Old Master Lin jumped to his feet as soon as he heard his wife's words, his pupils involuntarily widening.
He quickly sent someone to summon Lin Ziyou, asking her to recount the entire affair.
Lin Ziyou, feeling she had a clear conscience, told the truth without any embellishment.
"Are you telling the truth?" Old Master Lin looked at her deeply, unleashing all his imposing pressure, making Lin Ziyou break out in a cold sweat. But she had spoken the truth, and she met his gaze calmly.
"Why would she target you?" Madam Lin knew her husband's expression too well. She knew he intended to let her off the hook, and that was unacceptable! She quickly interjected.
"I don't know. I've only been in the capital for a short while, and I've never been out. I've never met Miss Shangguan. Perhaps it has something to do with Young Master Xu. We weren't far away at the time and clearly heard Miss Shangguan telling Young Master Xu not to get so close to her, but to grab her clothes and take her to the shore. But Young Master Xu, however..." Lin Ziyou didn't know how to describe their intimacy. The words wouldn't come out, and she also instinctively didn't want to reveal Wu Caiwei's speculation.
It seemed to be just as Lin Ziyou said. She had been innocently implicated. He intended to let her go, but he wasn't sure if the Shangguan family would let the Lin family off.
Meanwhile, at the Shangguan residence, Old Master Shangguan was also investigating the matter. His daughter had been crying since she returned, insisting she didn't want to marry her cousin. He quickly summoned Yu Huan to understand the situation.
Yu Huan, having returned with her young lady, had already anticipated that the master and madam would question her. She couldn't possibly tell them that her young lady had tried to scheme against someone and ended up implicating herself. She could only say that her young lady and Miss Lin were playing by the pond, and her young lady lost her balance and fell directly towards Miss Lin. Miss Lin was pulled by her maid, leaving her young lady with no buffer and directly plunging her head into the pond.
"And what about the Young Master Cousin? Wasn't he with the male guests in the front? How did he end up in the back courtyard?" Old Master Shangguan asked, his face grim. He suspected there was more to it.
"I don't know. Perhaps he was just passing by," Yu Huan said, a little guiltily.
Just as Old Master Shangguan was about to lose his temper, Shangguan Xi suddenly burst in. She had rushed over upon learning that her father was questioning Yu Huan. Seeing her father, she immediately grabbed his hand and sobbed, "Father, you must do justice for me! Cousin did it on purpose. When he first saved me, there was no one by the shore. I just asked him to pull me to the shore. Who knew he would take advantage of me? He wouldn't let go no matter how I struggled, wanting to embarrass me in front of everyone."
"Is this true?" Old Master Shangguan's expression became even more terrifying. Although he had shown him much care out of consideration for his sister, if he dared to set his sights on his own daughter, he wouldn't be merciful.
Madam Shangguan had been sitting by the side the entire time. She also wanted to know the truth of the matter to avenge her daughter. Hearing this, she gritted her teeth. When she had first married into the Shangguan family, Xu Wentao's mother had not yet married and had constantly made things difficult for her.
The old matriarch doted on her daughter, and Madam Shangguan's life was like drowning in bitterness. At that time, she endured it again and again. Finally, when that woman married, the Xu family soon ran into trouble, lost their official positions, and gradually declined.
A month ago, she eagerly sent her son to the Shangguan residence, trying to get close to Madam Shangguan. Madam Shangguan, while outwardly appeasing her, repeatedly warned her daughter to stay far away from Xu Wentao. Their family was a fallen clan, and marrying into their family would only lead to being drained of all resources.
When it came to marriage, Shangguan Xi was ambitious and wouldn't possibly fancy that fallen noble, Xu Wentao. Although the old matriarch strongly supported the marriage, Madam Shangguan and Old Master Shangguan were a hundred percent against it, so the matter remained unresolved.
Seeing that there was no hope for a daughter from the Shangguan family, Madam Xu still hoped her son could find a wife who would be beneficial to him. Hearing that many ladies and madams would attend this banquet, she begged her mother-in-law to let her son accompany them to broaden his horizons, in case someone took a liking to him.
Old Master Shangguan couldn't refuse his mother, but to protest, he let his wife take them, so that he could interact with the young masters from prominent families and know his own limitations after facing some setbacks. Who knew such a thing would happen due to a moment of carelessness.
"It's absolutely true! Their Xu family is too calculating. If I marry into their family, wouldn't I be falling into their trap?" Shangguan Xi said resentfully. Soudan Novels.
A moment later, Xu Wentao was brought before Old Master Shangguan. Thinking that he would become a son-in-law of the Shangguan family in the near future, he secretly rejoiced.
He knew the Shangguan family looked down on their Xu family and didn't want to marry their daughter to him, but now he had no choice. He felt incredibly pleased. He even thought about how he would thoroughly punish his cousin after marrying her, taking revenge for all the disdain and contempt from the Shangguan family upon her.
Old Master Shangguan saw that despite his efforts to conceal it, the joy in his eyes couldn't be hidden. He spoke with authority, "I am very grateful that you saved my daughter. However, as you know, marriage requires a suitable match and mutual affection. Now, my daughter is unwilling to marry you, and we will respect her wishes."
When he heard the first sentence, Xu Wentao was still secretly happy, but as he listened further, things didn't sound right. As soon as the words fell, he asked in bewilderment, "Why?"
Before the Shangguan couple could speak, Shangguan Xi couldn't help but blurt out, "How dare you ask why? Do you think no one knows what you're thinking? How could I possibly marry a scheming man like you? Your Xu family has fallen to this extent, and you still want to marry me? You're like a toad trying to eat swan meat without even looking in a mirror."
"Everyone saw us embracing each other. Besides marrying me, who else can you marry?" Xu Wentao glared at her fiercely.
Shangguan Xi was frightened by his wolf-like gaze and unconsciously shrunk her neck. Then, she said firmly, "I would rather die an old maid at home than marry you."
Old Master Shangguan saw how he dared to treat his daughter like this in front of him. If she truly married him, what kind of life would she have?
He asked somewhat angrily, "I explicitly warned you not to go to the back courtyard before you left. Why were you there?"
Hearing this, Xu Wentao knew that if he didn't explain clearly today, their relationship with the Shangguan family would only drift further apart. He said with a hint of sarcasm, "You all say I'm scheming and deliberately want to climb the Shangguan family. Yes, I don't deny it. Do you think she is some innocent maiden?"
Seeing him point at her, Shangguan Xi quickly interrupted, threatening, "Don't say another word, or I won't let you off."