Things were getting more and more interesting.
By now, most of Zhao Shuning's clothes had dried.
She looked at Lady Haitang sitting on the seat and casually said, "Lady Haitang, the green dress you're wearing today is quite beautiful. There's even gold powder on it, isn't there?"
"Nonsense. Our Lady Haitang is the mistress of the Lin family. Naturally, her clothes should be sprinkled with gold powder."
Zhao Shuning said, "This dark - green gorgeous dress matches Lady Haitang's temperament especially well."
"I've always loved dark - green clothes. Most of the clothes in my wardrobe are long dark - green gowns. Girl, is there anything wrong with this?"
"Of course not. But Lady Haitang, you also went to the place where we had dinner last night, didn't you?"
Lady Haitang looked a bit displeased.
She said, "I just passed by last night. I saw Beauty Xiao inside. Thinking that she could greet the guests for me, I didn't go in."
When Zhao Shuning was arguing with Beauty Xiao yesterday, she casually glanced and saw a figure in dark green outside the door.
Since it was night and there were indeed many green plants in the Lin Mansion, Zhao Shuning didn't pay much attention and thought there was nothing unusual.
It was only today when she saw this dark - green dress again that she recalled.
"Lady Haitang is really magnanimous. I'm afraid you saw how I silenced those guests and taught them a lesson yesterday, right?"
"What do you want to say?"
"If I say that you, Lady Haitang, are afraid. You're afraid that I'll affect your chances of winning this year. You also know that I'm not in your camp, and you saw Beauty Xiao offer an olive branch to me. You were afraid that I'd join her camp."
"Ridiculous. Didn't you reject Beauty Xiao later? What do I have to be afraid of?"
This sentence completely confirmed that Lady Haitang not only knew about what happened last night but also witnessed the whole thing.
This was exactly what Zhao Shuning wanted.
"Of course, I rejected Beauty Xiao. So you knew that I wasn't easy to win over. As the mistress of the Lin family and a person with a certain status in the martial arts world, you must have heard about what happened to Mo Bai in Qingning. So you were worried about us and afraid that we'd ruin your good deeds. Lady Haitang, you can't deny this because you said something when we first met."
Lady Haitang said, "What did I say?"
"You said that looking at Mo Bai's eyes, he was a clean - hearted child, but you didn't know what kind of character he had."
Lady Haitang asked again, "Is there anything wrong with what I said?"
Zhao Shuning shook her head.
"Just from the words themselves, there's nothing wrong. But Lady Haitang, we had never met before yesterday. How did you know Mo Bai's name?"
Everyone came to their senses and secretly sighed.
This girl was so meticulous.
"So, even if we don't side with Beauty Xiao, we'll still be a threat to you. You like to play it safe, so you wanted to get rid of us before the Qianyuan Tournament."
There was still doubt in everyone's eyes.
Lady Haitang shouldn't be such a person.
"Do you have any evidence?"
"Evidence will always come to light. After I sort out the whole thing, the evidence will surely surface."
At this moment, the hall was very quiet. Everyone was listening, wondering how this little girl could connect things together.
"After you saw me fall out with Beauty Xiao, you wanted to use Beauty Xiao's hand to get rid of me. You had someone tell Beauty Xiao that I had an argument with Lüwu before she died. Beauty Xiao is a brainless woman. As soon as she heard this, she surely wanted to avenge the quarrel with me last night. So as soon as she heard it, she brought people and took me to the hall."
"And you just played the role of a passer - by in between."
"You wanted to use Beauty Xiao's hand to get rid of me. I would surely lose control on the spot, argue with Beauty Xiao, and there might even be casualties. Then you could reap the benefits."
Lady Haitang smiled and said, "Girl, your story is very exciting, full of twists and turns. But how could I have known that you had an argument with that girl Lüwu before?"
Zhao Shuning looked at everyone.
They all looked confused.
Yes, according to Zhao Shuning's words, there were no outsiders when she had an argument with Lüwu. If there was a witness, they would have already come forward.
So if this initial assumption didn't hold, all the following things would be overturned.
"No, Lüwu can be the witness."
"She's already dead."
"Lady Haitang, yesterday we visited your yard first and then went to Lady Xiang's yard. When I met that girl Lüwu, she told me that she was a maid of the Fifth Lady."
"Indeed, Lüwu was a maid of the Fifth Lady. What's the problem?"
"At that time, I hadn't finished my words. That girl Lüwu ran very fast and accidentally bumped into me. She limped but didn't care about the pain. She just said a few words and left. It seemed that she was in a hurry."
"What does this prove?"
"Lady Haitang, but the direction Lüwu was going was towards the main yard, your yard. The Fifth Lady's yard is in the completely opposite direction."
"I'd like to ask Lady Haitang. Why did Lüwu go to your room for no reason and then die in the pond in the mansion the next day?"
Lady Haitang secretly clenched her fist in her palm.
Yesterday, Lüwu had gone to her yard. Lüwu had also mentioned it to her, saying that the new guest of Lady Xiang was just a child and a mentally - challenged young man. They didn't watch where they were going and almost quarreled with her.
In the evening, the incident with Beauty Xiao happened. Putting the two things together, Lady Haitang came up with such a plan.
It was just a pity for that girl Lüwu. She had done nothing wrong but became a victim between Lady Haitang and Beauty Xiao.
"Lady Haitang, your plan is really ingenious and vicious. It's a double - edged sword. You can not only get rid of the threat that Mo Bai and I pose to you in the Qianyuan Tournament but also drag Beauty Xiao into trouble. You're really amazing."
"Words are no proof. These are just your words as a little girl. They can't be trusted. Without a witness, how can you prove that all these things were done by our Lady Haitang?"
"A witness? Who said I don't have a witness?"
Zhao Shuning sneered coldly. Fine sweat began to break out on Lady Haitang's forehead.
She clearly remembered that there was no one around when she did it. Where could there be a witness?
"Where is your witness?"
Zhao Shuning gently pointed at the corpse on the ground and said, "Lüwu is my witness."
Everyone burst into laughter.
"What? Do you still think a dead person can come back to life and testify for you?"