"This time they're coming at us aggressively. I bet they've got everything planned out. Miss is all alone..."
At first, Cheng Xiran was quite calm. But after listening to Zhuque rambling on, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She was worried about whether He Lianduo would come to her rescue and whether Old Lady Ren would play some other tricks on her that night.
She thought and thought but couldn't come up with an answer. If they talked any more, she was afraid she'd start to lose confidence in herself. So she kept urging Zhuque to go back and not stay there.
That night wasn't as eventful as she'd expected. It was unexpectedly peaceful, just like every day since she'd woken up.
Early the next morning, Cheng Xiran calculated the time. But even when it was already late in the morning, no one came to take her away. There wasn't even a single sound outside. Could it be that He Lianduo had already taken care of things for her?
She got up and wanted to open the door, but it was still locked just like the night before.
Dragging her sore body, she walked over to the window to peek outside, but there wasn't a soul in sight.
All she could hear was the endless chirping of birds.
She felt inexplicably irritated and shouted, "Is there anyone out there?"
There was no response.
Cheng Xiran started to get anxious. But since she hadn't had breakfast, she didn't have much energy. She wanted to bang on the door but didn't have the strength, so she had to give up.
After sitting there for about a quarter of an hour, there was finally some activity outside.
Judging from the noise, there were quite a few people.
"Open the door!"
At Father Cheng's order, two servants immediately stepped forward to open the door.
The sudden brightness blinded Cheng Xiran's eyes, and she couldn't help but shield them with her hand.
But this subtle movement was caught by Mrs. Liu, who exaggerated it and said, "Xiran, you've been locked in the ancestral hall for punishment and self - reflection until now... Seeing you like this, have you realized anything? You should know that if you tell the truth about this now, you still have a chance to turn things around."
Hearing her urgent tone, could it be that there was still room for maneuver in this matter?
Mrs. Liu saw that Cheng Xiran's eyes were clear and that she even seemed a bit proud when looking at her. Could it be that she'd seen through her thoughts? So she pretended to cough twice and then stopped looking at her, afraid that Cheng Xiran would see through her again.
When Cheng Xiran heard what she said, she wasn't worried at all. He Lianduo's efficiency was simply top - notch. With someone like him protecting her, what did she have to worry about?
So it was only natural that she felt a bit proud.
Father Cheng, however, disdained her and didn't even look at her. He just looked around.
She knew very well that he was a bad guy. After noticing his actions, Cheng Xiran was glad that she'd hidden the cloak that Zhuque had brought her last night early this morning. Otherwise, if they noticed it, there would probably be another problem.
This shows that just having a teammate as amazing as He Lianduo doesn't mean much. You also need a smart and quick - witted sidekick like her, or you won't be able to achieve great things.
Just as she was feeling self - satisfied in her mind, Father Cheng continued along with Mrs. Liu's words, "You've heard what your stepmother said. Your cousin's matter is neither small nor big. You should think carefully before answering."
They were joining forces to set her up.
Cheng Xiran simply tidied up her appearance and then curtsied, saying, "Father, you know what kind of person I am. I won't admit to things I didn't do. Even if you force me to say something, all I can say is that my cousin was really lucky this time and didn't suffer any life - threatening injuries."