The earliest person who reacted to Ruoyu's betrayal was Lu Yichen.
As Qing'er's words ended, his entire body froze.
The veins along the backs of his hands tightened and stood out sharply. His gaze turned pitch-dark as he slowly looked toward Ruoyu-but then a far more terrifying thought hit him. His body went rigid. Did Ruoyu... use the drug I gave her to ruin her sister's reputation? What if she dares to say my name?
Madam Luo became rigid. Ruomei's hand instinctively covered her mouth, firm and unbending;
Master Lin's already flushed face paled to a sick white. He stumbled two steps backward, incapable of breathing.
His third daughter had always been so gentle, so obedient, so timid-how could she be the one? How was this possible?
His voice cracked as he whispered, barely audible, "A'Yu... are you..."
Ruoyu collapsed onto her knees at once; her lashes lowered, her lips downcast, her chin trembling ever so slightly. Tears gathered in her eyes, sliding slowly down her pale cheeks. "N-No-Father-it's not true! She's lying. I've always treated people with kindness."
Master Lin parted his lips to speak-but no words came out. Thought Tonight, he can't be sure of anyone
But Qing'er bowed to him again, her forehead pressing so hard into the gravel that her skin scraped open. "No... Master, I'm not lying." Waves of pain were making her voice tremble, but she didn't stop. "Yesterday I was ill and stayed in the servants' room. Third Miss came to me and asked me to go out with her. When they reached the inn, it was full of people, but a few men were drinking alone. She pointed at one of them and told me to deliver a message-"
Ruoyu's head snapped up. "It's not true-!!"
But Qing'er hurried on, "-to tell him that my young miss had taken a fancy to him and invited him to her house. Then she told me to go to the gatekeeper and say it was Madam's order, so he would let the man inside easily."
It was the first time Dongpo had ever witnessed such chaotic family drama. Unable to restrain-blurred out loudly, "Why?!"
Qing'er lifted her head slightly when she heard his voice and said, "Because... if... if Eldest Miss's reputation gets ruined, the engagement with Young Master Lu would fall apart."
Ruoyu's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. "F-Father-she's slandering me-!"
Qing'er shouted, "No, I'm not!"
Ruoyu's voice broke into sobs as she turned tearfully toward Bairan. "Ruolan-Jie, please-tell Father I'm innocent! I was the one who brought you back home that day, wasn't I?"
Her tears fell harder, her voice rising more. "Why-why would Qing'er suddenly frame me for something like this?! How could I have gone with your own maid to bring a man here to harm you? Why would I do such a thing?! Why?! Even if your engagement falls apart, what do I get? I'm just a concubine's daughter."
When Bairan saw how flawlessly Ruoyu was acting-how her tears fell at the perfect moment, how her voice trembled just right-she told everyone the broken engagement was not useful to her and reminded them she had brought her back when she was missing.
If it weren't for the pain in her hand, she would deliver an excellent acting performance too, but she wanted to end it quickly. She wouldn't let anyone who had a part in Ruolan's death walk free tonight.
Even though there wasn't a smile on Bairan's face, Ruoyu still felt that she was laughing at her.
Bairan stepped forward; her voice was soft. "How could I forget, Sister? It was you who brought me back that day."
She paused, allowing Ruoyu's eyes bright up, then continued; "I was so scared, not remembering anyone. You held my hand, making me feel safe. I was desperate, thinking maybe I wasn't good enough, that my family didn't want me anymore because no one came to find me."
Though Bairan was still gently but her gaze hardened, locking onto Ruoyu. "But you, my kind sister, said that wasn't the real reason I left. You told me what conversation you had overheard between Madam Luo and my second sister..."
The color drained from Ruoyu's face, turning it sheet-white. Her neck stiffened. "S-Sister... what are you saying? When did I say that?"
Hearing for the second time that someone may have framed her, Madam Luo abruptly stood up, her expression shifting in an instant. "What conversation?! What are you talking about, Ruolan?""
Ruoyu flinched so hard her shoulders shook.
Ruomei's breath caught, and she instinctively stepped in beside her mother. "Mother, what are they talking about-"
Ruoyu's knees weakened; she wished she could shut Bairan's mouth forever.
But Bairan continued in an unhurried tone, turned to Madam Luo. "She said You're with Young Master Lu, planning to end my engagement..."
Then she turned to Master Lin. "And Ruoyu told me that in a moment of impulse, I left to ask Young Master Lu about this matter all by myself-that was the night I disappeared."
Ruoyu swallowed hard, her mind reeling. She had deliberately planted that lie about Madam Luo to sow distrust, yet Bairan had just repeated the exact sequence of events from the night Ruolan disappeared. Had... had her memory returned?
Master Lin's eyes widened, veins throbbing on his forehead. He turned toward Madam Luo and Ruomei; "Chunhua... Meier... did you ever say such things?"
Madam Luo shook her head. "No-Master, never." Then she looked straight at Ruoyu. "A'YU, when did I say such a thing? Can you prove it?"
Shock paralyzed Ruoyu.
Madam Luo turned to Yichen this time. "Young Master Lu, if you have been listening carefully, you should realize my daughter and I are not the only ones implicated in this matter. Please tell Master-did we ever send anyone to disrupt your engagement, or ever attempt to make you unwilling to marry the Eldest Miss?"
Lu Yichen's chest rose and fell, his jaw tensed so much it could break at any moment. He gritted his teeth and blurted out one word: "No."
As Lu Yichen's soft "No" fell, the courtyard had no time to breathe. Bairan's calm voice sliced through the air like a blade again. "And you didn't know about tonight's accident at all... did you, Young Master Lu?"
A faint tremor flickered through Lu Yichen's fingers beneath his sleeve, but his expression remained perfectly composed. "I'm not sure what A'Rou means."
Bairan's tone was gentle: "I was returning to my courtyard when my sister stopped me, saying you were waiting for me. She said If you saw my dusty clothes, you might misunderstand, so she brought me into this shed."
A murmur swept through the servants. As she goes on. "She told me she would explain my afternoon absence to you, then sent Qing'er to fetch clean clothes. She even instructed Bao'er to stop the gatekeeper from informing the steward."
Master Lin's brows knotted deeper and deeper. Now even Lu Yichen looked suspicious.
Bairan continued, "Soon after, the gatekeeper hurried back, saying my father was angry and that Master Pei had already left to explain the situation to my father, which caused everyone to disperse.I remained here alone."
Bairan's eyes moved to the half-paralyzed man. "And when this man appeared, someone locked the shed door from the outside."
Hanyue nodded her head at Bairan's words
Bairan then lifted her head, her gaze locking onto Lu Yichen.
Her eyes were calm, but a faint spark glimmered beneath. "When I forced the door open and ran outside, it wasn't only my sister who returned. You arrived at the exact moment." Her voice lowered, soft but cutting, the courtyard falling completely silent around her. "So I must ask..." Her eyebrow lifted ever so slightly. "...how did Young Master Lu find this shed?"
Lu Yichen's pupils tightened. Everyone's eyes were on him.
Ruoyu's heart plunged; she stared at Lu Yichen with wide eyes, silently begging him to say something-anything-that would pull her out of this drowning pit.
But Lu Yichen remained still. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and controlled: "I... heard a noise."
Hanyue's brow tightened. "Noise?" he asked.
Lu Yichen gave a stiff nod. "I did not meet Third Miss at all. A servant told me A'Rou had not yet returned, so I planned to wait for her at the gate entrance. On my way, I heard frightened cries from this direction-so I came."
He was confident that his conversation with Ruoyu had gone unnoticed, as there was no one present when she approached him, and when he followed her there, there was no one around.
Bairan stood silently, watching Lu Yichen with cold eyes.
Madam Luo's lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes hardened with a rare and dangerous clarity. She turned to Ruoyu. "A'Yu," Madam Luo said quietly, "If you are innocent... then answer your sister's question."
Madam Luo continued, her voice like ice: "Why did you bring your sister into this shed? Why did you send her maids away? Who tried to lock the door from the outside?"
Ruoyu's tears stopped. She knew Madam Luo would not forgive her for slandering her. She would bite her whenever she had a chance.
Ruoyu's nails dug into the dirt. She could feel it-the trap tightening around her from all sides. But none of this hurt as much as Lu Yichen turning his back on her so easily. Ruoyu's lips trembled. "Father, I did nothing! Sister is misunderstanding-Qing'er is lying-she has no proof!"
But before she could finish-
Bairan looked at Qing'er. Qing'er met her gaze-her eyes swollen, face streaked with tears-she gave the smallest nod.
A faint breath escaped Bairan's lips. This morning, when she exposed Qing'er's poisoned tea, the girl had broken down crying and confessed everything-what had happened that night one month ago, what she witnessed, and the new plan Ruoyu had prepared for her.
Bairan had given her two tasks: complete Ruoyu's plan exactly as ordered, so Ruoyu would not grow suspicious-and tell everyone the real reason Eldest Miss disappeared.
Qing'er wiped her face with a shaking sleeve. Her voice came out hoarse. "Master... Madam... Young Miss... everyone..."
She pressed her forehead to the ground, trembling so hard the gravel dug into her skin again. "I-I do have proof."
Master Lin's voice came out low, shaking with restrained fury. "Proof...?" His fingers curled into trembling fists. "If you dare lie, girl... I will make sure you cannot speak for the rest of your life."
Qing'er nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks, but her voice was firm. "I am not lying, Master. Please send someone to search Third Miss's room. Between her inner garments, there's a blue sachet. Ask them to bring it here."
Master Lin roared at his steward, "Go bring it!"
Hanyue nodded at Dongpo as well.
Ruoyu's entire body stiffened so hard it looked painful. "No-Qing'er, stop! Why are you doing this to me?! Stop lying-!!"
Hanyue's sword swung sideways in an instant, blocking Ruoyu from inching forward. "One more step," he warned coldly, "if you dare."
Ruoyu collapsed back onto her knees, shaking.
Qing'er swallowed hard, closing her eyes for a moment as if gathering courage. When she opened them again, the weakness in them had vanished. Her voice trembled, but every word was steady. "Master, that sachet contains the drug Third Miss asked me to mix into my young Miss's tea this morning. It makes her powerless when the man comes to her in the shed. But I didn't give my young miss the tea. I told the gatekeeper that my young miss was outside and had brought a man to the shed. Not only that, I was supposed to lock the door from the outside, as per her order."
Master Lin's breath caught violently in his chest.
Ruoyu's voice rose until it broke into a scream. "Qing'er, you're lying! You're LYING!!"
Hanyue put the sword near her neck. "Be quiet."
Ruoyu's eyes widened, and she pressed her trembling lips tightly.