Shangguan Xi, terrified, suddenly found herself being swept into a strong embrace. Initially, she felt a surge of relief at being rescued, but a moment later, as if remembering something, she quickly looked at her rescuer. What she saw shocked her.
"Cousin, it's me! You've saved the wrong person. Put me down quickly! Don't be hugging and embracing in public. Just pull me to the shore by my clothes," she said, patting him frantically, a hint of panic in her voice.
Xu Wentao acted as if he hadn't heard her, holding her tightly. Seeing their commotion attracting more and more onlookers, he even deliberately lingered in the water for a moment.
"Cousin, didn't you hear me? This wasn't our plan. Something's gone wrong. I order you to put me down immediately, or I will make you regret this day," Shangguan Xi said. At this point, she understood everything. She had spent all her days preying on others, only to be caught by one herself. She secretly vowed to settle the score with him once she got through this ordeal.
Xu Wentao hesitated, realizing he couldn't let this golden opportunity slip away. He tightened his grip. "What nonsense is my cousin speaking? I'm here to save you. If I let you go, will you still want your life?"
Seeing Shangguan Xi panicking, he lowered his head and bit down hard on his shoulder. His body involuntarily flinched, making the two of them look even more like a couple, their actions more intimate.
He endured the pain, telling himself that it would pass and that untold riches and glory awaited him in the future.
When he saw that most of the people on shore had gathered, he began to comfort her while moving her towards the bank.
Shangguan Xi glanced around and saw the undisguised astonishment in the eyes of the ladies. Her heart sank. This shameless man! She absolutely refused to be carried by him and struggled with all her might.
However, men are naturally stronger. Despite her fierce struggles, she was still carried ashore by him. To outsiders, she even seemed like a petulant child.
Madame Shangguan rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing her daughter's state, her mind went blank. Trembling, she instructed her maid to fetch a spare set of clothes to cover her daughter and shield her from prying eyes.
Seeing Xu Wentao's seemingly repentant demeanor, she became furious. She pulled her daughter's hand and turned to leave, completely ignoring him.
Lin Ziyou stood frozen, looking at Wu Caiwei with a hint of hurt. "That young master intended to save me, didn't he? This is the first time I've met Miss Shangguan. Why would she frame me? Doesn't she know how important a woman's reputation is? Once saved by that man, I would have no choice but to marry him."
"While you were walking ahead, I was chatting with her maid, Yuhuan, and inadvertently mentioned Lin Ziqin's maid. I discovered they are quite familiar with each other. If I'm not mistaken, she and Lin Ziqin are close friends. Today, she framed you to avenge Lin Ziqin," Wu Caiwei said calmly. In fact, the moment Miss Shangguan appeared, she felt her presence was too sudden, as if it were deliberate. Furthermore, although she chatted and laughed with Miss Lin later, her smile didn't reach her eyes, making her uncomfortable and raising her guard.
Lin Ziyou listened to her conjecture, momentarily speechless. She was the victim! If it weren't for them, their mother and daughter, they would have been a complete family of three.
After this incident, no one was in the mood to continue their activities, and the banquet dispersed quickly.
As they were leaving, the Duchess of Li specially called Madam Lin aside. Whatever was said made Madam Lin's expression turn extremely unpleasant.
Seeing both the mistress and maid gritting their teeth, wishing they could kill them, Madam Lin stormed towards the exit.
Although the two didn't know what she was so angry about, they followed closely. After all, it was a long way from the Lin mansion, and it would take an hour to walk back.
No one spoke along the way. Madam Lin tried her best to suppress her anger, fearing that she might not be able to restrain herself from stepping forward and slapping Lin Ziyou several times.
Her daughter had entered the palace over a year ago, but the Emperor had never summoned her. Once, they had spent a considerable sum to bribe an eunuch. When the Emperor was choosing who to summon, they placed her plaque in a conspicuous spot.
The Emperor had directly asked, "What is the relationship between this person and the one who had smallpox last year?"
The eunuch had honestly replied that they were sisters. Upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately chose someone else.
After receiving the news, she and her husband had cursed Lin Ziyou hundreds of times. After venting their anger, they couldn't help but feel pity for their daughter. The Emperor now had a grudge, and their daughter might spend her life as a barren wife in the harem.
The harem was a place where people stepped on those below and fawned over those above. If she wasn't favored, how would her future days be? Madam Lin deeply regretted sending her daughter in.
The more Madam Lin thought about it, the more resentful she became. She sent people to inquire about Lin Ziyou's situation. She had initially assumed that without the Lin family's financial support, Lin Ziyou would live a miserable life. However, when the investigation results were presented, she had to admit she was jealous and uncomfortable. Her own daughter was suffering in the palace, while Lin Ziyou was thriving in business outside.
Coincidentally, Madam Lin's son was about to take the imperial examinations and needed patronage in his career. Furthermore, Master Lin had been stuck at the fourth-rank position for several years and couldn't advance further. Thus, she discussed a plan with her husband: to offer Lin Ziyou to someone as a concubine, allowing the Lin family to rise higher.
Master Lin agreed with a nod. He had never had much affection for Lin Ziyou, and he resented her for tarnishing the Lin family's reputation and making their daughter's path in the palace difficult. It was time for her to contribute to the family, so he sent people south to bring her back to the capital.
Just now, the Duchess of Li had informed Madam Lin that she and her maid were present when Miss Shangguan fell into the water. Moreover, Miss Shangguan's maid, Yuhuan, had repeatedly claimed that if not for them, her young lady wouldn't have fallen into the water. And before Madame Shangguan left, she had issued a stern warning: their family would not let the Lin family off.
Thinking of this, Madam Lin got a headache. Those two women, mother and daughter, were her nemesis! They had stolen the original wife's position, and now her daughter was constantly causing her trouble.
The Shangguan family was not to be trifled with, especially since Miss Shangguan's reputation had been ruined. This feud was now serious. She just wanted to return home quickly and discuss with her husband to see if he had any ideas.
Madam Lin lamented her decision all the way, regretting why she had brought Lin Ziyou out. If she had just kept her confined to the backyard and sent her out in a sedan chair, it would have been as if she had nothing to do with it. Now, it was too late for regrets.
The moment the carriage stopped at the Lin mansion, Madam Lin practically leaped out with all her might, not wanting to spend another moment with Lin Ziyou. She hurried towards the main courtyard. Lin Ziyou watched her retreating figure with a deep sense of dread, feeling that a storm was brewing.