Chapter 139: The Flower of Evil
The breeze gently swept through the osmanthus branches above them, carrying several pale blossoms to the ground.
Xie An’an quietly looked at Madam Liu before the familiar smile gradually returned to her face. "I fear Madam Liu has misunderstood something."
"Misunderstood?" Madam Liu let out a cold laugh, "This one may be getting old... but my ears still function perfectly well. I heard every word."
She slowly stepped closer, stopping only a few paces away.
"For a few days, this one believed someone had deliberately framed me. I searched everywhere for proof. I even began doubting whether I had become overly suspicious."
She paused before looking directly into Xie An’an’s eyes. "But today... Young Miss has answered every question this one has carried in her heart."
The smile on Xie An’an’s lips never faltered. "And what answer would that be?"
Madam Liu’s expression hardened, "That every incident surrounding the Young Madam... was never a coincidence. You have been orchestrating everything from the shadows."
Silence.
Neither admitted or denied.
The atmosphere between them quietly became suffocating.
After what felt like an eternity, Xie An’an softly laughed.
"Madam Liu... Do you truly believe the Master would accept such an absurd accusation based solely upon a conversation you happened to overhear?"
Madam Liu remained calm. "If it were only today’s conversation... perhaps not."
She slowly reached into her sleeve.
Xie An’an’s pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Madam Liu withdrew a small embroidered pouch.
"I have spent the past several weeks collecting every unusual occurrence within the residence." She gently weighed the embroidered pouch in her hand. "Perhaps each incident alone proves nothing. But when they are placed together..."
Her eyes gradually narrowed, "They tell a rather interesting story."
Instantly, the smile on Xie An’an’s face stiffened.
Madam Liu noticed the subtle change.
A faint smile slowly appeared upon her own lips. "Young Miss... It would seem this one is no longer the only person harboring suspicions."
She took another unhurried step forward, "The fire that consumed the blossom tree... The servant who died before she could reveal the truth... And now... your conversation with Eldest Miss Shen."
Her gaze never left Xie An’an.
"Viewed separately, they may all be dismissed as coincidence. But together... they all point toward the same person."
Xie An’an quietly looked at the embroidered pouch in Madam Liu’s hand.
After a long while, she finally asked, "What does Madam Liu want?"
Madam Liu answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Simple." She slowly raised the embroidered pouch. "First... I want my name cleared."
Her gaze never left Xie An’an. "I want the truth behind that bound man to come to light. The man who suddenly appeared... The man who claimed this one had paid him to deliver a message to Qing’er, luring the Young Madam to the Punishment Courtyard..."
She let out a cold laugh, "That man... was arranged by Young Miss, was he not?"
Xie An’an’s expression remained calm. She neither admitted nor denied it.
Madam Liu continued, "I do not care how Young Miss accomplishes it. Whether you find that man... Or whether you find another way... I want Master, Old Madam, and everyone in the Xie Residence to know... that this one was innocent."
She paused before slowly straightening her posture. "After that... There is only one more thing I desire."
Xie An’an quietly narrowed her eyes.
"Make me the Madam of the Xie family." Her voice remained steady, "I have managed the inner household for years. I have shouldered responsibilities that belonged to the late Madam. I have devoted the better years of my life to this residence."
She looked directly at Xie An’an, "I have earned that position."
Silence lingered between them.
Madam Liu slowly tucked the embroidered pouch back into her sleeve before taking another step forward.
"For someone as intelligent as Young Miss..." A faint smile appeared on her lips, "I trust you understand what happens if this pouch falls into Young Master’s hands."
Xie An’an remained perfectly still.
Madam Liu continued calmly, "Three days. I shall give Young Miss three days. If after three days my name has not been restored... or if this one hears another word tarnishing my reputation..."
She looked directly into Xie An’an’s eyes, "This one will personally place this pouch before Young Master Xie." Her smile deepened. "And I shall repeat... every single word I heard today."
The breeze swept past them once more.
Xie An’an narrowed her eyes sharply but she said nothing.
Madam Liu noticed the silence and chuckled softly, "It seems... Young Miss finally understands what it feels like."
Xie An’an’s brows lifted almost imperceptibly. "To have someone else holding your fate in their hands." The smile on Madam Liu’s face grew wider, "What does Young Miss think of the one who lived every single day wondering when another scheme would fall upon their heads."
"Now..." She gently brushed the dust from her sleeves, "it is Young Miss’s turn."
She turned to leave, only to pause after taking several steps.
Without looking back, she spoke one last time.
"Oh... I almost forgot. If anything should happen to this one within these three days..." Her voice was calm, "whether it be an accident... an illness... or even a robbery along the road..." She slowly tilted her head, "everyone will know exactly whom to suspect."
Xie An’an lowered her eyes.
For several moments, she remained perfectly still before letting out a slow breath.
"Within three days." She softly repeated the words, "Is that correct, Madam Liu?"
Madam Liu smiled in satisfaction. "That is correct. I trust Young Miss is wise enough to make the proper decision."
Xie An’an slowly nodded. "I understand."
For the briefest moment, she looked almost... resigned. As though she had accepted every condition Madam Liu had placed before her.
Madam Liu’s vigilance unconsciously relaxed. She had expected resistance, perhaps even anger.
Yet the young woman before her merely stood there quietly, her expression as gentle as ever.
"So be it."
Madam Liu turned around, prepared to leave.
Only then, Xie An’an slowly crouched.
Her fingers disappeared beneath the hem of her robe, reaching toward the inside of her ankle where something slender had long been concealed beneath the folds of fabric.
She drew it out without the slightest sound.
It was no wider than a ribbon, dark enough to disappear beneath the shadows of the osmanthus tree, yet strong enough that it did not slacken as she lightly pulled it taut between her hands.
Xie An’an quietly watched Madam Liu’s retreating back.
The smile on her lips never changed.
"Madam Liu." Her voice was as gentle as before. "There is one thing... you have overlooked..."
Madam Liu instinctively paused and turned her head.
The autumn breeze swept silently through the courtyard.
The osmanthus blossoms drifted lazily to the ground.
And beneath the shade of the old tree, the gentle smile upon Xie An’an’s face no longer reached her eyes.