Chapter 122
Chapter 122: Here for Her
Xia Meng Yan saw the slightly angry Duan Yi Chen and said in surprise, “You didn’t leave?” She had thought after their last argument he would have already left Man Lin City.
Chun Yue started to call for help, but Duan Yi Chen covered her mouth to hush her. He steadied Xia Meng Yan and, wanting to surprise her but almost making her fall, asked softly, “Are you hurt?”
Xia Meng Yan pushed him away, guarded her belly, and took two steps back, saying coldly, “Heir Apparent, please behave.”
[Zheng Ming Lan and Qiao Xi Wan were just asking about him, and now he shows up. He is doing this on purpose. Wait, was he there earlier too?]
Duan Yi Chen looked wronged and stepped closer, saying, “Behave how? You already said you don’t know me. If I behave any more, we’ll be strangers.”
[Ha. I guessed right.]
Xia Meng Yan turned to head back. Duan Yi Chen hurried to keep up and said, “Don’t be mad. I know you don’t want to drag the Lin Family into this. I already had someone put on my clothes and go to the Frontier Garrison as a decoy. For now I won’t go out. I promise no one will trace my movements.”
Since meeting Xia Meng Yan, Duan Yi Chen’s temper had melted away. Compared to her, pride and stubbornness meant nothing. After their fight, he did think of leaving, but lying in bed he could not bear it. When he was little, he loved sticking by Xia Meng Yan’s side and thought they would have a happy ending. But she fell for someone else and even went to the Northern Fortress Pass to take risks. He followed her there, wanting to give up at last, but then a surprise happened: Xia Meng Yan divorced, and he had another chance. He kept testing and moving closer until he knew she had feelings for him too. In that moment he was so happy he wanted to set off fireworks on the city wall. Later his mother blocked him and kept him under guard. When Xia Meng Yan needed him most, he did not show up and even made her angry.
“You—” Xia Meng Yan had just started to answer when a shout rose nearby. She turned to see a child shoved into the water. In the blink of an eye, the culprit slipped away.
Xia Meng Yan ordered the servants to pull the child out at once. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a flash of pale pink behind the rockery and said, “Bring that person here.”
At her signal, Duan Yi Chen took his men and melted out of sight.
“Spare me, I didn’t see anything,” a maid kept begging as Chun Yue dragged her out from behind the rockery and threw her at Xia Meng Yan’s feet.
Chun Yue scolded her in anger, saying, “Speak. Who sent you?”
The maid only kowtowed for mercy and claimed she was just passing by and knew nothing.
Right then, Song Mo hauled the child out and kept pressing his chest, but the child did not wake.
“Yu’er, Yu’er!” a woman’s cry came closer. Before Xia Meng Yan could see clearly, the woman crashed into her so hard she stumbled. Thankfully, Chun Yue held her steady. The woman shoved Song Mo and snapped, “Get out of the way.” Then she scooped the child from the ground and burst into harsh sobs: “Yu’er, it’s Mother’s fault.”
Xia Meng Yan did not know the woman, but she knew if they kept delaying, the child would die: she ordered in a steady voice, “Pull her back. Song Mo, save him now.”
The woman clung to the child and refused to let go. Xia Meng Yan slapped her and said, “If you want him to live, let go.”
Stunned, the woman loosened her grip. Song Mo seized the moment, took the child, and turned him face down to pat his back. No water came out.
The woman tried to rush forward again, but one look from Xia Meng Yan froze her in place. Xia Meng Yan frowned. This wasn’t right. The child had fallen in only moments ago and was pulled out quickly. He should have come to by now.
She thought of another possibility and told Song Mo, “Put your hand on his navel and pull up fast.”
Song Mo did not know why, but he did it. The woman twisted her handkerchief, eyes locked on her child.
“Ah—” A piece of candy popped from the boy’s mouth. His shut eyes slowly opened.
Xia Meng Yan exhaled. As she guessed, his throat was blocked. Someone had lured him with candy, then pushed him into the water. The candy stuck in his throat, and with water choking him too, he was as good as dead. Even if a passerby pulled him out, without knowing the trick, they could not save him. The killer could still…
[Wait.] She had pulled him out and brought him back. Now, besides the killer, she was the only one who knew the real cause.
“Yu’er, you finally woke up. Look at me,” the woman cried, rushing in to hug the boy and check him for injuries.
Hearing the report, Madam Jia hurried over with her people. Seeing the woman on the ground holding the child and weeping, she said coldly, “Concubine Su, why are you here instead of staying in the back courtyard?”
Xia Meng Yan looked at Concubine Su on the ground, thinking hard. She had not expected this to be one of the first branch’s concubines.
Concubine Su bowed her head and cried softly, saying, “Madam, I did not mean for this. Yu’er was drawn by the noise outside and ran out on his own, and then he was—” Her eyes lifted toward Xia Meng Yan, then dropped again into tears.
Her look clearly pointed to Xia Meng Yan as the culprit.
Madam Jia snapped, “Why are you looking at Meng Yan? Yu’er fell in because the servants were careless. What does this have to do with Meng Yan?”
Concubine Su hesitated, her gaze sliding between the two.
Madam Jia hated that tempting act and grew even angrier, saying, “The Eldest Master is still hurt. Who are you making that shameless face for? Go back at once and take care of Yu’er.”
Concubine Su wept in grievance, but accepted her fate, picked up the child, and started to leave. Just then the kneeling maid suddenly spoke up, saying loudly, “Madam, you wrong Concubine Su. It was Cousin Miss who pushed Young Master Yu into the water. I saw it clearly.”
At those words, Xia Meng Yan felt every eye fall on her. She had not expected it to be aimed straight at her.
Madam Jia looked puzzled. Meng Yan and Concubine Su did not even know each other. How could Meng Yan have pushed Yu’er? But with so many people watching, it was hard to crush this openly, so she still said, “Nonsense. Why would Meng Yan push him for no reason?”
The maid, who had begged for mercy a moment ago, now put on a righteous face and said, “I was passing by and heard Cousin Miss talking with a man. Then Young Master Yu ran out and bumped into them, and Cousin Miss pushed him into the water. After they saw me, they had no choice but to pull him out.”
Concubine Su stared at Xia Meng Yan in disbelief and said, “Cousin Miss, you are going to be a mother. How could you be so cruel? Yu’er is silly, but he is the Eldest Master’s blood. How can you face the Eldest Master after doing this?”
Xia Meng Yan finally recalled who Concubine Su was. She was the only concubine in her eldest uncle’s courtyard, and she used to be her maternal grandmother’s trusted maid, Su Nian’er. She had one son and two daughters, though Xia Meng Yan had not known her son was slow-witted.
Hearing the maid twist black and white, Chun Yue stamped her foot in anger, but she remembered her lady’s warning to be careful. She said, “Madam, this maid was clearly put up to it. My lady was tired and wanted to rest. We were passing the lake when we heard someone fall in, so we came to help. Then we found this maid hiding behind the rockery and pulled her out to ask questions. Who knew she would turn it around and frame my lady.”
Seeing Chun Yue handle things with care, Xia Meng Yan felt satisfied. Since the other side meant to target them, if they panicked, they would walk into the trap themselves.
Madam Jia glanced at Xia Meng Yan. She had just learned Meng Yan took a wound for the Eldest Master, and now this maid was aiming at her. “Meng Yan,” she said, “this girl may serve in my house in name, but I have never seen her. She was likely bought to stir trouble between us.”
Xia Meng Yan nodded and said, “I think the same, Aunt. A fire-tending girl just ‘happened’ to walk by, ‘happened’ to hear me, and ‘happened’ to see me kill someone. That is too neat.”
Madam Jia had managed the back residence for years. She wasn’t a genius, but she had seen plenty of dirty tricks. Hearing Xia Meng Yan’s words, she woke up fast. Today’s banquet was her event. If something truly went wrong, the Old Madam would blame her first. Could it be the second or third branch?
Xia Meng Yan rubbed her belly and, as Chun Yue supported her, walked up to the maid. The girl shrank back. Xia Meng Yan asked calmly, “Which courtyard are you from?”
The girl kept her head low and said, “I am a maid from Madam’s courtyard.”
Madam Jia froze. From her own courtyard? Nanny Sun, who stood by her side, quickly explained, “She is Chun’er, a fire girl from the tea room. Madam has never met her.”
Chun’er lowered her head further, as if she did not want Madam to see her face. Xia Meng Yan let out a mocking smile. This was meant to kill two birds with one stone.