After Rebirth, the Green Tea Illegitimate Daughter Became a Master of Schemes

Chapter 80 - Averting Danger

The madam furrowed her brows, appearing deep in thought, and did not rush to make a decision.

However, Ruan Yuxi, upon hearing this, quickly retorted, "I am also thinking about the Ruan family's reputation. If a concubine-born daughter were to privately pledge herself to someone, would our sisters still have a chance to marry?"

This argument was reasonable, and Third Miss could not refute it.

Yet, Ruan Yuluan retorted sharply, "Did Fourth Sister ever think about this when she was secretly involved with Fu Shan Wang?"

"You!" Ruan Yuxi, who could not tolerate this matter, immediately rose as if to strike her. "How dare you mention Fu Shan Wang's matters! It's all because of you, you little vixen..."

Ruan Yuluan intentionally provoked her to incite a reaction, hoping to make her lose her composure and seem as if she had lost her mind. This way, her words would be dismissed as the ravings of a madwoman.

With a "thud," the teacup in the madam's hand was set down heavily on the table, which made Ruan Yuxi calm down a little.

"Are you out of your mind?" The madam's gaze was icy as she looked at the two, before finally focusing on the young girl. Taking a deep breath, she asked in a somber tone, "Is this truly not a gift from a supposed suitor?"

Ruan Yuluan's face showed a hint of grievance as she softly and weakly replied, "I stay at home all day and rarely go out except to attend banquets or to burn incense with you. How could I have had the leisure to meet strange men..."

Given her usually quiet and submissive nature, her words carried some credibility. The madam's expression softened slightly, and she continued, "Then how did it come about? Why are you unwilling to speak?"

Ruan Yuluan showed hesitation, nervously twisting her handkerchief. Before she could speak, Xia Yue entered and whispered, "Madam, a gentleman from the Lou family has arrived and wishes to see you."

"The Lou family?" Madam Ji momentarily could not recall any family with the surname Lou. She frowned slightly until Liu Momo reminded her, "It must be the Lou family of Concubine Lou."

That made sense. Madam Ji nodded lightly, "Let him in."

The visitor quickly lifted the curtain and entered. Ruan Yuluan turned her gaze and met the young gentleman's eyes. They exchanged a brief glance and understood each other without words.

Lou Yun, the eldest cousin of the Lou family, was a shrewd businessman with clear and articulate speech. He stepped forward, bowed respectfully to the madam, and said, "Lou Yun pays respects to the madam of the Ruan family."

The madam indicated for him to rise and then heard him explain the purpose of his visit.

"Though my aunt has passed away, Fifth Miss is still my aunt's blood relative. Our family was once very poor, but we are better off now and engaged in business in the capital... We thought it appropriate to establish contact with your family and also to look after Fifth Miss."

This was a reasonable explanation. Although Madam Ji looked down upon such families, she could not fault someone who was polite, and she nodded slightly. "Since we are somewhat related and Fifth Miss is here, it is only right to maintain connections."

Lou Yun then added, "On my way here, I heard a maid mention the jade pendant related to Fifth Miss, which has caused quite a stir."

"Please, madam, discern for yourself," he said with a faint smile, appearing somewhat helpless. "This pendant was a gift from me to my cousin. It was merely for the maid to use if she needed to find me."

Since Aunt Lou was the real sister of Concubine Lou, Lou Yun was indeed Ruan Yuluan's cousin. Given that he was older, any rumors of private relations between them were baseless.

However, there was another matter the madam did not understand, and Ruan Yuxi, seeing that Ruan Yuluan was about to turn the situation around, could not help but press further. "What could a young lady like her have that needs a man like you to handle?"

If it were something ordinary, with two hundred servants in the household, surely it could be managed without such secrecy. It must be something that should not be made public.

Ruan Yuxi's face showed a hint of triumph. Lou Yun hesitated but eventually explained candidly, "Concubine Lou's grave is in the ancestral cemetery of the Ruan family in Meizhou. As a young lady, she could not travel to the mountains or cross the waters. Every year, on the anniversary of her death, she sends us money to offer prayers."

This was a reasonable explanation. Moreover, it was not a lie; indeed, Aunt Lou's family paid respects at the tomb every year.

The madam would find that any investigation would align with Lou Yun's account. Ruan Yuxi was left speechless. The madam sighed and said slowly, "In that case, it is normal for relatives to maintain contact, and there is no issue of private relations. However, it is not appropriate for an unmarried girl to be too close to a man, as it affects her reputation."

Ruan Yuluan was fifteen this year and would turn sixteen next year. With marriage proposals on the horizon, such rumors could not be allowed to arise.

"Yes," Lou Yun said with an apologetic tone, "Madam, please rest assured. If there are any future matters, it will be my sister who will come to speak to avoid misunderstandings."

After some more casual conversation, Lou Yun, being a person of good manners, appeared before the Ruan family members. Unlike his previous private meetings with Ruan Yuluan, he specially brought some fresh cakes and tea from his shop as a gift for the madam.

His well-mannered conduct left the madam with nothing more to say, and she nodded, instructing for the cakes to be distributed to the other ladies. She then sent someone to see him off, and the matter was thus resolved.

With no guests present, the madam's tone became quite sharp and bitter as she glared at the discontented Ruan Yuxi. "What a fool! You catch a minor detail and think it's a grand scandal. You've made me suffer from your meddling!" She scolded, "You, troublemaker, are always unhappy with your Fifth Sister and insist on stirring up trouble to find peace!"

Fuming, the madam, with Liu Momo stepping forward to comfort her, saw Ruan Yuxi's eyes turn red. She stomped her foot and quickly ran out.

As she passed by Ruan Yuluan, she did not forget to roughly shove her shoulder. The young girl, already fragile, nearly fell from the shove, but Third Miss quickly helped her.

"Fourth Sister is becoming more unreasonable..." Third Miss could not help but sigh.