Chapter 119: A Lie Woven with Truth
The moment Xie Rong stepped into the main courtyard hall, he already had a rough idea of what awaited him.
His gaze swept across the room without lingering for long. Xie An’an sat quietly in one of the chairs, her face half-covered by a delicate handkerchief as soft sobs escaped from behind the embroidered fabric. Beside her, her personal maid remained kneeling on the floor with her head lowered, not daring to utter a single word.
At the head of the hall, Old Madam Xie wore an unusually grim expression. The wrinkles between her brows had deepened considerably, while the teacup resting in her hand remained untouched, as though even she had no desire to drink at such a time.
The atmosphere throughout the hall was unusually oppressive.
Every servant stood with their heads lowered, scarcely daring to breathe too loudly, afraid that a single careless movement would invite Old Madam Xie’s displeasure.
The moment Xie Rong entered, all eyes quietly turned toward him.
"This grandson greets Grandmother." His voice was calm and unhurried as always, neither too warm nor too distant, as though the oppressive atmosphere within the hall had done little to affect him.
Old Madam Xie did not immediately ask him to rise.
Instead, she silently studied the grandson before her, her expression unreadable as the hall once again fell into an uncomfortable silence.
After a few moments, she finally spoke.
"Rong’er..." Old Madam Xie said after a brief pause. "This old woman has already heard An’an’s version of the events at the Lotus Pond this morning."
Her gaze slowly fell upon Xie Rong.
"Grandmother also heard that Taotao has awakened." Her voice remained calm, though there was a hint of concern beneath it. "Did she tell you what truly happened?"
Xie Rong remained silent for a brief moment before speaking in his usual composed tone. "If Grandmother permits, this grandson would first like to hear An’an’s account."
Old Madam Xie studied him for a long moment before giving a faint nod. "Very well."
She turned toward the young woman seated to her left, "An’an."
Xie An’an slowly lowered the handkerchief from her face, revealing eyes reddened from crying. Her lips trembled slightly before she rose from her seat and bowed respectfully. "Grandmother..."
"Tell Rong’er what happened."
Xie An’an lowered her gaze, as though the mere thought of recalling the incident caused her immense distress.
"This granddaughter..." She drew in a shaky breath. "This granddaughter has already recounted everything to Grandmother once. I truly do not wish to speak of it again."
Old Madam Xie gave a slight nod. "Nevertheless, Rong’er has yet to hear your account."
Xie An’an bit her lower lip before bowing her head.
"Yes, Grandmother." She took a slow breath to steady herself.
"This morning, one of Sister-in-law’s servants came to my courtyard, saying that Sister-in-law wished to see this sister at the lotus pond."
"I believed..." Her voice quivered. "I believed sister-in-law wished to reconcile after what happened at the flower banquet. I never imagined..."
She lowered her eyes as tears quietly gathered.
"The moment this granddaughter arrived, Sister-in-law questioned whether this sister secretly harbored feelings for Elder Brother."
She immediately shook her head.
"This sister denied it at once. Elder Brother has always regarded this sister as his younger sister. This sister has never once dared to harbor such improper thoughts."
Her voice became increasingly choked with emotion.
"Yet Sister-in-law refused to believe me. She insisted that this sister had long coveted Elder Brother..." Her eyelashes trembled. "She even said this sister’s feelings were shameful."
The hall remained silent.
Xie An’an dabbed the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief.
"This sister wished only to leave and avoid further conflict." She paused, as though gathering the courage to continue. "However... Sister-in-law suddenly became enraged."
Her fingers tightened around the embroidered handkerchief. "She reached out... intending to push this sister into the lotus pond."
A few servants instinctively exchanged startled glances before lowering their heads once more.
"This sister was terrified. I instinctively reached out to steady myself. Our sleeves became entangled..." She slowly lowered her head, "and before this sister could react, we both lost our footing and fell into the pond."
A tear rolled quietly down her cheek.
"This sister truly never wished for such a thing to happen." She bowed deeply. "That is all this sister knows."
The hall fell silent.
Old Madam Xie’s fingers slowly came to a stop upon the prayer beads. Her gaze rested on Xie An’an for a long moment before shifting toward Xie Rong.
"Rong’er... "This grandmother has watched An’an grow up since she was a child. She has never once lied to this grandmother." Her words were calm, yet they carried considerable weight.
Xie Rong remained standing where he was. His expression did not change. Only the faint crease between his brows deepened almost imperceptibly.
Old Madam Xie continued, "Yet Taotao is also your wife. This grandmother wishes to believe neither of them would do such a thing." She paused, "But..."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "If Taotao truly accused An’an of harboring improper feelings toward you... Those words were indeed excessive."
The moment those words left her lips, Xie Rong’s brows furrowed ever so slightly. It was only for an instant. So subtle that no one else in the hall noticed.
Only Nanny Zhao, who had served beside Old Madam Xie for decades, caught the fleeting change in his expression. She quietly lowered her gaze once more.
Xie Rong finally spoke, "Has Grandmother finished hearing An’an’s account?"
"I have."
"Then..." His voice remained as calm as ever. "May this grandson ask An’an a few questions?"
Old Madam Xie gave a slight nod. "You may."
Xie Rong looked at Xie An’an. His expression was as indifferent as ever, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. "An’an."
Xie An’an slowly raised her head. "Yes... Elder Brother."
"You said Taotao sent a servant to invite you to the lotus pond." His voice remained calm. "Do you know the servant’s name?"
Xie An’an was caught off guard by the seemingly insignificant question. She hesitated for the briefest moment before shaking her head.
"This sister... does not know." Her gaze unconsciously shifted toward the maid kneeling beside her. "My personal maid was the one who received the message."
Her maid immediately bowed until her forehead touched the floor. "This servant believes... the servant’s name was Qing’er..."
Xie Rong’s brows beneath the blindfold furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Qing’er?" His voice remained calm. "At what time did she deliver the message?"
Silence.
The maid took a moment before answering, her head still lowered. "This servant apologizes for not remembering the exact time, Young Master. However... it should have been sometime after breakfast."
"I understand." Xie Rong nodded lightly before turning his gaze back to Xie An’an. "Then, An’an..." His tone remained as indifferent as before. "One last question."
She slowly nodded to Xie Rong’s words.
"Do you truly harbor no feelings toward this elder brother?" Xie Rong’s question was like a bomb that sent the hall instantly falling silent.
Xie An’an’s pupils contracted.
"Rong’er!" Old Madam Xie’s voice rang through the hall. "What kind of question is that?!"
Even every servant there looked up in surprise.
Xie Rong, however, remained perfectly composed.
"This grandson merely wishes to hear An’an’s answer." His gaze rested steadily upon her. "If Furen truly uttered such words, then this grandson believes she must have had her reasons."