Chapter 19: Rumors Arise

Lu Lanxi frowned, muttering to herself:
[I must not have checked the horoscope today. How could I run into this person both times I wore my night-patrol gear?]
[How can there be such a coincidence in this world?]
[Who on earth is he? Is he after my looks? But I’m wearing a veil; his eyesight shouldn't be that sharp.]
[Is he after my money? But my pockets are cleaner than my face. If he wanted money, he would have acted long ago.]
[Could he have been tracking me? Surveilling me?]

Across from her, Xie Jing'an leaned against a tree, arms crossed, his posture languid and at ease. The corners of his mouth curled slightly as he stared at Lu Lanxi with keen interest.
He had watched with his own eyes as she disposed of a body, played the fool, and scaled walls like a gecko.
He truly wanted to see if this little mute was merely being two-faced and still hung up on that heartless scoundrel, Zhuang Huaijin.

"Are you, by any chance, following me, sir?"
Lu Lanxi simply crossed her own arms and walked straight to the base of the tree where Xie Jing'an stood, saying coldly.
"If you speak so loudly, aren't you afraid of alerting the people inside?"
Although Xie Jing'an wore a silver mask, his deep eyes were exposed.
"Are you a friend or a foe?"
"What do you think, miss?"
"Speak. What do you want by following me?"
"You’re mistaken, miss. I was merely passing by, happened to see you eavesdropping, happened to—"
"Speak plainly."
"Fine. I was simply curious. A bride who claimed to have severed all ties during the day, yet secretly sneaks out at night to visit the groom's mansion? That is hardly the behavior of a noble soul."
"Could it be that you still harbor feelings for the groom? You regret it and wish to rekindle the old flame?"
Xie Jing'an gave a mocking smirk.
"Nonsense. I am no noble soul; I am merely a weak woman with no strength to truss a chicken."
Xie Jing'an stopped leaning against the tree and sat upright on a branch, folding his hands and curling his lips slightly.
"Then my eyes must have deceived me, and I have wronged such a defenseless young lady—my fault, my fault—"

Lu Lanxi curled her lip, cold and unresponsive. Instead, she said with a hint of ruthlessness:
"For a grown man to be such a gossip is truly shameless."
"We are like well water and river water—we need not interfere with each other. You walk your broad road, and I will cross my single-plank bridge. We owe each other nothing. As for today's matter, I must insist you keep your mouth shut."
"As for why you are appearing at the Minister's mansion, I shall pretend I saw nothing."
"Otherwise, I will surely fight you to the death."
Lu Lanxi kept a stony face, finished her sentence in one breath, and without waiting for his reaction, vanished into the moonlight.

***

"Little mute, you are becoming more and more interesting."
Xie Jing'an stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes. His smile faded, and his entire demeanor turned as cold as ice.
"You know what to do, right?"
Xie Jing'an’s voice lacked any trace of warmth; he was a different person entirely from the one moments before.
"This subordinate will make the arrangements."
Chuan Mo cupped his hands.
Since Zhuang Huaijin was so infatuated, he would simply help him fulfill his desires.

Within just an hour, the news that Zhuang Huaijin had self-harmed for love spread throughout the capital.
It painted Zhuang Huaijin as a fickle, treacherous, two-timing, and unfilial scoundrel who disrespected his elders.
Then there was Lu Wanhe, labeled a vixen who used her looks to carry on an affair with Zhuang Huaijin, seducing her own sister's husband, ruining her sister's marriage, and causing Zhuang Huaijin to self-harm—a total siren of disaster.

Xie Jing'an was quite satisfied with Chuan Mo’s efficiency.
He wanted to push Zhuang Huaijin into a corner, roasting him over a fire so that no complications would arise from further delay.

At the Minister's mansion, Lu Lanxi had finished washing up and was teaching Bai Zhi martial arts.
Although Bai Zhi was as strong as an ox, she lacked the skills to protect herself. In this life, Lu Lanxi wanted to teach her self-defense, as she could not be by her side every moment. She planned to head out once Bai Zhi finished training to spend some silver and bribe a few young beggars to run errands for her.

Lu Lanxi sat on the roof beam, enjoying the scenery while supervising Bai Zhi. She didn't forget to pop snacks into her mouth; she hadn't enjoyed her life in the previous one, so she was determined to make up for it now.
Suddenly, hearing the servants in the mansion shouting and the ensuing commotion, she pricked up her ears. The moment she understood the details, she went from shock to calm in an instant.
So, he was an ally.
He had actually thought of the same thing and acted even faster than she had!
She only wondered what connection he had with the Minister's mansion or the Marquis of Dongyang's estate.

"Miss, please don't be sad, don't be upset—"
The sound was so loud that even the focused Bai Zhi heard it. She stopped her movements and consoled Lu Lanxi with a pitiful look.
"I am not sad or upset at all. Sand that you cannot hold onto is better off scattered, lest it weigh you down on your journey."
Lu Lanxi patted Bai Zhi’s back, signaling her to continue training and not be distracted.
"This servant is truly happy to see that you can let go of the young master, Zhuang. Our young lady is beautiful as a flower; you deserve the best man in the world. That young master Zhuang isn't even fit to carry your shoes."
Lu Lanxi smiled and flicked her forehead.

***

"Miss, but the things people are saying outside are so ugly. Will the eldest miss do something desperate?"
Heh. Even if they said things uglier and more vicious than this, Lu Wanhe would never do anything desperate.
Anyone might lose their mind, but Lu Wanhe certainly would not.
Because Lu Wanhe was, by nature, a poisonous woman.
"Keep practicing, don't be lazy. There might be a tough battle ahead."
Bai Zhi nodded obediently.

In Haitang Courtyard, Lu Wanhe woke up to broad daylight. Having completely forgotten the strange events of the previous night, she was happily penciling her brows when she saw Lu Wanning walking over with a grim look on her face.
Seeing her approach, Lu Wanhe said triumphantly, "Wanning, look at this new rouge I bought. Does it look good?"
Lu Wanning arched an eyebrow and sighed, "My dear sister, the house is on fire, and you still have the mind to draw your eyebrows?"
"What do you mean? Has something bad happened?"
"It’s spread everywhere outside. They say Young Master Huaijin self-harmed last night to force the Marchioness of Dongyang to agree to him marrying you. It's truly unfilial."
"What?"
The eyebrow pencil fell from Lu Wanhe's hand onto the table.
She cursed inwardly: *That idiot!*
"It gets worse. They’re calling you a vixen, a red-faced disaster, a..."
Before Lu Wanning could finish, Lu Wanhe erupted in fury.
"Who is spreading these rumors? If I hear any more nonsense, I’ll have their mouths sewn shut!"
"The whole city is talking about it. You couldn't buy enough thread in the capital to sew them all shut," Lu Wanning complained.
[This Lu Wanhe, it’s one thing that she is loose, but now she has implicated all the other daughters of the Lu family. How is she, Lu Wanning, supposed to find a good husband now?]

Lu Wanhe, burning with anxiety, rushed to find Li Xianyue.
At that moment, Li Xianyue was throwing a tantrum in the main hall.
"What else are they saying?"
Nanny Lan recounted everything, wiping sweat from her forehead as she spoke.
"Go and investigate thoroughly! Find out who is spreading these rumors and ruining Wanhe's reputation!"
Li Xianyue gritted her teeth, ordering the search. If she found the culprit, she would tear them limb from limb.