Chapter 277

Chapter 277: Fine, So This Is How You Want To Play

In the end, the farce ended with Patriarch Fang giving his son several heavy slaps, turning a face already scratched by paint into a swollen pig’s head. The Fang family also paid one thousand taels in compensation for emotional distress and medical costs.

Watching this, the guests felt their own cheeks sting.

Yu Zhi Yi’s red lips curved, and for a moment her still, pretty face lit with bright life. She gave Young Master Fang a meaningful look and said: “I hope this time you learn your lesson. Don’t be a foolish pawn for others. Look, if my eldest uncle hadn’t shown mercy today, you and your parents would have faced a miserable end, while some people sat back and watched, not touched at all, and didn’t even say one word for you.”

Chen Xin Yue’s face changed. [This nasty woman. She’s sowing discord right in front of me.] But she didn’t dare speak. Before now, people didn’t know why Young Master Fang had attacked that wild girl. If she stood up after Yu Zhi Yi said this, she would fall into a trap and everyone would know Young Master Fang had done it for her. Even if he had volunteered and even taken the lead himself, people wouldn’t believe it. They would say she was jealous of that wild girl and urged him to act for her. [No. I can’t let that happen.] So she stayed seated and still.

Only after hearing Yu Zhi Yi did Young Master Fang realize Chen Xin Yue had never spoken up for him, even once. He had suffered such a deep shame for her sake. How could she just watch coldly? He looked at her. Chen Xin Yue turned her eyes away and refused to meet his gaze.

Young Master Fang clenched his teeth, thinking: [Fine. So this is how you want to play.]

He spoke in a low voice: “I couldn’t stand how you came back and took everything that belongs to Xin Yue, so I acted to win justice for her.”

The hall went silent. Several people muttered under their breath: “Good grief.”

Everyone turned to stare at Chen Xin Yue. Her pretty face went pale, and she didn’t dare play dead any longer. She sprang up and denied it in a rush: “Young Master Fang, I tried to stop you, but you wouldn’t listen.”

She then looked to Jiang Yu Chuan and said: “Second Master, I would never covet what is not mine, and I would never entertain thoughts I should not have. I am truly happy in my heart that my sister has returned.”

Jiang Yu Chuan frowned. He disliked her adoptive mother, but Xin Yue herself seemed a decent child. Maybe everything tonight really was Young Master Fang’s idea and had nothing to do with Xin Yue. After all, if he wanted to act on his own, Xin Yue couldn’t control him.

Yu Zhi Yi glanced at Jiang Yu Chuan and then at Chen Xin Yue, and said lightly: “Let’s stop here. I’m tired. I’ll take Mother back to rest first.”

She nodded to Commandery Governor Song as a goodbye. Commandery Governor Song stood and said: “Since the main character has left, I, this official, will take my leave as well.”

Li Chang Huai hurried after Yu Zhi Yi, calling: “Yu… Second Miss Jiang, wait for me!”

The welcome banquet ended in a mess. The Martial Alliance did not lose all face, but people left unhappy. The guests did not mind; after all, they were not the ones embarrassed. Jiang Yu Chuan’s family was unhappy too, but they were the victims, and they had already punished Young Master Fang and withdrawn safely.

In the end, only the Martial Alliance’s reputation took a hit. Years ago, after the child went missing, Jiang Yu Chuan had argued to send Chen Ruo Lan away from the Martial Alliance. Old Master Jiang and Jiang Yu Wei strongly opposed it, so Chen Ruo Lan stayed. Because of that, her daughter Chen Xin Yue, who took her mother’s surname, naturally grew up in the Martial Alliance. Now that the Martial Alliance had been shamed, it was hard not to see this as a boomerang from the past flying back.

When the crowd had gone, Jiang Yu Wei could no longer keep the smile on his face. He slammed a palm onto the redwood table, leaving a clear handprint, and said: “Outrageous! What is going on with Second Brother’s daughter? How did she win the favor of Young Lord Li and Commandery Governor Song?”

Lin Jing Xuan had not expected him to focus on that. She could only answer: “Second Brother didn’t say much. He only said she was sent to the capital and became the adopted daughter of a family there.”

Jiang Yu Wei frowned: “An adopted daughter from a small household would never move Young Lord Li and Commandery Governor Song. She must have another identity. Find out what her adoptive parents do.”

Lin Jing Xuan nodded: “Alright.” She added: “In my view, her being so capable isn’t a bad thing. You’ve always wanted a tie to the imperial court. Judging by Commandery Governor Song’s attitude toward her, we might be able to work with that.”

Jiang Yu Wei looked thoughtful and said: “You’re right.”

Seeing he agreed, Lin Jing Xuan asked: “What about Ruo Lan? What will you do?”

Jiang Yu Wei frowned: “What do you mean, what will I do?”

Lin Jing Xuan gave him a lazy look and said: “Xin Yue caused a huge mess today. The Martial Alliance lost face. Are we just going to let it go?”

Jiang Yu Wei disagreed and said: “This was all that Fang brat’s doing. What does it have to do with Xin Yue? She’s a victim too. After today, who knows what people will say about her.”

He waved his hand: “Send her some calming medicine later to settle her nerves.” Then he said coldly: “The Fang family is truly ungrateful, daring to cause trouble in the Martial Alliance.”

Lin Jing Xuan said nothing more. As she lowered her eyes, a hint of mockery flashed there. She said: “Fine, I’ll send her something to calm her down. I’ll also remind her not to hold a grudge against Second Brother’s girl.”

Yu Zhi Yi looked at the person trailing behind her and asked, deadpan: “What do you want?”

[Isn’t Li Chang Huai supposed to be You Bing Yue’s lapdog? Doesn’t he dislike me? Or is this his way of standing up for You Bing Yue?]

Li Chang Huai snapped open his folding fan, acting carefree and charming as he said: “Official Yu, don’t be so cold. One way or another, I stood up for you today. Rounded up, that makes us friends.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s little face went even blanker as she said: “I don’t want to be friends with you.” Anyone connected to You Bing Yue, especially men, was someone she wanted to avoid. Back in the Immortal dwelling, she had been polite only because he stepped in front of her a few times to block danger. Later, she led him out of the Immortal dwelling too, so they were even.

She took Xiao Qing Xuan’s arm and walked faster.

“Hey, Official Yu, don’t be so cruel!” Li Chang Huai tried to catch up, but Jiang Liu Yi blocked him and said: “Young Lord Li, my sister doesn’t want to be friends with you. Also, since you didn’t get a formal invitation, we didn’t prepare a room on the mountain for you. Please head back.”

Li Chang Huai snapped his fan shut with a pop and said: “Jiang Liu Yi, what do you mean? Are you kicking me out?”

Jiang Liu Yi looked at him like he was foolish and said: “This is my home. If you don’t leave, do you plan to cling to my house?”

Li Chang Huai had no reply. He flicked his fan in anger and said hotly: “Your sister is not some ordinary girl who stays indoors, and she won’t stay on this mountain for life. I’ll see what excuse you use to stop me then!”

He stormed off.

Jiang Liu Yi blinked in confusion and asked: “What’s his problem?”

Even with his sharp mind, with no clues at all he couldn’t make sense of it.

Jiang Liu Yun rubbed his nose and said: “Maybe he just… admires Sister too much.”