Concubine Yuan forced a smile and averted her gaze uncomfortably. "Look, look at what the eldest young lady is saying. This concubine, this concubine has no idea!"
"If the concubine doesn't know, then let that maid come up and tell us. What does the concubine think?"
Xie Fengran took two steps forward and kindly reminded Concubine Yuan, "Also, the concubine's existence has nothing to do with me. Please watch your words in the future, concubine!"
Concubine Yuan showed a wronged look. "Eldest young lady, this concubine didn't say anything. Does this concubine not even have the right to speak?"
"Of course the concubine has the right to speak, but the concubine doesn't have the right to pour dirty water on others!"
Xie Fengran stood behind Old Lady Xie with a cold face. "Grandmother, when the tutor arrives, granddaughter will surely give grandmother an explanation."
Old Lady Xie looked down on Concubine Yuan's crying and whining behavior from the bottom of her heart. Although she didn't know what Xie Fengran was up to at this moment, she didn't say anything to stop her.
When Concubine Yuan heard that the tutor was being called, her eyes flashed. "Such a trivial matter isn't worth calling the tutor. Old lady, isn't the eldest young lady being too willful?"
Xie Fengran didn't even lift her eyebrows. She didn't argue with fools.
It was Nanny Su who kindly reminded, "Concubine, please be patient. The old lady decided to invite the tutor last night."
"I... I see!" Concubine Yuan tightened the hand on her chest.
She naturally knew that Old Lady Xie was going to call them over last night. Otherwise, she wouldn't have sent someone to find out the news. She just wasn't sure what Xie Fengran was up to.
Xie Fengran glanced at her indifferently. "Does the concubine have anything else to say now?"
"Look at what the eldest young lady is saying. This concubine just said it casually. Everyone knows that the eldest young lady is obedient and sensible. Naturally, she always puts the old lady first and won't go against the old lady's orders!"
These words made Old Lady Xie look at Xie Fengran involuntarily. She couldn't help but wonder.
Why go to so much trouble to gather everyone here?
Old Lady Xie looked at the hourglass. Seeing that it was almost time for Xie Fengran to go to the academy and the tutor still hadn't arrived, she frowned and said to Xie Fengran, "The tutor hasn't come yet. Why don't you go to the academy first? Don't be delayed!"
Concubine Yuan's eyes lit up and she chimed in, "Yes! Eldest young lady, it's not easy for you to get the chance to go to the girls' academy. You can't be delayed."
"It doesn't matter. Granddaughter has already sent someone to ask for leave from the teacher. But the concubine!" Xie Fengran turned her head. Her cold eyes stared straight at Concubine Yuan. "The concubine seems very reluctant for me to be here. Don't you want to know why I detained your personal maid?"
"W-Why?" Concubine Yuan's facial expression froze. But in a moment, she shifted her eyes, glanced at the old lady and said carefully, "If that maid didn't commit a major crime, the eldest young lady should forgive her. Otherwise, it might spread and people will think that an unmarried girl like you is meddling in your father's affairs."
Xie Fengran curled her lips and replied bluntly, "Then I really have to thank the concubine for thinking about me. But it's not urgent."
She looked at Old Lady Xie. "Grandmother, please be patient. I sent someone to invite the tutor on my way here. He should be here soon!"
"Why does the eldest young lady insist on inviting the tutor? Others will say that we don't respect our teachers. This tutor was invited back with great difficulty by the old lady. If you offend him, who will teach the young master?"
She looked so indignant that she almost pointed at Xie Fengran and said that she didn't want Xie Chenghui to do well.
Even Old Lady Xie was a bit displeased by what she said. She had gone through a lot of trouble to find this tutor. If Xie Fengran offended him, it would really be a great loss.
At this moment, she somewhat regretted listening to Xie Fengran.
"Fengran, tell me why you're so persistent in inviting the tutor?"
Xie Fengran stood up, lowered her eyes to hide the disappointment in them, and bowed. "This matter concerns the honor of the Marquis Mansion. Let's wait until the tutor arrives to talk about it."
Old Lady Xie frowned tightly. Her displeasure deepened. There was a bit of disappointment in her eyes when she looked at Xie Fengran. She was reflecting on whether she had been too indulgent towards her and made her so willful.
Therefore, she didn't notice Concubine Yuan's pale face when Xie Fengran said this.
No one spoke in the room for a moment. Concubine Yuan wanted to speak several times but was discouraged by the expressions of the grandmother and granddaughter.
It wasn't until the tutor arrived.
The tutor strode in with a solemn face, stepped over the threshold, and bowed directly to the old lady. He said angrily, "Old Lady Xie, I've experienced your Marquis Mansion's way of entertaining guests. Please forgive me for not keeping my promise. I can't teach in a family like yours. I'll leave now."
Old Lady Xie's face changed. She quickly stood up. "Did someone neglect the master? The master mustn't say such angry words!"
The tutor flicked his sleeve, glared at Xie Fengran, and said directly, "It's this old man who isn't worthy. Please don't persuade me, old lady."
Old Lady Xie turned to look at her granddaughter. "Fengran, what's going on?"
Xie Fengran watched the tutor's performance coldly. She stepped forward only after Old Lady Xie called her. She waved her hand, and soon two people were pushed into the room.
One was Ming'er, Concubine Yuan's personal maid, and the other was a young boy dressed as a page. Nanny Su had a good memory. She stepped forward and said to Old Lady Xie, "Old lady, it seems to be the page beside the tutor. This maid has seen him."
How did these two get together?
When Concubine Yuan saw these two being pushed in, her body swayed.
But at this moment, no one was paying attention to her. Everyone's eyes were on the two people kneeling on the ground.
When the tutor saw his page, he shouted quickly, "Good! My page didn't return all night. So it was you who detained him. I'll report this to the official. I must report it to the official."
"Humph, if the tutor wants to report it to the official, go ahead!" Xie Fengran let out a sneer, her face full of sarcasm. She curtsied to Old Lady Xie. "Grandmother, last night, when Nanny Shen and Lanfang were on their way back from the Green Pine Courtyard, they passed by the small garden and saw these two acting furtively and discussing something. When they got closer, they heard a lot of indecent words."
After saying that, she looked back at Concubine Yuan. "Concubine, do you need me to tell you what they said?"
Concubine Yuan forced a smile. "E-Eldest young lady, what do you mean? W-What does this have to do with this concubine?"
"Does the concubine still not know whether it has anything to do with you?" Xie Fengran helped Old Lady Xie sit back on the chair and stood beside her. She swept a cold look at the people in the room and suddenly waved her hand.
"Nanny Shen, please close the door."
Nanny Shen immediately responded and turned to close the door. Even the tutor didn't stop this action.
When Old Lady Xie saw this situation, if she still didn't know there was a problem, she would have lived in vain for so many years.
But what problem could these two possibly have?
Xie Fengran's next words almost made her faint!