Chapter 19: Someone Stole Her Belongings

Chapter 19: Someone Stole Her Belongings

Not to mention Concubine Liu, even Su Qian was surprised. Not only did they demand her dowry, but also the authority of managing the household from her mother!

She yearned to argue further, but when she met the matriarch's piercing gaze, she bit her lip and reluctantly lowered her head.

She could regain control of the household management later, but her reputation must not be ruined in the eyes of outsiders! The matriarch was currently too weak to manage the household, and Su Youyue, that fool, was clueless. Eventually, wouldn't the authority return to the concubines' hands?

Furthermore, if the concubine couldn't manage, wouldn't it be reasonable for her, with her reputation, to take over?

Concubine Liu had no choice but to agree, even if she wept. With her daughter beside her, defeated, what could she do?

The servants watching the two leave in defeat almost universally concluded that Concubine Liu was the real culprit. Thinking about it, the birth mother of Miss Second indeed seemed like a thief. What Lady Eldest was doing just now wasn't pouring dirty water, but seeking the truth.

It seemed that Lady Eldest wasn't as unsophisticated or malicious as they thought. She merely sought the truth... They had wronged Lady Eldest.

A tinge of guilt appeared in the crowd's gazes, while Su Rong, on the other side, was still foolishly grinning.

Although she sometimes put on a pleasant face for Su Qian, it was far from sincere. She didn't like either of her sisters. One was a legitimate daughter, the other a fortunate star, and both were more beautiful than her. It would be strange if she liked them!

Her joy was cut short when Lady Su frowned at her. "Rong'er! Screaming and calling your eldest sister by her given name is utterly disrespectful! Go back and reflect on your actions. Return everything you took from your sister before you're allowed out!"

"Aah?" Su Rong was stunned, her happiness vanishing. How did Grandmother know about this? And she was even taking Su Youyue's side!

Those items were already hers; why should she give them to Su Youyue? Grandmother was being biased!

"Enough, I'm tired. All of you, go back. Nuan Nuan, come learn estate management with me tomorrow," said Lady Su, whose health was already frail. Normally, she practiced self-cultivation, but the events of today had left her feeling drained.

She hadn't pressed the matter further because, regardless of their internal squabbles, they couldn't let outsiders laugh at them. She hadn't expected Liu Shi to be so daring, actually touching the dowry!

In the end, it was Nuan Nuan who had been wronged. Lady Su had treated both Su Rong and Concubine Liu kindly, but their ingratitude had gone unchecked. It was time for them to reflect on their behavior.

As for her second granddaughter, she seemed more scheming than she had imagined. Even she had been deceived...

After ensuring that her grandmother rested, Su Youyue left Fu Shou Garden in high spirits. Taking control of Liu Shi's managerial duties was an unexpected delight, making her future actions much easier.

As for learning estate management from her grandmother, she would soon prove that there was nothing left for her grandmother to teach. There was no need for her grandmother to trouble herself...

Su Youyue returned to her courtyard with a cheerful smile, but it vanished the moment she recognized the figure standing there.

"Xie Yuan?"

What was he doing here??

Was he planning to snatch away her life again?

Despite the bright daylight, Su Youyue felt a chill down her spine. Scanning her surroundings, she confirmed that there were guards and maids around. Assuming Xie Yuan wouldn't dare to act with them present, she swallowed hard.

"Cough, why are you here? Didn't I tell you to focus on healing?"

"I'm healed." Xie Yuan approached her, lowering his head slightly. He noticed the fluffy scarf around the young girl's neck, which, paired with her expression, made her resemble a startled little bird.

Extending his hand, Su Youyue instinctively closed her eyes.

After a brief wait, nothing happened, and the person in front of her had disappeared. Only then did she realize that Chunya had stepped aside, allowing Xie Yuan to take over pushing her wheelchair.

"..."

Chunya, that girl, she was supposed to be reliable, yet she was also afraid of Xie Yuan! She gave up her seat as soon as he reached out! Even selling pigs doesn't happen that fast; she is her mistress after all!

Standing by the side, Chunya wore an innocent expression. Back when Miss Su wanted to move around during the day, she used to summon Xie Yuan to push the wheelchair quite happily, even scolding him from time to time.

"I don't need you to push me. I'm not going anywhere." Su Youyue secretly despised herself for being weak-willed.

Despite being afraid of Xie Yuan, when he had reached out to her just now, her first instinct wasn't to retaliate but to close her eyes and let him take charge...

No sooner had Su Youyue finished speaking than Jin'er rushed in, panting heavily. Upon seeing Su Youyue, she blurted out anxiously, "Miss, Miss... someone is trying to snatch our shops!"

Su Youyue was taken aback. "Snatch the shops?"

Could it be that one of the shops had caught someone else's eye, and they were trying to outbid her?

That wouldn't be a problem. After all, the prosperity of those shops ultimately relied on her formulas.

Jin'er was indignant. "Yes, at first, I didn't think much about it when I found out that two shops had already been purchased. But after visiting four shops, I realized that they had all been bought by the same person, and at low prices, just the day before yesterday!

The shopkeepers all regretted not accepting Miss's offer after learning the price. However, the buyer seemed to be in a hurry, signing the deeds on the same day. I really suspect that this person knew we were interested in these shops and deliberately tried to snatch them from us!"

At first, Su Youyue didn't think much of it, but upon hearing this, her heart skipped a beat.

These shops were all chosen by her in her previous life – they weren't purchased from a single owner. Moreover, she knew the history of their past transactions and ownership changes. How did others come to know such information?

The more Su Youyue thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Her heartbeat raced: "Quick, I want to leave the mansion!"

"Alright," came the low voice of a man from behind her.

"..." Hearing that her shops had been seized, Su Youyue was too furious earlier to realize that she had just told Xie Yuan that she wasn't going out!

This man, still recovering from his injuries, why did he come so early? Was he here to intimidate her or to test if she had really been talking in her sleep that night?

Talking in her sleep?

Su Youyue shuddered. In Xie Yuan's eyes, it seemed she had a secret crush on him now... If she didn't act accordingly, wouldn't he see through her pretense of being asleep that night?

Realizing this, she immediately changed her tone, softening her voice and losing some of its sharpness: "Xie Yuan, hurry up and take me out."

"Mm, Miss, where do you wish to go? I'll take you there." Xie Yuan's tone remained calm, but Su Youyue couldn't tell if it was her imagination or if she detected a hint of amusement in his voice.

Is he mocking himself for slapping his own face?

Su Youyue gritted her back teeth discreetly and stole a glance at him. Noticing that he was staring at her, she quickly turned away.

She would endure it!

"Let's head to the East City's pawnshop first."

She wanted to see who dared to snatch the prosperous business she had in her previous life!