C3 Favor

The elderly lady was showing concern for Chi Rongyan when Mrs. Lee walked in, inadvertently stirring up trouble. At this point, the elderly lady could vaguely guess the cause of the issue, and her dissatisfaction with Mrs. Lee and Chi Meng'er grew.

"Do you two really think I'm so senile that I can't tell right from wrong?"

"Mother, I..."

Mrs. Lee broke into a light sweat and glanced at her daughter, quickly realizing that the elderly lady had sensed something was amiss. She hurriedly pulled the still-sitting Chi Meng'er to kneel beside her.

"Please forgive us, Mother. I heard some things from a few servants and didn't get the full story, which led to the misunderstanding with Yan. If you wish to punish us, I will not complain."

"Misunderstanding?"

The elderly lady let out a cold snort, looking down at the kneeling mother and daughter. "So, you're admitting that your daughter intended to harm my Yan?"

"This..."

Mrs. Lee was momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Chi Rongyan secretly chuckled but decided not to push her luck. After all, the Duke Mansion held a prestigious status. If the elderly lady were to severely punish Chi Meng'er, who had been "dutiful" for many years, for the sake of a girl who had just returned from the countryside, it might spark gossip among the townsfolk. She didn't want to cause trouble for the elderly lady because of her presence as an outsider.

In the bitter cold of winter, the original owner, gentle and kind-hearted, was pushed into the water and drowned. Simply dealing with Meng'er wouldn't suffice; it would be too easy on her. Rongyan planned to keep Meng'er around and address things slowly over time. She also had a gut feeling that the original owner's "disappearance" years ago was more complicated than it seemed. Rongyan couldn't stand people like Meng'er who resorted to manipulation. She was determined to settle every score on behalf of the original owner.

With these thoughts, Rongyan gently tugged on her grandmother's sleeve and whispered, "Grandmother, please don't upset yourself. I'm fine now. Don't blame my sister. I'm sure she didn't mean any harm. We have no past grievances, so why would she suddenly have any hostility toward me?" Outwardly, it seemed like she was pleading, but it was actually a subtle jab.

The other servants didn't catch the underlying meaning, only seeing Third Miss as kind and forgiving for letting Second Miss off the hook. This comparison made their characters stand out starkly. Meng'er, however, understood perfectly. Her face turned ashen, her fists clenched tightly, and her eyes burned with a mix of resentment and anger, as if she wanted to destroy Rongyan right then and there.

The grandmother noticed Meng'er's unwilling gaze and felt displeased, but she remained calm.

She truly couldn't do anything about Mrs. Lee. The second branch of the family was not her own, and if she acted rashly, people would accuse her of mistreating the Duke's illegitimate son. Besides, she needed Mrs. Lee around to confirm some suspicions she held.

With this in mind, the old lady suppressed her displeasure and glanced at Mrs. Lee and Chi Meng'er. "Since Yan has pleaded on your behalf, I won't hold it against you this time."

"Yes, Mother-in-law, I understand my mistake." Mrs. Lee knelt on the floor, seething inside, but her voice remained composed and proper, leaving no room for criticism.

The old lady couldn't vent her frustration, which only added to her irritation. She was about to dismiss them to have a private conversation with her dear Yan when her nanny hurriedly entered and whispered a few words in her ear.

The old lady's demeanor changed immediately. She looked at Chi Rongyan and finally spoke gently, "Yan, change your clothes and come with your grandmother to the front hall."