A woman in a plain silk skirt approached with a gentle, lotus-like gait. Her hair was tied in a simple bun without any jewelry, and from a distance, her pale complexion gave her the look of a willow swaying in the wind.
As she reached within a few paces of Fu Yingzhi, a heavy, cloying scent of rouge wafted over. Fu Yingzhi narrowed her eyes, noticing the thick layer of lead powder on the woman’s face. This forced, sickly appearance made the young girl knit her brows.
Upon seeing Fu Yingzhi, the woman’s eyes instantly welled with clear tears. Without a word, she stumbled forward, wrapped her arms tightly around Fu Yingzhi, and buried her face in her shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Mammy Xia immediately stepped forward, fawning, "Ever since the young lady failed to return, Side Consort Wen has been unable to eat or sleep, consumed by worry. Now that she sees the young lady is back safe and sound, she can finally set her heart at ease."
Fu Yingzhi felt a chill in her heart, realizing that the woman before her was the very Side Consort Wen whom the original host had treated like a mother.
Madam Wen wiped the corners of her eyes, pulled Fu Yingzhi close, and said with apparent sincerity, "It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back. You must have suffered so much, Yingzhi. Don’t be afraid; as long as you are alive, your stepmother will be happy to provide for you for the rest of your life."
Fu Yingzhi sneered inwardly, though she feigned a look of grievance on the surface. Biting her lip, she took hold of Madam Wen’s arm and said with a slight tremor, "Stepmother, your daughter only went out to buy some silk thread—a matter you personally approved. How is it that, in the mouth of this mammy, it has turned into being kidnapped?"
She cast a timid look at Madam Wen, two lines of tears sliding slowly down her cheeks. Before Madam Wen could speak, Fu Yingzhi began to sob, presenting such a weak and helpless image that anyone would have felt pity for her.
The onlookers whispered among themselves. Someone couldn't help but say, "I saw the Third Young Lady enter the estate looking composed just now. If she had truly been kidnapped, would she look like that?"
"Exactly, exactly. The Third Young Lady hasn't said a word, yet this old woman has been performing for ages. Poor Third Young Lady, she seems completely bewildered."
Hearing the rising murmur of the crowd, a cold light flashed in Madam Wen’s eyes. She glared fiercely at Mammy Xia, then looked at Fu Yingzhi with a tone that blended reproach and concern, "Is Yingzhi so frightened that you’ve become muddled? Earlier, you were with Jing'an. By the time the hour of the monkey arrived, Jing'an had already returned safely. But you were the only one who went missing, leaving us all in a panic. Tell me, what happened to you? How exactly did you manage to return?"
Fu Yingzhi pouted deliberately, looking aggrieved and resentful, and said, "Stepmother, your words confuse me. I was on the road with the Second Sister when she claimed she had urgent business and asked me to wait for her. I did as she said, but I waited and waited, and there was no sign of her. With no other choice, I had to head back to the estate."
She paused, her gaze sweeping casually over the bystanders, and her voice suddenly rose, "Thinking about it now, it is strange. Why did Sister Jing'an ask me to wait while she returned to the estate first? Could it be that she intentionally wanted your daughter to have an 'accidental' disappearance?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Wen was about to speak when her eyes shifted, and her body swayed like a willow in the wind. She made a show of collapsing, and Mammy Xia hurried forward to support her.
A commotion broke out in the crowd.
Fu Yingzhi knitted her brows, looking up to see Madam Wen looking incredibly frail. Madam Wen said softly, "Yingzhi, everyone in the house is worried sick about you. They are all waiting in the Main Hall for your report." She coughed a few times, patted the back of Fu Yingzhi's hand, and added, "Don't be afraid. Stepmother will certainly back you up."
Fu Yingzhi let out a cold laugh. Her gaze turned piercing as she looked at Mammy Xia, her voice cold and cutting, "Mammy, you keep repeating that I was kidnapped. Do I have a single scratch on me? Is my clothing in even the slightest disarray? The reputation of a noble family is paramount. According to the laws of the Great Qi, what is the punishment for a servant who maliciously slanders their masters without proof? Or is it..." Her gaze turned icy, her tone suddenly chilling, "someone gave you the courage and ordered you to do this?"
She turned abruptly to look at Madam Wen, stating sternly, "Mother says you want to back me up, yet you stand by and watch a servant slander your daughter in public. Since Mother was so worried, did you send anyone to look for me? Pray tell, what were the names of the servants sent? At what time did they leave the estate? What streets or alleys did they search? If not, and you merely sent an old woman to put on a play at the gate, are you concerned for me, or are you trying to frame me?"
The onlookers turned sympathetic glances toward Fu Yingzhi.
Before the two could answer, Fu Yingzhi declared loudly, "The truth will out!" With that, she flicked her sleeve and walked straight into the estate, leaving Madam Wen and Mrs. Xia pale and frozen in place.
Fu Yingzhi frowned, muttering to herself. With a mother like that, the father must be equally blinded. At this thought, the frost in her eyes deepened as she quickened her pace toward the Main Hall.
Passing through winding corridors, a garden filled with red plum blossoms came into view. The branches were laden with flowers like cinnabar dots, illuminating the garden in stunning beauty, but she had no time to appreciate it. She hurried through the plum garden and soon arrived at the Count's Estate Main Hall.
Just as Fu Yingzhi crossed the threshold, she heard a stern roar. Inside, Count Jingwen, Fu Shuhan, sat in the main seat wearing a brown robe. His expression was grim, his dark eyes sharp—he was cold, aloof, and imposing, creating a sense of oppression.
The courtyard was filled with maidservants and mammas, all keeping their heads low, afraid to breathe for fear of angering the master.
Only the crisp sound of slapping echoed in the yard.
Two young maids knelt in the courtyard, their figures thin, their faces bearing red, swollen handprints. It was clear they had just been punished. Upon seeing Fu Yingzhi, both seemed to exhale in relief.
Relying on the original host's memories, Fu Yingzhi recognized them as Qinxin and Qinyin, the two maids who had grown up with her.
In the original book, they had followed her to a remote villa, suffering endlessly but never leaving her side, protecting her with all their might. In the end, one died tragically and the other was sold off. Seeing them again, Fu Yingzhi felt a complex storm of emotions burning in her chest.
She forced herself to suppress her feelings, lifted her head with a calm and composed expression, and performed a bow to her father.
Before she could speak, Side Consort Wen hurried in, her body going limp as she knelt on the ground.
"My Lord, it is my failure in discipline that led Yingzhi into such a disaster. If her purity has been compromised, our Count's Estate shall simply provide for her for the rest of her life!" Madam Wen’s voice was choked with sobs, as delicate as an oriole’s cry.
Hearing this, Fu Jing'an entered and hurried forward to help Madam Wen up. "Everyone knows what happens when a sister is abducted for so long. Now that we are all heartbroken, Mother should not blame herself too much." She squeezed out a few hypocritical tears, a flash of cruelty hidden in her eyes.
Count Jingwen’s face turned livid, his brows furrowed as he looked at Fu Yingzhi.
After Fu Yingzhi bowed respectfully, she replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Daughter went out with the Second Sister this morning. Halfway there, the Second Sister said she had urgent business and asked me to wait in place. She never returned, and seeing it was growing late, I had no choice but to return to the estate first. Who would have thought that upon arriving at the gate, I would find Mammy Xia putting on a grand show of wailing and shouting."
Fu Jing'an put on a look of extreme grievance, "I intended to go out and look for you, but as soon as I left the gates, I heard rumors that you had been kidnapped. How could I go then?"
"Sister really doesn't know why I was late?" Fu Yingzhi lifted her eyes, filling them with tears as she looked at Fu Jing'an, appearing even more aggrieved than her opponent.
She twisted her handkerchief tightly, her voice choked, "Sister asked me to wait in place and never came. You knew why I was late, yet you allowed my maids to be punished and even slandered me as having been kidnapped..." Before she could finish, her entire body trembled, and tears fell like rain. "What enmity or grudge do I hold against you, Sister, that I must suffer such humiliation?"
A flicker of panic crossed Fu Jing'an’s eyes. She looked hurriedly at Madam Wen, only to see the latter’s brow furrowed in grave concern, and her heart skipped a beat.
"If that is the case, Yingzhi requests to go to the ancestral hall and debate this clearly with Sister before the ancestors of the Fu Family!" Fu Yingzhi said loudly.
At these words, Fu Jing'an’s face turned deathly pale, and her knees buckled, nearly causing her to collapse.
Madam Wen signaled to Mammy Xia. The old woman understood, hurried forward to support Fu Jing'an, turned to Count Jingwen, and bowed. "This old servant dares to suggest: why not have the Third Young Lady undergo a physical examination? Wouldn't everything be clear then?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Wen feigned panic, raising her hand to protest, "How can we..." She looked at Count Jingwen, and seeing the Count merely frowning without stopping it, she felt a jolt of joy. She squeezed out a few clear tears, her voice trembling as if full of pity and helplessness, "My Lord, Yingzhi has already suffered so much. Is there really no other way?"
The Count looked at Mammy Xia with a blank expression and ordered, "Go call some experienced mammas."
Mrs. Xia received the command respectfully, the joy hidden in the depths of her eyes impossible to conceal. As she exchanged a glance with Madam Wen, she nodded confidently.
This was a scheme the two had spent a great deal of effort to orchestrate. Although the kidnapping had a minor complication—they didn't know why Xiao Yu hadn't appeared—everything had otherwise gone to plan. They still had a fallback. The mammas coming were all loyal to the main courtyard, and as for whether the Third Young Lady had "lost her virtue," who would care if it were true or false?
Thinking of this, a smug look appeared at the corner of Mammy Xia’s eye. Just as she was about to retreat, she heard a sharp, stern shout: "Who dares!"