Chapter 15: Accountability

Chapter 15: Accountability

In the Ruyitang of Shaoqing Mansion, the matriarch glanced at the sky and her face darkened slightly. "Why hasn't Qingqing come back yet?"

A servant beside her consoled, "Miss Qingqing is still young. It's rare for her to go out, so she might have played for a while. Don't worry too much."

The matriarch placed her teacup on the table with a sigh. "She barely escaped with her life, and now that she's recovered, she runs off and doesn't return. How can I not worry? Hong Yun, go tell the gatekeepers to report immediately when Miss Qingqing returns."

Not long after the servant named Hong Yun relayed the message, a maid rushed in. "Matriarch, Miss Qingqing has returned, but something seems to have happened!"

"What happened?" The matriarch gripped her teacup tightly.

"The horse was spooked on the way back, and she had to rent another carriage to return!"

The matriarch stood up and asked anxiously, "Is she alright?"

The maid composed herself and replied, "Miss Qingqing looks fine, but her clothes and hair are a bit disheveled. She said she'll bathe and change at Evening Serenity Abode before coming to greet you."

"This girl, always causing trouble." Hearing that the maid said she was unharmed, the matriarch breathed a sigh of relief and sat down again.

In the Elegant Fragrance Court, Lady Qiao asked the same question: "Is she alright?"

After receiving an answer, Lady Qiao sat quietly for a moment before saying calmly, "Miss Qingqing truly has good fortune; every time there's a scare, she comes out unscathed."

"Yes," her trusted servant Lian Mama agreed softly.

Fang Mama had been restless since Xin You left, and when she finally saw her return, she noticed her disheveled state right away. "My lady, what happened to you!"

With both hands supporting Xin You's arms, she looked her over carefully. Seeing no visible injuries, she felt relieved.

"The horse was spooked, but we weren't hurt. Mama, don't worry. I'll bathe and change first, and then I'll explain everything."

Xin You's calmness influenced everyone in Evening Serenity Abode. Some fetched water, others brought clothes, and everyone worked efficiently.

It was summer, and after all the commotion, Xin You bathed three times before feeling the smell had disappeared.

Dressed in clean clothes, she sat at the dressing table with her long hair loose as Fang Mama dried it with a towel.

Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, her fair skin and rosy cheeks making her look even more beautiful. Fang Mama gently combed her hair, unable to resist praising, "Our lady is truly beautiful."

The girl in the mirror whispered softly, "Yes, truly beautiful."

Fang Mama thought it was just a playful remark, but Xiaolian, who had also bathed and changed, paused and her eyes welled up with tears upon hearing this.

With her hair half-dry, Xin You took Xiaolian and headed to the Ruyitang.

The matriarch had already questioned the coachman and guards about the incident. When Xin You entered, she called her forward and examined her closely.

"I told you to stay home and rest, but you insisted on going out. Now look what happened."

"Qingqing has worried Grandmother."

When Lady Qiao stepped into the Ruyitang, she saw Xin You apologizing to the matriarch.

"Why are you here now?" the matriarch asked Lady Qiao.

Lady Qiao glanced at Xin You. "I heard that the carriage Miss Qingqing was in was spooked, so I came to check on her."

As she approached, she placed a hand on Xin You's shoulder. "Is Qingqing alright?"

"I'm fine."

"That's good. At noon, when I heard you hadn't returned, your aunt was worried you might have been delayed by something."

Xin You bowed slightly, subtly freeing herself from the hand. "Thank you for your concern, Aunt. On my way out, I went to Thousand Sakura Mountain to see if I could find the jade pendant I lost when I fell off the cliff."

"Was it the one your mother gave you?" the matriarch asked.

Xin You nodded, a hint of sadness in her expression.

Lady Qiao raised an eyebrow slightly. "Did Qingqing remember your mother?"

Xin You met Lady Qiao's gaze and smiled faintly. "I remembered some things from my childhood. Perhaps my memory is slowly returning. Who knows, maybe one day I'll remember everything. Thank you, Grandmother and Aunt, for your care."

Lady Qiao's eyes flickered, and she smiled. "If Qingqing can recover her memory, that would be wonderful."

Xin You smiled faintly and glanced discreetly at Xiaolian standing in the corner.

Xiaolian quickly stepped forward and knelt before the matriarch. "Matriarch, please help our lady!"

The matriarch was sipping her tea slowly, and Xiaolian's sudden kneeling made the tea cup wobble.

She glanced at Xin You and frowned. "What help do you need? What happened?"

Xiaolian looked up, tears streaming down her face, and sobbed, "No one could have predicted the horse being spooked, but the coachman was too irresponsible. Instead of trying to stop the spooked horse, he abandoned the carriage and fled for his life, completely disregarding our lady's safety."

The matriarch's face darkened as she listened.

When she had asked earlier, no one mentioned the coachman abandoning the carriage.

"Bring them here to speak."

Soon, the coachman and two guards knelt before the matriarch.

"When the horse was spooked, you jumped off the carriage without caring about Miss Qingqing?"

The coachman prostrated himself on the ground and pleaded, "How could I dare abandon Miss Qingqing? I was so scared that my mind went blank, and I accidentally fell off."

The matriarch turned to the two guards.

The two guards exchanged a glance, both saying that the incident happened too suddenly and they didn't see clearly.

The coachman kept his head down, staring at the ground, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

In such an urgent situation, who could have noticed whether he was thrown off the carriage or jumped off voluntarily, except for Miss Biao and Xiaolian who were inside the carriage?

Money still had its uses; he didn't need the two young men to speak up for him, as long as they didn't get involved. And Miss Biao wouldn't embarrass herself by arguing with a mere coachman. What good would it do to have just a little maid causing a fuss?

"I saw it with my own eyes! You jumped off the carriage on purpose!" Xiaolian said angrily.

The coachman looked aggrieved. "This old servant is wronged!"

Madam Qiao spoke up, "Old Zhang, how can you argue with someone from Miss Biao's side? Have you no sense of propriety?"

"This old servant is wrong, this old servant won't dare again."

Xin You listened quietly, sneering inwardly.

If it were the thin-skinned Miss Kou, living under others' roofs, she would hardly have the face to let her personal maid continue making a scene after hearing these words from Madam. She might even apologize for Xiaolian.

Unfortunately, she wasn't Miss Kou.

"Zhang Bo was indeed wrong."

The girl's voice was cold like jade, clear and distinct, drawing everyone's attention with surprise on their faces.

"Qingqing—" the matriarch called out, disapproval in her eyes.

With only Xiaolian as a witness, should a young lady really argue with a coachman?

That would be too undignified.

"In the chaos, I didn't notice much either. I say Zhang Bo was wrong because he is a coachman, and driving the carriage properly is his duty. No matter how he left the carriage, allowing it to be uncontrolled is a dereliction of duty. Grandmother, don't you agree?"

The matriarch was taken aback for a moment before smiling and nodding. "Qingqing has truly grown up and understands reason." Then she sobered and glared at the coachman.

The coachman stiffened, involuntarily looking at Madam Qiao.