Chapter 39: Trust Him

Chapter 39: Trust Him

"Later," Su Qian's tone grew stern, her delicate brows furrowing. "With Grandmother watching, we can't drag this out for long. But let her bask in her temporary triumph; soon enough, I'll make her pay double!"

Before Concubine Liu could ponder how to proceed, Su Qian's delicate brows softened, her eyes now carrying a subtle edge. "Since that pauper from the Lu family, Su Youyue, doesn't deserve our consideration, let's find her an even better match."

Observing her daughter's expression, Concubine Liu immediately grasped her intentions and began discussing plans with her...

After delivering the additional dowry to Su Youyue, it didn't take more than two days for them to return everything they had borrowed.

Jin'er, having compared the lists, clicked her tongue in surprise. "Miss, I never thought that Concubine Liu and Second Miss would be so honest this time around. They've returned everything so promptly."

Pausing her writing on the rice paper, Su Youyue set down her brush on the stand and replied nonchalantly, "With Grandmother keeping a watchful eye, they wouldn't dare pull any tricks. Besides, Su Qian is quite protective of her reputation; she wouldn't want anyone to say she borrows without repaying."

However, Su Youyue was well aware that the mother-daughter duo only appeared obedient on the surface. Behind closed doors, they were surely concocting some nefarious scheme.

Despite this, Su Youyue's top priority now was to help Xie Yuan regain his standing. She planned to visit the brokerage agency once more.

Before that, she had a grand gesture in store for the mother and daughter, something that would keep them preoccupied with their own troubles.

The ink on the paper had dried, and Su Youyue gave it one last glance before instructing Chunya to take it to her grandmother for review.

The document contained all the irregularities she had uncovered in the household accounts. When Madam Liu first took charge of the finances, she was well-behaved, but with limited resources, she inevitably sought ways to pad her pockets. Otherwise, she wouldn't have targeted the dowry that Grandmother closely monitored.

Although the discrepancies in the ledger were skillfully concealed, Su Youyue, who had managed the accounts of over a dozen shops, saw through them effortlessly.

Madam Liu could grit her teeth and repay the dowry now, thanks to the secret stash she had accumulated over the years. Once her hidden wealth was depleted, and she and Su Qian struggled to make ends meet, they would be too preoccupied to cause trouble for her.

With this matter settled, Su Youyue summoned Xie Yuan. She intended to introduce him to Manager Wang once more.

Perhaps due to their recent encounters, she was no longer as fearful of him as before. Although she was unaware of why he had suddenly harbored murderous intentions towards her, it seemed she was safe for the time being. Presumably, once she helped him regain his standing, he would abandon thoughts of harming her.

Amidst the persistent snow and wind, Xie Yuan remained as silent as ever. As they entered the carriage, the breeze fluttered the curtains, revealing a layer of fine snowflakes resting on his shoulders.

Speaking of siblings, compared to her two deceitful sisters, the relationship between Xie Yuan's three brothers seemed much more amicable. In her previous life, she had seen the calligraphy of his two elder brothers preserved in his study.

His intense gaze, when he saw her, was etched in her memory for a lifetime...

The carriage jolted to a sudden stop, nearly causing Su Youyue to hit her head. Fortunately, Jin'er cushioned her, preventing injury, but Jin'er herself bumped her head and instantly teared up.

Before she could inquire about what happened, a child's cries echoed from outside.

"Oh, it hurts, waaaah..."

Somehow, Su Youyue found the voice strangely familiar, yet her greater concern was that the carriage might have hit someone. Gently rubbing Jin'er's head, she reached out to lift the carriage curtain. "Did we hit someone?"

Logically, this shouldn't have occurred. The coachman she had been traveling with for over a decade had never been involved in an accident involving pedestrians. Moreover, Xie Yuan beside her was an expert in horse handling; he should have reacted swiftly to assist.

Upon lifting the curtain, she saw a child, around ten years old, writhing in pain on the ground. The boy's incessant crying and hoarse calls for his mother indicated immense suffering.

"Uncle Cheng... please check on the child. If necessary, let's take him to the clinic first."

As her words faded, the boy on the ground suddenly clutched his stomach and vomited blood. The vivid red color stood stark against the snowy ground, startling her.

Before the coachman could react, Xie Yuan had already leaped off the carriage and approached the child.

The little boy seemed like a chick before an eagle in his presence.

Before Su Youyue could finish her worry, she watched, wide-eyed, as the man mercilessly reached out to lift the boy, his voice laced with frost, "Are you done with your act?"

"Sir Xie, what are you doing?!" Jin'er panicked at his lack of sympathy, fearing he would cruelly toss the pitiful child to his death.

Truly the son of a great traitor, ruthless and cold-blooded!

Su Youyue frowned, reaching out but placing her hand on Jin'er's shoulder to stop her.

"Miss?" Jin'er looked at her in confusion.

Xie Yuan also turned his gaze to Su Youyue.

His glance seemed devoid of emotion, yet it stirred something within Su Youyue.

The man didn't think she would believe his words, thus he was surprised by her intervention. He was waiting, for what she would say next.

Su Youyue's eyes turned cold and sharp, "A fraudster?"

Despite her questioning tone, it was clear she had already decided he was a fraudster.

Xie Yuan wasn't that idle to falsely accuse an innocent child with no grudges against him.

If it were his former self, he might have indeed joined Jin'er in blaming the boy and started scolding him without reason.

The moment Su Youyue finished speaking, she sensed a subtle shift in the man's gaze, as if a shadow had darkened his eyes.

"Indeed," he rumbled, swallowing audibly.

Upon hearing his voice, the boy in his hands froze, beginning to plead, "I... Waaah, I didn't... It hurts so much... Ouch..."

Losing interest in the boy's theatrical display, Xie Yuan's gaze turned icy cold. With a swift toss, the boy flew through the air and landed with a thud on a snowdrift nearby.

Only then did Su Youyue realize that this was the same child who had insulted the storyteller behind the teahouse last time!

Jin'er also recognized the boy and exclaimed, "It's you!"

Realizing who the boy was, Jin'er instantly understood. Xie Yuan had been telling the truth; the child truly was a fraudster!

Having witnessed the boy's contrasting personas, Jin'er found it hard not to suspect that he was putting on an act.

Though the boy was dazed from the fall, he hadn't sustained any significant injuries. However, he now realized with dread that someone had recognized him!

Damn it, what bad luck! It was one thing to encounter such a formidable individual, but to stumble upon someone who knew him? He'd thought he could deceive a foolish lady.

His eyes rolled, and he made a swift decision to bolt.