Chapter 124: The Price of a Reputation
The words "my reputation has already been ruined" lingered heavily in every corner of the room.
Old Madam Xie slowly closed her eyes. Her wrinkled fingers tightened around the armrest of her chair. She had lived for more than sixty years.
How could she possibly fail to understand the implication behind those tears?
Xie An’an continued weeping quietly, her shoulders trembling helplessly, as though she had completely lost all sense of direction.
"I..." She lowered her head until her forehead nearly touched the floor. "This sister has truly brought disgrace upon the Xie family. This sister should never have entered this hall today."
She wiped her tears slowly, "If only... if only this sister had not tried to explain myself... none of this would have happened."
Every sentence sounded like self-blame, but each one quietly reminded everyone present that she had just been seen in an intimate position with Xie Rong.
The atmosphere grew heavier with every passing breath.
A calm voice suddenly broke the silence. "It was an accident."
Everyone instinctively turned.
Xie Rong stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His robes had already been straightened, and his expression had long since returned to its usual composure.
"Everyone present witnessed what transpired. I merely stepped forward to prevent my Furen from being struck." His gaze settled upon Xie An’an.
"An’an." His voice remained calm, yet it carried a weight that caused the hall to grow even quieter.
"You have repeatedly spoken of your reputation. This Elder Brother wishes to know... what conclusion are you hoping everyone here will reach?"
"What does Elder Brother mean by that?" Xie An’an’s voice trembled once more. "Elder Brother knows... what happened just now is enough to destroy this sister’s reputation."
As she spoke, her gaze slowly swept across the hall before lingering ever so slightly upon her personal maid. It lasted only a heartbeat.
Then she lowered her eyes once more.
The maid understood immediately. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her sleeve.
A conflicted expression crossed her face as though she had been debating whether she ought to speak.
Finally, she bit her lower lip before stepping forward.
"This servant..." She immediately knelt upon the floor, "begs Old Madam’s forgiveness."
Old Madam Xie’s brows knitted together. "What is it?"
The maid lowered her head until it nearly touched the ground.
"This servant does not dare speak recklessly... but..." She hesitated again.
"The incident just now... was witnessed by everyone present."
"Young Miss..." Her voice choked, "Young Miss is still an unmarried young lady."
"This servant fears..." She clenched her fists, "once word spreads... no respectable family will be willing to accept Miss An’an."
The hall instantly fell silent.
The maid continued in a trembling voice, "This servant knows Young Master merely wished to protect Young Madam."
She lowered her head until her forehead nearly touched the ground.
"This servant knows... everyone present witnessed that it was nothing more than an accident." She paused, her voice beginning to tremble. "Young Miss has committed no wrongdoing. She merely lost her footing. Yet..."
Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"Must Young Miss bear the consequences of an accident she never intended?" Her hands tightened against the floor. "This humble servant cannot bear to see Young Miss wronged in such a manner."
Xie Rong slowly tilted his head. The hall suddenly grew colder.
For the first time since entering the hall... Genuine anger surfaced within his usually tranquil eyes.
"How dare you." His voice was quiet. Yet the oppressive pressure behind those three words caused the kneeling maid to tremble uncontrollably.
She instinctively lowered her head even further.
"Young... Young Master..."
Xie Rong took a single step forward. "This Young Master wishes to ask you... What consequences are you referring to?"
The maid’s lips parted but no words came out.
Xie Rong continued before she could answer. "The one who stumbled... was An’an. The one who stepped forward... was this Young Master. The one this Young Master intended to protect... was my Furen."
His gaze swept across everyone in the hall.
"From beginning to end... no impropriety occurred." He slowly looked back at the maid. "Yet your every word implies that this Young Master has somehow wronged An’an. Tell me... what exactly has this Young Master done?"
The maid gulped hard, her forehead nearly touching the floor. "This servant deserves to be punished."
Xie Rong’s expression remained unchanged. "This Young Master did not ask whether you deserve punishment." His calm voice echoed throughout the silent hall. "I asked... what exactly has this Young Master done?"
The maid’s body stiffened. She parted her lips but no sound emerged. Cold sweat slowly trickled down her back.
She could not answer because if she claimed nothing had happened, everything she had just said would become meaningless.
But if she answered otherwise, she would, in effect, be accusing the Young Master himself.
Seeing the maid remain silent, Xie Rong’s gaze gradually shifted toward Xie An’an.
"An’an." His voice was neither harsh nor gentle. "You have called this Young Master ’Elder Brother’ for many years."
He paused, "If that is so... What outcome do you believe will come of today’s incident?"
The question hung heavily in the hall.
Xie An’an’s fingers slowly tightened around her sleeves. Her lips quivered. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
Then, she slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were filled with grievance.
"This one..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, "has never been officially adopted into the Xie family."
Silence.
"This one merely bears the surname ’Xie’... because Old Madam pitied this one after Father’s passing."
"This one... has never shared the Xie family’s genealogy." Her voice gradually became steadier. "So..." She lowered her eyes, "this one has never truly been Elder Brother’s younger sister."
The moment those words left her mouth, Old Madam Xie’s face changed.
"An’an!"
Her voice rang throughout the hall. The sharp rebuke startled everyone present.
Disbelief filled her aged eyes.
"What nonsense are you saying? For all these years... This old one has treated you as my own granddaughter. Rong’er has treated you as his own younger sister. And now... You would cast aside all those years with a few simple words?"
Xie An’an’s shoulders shook violently.
"This granddaughter... This granddaughter never meant..."
Old Madam’s expression darkened.
"Enough! No one is to speak another word of today’s incident."
Her sharp gaze swept across everyone present.
"Anyone who dares spread even half a sentence beyond this hall... shall answer to this old one."