Chapter 378

Chapter 378: If Both Go to Jail, Doesn’t That Count as Keeping Her Company?

After dealing with Chen Xin Yue and You Bing Yue, it was Chen Ruo Lan’s turn.

With a flick of her wrist, Yu Zhi Yi took out a Truth-Telling Talisman and gazed at the beautiful woman who, though nearly forty, still looked stunning; she asked: “Hall Master Chen, will you say it yourself, or should I say it for you?”

Chen Ruo Lan took two steps back, her lovely face full of grievance as she said: “Second Miss, this has nothing to do with me. I didn’t know ahead of time that Xin Yue would kill someone.”

Her stance was clever, leaving half her profile visible to the eyes of the people secretly watching not far away.

At just the right distance, those people saw tears on a beauty’s face, and many of them felt pity.

Seeing that Nuan’er had already been subdued, their courage grew. They stepped out from the corners and said: “Second Miss Jiang, our Great Sheng Empire ended collective punishment long ago. You can’t convict Hall Master Chen just because her daughter killed someone.”

Chen Xin Yue stared at Chen Ruo Lan, nervous as she whispered: “Mother…”

Turning away in pain, Chen Ruo Lan said: “Xin Yue, killing is a serious crime. I can’t help you.”

She cried out with heartbreak and anger as she said: “How did I raise you from childhood? I told you to be upright and kind, yet you committed an unforgivable crime. I’m truly too disappointed in you!”

After speaking, she started to turn and leave.

To others, the scene looked like this: a righteous, kind mother couldn’t face the truth that her daughter was a killer. She wanted to put justice above family but couldn’t bear it, so she turned away. Many would have praised her and said: “So noble!”

Covering her face, Chen Ruo Lan hid her eyes under her sleeve, and there wasn’t a hint of pain in them-only coldness.

[Yu Zhi Yi, huh? I’ll remember you. A woman’s revenge can wait ten years. And Chen Xin Yue-useless! You can’t even handle a small task. Being your mother is embarrassing.]

People whispered nearby, and their gossip floated over. Someone sighed as they said: “Hall Master Chen is truly pitiful.”

Another person said: “She had a crush on Second Master Jiang for decades, but he didn’t feel the same. When she finally gave up and got married, her husband beat her and cheated, even keeping a mistress.”

A third voice added: “She finally dumped that scumbag and moved out with her daughter, but the girl is disappointing and killed someone over a small matter.”

A fourth person said: “Poor woman-already past fifty, and now she’ll be all alone, with no one to rely on…”

Because her martial skills were decent, Chen Ruo Lan heard every word. The phrase “past fifty” went straight into her ears, and she almost died of anger.

Her eyes flashed with a cruel, gloomy light beneath her sleeve. She glared at the speaker and quietly put that person on her list for later.

Yu Zhi Yi clicked her tongue in her mind and marveled: [No wonder she could charm Ji Guang Dai and stir up trouble on Mount Ming. In such a short time she already came up with a counterplan.]

She had a strong feeling: if Chen Ruo Lan walked out of this courtyard today, endless trouble would follow. She would not allow that to happen.

“Chen Ruo Lan, where are you going?” asked Yu Zhi Yi.

Chen Ruo Lan paused and said, teary-eyed: “I… I won’t beg for her. But she is my daughter. I can’t bear to watch her thrown into jail.”

Her watery eyes stirred pity in many hearts.

Yu Zhi Yi chuckled and said: “No need, because you can stay with her for a long, long time.”

Chen Ruo Lan froze and asked: “Second Miss, what do you mean? Can you decide not to hold her killing accountable?”

Yu Zhi Yi smiled: “Of course I can’t.”

Then she added: “But I can send you in to keep her company.”

Mother and daughter going to jail together-how is that not company?

Hearing the hidden meaning, Chen Ruo Lan’s face stiffened as she said: “Second Miss, don’t joke. Even with your great power, you can’t throw an innocent person into prison.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s smile grew brighter as she said: “Who said I’m going to throw an innocent person into prison?”

Chen Ruo Lan tried to speak again, but Yu Zhi Yi tilted her chin toward someone behind her as she said: “Look behind you before you talk.”

Suspicious, Chen Ruo Lan turned her head. Then she was so shocked she stumbled back several steps and stammered: “You… you…”

A one-armed, lame middle-aged man stepped out of the shadows, leaning on a crutch with his remaining arm. His steps were slow but firm. His hair was fully white, and his face looked much older than other men his age. His eyes, fixed on Chen Ruo Lan, were full of hate.

“Chen Ruo Lan,” he said, “sixteen years have passed. You still look lively and not a bit older.”

“Now look at me. You ruined me!”

Most onlookers were confused and asked: “Who is that?”

Some older people found his features familiar. After thinking for a moment, their eyes went wide as they said: “Is that… Chen Wei?!”

Chen Wei was the adopted son of Chen Tie Sheng. A certain master once said that Chen Tie Sheng’s fate allowed him only one daughter and no sons in this life. He refused to accept it and sought many women, but no matter what he did, none became pregnant. At last he gave in to fate and adopted a son-Chen Wei.

Chen Wei was a year older than Chen Ruo Lan. From the start, Chen Tie Sheng taught him that he was born to serve Chen Ruo Lan.

If Chen Wei hadn’t seen normal family love among the Jiang Clan, he might really have been trained into the Chen family’s obedient dog. Thankfully, he saw real family affection when he was young, and he also owed the Jiang Clan a kindness. So when he learned the father-daughter conspiracy in the Chen family, he struggled for a while and then decided to tell the truth.

Sadly, he was one step too late, and Chen Ruo Lan noticed something was off.

Chen Ruo Lan had never imagined she would see Chen Wei again. Her perfect mask finally cracked as she said: “Elder Brother, you… you’re alive?”

Chen Wei sneered as he said: “Now that you see I’m alive, are you disappointed?”

After a brief loss of composure, Chen Ruo Lan quickly calmed down. With a face full of excitement, she said: “Elder Brother, what are you saying? I’m so happy-how could I be disappointed?”

She had already destroyed all the evidence. Even if Chen Wei was alive, as long as she firmly denied pushing him off the cliff, his words alone couldn’t do anything to her. Her image might take a hit, but it wouldn’t be a big problem. As long as she stayed free, she would have a chance to rise again.

Chen Wei looked right through her thoughts and said with a mocking smile: “Are you thinking that even if I’m alive and expose your true face, without solid proof no one will believe me?”

“Knowing what kind of person you are, do you think I’d show up without being fully prepared? Do you think I’d let myself walk into your trap again?”

“Back then you used people and threw them away. After you got what you wanted from Doctor Ding, you killed him, and you even tried to wipe out his whole family. You probably didn’t expect that one person escaped, did you?”