Chapter 69: Clear Foolishness

Chapter 69: Clear Foolishness

Jin'er's face flushed instantly. "Miss!"

Looking at the lively and charming appearance of her little maid, Su Youyue couldn't help but recall the bloody and lifeless image of herself in her previous life when she was beaten by the Lu family. A pang of pain pierced her heart.

In her previous life, Jin'er had unjustly died because of her own incompetence, so she never got to meet her ideal husband.

In this life, Su Youyue vowed to witness Jin'er find her true love, marry happily, and have a large, prosperous family...

Su Youyue's gaze turned serene once more as she spoke towards the screen outside. "Chunya, let Xie Yuan in. I have something important to discuss with him. Both you and Jin'er should wait outside."

Both Jin'er and Chunya understood that their Miss had crucial matters to discuss, so they didn't think it inappropriate for them to be alone together. They quickly dismissed everyone else and stood guard at the entrance.

After they left, Xie Yuan's figure appeared beyond the screen. "What does Eldest Miss wish to ask?"

Su Youyue had been somewhat anxious to question him, but at the sound of his voice, a fleeting thought suddenly crossed her mind.

That's not right... It must have been an illusion. How could Xie Yuan possibly call her Nuan'nuan?

She hastily expelled this absurd illusion from her mind.

"You..."

Su Youyue opened her mouth, gazing at Xie Yuan's face, and suddenly posed a curious question, "Xie Yuan, I recall that during the horse race when I had my accident and fell off, you were there too, right?"

Indeed, she was still preoccupied with the dream she just had.

Xie Yuan had been skilled in horse riding and archery since childhood; it seemed his presence was always guaranteed at horse races or hunting expeditions. Wouldn't he have been there at that time?

In reality, Su Youyue was merely guessing; she couldn't truly remember if she had seen Xie Yuan that day.

The man didn't immediately respond to her query but instead lifted his gaze to meet hers unexpectedly.

The young maiden, unprepared for this, stared at him in a daze.

What was his reaction? Was he there or not?

"Uh-huh." Xie Yuan replied casually, but the turmoil beneath his eyes was anything but calm.

Su Youyue's eyes sparkled. "Then, do you know who carried me back after that incident?"

She knew she had asked the right person.

Ever since she had that dream, Su Youyue had been preoccupied with this matter, eager to find out who had helped her back then.

In her previous life, after the incident, she lived for almost two decades without expressing gratitude to that person, which made her feel rather guilty.

Gazing at the young maiden's expectant gaze, Xie Yuan stared at her unwaveringly. After a long while, he finally spoke, "I don't know."

The light in Su Youyue's eyes extinguished abruptly.

Well, it seemed like she had indeed asked the wrong person. She should have known that Xie Yuan wouldn't have such information. Her curiosity had merely driven her to inquire the first witness she found.

Anyway, there were still many members of the Su family present at the scene back then. She could ask them later.

Regaining her composure, Su Youyue shifted her focus onto Xie Yuan. "Then, when did you learn about my disappearance yesterday? Did you come looking for me on your own?"

This time, the man replied promptly, "I was behind the garden when Chunya informed Minister Su. Upon learning about your plight, I went out to search for you. Spotting the signal flare, I headed in that direction and eventually found you."

"So... you really came to save me on your own initiative..." Su Youyue muttered, then couldn't resist asking, "Xie Yuan, why did you save me?"

Last night, she had assumed that Xie Yuan was acting under her father's orders to rescue her. Yet, she never expected him to come alone.

It seemed that her efforts to influence him over the past days had been effective. Not only had he abandoned thoughts of killing her, their relationship had also improved significantly, to the point where he would risk his life to save her.

But she still wanted to hear it from his lips.

The man casually shot back, "Why wouldn't I save you?"

The question was thrown back at her. Su Youyue took a deep breath, reminding herself that Xie Yuan was now her savior, and she shouldn't be angry with him. Besides, she had known all along about his annoying, stubborn temperament.

Regaining her composure, she smiled again and offered an excuse, "Yes, you have no reason not to save me, because you belong to me."

Seeing that he didn't refute her, she took it as his silent agreement. Confident that her strategy to win him over was working, and that he no longer intended to harm her, Su Youyue felt a genuine warmth towards him.

Initially, after her rebirth, she realized that she couldn't escape Xie Yuan nor afford to provoke him. Thus, she reluctantly decided to assist him, hoping that he wouldn't hold a grudge against her in the future. But now, she understood that by helping Xie Yuan and the deposed prince, she was essentially aligning herself with a powerful ally.

Regardless of whether he was a villain or not, the new emperor was a wise ruler who had worked tirelessly for the country in her previous life. By attaching herself to them, she wouldn't bring harm to the nation, but could even alter the tragic fate of the Su family from her past life.

In her previous life, her father had passed away due to an illness at a young age. However, Su Youyue knew that although he had been deeply troubled by his wife's passing and it had weakened his health over the years, he should not have departed so soon, given the nourishment from precious medicinal herbs.

It was after the new emperor ascended the throne and sought to strengthen his own faction while suppressing the remnants of the previous emperor's that her father began to feel frustrated in court. Adding to this, he saw how difficult her married life was but was powerless to help, causing him to fall ill with pent-up emotions, ultimately leading to his demise during an exceptionally harsh winter.

If she were to support them this lifetime and help them turn the tables, she believed that, given the new emperor's character, even if he didn't heavily rely on her father, he would not deliberately suppress him either.

Moreover, since she had decided not to marry, her father would no longer blame himself for her misfortune in choosing the wrong partner.

As long as her father remained well, their Su family could continue on, avoiding the early disintegration they experienced in her previous life.

With her mind set on ingratiating herself, Su Youyue wasted no time in pretending to be naive. "Xie Yuan, let me tell you, even though I fell into the hands of human traffickers this time, I'm actually quite happy about it."

"..." The man glanced at her, clearly puzzled.

Seeing his expression, Su Youyue felt that her portrayal of a foolish lady had been successful. She then switched to a look of indignation. "Because not only did I escape unscathed from this ordeal, but I also gained valuable information! I finally found out who is behind these despicable traffickers. Xie Yuan, if I didn't tell you, you'd never have guessed in your lifetime that Chancellor Qiu is such a person!"

As her words echoed, the man's gaze turned profound, scrutinizing Su Youyue's face intently. "Chancellor Qiu?"

"That's right! I heard it from the leader of the traffickers myself! They said that Manager Wang went to report to the chancellor... At that moment, I was wondering, isn't there only one Chancellor Qiu in our Great Sheng Dynasty? It couldn't possibly be the chancellors from Dongrong or Nanzhulin, right?"

Su Youyue's eyes shimmered with an innocent clarity as her small mouth kept chattering nonstop.

"I've made up my mind, I'm going to report this to the authorities!"