Liu Xuan shook her head. “No. My adoptive father treated me extremely well. Ever since he found me in the mountains, he raised me as if I were a precious treasure. So after thinking it over and over, the only possibility he could come up with was that when I was only a few months old, being abandoned deep in the mountains frightened me. But I was too young then. I don’t remember anything, so this knot in my heart will likely never be untied in this lifetime.”
Hearing this, everyone was filled with regret.
After all, she was already this beautiful despite being blind. If she could see, how perfect would she be?
Third Madam Chu comforted her, “That may not necessarily be so. Perhaps one day, you’ll be able to see.”
At her words, everyone nodded and spoke up to console her. Only Madam Yin looked at Liu Xuan’s eyes, no one knowing what she was thinking.
The Yongyu Marquis said, “Tomorrow, we should still invite an imperial physician to come take a look.”
Although the current Yongyu Marquis Manor could not afford to offend the Prime Minister’s Estate, how could they be willing to miss an opportunity that might change the fate of the entire manor?
If Liu Xuan’s eye ailment could be cured, whether it was the Crown Prince or the young duke, either one could turn the Yongyu Marquis Manor from decline to prosperity!
After the meal, Liu Xuan accompanied everyone as they sat drinking tea and chatting. Everyone in the marquis manor brought out the greeting gifts they had prepared long ago.
Madam Yin gave her a pair of blood jade bracelets from her dowry. They were heirlooms of the Yin family, worth a fortune.
But she did not explain in detail, only saying lightly, “A pair of bracelets. They suit you perfectly.”
Everyone was rather surprised by her generosity. Compared to her, the gifts they had prepared suddenly seemed unpresentable, so they hurriedly exchanged them for better ones.
Unfortunately, Liu Xuan could not see and could not distinguish what was good or bad. Her attitude toward every gift was the same.
After accepting the gifts, she said somewhat apologetically, “I… have nothing to give in return. I’m sorry.”
Before anyone else could respond, Madam Yin spoke first.
She looked deeply at Liu Xuan, her voice slightly hoarse. “There is no need. Your return is the best gift.”
The word “return” sounded somewhat strange, but thinking about it carefully, there was nothing wrong with it. After all, what they had declared to outsiders was that Liu Xuan was their daughter who had been lost outside.
They chatted for a while longer, then everyone dispersed.
Ziyi supported Liu Xuan back to Listening Bamboo Courtyard. Along the way, her body was still trembling faintly. Once they returned to the room, she fell to her knees with a thud and kowtowed heavily. “I beg Miss to spare Zilan! She was only muddleheaded for a moment. Please, Miss, spare her!”
Hearing this, Liu Xuan smiled, her voice gentle. “If I spare her, then who will spare me?”
At these words, Ziyi hurriedly raised her head to defend her. “Zilan has no evil intentions. Her words were only a little unpleasant. She truly meant no harm…”
“Only a little unpleasant?”
Liu Xuan reached out and poured herself a cup of cold tea, saying indifferently, “I have only just arrived and have neither grudge nor grievance with her, yet she used all manner of words to mock and ridicule me. Setting aside the fact that I am the master and she is a servant, even ordinary people would not speak this way. Cruel words wound deeper than a June frost—have you never heard that saying?”
Pouring tea and drinking tea—every movement of hers showed not the slightest trace of blindness!
That glance in the dining hall had not been her imagination.
For some reason, all the hairs on Ziyi’s body stood on end, her heart pounding like a drum.
She suppressed her panic and pretended not to see those flaws, hurriedly lowering her head. “It is all Zilan’s fault, a thousand times over. I beg Miss to consider that this is her first offense and spare her this once!”
“First offense?”
Liu Xuan gave a soft scoff. “If I had not stopped you today, in the end, you would still have helped her speak, wouldn’t you? Once her words were accepted, it would confirm that I had falsely accused her. You know very well what the result would be. For her sake, you even dared to frame your master. From this, it can be seen this is not the first time you have done such a thing for her.”
Ziyi lowered her head, not daring to look at her, and only kowtowed heavily. “This servant guarantees there will never be a next time! As long as Miss spares Zilan, this servant… this servant is willing to serve Miss like an ox or horse, to repay Miss’s great kindness!”
There was meaning hidden in her words. How could Liu Xuan not understand?
It was nothing more than saying that as long as she spared Zilan, Ziyi would serve her loyally and wholeheartedly side with her.
Liu Xuan set down the teacup and gave a soft sigh. “Although you harbor some selfish thoughts, overall, you are a kindhearted person. Unfortunately, Zilan is your younger sister by blood, and you protect her far too much. You have harmed her, and you have harmed yourself as well.”
Ziyi trembled at her words. “This servant does not understand Miss’s meaning.”
Liu Xuan set down the teacup, her voice indifferent. “Very soon, you will understand. Let me give you a word of advice: if you want to protect your entire family, then stop thinking of protecting Zilan.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the voice of Madam Yin’s first-rank maid, Cuizhu, sounded from outside, requesting an audience.
Ziyi’s body trembled at the sound, and she lifted her eyes in disbelief to look at Liu Xuan.
Liu Xuan had already returned to normal and softly answered for her to come in.
Cuizhu entered the room, glanced at Ziyi kneeling on the floor, then bowed to Liu Xuan. “Eldest Miss, Madam summons Ziyi over.”
Liu Xuan gave a hum of acknowledgment and said to Ziyi, “Go on. Come back soon.”
Come back soon.
The words sounded like an ordinary instruction, but Ziyi, who had already experienced Liu Xuan’s ability, knew it was certainly not so simple. Yet at this moment, she no longer had the ability to think. She only answered in a daze, rose, and followed Cuizhu out the door.
In the main room, Zilan was kneeling in the hall, covering her face as she sobbed quietly.
Momo Xu, who had not returned to the manor for a long time, stood beside Madam Yin, her expression cold.
The door behind her was closed. Ziyi, her mind in disarray, knelt beside Zilan and kowtowed. “This servant greets Madam.”
Madam Yin did not tell her to rise. She only looked at her and said indifferently, “Zilan insists that Eldest Miss falsely accused her. She says she never said anything such as ‘a blind person cannot tell people apart at all,’ and she has insisted on calling you here to testify. Go on, then.”
Ziyi prostrated herself on the ground, Liu Xuan’s warning echoing in her mind.
If you want to protect your entire family, then stop thinking of protecting Zilan.
If it were before, she would certainly have dismissed those words. Their family had served in the marquis manor for three generations already. How could a few words from Zilan implicate their entire family?
But now, she did not dare disbelieve it.
Seeing that she did not speak, Zilan immediately grew anxious, even carrying a hint of blame in her voice. “Sister, why aren’t you speaking? Right now, you’re the only one who can prove my innocence!”
Ziyi bit her lip, raised her eyes to look at Madam Yin, and said, “Replying to Madam, this servant was in the outer room at the time and knows nothing.”
As soon as these words came out, Zilan froze on the spot. Even Madam Yin looked at her with slight surprise. “Have you thought this through? Zilan is your younger sister by blood.”
Ziyi lowered her eyes, her lips trembling as she said hoarsely, “This servant… this servant truly knows nothing.”
Hearing this, Zilan panicked completely. “Nonsense! You were clearly in the room at the time. The other servants can testify too! You want to harm me, don’t you? You…”
“Enough!”
Momo Xu shouted coldly, “You dare shout and clamor before Madam? What kind of propriety is this?!”
Zilan instantly fell silent, crying as she said to Madam Yin, “Madam, you must believe this servant. This servant has served you for so many years…”
“What sort of thing do you think you are?”
Madam Yin looked at her coldly. “To actually dare humiliate her to her face? Momo Xu!”
Momo Xu immediately bowed. “This old servant is here.”
“Drag her out and beat her to death!”