The next day, right after dinner, Xie Qinghuan came to Ruan Jiu's room with a bowl of chicken soup in her hand.
Ruan Jiu looked at Xie Qinghuan with a suspicious expression. She squinted her eyes slightly and thought to herself, "Those who fawn on others for no reason are either up to no good or out to steal something."
Xie Qinghuan said obsequiously, "A Jiu, I was in a bad mood last night, so I lost my temper with you. This is the chicken soup I specially had someone cook. It's my way of apologizing."
After saying that, she put the bowl down on the table.
Ruan Jiu looked at the chicken soup on the table, picked up the spoon, and stirred it. A cold smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. What dirty trick was Xie Qinghuan up to?
"Don't you want to drink it?" Xie Qinghuan asked anxiously.
"Why don't you have a taste too?" Ruan Jiu raised her eyes and arched her eyebrows at Xie Qinghuan.
Xie Qinghuan waved her hands repeatedly. "No, this was specially cooked for you."
There must be something fishy about this soup! However, Ruan Jiu was curious to see what exactly Xie Qinghuan was up to. So she picked up the bowl, scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup, and took a sip. Then she nodded with a smile. "It tastes good."
Seeing that Ruan Jiu finally drank the soup, Xie Qinghuan let out a sigh of relief. She quickly said, "It's getting late. I won't disturb your rest." After saying that, she immediately left.
The moment she closed the door, a sly and triumphant look flashed in Xie Qinghuan's eyes.
In the dead of night, everyone in the Xie Mansion had fallen asleep, and the whole mansion was enveloped in tranquility. However, there seemed to be some commotion in Ruan Jiu's room.
Xie Qinghuan tiptoed into Ruan Jiu's room under the cover of darkness. "Ruan Jiu? Ruan Jiu?" she called out softly a few times.
Seeing Ruan Jiu lying in bed without any reaction, Xie Qinghuan knew that the drug she had put in the soup had taken effect. She was secretly overjoyed. Then she looked at Ruan Jiu with her eyes tightly closed, and sneered, "Ruan Jiu, don't blame me. I had to do this for my own happiness!"
Just as Xie Qinghuan's hand was about to touch Ruan Jiu, suddenly, Ruan Jiu's cold voice rang out. "Oh? Then who should I blame?"
In an instant, Xie Qinghuan's eyes widened slightly, and she stared at Ruan Jiu in disbelief. She was so scared that she took several steps backward.
Then, Ruan Jiu propped herself up and sat up. She looked at Xie Qinghuan with a big smile on her face. "How is this possible? You were supposed to..."
"Be drugged after drinking that bowl of chicken soup with sleeping pills?" Ruan Jiu interrupted Xie Qinghuan.
"How did you know there was drug in the chicken soup?" Xie Qinghuan blurted out. Then she realized her mistake and quickly covered her mouth, looking extremely guilty.
Ruan Jiu mocked, "It's written all over your face that 'there's drug in the soup'. Don't you know that?"
Hearing this, Xie Qinghuan quickly touched her face in fear. "Is... is there?"
Ruan Jiu was amused by Xie Qinghuan's reaction. Such a dimwit still trying to do evil!
Seeing Ruan Jiu mocking her, Xie Qinghuan pointed at Ruan Jiu and roared, "How dare you play tricks on me?!"
"You can speak louder and attract everyone here. Then we can let everyone judge who is right and who is wrong." Ruan Jiu arched her eyebrows, looking nonchalant.
But it was different for Xie Qinghuan. She hung her head guiltily, and the fabric of her clothes was wrinkled from her tight grip.
She knew she was in the wrong, and now she had been caught red - handed. With a sudden determination, she said, "I was the one who put the drug. Just tell me what you're going to do about it!"
Ruan Jiu looked at Xie Qinghuan playfully. Oh, it was the first time she had seen someone who did something bad with such audacity. However, she knew Xie Qinghuan's character well. Putting drugs in someone's food didn't seem like something she would do.
"Tell me, why did you drug me?"
Xie Qinghuan pursed her lips and refused to speak.
"If you don't tell me, I'll go and ask grandfather to question you." After saying that, Ruan Jiu pretended to get up and walk out.
This really panicked Xie Qinghuan. This matter must never be known by grandfather. So she quickly stopped Ruan Jiu.
"Don't tell grandfather!"
Ruan Jiu lifted her chin. "Then tell me."
Xie Qinghuan gritted her teeth, let out a long sigh, and said, "I wanted you to have a relationship with my brother so that it would be a done deal!"
"Why?" Ruan Jiu was puzzled.
"I thought that if you and my brother had a relationship, your marriage would be settled. Then mother wouldn't force me to marry the员外 Wang."
"So you drugged me and were going to put me on Xie Yanchuan's bed. Then when everyone found out about it tomorrow, for the sake of the Xie family's reputation, grandfather would immediately arrange for me to marry Xie Yanchuan."
Xie Qinghuan nodded.
Ruan Jiu then asked, "Why don't you want to marry the员外 Wang? Is it just because he's a womanizer?"
She didn't really want to know the secret hidden in Xie Qinghuan's heart. But since Xie Qinghuan had come up with such a scheme against her, she had to get to the bottom of it.
Xie Qinghuan's nose twitched, and her eyes turned red. Even her usually haughty voice became a bit hoarse.
"I've already fallen in love with someone. His name is Xu Henian, and he's a scholar. Although his family is poor, he has the elegant bearing of a literati. He said that after he passes the imperial examination next spring, he will come to marry me with a grand wedding! So I can't marry the员外 Wang. I have to wait for him!"
When mentioning Xu Henian, there was a sparkle in Xie Qinghuan's eyes. Then, Xie Qinghuan grabbed Ruan Jiu's hand and held it tightly, looking at her pleadingly. "Ruan Jiu, I'm begging you! Please marry my brother!"
Ruan Jiu was stunned. It was the first time she had seen such an expression on the usually arrogant Xie Qinghuan's face.
"Even if I marry Xie Yanchuan, do you think the first lady won't force you to marry the员外 Wang?" Ruan Jiu frowned.
"At least until next spring, mother won't marry me off. Then I can wait for Henian to come to the Xie family to propose marriage!"
Ruan Jiu smiled helplessly and withdrew her hand. "Do you think the first lady will allow you to marry a poor scholar?"
"Henian is extremely talented. He will surely become the top - scorer in the imperial examination next spring. Then mother will definitely agree!"
"What if he fails?"
Ruan Jiu's words were like a thunderbolt. In fact, this was also what Xie Qinghuan was afraid of. If Xu Henian failed, mother would never agree to this marriage.
Suddenly, an indescribable pain welled up in her heart. Xie Qinghuan tightened her fists and said with a bitter expression, "But what else can I do?"
"Do you really want to marry him that much?" Ruan Jiu asked.
Xie Qinghuan nodded firmly. "If I can't grow old with the one I love, what's the difference between me and a walking corpse?"
These words seemed to resonate with Ruan Jiu. Her heart softened.
After a long time, Ruan Jiu slowly said, "I can help you."
"Really?" Xie Qinghuan couldn't believe it. Her eyes were filled with surprise. She didn't expect that when she was most helpless, it was Ruan Jiu who was willing to help her. She continued to ask, "You really want to help me?"
Xie Qinghuan still couldn't believe it. After all, she had just drugged Ruan Jiu. Could she really be that kind - hearted?
Ruan Jiu nodded. Maybe it was Xie Qinghuan's sincerity that touched her and made her feel a bit of pity. After all, in this world, true feelings were the most precious.
"However, I have to see if this Xu Henian is really worth it first."