you're completely innocent? Do you think we're all fools?"

Just as things were getting heated, a voice suddenly came from outside the door announcing something.

"Grandma, Miss Taozhi is outside requesting an audience, saying she has important matters to report."

Madam Qu frowned: "What is she doing here?"

Lingxian stood to the side, her expression unchanged, only her eyes slightly lowered.

After a moment's hesitation, Madam Qu waved her hand and said, "Let her in."

The curtain was lifted, and Taozhi walked in. She was carrying a bundle in her hands. She went to the hall, first bowed deeply to Madam Qu, and then curtsied to Lingxian.

"This servant dares to ask the old lady and the young lady something."

Qu asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"

Taozhi opened the bundle and took things out one by one.

First came a pair of bracelets, in pristine condition, followed by a hairpin with two lifelike mimosa flowers carved on the head.

There were also a few odds and ends: a handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water; a sachet filled with some kind of fragrance; and a small pouch with fine stitches, also embroidered with a pair of mimosa flowers.

Tao Zhi held the items in both hands, raising them above her head:

"Reporting to Madam, these items were found in Sister Cailing's room. I inquired about the bracelet and hairpin; they're from Baohua Tower in the city. A pair of bracelets costs twenty taels of silver, and the hairpin is even more expensive, easily costing thirty taels. Sister Cailing's monthly allowance is only one tael; all the savings she's accumulated over the years can't possibly buy such valuable items."

She paused, then pushed the purse and handkerchief forward again:

"These things were made by Cailing herself. The mimosa flower on that purse is Cailing's best embroidery pattern. And this handkerchief and this sachet are embroidered with mandarin ducks and mimosa flowers."

Albizia flowers.

The moment those three words were uttered, the expressions on everyone's faces in the hall changed.

According to the customs of this dynasty, the mimosa flower has always been a token of love between men and women.

There's only one possibility for an unmarried girl to embroider acacia flowers.

Cai Ling's face was as pale as paper.

Madam Qu's gaze fell on the mimosa flower hairpin. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke:

"Where did these things come from?"

Taozhi lowered her head: "This servant doesn't know. Sister Cailing hides these things very well and never shows them to anyone. This servant only discovered them by chance."

"Grandmother, it was truly my intention to take you to the back garden to admire the flowers today."

As Lingxian spoke, she turned to Cailing, her eyes filled with a faint trace of pity:

"These days, she's been absent-minded, forgetful, and often lost in thought. I initially thought she was just at an age where she had someone in her heart but was too embarrassed to express it. I had a maid keep an eye on her in case something happened to her, but I gradually noticed that she always ran to the backyard, and the path she took was in the direction of my third brother's courtyard."

Cai Ling's lips trembled violently.

Lingxian withdrew her gaze and continued, "I dared not make any hasty conclusions, which is why I set up this scheme. I assigned her someone to seek help, to see who she was really asking for help. I'm young and unsure about these matters, which is why I thought of asking you, my grandmother, to oversee the matter."

The hall was deathly silent.

Qu's gaze lingered on her for a long time.

Lingxian knelt there, her voice gradually lowering.

"Grandmother, granddaughter..."

Her voice suddenly choked up.

As everyone looked over, they saw that a layer of water had appeared in those eyes, which had always been calm as still water.

The water grew thicker and thicker, condensing into teardrops that slowly slid down her cheeks.

Lingxian didn't wipe away the tears. She just let them flow, looking extremely fragile and helpless.

"My granddaughter is so young," she said softly, her voice trembling with tears, "and the person who serves her so closely has suddenly become disloyal. My granddaughter is really... really scared."

She raised her eyes and looked at Ms. Qu.

That face was already exceptionally beautiful, but now, wet with tears, its brows and eyes were filled with vulnerability and grievance; anyone who saw it would have their heart soften.

"I'm truly at my wit's end." She sniffed, her voice broken. "I dare not speak directly, for fear of wronging an innocent person, and for fear that Grandmother won't believe me..."

Her voice was soft, tinged with tears, yet each word was clear and distinct:

"To put it bluntly, the third brother is, after all, the wife's son, and not the granddaughter's biological son. There's a distance between them. Why didn't he choose any other maids, but instead chose the head maid who serves his granddaughter? Cailing's looks aren't the best among the maids. With the third brother's actions, who would believe he doesn't have ulterior motives?"

She paused, and tears welled up in her eyes again:

"Grandmother, I don't want to make assumptions about my own family members, but I'm afraid that if one day I am murdered, I will have no one to seek justice."

That's too harsh a statement.

The hall was deathly silent.

Yu felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and her jaw began to chatter.

She stared at Lingxian, her lips trembling, and it took her a long time to manage a sound:

"What...what nonsense are you spouting?!"

The voice was so sharp it was almost cracking, completely devoid of its usual gentle and dignified quality.

Lingxian didn't look at her.

She simply knelt, looking up at Madam Qu, tears streaming down her face. Her face was filled with fear, grievance, and a desperate reliance on her grandmother for protection.

Qu looked at her, her gaze almost overflowing with complexity.

This child has always been a tough nut to crack. In front of her, he would never cry when he was hit or make a fuss when he was wronged. He was as stubborn as a little ox.

She had never seen her like this before.

She was frail, helpless, and heartbreaking.

Looking at Lingxian's face and then at the softness in Qu's eyes, Xi Yao suddenly felt a surge of jealousy and resentment.

She had been respectfully serving Madam Qu morning and evening for so many years, but Xi Lingxian only pretended to be clever and obedient a few times, and her grandmother softened and pitied her. Why?

Yu's jaw was still trembling.

Every word Xi Lingxian said was like a knife, stabbing straight into her heart.

"Separated by hearts"

"They were murdered" —

How dare she say that? How dare she say it in front of the old lady?

Xi Hui lowered his eyes, his clenched knuckles turning bluish-white. "Grandmother, you are wise. Your grandson has no such intentions."

Lingxian's sobs echoed softly in the silent hall.

Whether or not she had such intentions, she didn't have any solid evidence.

But what she wanted was to sow the seeds of doubt in everyone's heart. Yu had been pretending to be gentle and kind for so many years, and it would not be easy to tear off her veil in a day.

Fortunately, she has plenty of time in her life.