latelenovela Chapter 115 Exposing
Chapter 115 Exposing
Chapter 115 115 Exposing
"Is this true?" Lingyi asked with a serious expression.
"I'm not sure either. Since you said that Madam dotes on Miss, perhaps... I'm mistaken?" Yue'er murmured.
Her evasiveness caught Lingyi's attention. Yue'er, new to Lanxin Courtyard, might not know, but they remembered it all clearly! A month ago, something terrible happened at Madam's place. No one expected that Chunxiao, who had served Madam for many years, would poison her, causing Madam's health to deteriorate and nearly leading to her death! Although Chunxiao has now committed suicide out of guilt, and Miss has personally chosen a maid to serve Gongsun Yuan while Young Master Xun was away, who can be sure that everyone in Madam's quarters is trustworthy now?
Ling Shu shared the same thought as Ling Yi and couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Sister Ling Yi, should we tell Miss about this?"
Lingyi thought for a moment, then gently shook her head and said to Yue'er, "Yue'er, you must be more careful in your actions in the manor from now on. If you find anything unusual again, remember to tell me and Lingshu immediately."
"Yes." Yue'er nodded obediently.
Lingyi thought for a moment and felt it necessary to give this new maid a warning. Her voice suddenly became stern: "Yue'er, now that you're following Miss, you must always remember to put Miss first. If I ever discover that you have any ulterior motives, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Don't worry, sister. Miss is Yue'er's savior. Yue'er will never betray Miss!" Yue'er replied without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing only sincerity in her eyes, Lingyi felt a little relieved.
However, despite their attempts to conceal it, Ye Pianran still keenly sensed Lingyi and Lingshu's absent-mindedness while they were bathing.
"Lingyi, please stop throwing flower petals into the bathtub. This is the third time already."
"Ling Shu, I asked you to bring me Golden Jade Dew, why are you giving me Peach Blossom Honey?"
With a sigh, Ye Pianran looked at the three of them with a helpless expression, "Why are you all so distracted today? Do you feel that I've given you too much work and are you dissatisfied with me?"
Lingyi snapped out of her daze and quickly bowed her head to apologize: "This servant dares not! This servant just... just didn't sleep well last night."
Ling Shu chimed in, "Yes, I didn't sleep well last night either."
"Alright, did you go to catch mice or climb on the roof and tear off the tiles? Such a lame excuse, do you think I'm stupid?" Ye Pianran raised her hand and tapped Lingyi's forehead.
Lingyi blushed at her words, and after thinking it over, she finally told Ye Pianran about Yue'er's discovery.
"Oh?" Ye Pianran's eyes held a thoughtful look. "Yue'er is quite clever; she even noticed something was wrong."
Ling Shu said, "Yue'er is indeed clever and quick-witted. She can carry water that Lingyi and I can't lift on ordinary days, and she can chop a whole stack of firewood in two hours, which saves us a lot of trouble... Oh dear!"
Lingyi nudged Lingshu in the waist to shut her up and asked, "Miss, who do you think that person could be?"
Ye Pianran smiled slightly: "Jasmine."
Indeed, the one who quietly approached Lanxin Courtyard, attempting to gather information, was none other than Jasmine, the maid Ye Pianran had personally selected and sent to serve Gongsun Yuan a few days ago.
Since the previous "cat poison" incident, Jasmine had secretly sided with Ye Yanxun. This time, before leaving for the imperial examinations, Ye Yanxun summoned Jasmine to his room and instructed her to keep a close eye on Ye Pianran. Jasmine was indeed loyal. The appearance of Yue'er stirred her interest; she thought that if she could persuade Yue'er to join her in pledging allegiance to Ye Yanxun, she could completely control everything about Ye Pianran, and when Ye Yanxun returned, he might reward her handsomely. Therefore, she went to spy on the situation while Ye Pianran was away and only Yue'er remained in the mansion.
However, she was unaware that Yue'er was no ordinary person, and even less aware that Ye Pianran had already seen through her actions.
"It was her! Miss, you don't seem surprised at all. Did you already know that Jasmine had a problem?" Lingyi asked, unable to hide her surprise.
Ye Pianran said, "Otherwise, how did that man in black know where to bury that dead cat last time? If someone hadn't told him about the layout of Lanxin Courtyard, how could he have come and gone so freely in Lanxin Courtyard?"
"What should we do? She's serving Madam now; won't she harm her?" Lingyi and Lingshu immediately became anxious. Chunxiao's suicide by biting open the poison sac in her mouth was too painful to bear; they really didn't want to see that scene repeat itself!
Picking up a petal with her fingers, Ye Pianran said softly:
Those who betray us must never be allowed to live.
After washing herself and changing her clothes, Ye Pianran walked slowly out of the bathhouse with her wet hair down. Outside, Yue'er stood guard with her back to the door. She stood very steadily and straight. Although her attire was no different from Ling Shu and Ling Yi's, she inexplicably gave people a different feeling.
Hearing the sound, Yue'er turned around and bowed to Ye Pianran: "Miss".
As Ye Pianran walked towards her boudoir, she asked, "Yue'er, have you been getting used to staying at the Marquis's residence these past few days?"
"Thank you for your concern, Miss. Yue'er has adapted to life in the Marquis's mansion."
"Most of the food in the capital is bland. You grew up in Shuzhou, so if you find it hard to swallow, please remember to tell me," Ye Pianran said.
Yue'er replied, "It's alright. When my father and I were wandering around, we often went hungry and sometimes had to fight with wild dogs for food. Now that we can fill our stomachs, I feel very happy and dare not be picky anymore."
“It’s pitiful that you have to go through such hardship at such a young age,” Ye Pianran said. “However, selling yourself to bury your father is not a good idea. If our carriage had taken a different route, you would probably have fallen into the hands of bad people.”
"Even if I hadn't met Miss, I would never have gone with them!" Yue'er said through gritted teeth. "If they dare to use force against me, I'll die right here!"
"You're a woman of strong character," Ye Pianran said. "By the way, what illness did your father die from?"
"It's a cold."
“If you had met me sooner, perhaps your father’s illness could have been cured. What a pity,” Ye Pianran sighed.
Yue'er's eyes instantly reddened, and her voice choked with emotion: "Yes, if only I could have met Miss sooner..."
Reaching the door of her boudoir, Ye Pianran suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked coldly at Yue'er behind her. "However, if that's really the case, you'll have no reason to sneak into the Marquis's mansion and become my maid. Right, 'Yue'er'?"