Chapter 13: Under Many Eyes
The moment Madam Liu stepped through the courtyard gate, the pleasant smile she had maintained throughout the entire visit disappeared completely.
The servants following behind her immediately became more cautious. Having served Madam Liu for many years, they were all familiar with her temperament. The calmer and quieter she appeared, the angrier she usually was beneath the surface. As a result, none of them dared to speak first as they followed her through the covered corridor in silence.
Only after they had walked a considerable distance away from Shen Taotao’s courtyard did Madam Liu finally stop.
Her gaze drifted toward the direction they had come from, and the scene from earlier once again surfaced in her mind. Originally, she had entered the courtyard believing the rumors spread throughout the capital. Even after speaking with Shen Taotao for some time, Madam Liu had almost convinced herself that those descriptions were accurate.
Yet the more she replayed the conversation in her head, the more dissatisfied she became. Nothing Shen Taotao had said was particularly remarkable and nothing she had done could be considered extraordinary.
And yet, somehow, the entire situation had slipped from Madam Liu’s control.
At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an act of kindness toward a loyal servant. However, the more Madam Liu thought about it, the less willing she became to believe such a simple explanation.
After all, once Shen Taotao personally apologized, continuing to punish the maid would no longer be a matter of correcting a servant. It would become a direct rejection of the Young Madam’s goodwill in front of everyone present. What appeared to be a humble apology had quietly placed Madam Liu in a position where she could neither advance nor retreat comfortably.
The realization left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.
One of the older maids finally gathered enough courage to speak, "Madam, do you truly believe the Young Madam acted intentionally?"
Madam Liu did not answer immediately. Instead, she slowly turned the jade bracelet around her wrist as she considered the question.
Intentional or not, the result remained the same.
Today, she had entered the courtyard intending to test Shen Taotao. Yet by the end of the conversation, she had learned almost nothing useful. The girl had revealed no ambition, no weakness and no obvious desire for power.
The more Madam Liu thought about it, the more troublesome she found the situation.
A clever enemy was not frightening. A foolish enemy was not frightening either. The most troublesome person was someone whose true intentions could not be seen clearly.
After a long silence, Madam Liu finally spoke. "It does not matter."
The servants looked at each other in confusion.
Madam Liu’s gaze drifted toward the distant courtyard, "If she is truly foolish, then she will eventually expose herself."
Her fingers lightly brushed the jade bracelet, "And if she is not..." A faint smile slowly appeared on her lips. "Then I would like to know what exactly the Shen family has sent into this residence."
The older maid lowered her head, "This servant understands."
Madam Liu nodded, "Find someone reliable and keep an eye on the courtyard."
The order was delivered casually, yet everyone present understood its significance.
For the first time since Shen Taotao entered the Xie residence, Madam Liu had decided to treat her as someone worthy of attention.
Since that day, Shen Taotao had officially become someone Madam Liu intended to watch closely.
What Madam Liu did not know was that not far from where she stood, another pair of ears had heard every word of the conversation.
The man remained hidden in the shadows of the corridor until Madam Liu and her servants finally disappeared from sight. Only then did he step forward and head toward the eastern courtyard of the residence.
The journey did not take long.
After passing through several winding corridors and crossing two separate courtyards, he eventually stopped outside a quiet study.
The guards stationed outside immediately recognized him and stepped aside without question.
The man pushed open the door and entered.
A faint scent of ink lingered in the room.
Several bookshelves lined the walls, while stacks of documents were neatly arranged upon a large wooden desk. Sunlight filtered through the lattice windows and illuminated the otherwise quiet room.
Seated beside the window was a young man dressed in dark robes.
A black silk cloth still covered his eyes. One hand rested upon the armrest while the other lightly turned a jade ring between his fingers.
The moment the man entered, Xie Rong spoke, "What happened?"
The personal guard was not surprised that his presence had already been noticed. After following Xie Rong for so many years, he had long grown accustomed to such things.
"Young Master." He lowered his head respectfully before recounting everything that had happened inside Shen Taotao’s courtyard.
Throughout the entire process, Xie Rong remained quiet and the study gradually fell silent once more.
Xie Rong sat quietly as though organizing the information in his mind.
After a long pause, he finally asked, "Madam Liu believes she is pretending?"
"Yes, Young Master." The personal guard hesitated briefly before continuing, "Madam Liu appears convinced that the Young Madam deliberately forced her to retreat."
A faint smile appeared on Xie Rong’s lips but the expression vanished so quickly that it was difficult to tell whether it had truly been there.
"And what do you think?"
The question caught the guard off guard. After some thought, he replied honestly, "This subordinate believes Madam Liu may be overthinking the matter."
Xie Rong neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, he lightly tapped a finger against the armrest.
"Perhaps." His answer was short and the room became quiet again.
The personal guard waited. After serving Xie Rong for many years, he knew the man was still thinking and sure enough, after several moments, Xie Rong spoke once more.
"Continue watching."
The guard lowered his head, "This subordinate understands."
Xie Rong’s gaze remained directed toward the window. Although a black cloth covered his eyes, the calm expression on his face made it impossible to guess his thoughts.
After a while, he finally said, "Whether she is clever or foolish is not important."
The guard looked up slightly.
Xie Rong’s voice remained as calm as ever, "What I want to know is why she wanted to marry me."