As she said this, Ye Xi lifted the gauze on her forehead, her eyes full of sorrow.
"Look at this wound! Look how long this scar is! Do you know how much pain and fear I've been through!?"
"Mother..." Ye Xi suddenly leaned closer to Qian Fangxue, forcing her to look at the "wound" on her forehead where the flesh seemed to be turned over.
"I'm your daughter too... You should stand up for me and think more about me..."
Qian Fangxue was startled by the gory wound that suddenly came so close to her. A look of disgust flashed across her face, and she instinctively turned her eyes away.
"What are you talking about? When have I not thought about you?" Feeling guilty under Ye Xi's words, Qian Fangxue retorted angrily,
"You keep slandering your elder sister. How dare you question your mother! Have you grown so bold that you think just because you've got in with the Prince Yu'an's Mansion, you don't have to listen to your mother anymore?!"
"Daughter wouldn't dare," Ye Xi turned her head away. "But I will never marry Cao Sheng again!"
"You... you..."
Qian Fangxue was so angry that she wanted to slap Ye Xi across the face and then have her tied up and sent back home.
But they were on the territory of the Prince Yu'an's Mansion. There were maids and servants all around, their eyes fixed on her. And according to what Ye Jueyao had said before, it seemed that the Prince Yu'an attached great importance to this adopted girl. If she really dared to make a move, she was afraid she would be subdued before she even touched Ye Xi.
The most urgent thing now was to get Ye Xi back to the Ye family first. As for the marriage with the Cao family, they could talk about it later.
Qian Fangxue was so angry that her chest heaved up and down. She endured and endured before finally holding back her anger.
After adjusting her mood, Qian Fangxue forced a smile and stepped forward to pull Ye Xi. She said,
"Since you dislike Cao Sheng so much now, let's discuss the marriage later. Mother is here to pick you up today. Go and pack your things right away, and let's go home."
As she said this, she sighed with a worried look on her face, pretending to be concerned,
"Your wound on your face is so serious. Mother is really afraid that if we break off the marriage with the Cao family, no one will dare to propose marriage to you in the future..."
In an instant, she looked like a loving mother who was whole - heartedly protecting her daughter.
However, her schemes never stopped for a moment, and Ye Xi heard every bit of it.
Shaking her head, Ye Xi said sadly,
"No, I won't go back. I never want to see my elder sister again..."
"What are you talking about again?" Qian Fangxue said dissatisfiedly. "Mother has already told you that all those rumors outside are completely unfounded, just baseless speculations. Why don't you believe me?"
"Or..." Qian Fangxue looked at Ye Xi suspiciously. "Did you see something with your own eyes?"
[Could this useless girl have seen Yaoyao being intimate with Cao Sheng?]
[It shouldn't be. They've always hidden it well.]
Qian Fangxue's probing eyes were fixed on Ye Xi's expression, trying to see if her guess was true.
Ye Xi lowered her eyelids slightly, her eyes struggling. After a long while, she gently bit her lip and said,
"No, I didn't. But..."
"That's that then!" Seeing that Ye Xi didn't seem to be lying, Qian Fangxue felt relieved and interrupted,
"They're all just malicious speculations from outsiders. How can you take them seriously? Mother can vouch for you. Your elder sister and the young master of the Cao family have absolutely no feelings for each other!"
If Ye Xi hadn't heard all of Qian Fangxue's schemes clearly, she might have believed her confident words.
It didn't matter if they didn't admit it. Since no one had seen it, she would use her identity as Madam Manping to confirm it through the "fate - reading" technique.
Ye Xi's expression softened, as if she was convinced by Qian Fangxue.
"But... but mother's guarantee is just empty words. If only there was a god. He must know all our mortal thoughts. We wouldn't have to speculate so hard and argue without a conclusion."
Qian Fangxue's heart skipped a beat.
Previously, the Fairy Xing'er had sent a message saying that the "fate - reading" session had been arranged for her. As long as Madam Manping could prove through the "fate - reading" that Yaoyao and Cao Sheng had no feelings for each other, with her great reputation, they could definitely dispel the rumors and protect Yaoyao's reputation.
But judging from the incident at the State Uncle's Mansion last time, Madam Manping did things according to her own will. She had to discuss it with her first.
The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. A glint of light flashed in Qian Fangxue's eyes, and she smiled,
"Although this is a bit of a silly idea, it's not completely unfeasible. A while ago, there was a Madam Manping in the capital. Her 'fate - reading' skills are almost as good as those of a god."
"If you think everyone is just talking nonsense and can't be trusted, mother will go and invite Madam Manping to the mansion herself to prove it to you."
Hearing Qian Fangxue praise herself so much, Ye Xi and Saixing beside her almost couldn't keep their composure.
The mistress and the maid exchanged a tacit look and almost burst out laughing. They quickly turned their heads away.
Suppressing the laughter in her voice, Ye Xi said suspiciously,
"Really? Mother, don't lie to me."
"Why would I lie to you?" Qian Fangxue felt no guilt about this. She said confidently,
"Half of the capital knows about Madam Manping. You can go and ask. But Madam Manping is very difficult to invite. Mother will have to spend a lot of effort and money. By then, I may neglect you."
"Since it's you who wants to find out the truth, you should go back with me first. When Madam Manping comes, we can have the 'fate - reading' in time and get the answer."
With just a few words, she shifted all the responsibility to Ye Xi. And she also showed herself as a loving mother who was working hard and whole - heartedly for Ye Xi.
Even Saixing beside her wanted to step forward and ask: Where's your sense of shame?
"Mother has worked hard," Ye Xi pretended to be touched and continued, "Since there's no result yet, if I go back to the Ye Mansion, I'll just feel upset. I might even argue with my elder sister."
"It's better for me to stay in the mansion temporarily. I'll go back when Madam Manping does the 'fate - reading'. It's good for both sides."
Knowing that Ye Xi had some grudges in her heart and wouldn't easily go back to the Ye Mansion without finding out the truth, Qian Fangxue didn't force her anymore. She just pulled Ye Xi and said a few more polite words. She showed all her kindness and love, stuffed a delicate bracelet on Ye Xi's wrist as compensation, and then "reluctantly" left.
As soon as Qian Fangxue left, Yi Yuan stood beside Ye Xi.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with her, he said,
"So the reason you asked me to find someone with a similar figure to yours before was so that they could pretend to be you during the 'fate - reading'."
Ye Xi was still looking at the door. Hearing this, she didn't move. She just smiled slightly and said,
"Yes. No matter who comes for the 'fate - reading', I, as the person involved, must be there. At that time, I can use the excuse that my face is injured and not suitable to be seen, cover my face tightly, and change my voice. I should be able to get away with it."
"Okay." Yi Yuan glanced at Ye Xi. Seeing the deliberately exaggerated wound on her forehead, even though he knew it was fake, his heart still twitched.
He instinctively reached out and touched it.
"Remove this fake wound first. Although the original wound is almost healed, it's still not good to cover it with all these messy things."