Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Xiao Lin settled leisurely at the table, his gaze, lowered and veiled, swept past Ye Shuang to rest on Chun Tao.

“Since you’ve offended the Marchioness, if she doesn't intercede, this Marquis cannot pardon you.”

Chun Tao, weeping, stepped forward and clutched the hem of Ye Shuang’s robe, pleading repeatedly: “My lady, please show mercy! Chun Tao was possessed by folly, daring to flaunt herself before you. Even if I can no longer remain in the Marquis’s estate, I am willing to serve you. Please, my lady, be magnanimous and spare this servant!”

Ye Shuang did not pull away. She surveyed the reactions of the three, her mind already forming a plan. With a languid lift of her eyelids, she asked Xiao Lin, “What do you wish for me to do?”

“It’s simple. If you return to the estate with me today, Chun Tao will be assigned to your courtyard, and you may deal with her as you see fit. This Marquis will not interfere.”

Chun Tao’s sobs gradually ceased. She looked up, meeting Xiao Yin’s gaze, her expression hesitant and questioning.

Ye Shuang observed this, a cold smile playing on her lips.

Xiao Yin coughed heavily.

As if roused from a dream, Chun Tao raised her voice again, weeping: “This servant is at the Marchioness’s mercy.”

Ye Shuang’s lips curved slightly as she stepped aside. Chun Tao, momentarily distracted, forgot to hold onto Ye Shuang’s robe, allowing Ye Shuang to easily slip away.

As Ye Shuang moved, Chun Tao reacted, reaching out but grasping only empty air.

Ye Shuang cast a downward glance at her, her eyes growing even colder.

Xiao Lin, startled by this, nearly rose but was subtly reminded by Xiao Yin to remain seated, barely concealing his surprise.

Ye Shuang unhurriedly sat at the table, picked up the teapot, poured herself a cup of tea, and even offered some to Xiao Lin.

Xiao Lin was bewildered, exchanging a flustered glance with Xiao Yin, who shook his head, signaling him to maintain his composure.

Watching Ye Shuang pour tea, Xiao Lin said blankly, “No need.”

Chun Tao, at a loss, looked bewilderedly at the other three. Xiao Yin stepped forward and helped her to her feet.

Ye Shuang kept her head down as she poured tea, seemingly oblivious to the scene, though a faint, knowing smile touched her lips, followed by a cold chuckle of expectation.

“Since this is the Marquis’s household affair, I shall not meddle. Please handle it as you deem appropriate. However, a word of advice: it would be best to address this back at the estate. Punishing a servant in public might invite criticism and tarnish the Marquis’s reputation. Is the Marquis not most concerned with his standing?”

Xiao Lin was left speechless.

Chun Tao glanced at Xiao Yin, then began weeping softly again: “My lady, it was this servant’s fault. Please, remember my diligent service in the past, and ask the Marquis to pardon me!”

Seeing Ye Shuang unmoved, Xiao Lin said in a low voice: “So you refuse to intervene?”

Ye Shuang feigned astonishment: “Since when do you obey my words so readily, Xiao Lin? If I say release her, will you?”

Chun Tao, quick to perceive the situation, wailed: “My lady, please don’t abandon Chun Tao! I know I was wrong! Spare me this once! You cannot stand by and watch me suffer!”

Ye Shuang turned slightly away, musing with feigned curiosity: “What right do I have to intervene? Am I to plead for mercy every time the Marquis punishes someone? Should I be held accountable for everyone he dealt with in my absence? I never knew accounts could be settled this way.”

“Didn’t the Marquis say you never harm others? That there’s nothing you can’t achieve in Lin’an? Why is it that now, even disciplining a maid requires someone else’s opinion? Are you unable to punish her freely, or are you simply using this as leverage to force someone back to the estate? What exactly are you bargaining with, and whom are you threatening?”

Her words left Xiao Lin utterly speechless. He felt as though the Ye Shuang before him had become a complete stranger. He had never seen her so forceful and confrontational. The Ye Shuang in his memory was always gentle and demure, never raising her voice to him, and never refusing any of his requests.

Before, she had spoken up for the clerks at the weapons shop, who were complete strangers to her. Chun Tao, though a maid at the estate, had served her for nearly a year. Why wouldn't she say a word on her behalf?

Ye Shuang lowered her head to sip tea, the wispy steam obscuring her expression: “If the Marquis wishes to punish a servant, do it back at the estate. Don’t disrupt business here.”

Xiao Lin found himself in an awkward predicament, unable to advance or retreat.

Seeing that Xiao Lin showed no intention of leaving, Ye Shuang simply rose: “Well, I’m going upstairs to rest. The Marquis may do as he pleases. And remember to take the lease agreement with you.”

Xiao Lin could only watch as Ye Shuang ascended the stairs.

Once upstairs, Wen Xiang hurried over: “Miss, what happened? I heard Chun Tao’s voice earlier.”

“Pay it no mind.” Ye Shuang was too incensed to even form words, a heavy weight pressed on her chest. Wen Xiang quickly poured her a cup of hot tea to soothe her.

“It seems you’re quite upset, miss.”

“I overestimated him. I thought he might have changed in three years, but not only has he not changed, he’s only grown worse.”

After drinking some hot tea, Ye Shuang felt slightly better.

Wen Xiang gently patted her chest: “Please don’t anger yourself, miss. It’s not good for your health.”

Ye Shuang set down her cup: “It’s not worth getting angry over someone like him. But in a way, it’s good—it woke me up. When I first returned, I was almost fooled by him. Thankfully, I didn’t fully trust him.”

Originally, she had intended to get along with him peacefully, or at least coexist without conflict. But today, he had pulled this stunt—bringing Chun Tao before her, the three of them exchanging covert signals right in front of her, as if she were a willfully blind fool!

No, she had been a fool. Back then, she had been blind, letting Xiao Lin manipulate her time and again. Whenever they had a disagreement and he refused to stoop to apologizing, he would deliberately punish others in front of her. Ye Shuang, unable to bear it, would plead for mercy, and he would put on a show of forgiving them. Even when he was in the wrong, it always ended with Ye Shuang owing him a favor!

She hadn't been completely unaware, but she had always been soft-hearted and couldn't bear to see it. Now, however, she saw clearly: she had constantly suppressed herself and considered others, but when she was in trouble, those she had helped never stood by her.

Without the identity of the Marchioness of Yongding, she had come to understand many things.

Though Chun Tao wasn’t her trusted aide, the few of them had gotten along quite well back then. Ye Shuang believed she had never mistreated her servants, often overlooking minor mistakes and rarely pursuing faults. She had treated Chun Tao and Wen Xiang equally, regarding them almost as sisters. But in the years she was gone, when she returned and saw Chun Tao’s eyes, she felt a sense of strangeness, as if she were an outsider. What once felt genuine affection now seemed like crude pretense.

She even wondered: had they been kind to her because of who she was, or only because she was the Marchioness of Yongding?

Her thoughts were in turmoil, and some things were better not examined too closely, lest they lead only to disappointment.

Wen Xiang called her several times before Ye Shuang snapped back to reality.

Unaware of Ye Shuang’s inner turmoil, Wen Xiang assumed she was upset over Xiao Lin again and tried to comfort her: “Miss, you’ve been worried about the shop lately. Since the lease agreement has been returned, why not set it aside for now and take a walk while the spring scenery is so lovely?”

Ye Shuang collected herself and glanced at Wen Xiang. At least Wen Xiang was still by her side. Perhaps she was too greedy—always expecting too much from others, believing that sincerity would be met with sincerity. Her reluctance to leave Xiao Lin back then had been the same: the less affirmation she received from him, the harder she tried, hoping to earn his regard.

In the end, she never got it.

She finally understood: some things are simply not meant to be obtained, so she might as well not want them.

Yet ironically, when she no longer wanted them, heaven dumped everything back into her lap. And when she finally obtained what she had once longed for, it felt tasteless and dull.

Now, she only wanted to live according to her own heart.

“No,” Ye Shuang declined Wen Xiang’s suggestion. “There are a thousand things to attend to. I’m not in the mood for leisure. Lin’an isn’t too big, but it’s not small either. Going out, I might run into people I’d rather avoid, only to end up annoyed. I’d rather focus on planning for the shop.”

“What are your plans, miss?”

Ye Shuang’s eyes gleamed with determination: “Originally, this was something I could take or leave. But now, I’m determined to make it work.”

At first, she had only a vague idea and wanted to give it a try. But as she delved into it, she found it immensely enjoyable—especially when she obtained the certification documents. It gave her an unprecedented sense of fulfillment, solid and satisfying.

“Besides, now that someone doesn’t want me to rent a shop smoothly, I’m even more determined to open this bookstore and show them!”

Wen Xiang also grew animated: "Does Miss know who is behind the mischief?"

"Not yet, but we can eliminate Xiao Lin as a suspect. Earlier, I taunted him, and his reaction didn't seem feigned—he was genuinely unaware. Helping me rent the shop was something he did only after finding out about the situation."

Wen Xiang nodded in agreement: "The Marquis really isn’t that type."

"That’s true. He would never act in such a roundabout way. He’d only barge in front of me, like today, yelling that he won’t leave me alone!"

Wen Xiang: "..."

Ye Shuang took a deep breath and rubbed her aching temples: "Enough, let’s not dwell on it. After all this back and forth, I’m truly exhausted. Let’s turn in early—there’s still much to be done later."

After the fierce argument with Xiao Lin, now that things had quieted down, my head was just buzzing.

"But will the Marquis really let it go so easily?"

"Don’t worry about him. If he wants to stay, let him. Whether he leaves or stays has nothing to do with me."

She had made up her mind: she would no longer run away, nor would she deliberately avoid anyone. She would simply follow her own plans.

Noticing Wen Xiang hesitating beside her, Ye Shuang asked: "Do you think I was too harsh on Chun Tao?"

Wen Xiang pressed her lips together and suddenly knelt down.

Ye Shuang’s brow twitched.

"I’ve done wrong. I’ve been hiding something from you these past few days, Miss."

Wen Xiang knocked her head against the wooden floor with a loud thud.