Chapter 163: Crossing The Line
"Don’t come any closer!" Xie An’an screamed, pressing the broken piece closer to her neck. "Or this one will kill herself!"
The entire main hall fell into an uneasy silence.
Master Xie was the first to react.
"An’an, put that down!" His face had already turned pale with fright. "Whatever happened, we can discuss it properly. Don’t do anything foolish!"
Old Madam Xie hurriedly stepped forward as well, her expression filled with worry.
"An’an, my poor child, what has happened to you? Why would you suddenly do something like this?"
Xie An’an’s eyes immediately filled with tears.
"This granddaughter has no choice..." Her voice trembled, making her look even more pitiful.
"Everyone is blaming this granddaughter. Nobody believes this granddaughter anymore."
"Who said that?" Old Madam Xie immediately asked. "Grandmother believes you."
"Then why does everyone keep looking at this granddaughter as though this granddaughter is a liar?" Her voice suddenly cracked.
Xie An’an’s gaze slowly shifted toward Wang Gege. "Especially the sister-in-law..."
Wang Gege’s brows furrowed. "Me? Suddenly?"
"This one has never done anything to the sister-in-law..." Xie An’an’s tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Yet ever since the sister-in-law entered this residence, this one has never been able to live peacefully."
Wang Gege stared at her in disbelief. She blinked hard, "What exactly did I do to you? Isn’t it more like you did to me..."
"See! The Sister-in-law always blames me for everything."
"I don’t."
"This one still believes the poisoning incident was not a coincidence."
The words immediately made the atmosphere in the hall heavier.
Wang Gege’s brows drew together. "Not a coincidence?"
Xie An’an nodded, tears still hanging from the corners of her eyes.
"Yesterday, this one was the one who drank the poisoned tea. This one was the one who nearly died." Her voice trembled as though recalling the incident had brought back all the fear she had felt that day. "Yet no one believed this one when this one said that she saw Qing’er near my chamber and rushing out right after."
Wang Gege’s expression immediately changed.
"Are you still bringing that up?" She stared at Xie An’an coldly. "Then I can also say that I saw your servant come to my chamber before the blossom tree was burned."
The hall immediately fell silent.
Xie An’an’s crying stopped for a brief moment. "What...?"
Wang Gege folded her arms.
"You said seeing Qing’er near your chamber was enough for you to suspect her of poisoning you. Then why can’t I say the same thing about your servant?"
Her gaze sharpened, "I saw her near my chamber before the blossom tree was burned. Does that mean I should immediately accuse her of setting the tree on fire?"
Qing’er, who was bowing at the back, blinked a few times in confusion.
Xie An’an’s face turned pale. "No... that’s different."
"How?" Wang Gege tilted her head. "You were allowed to make an accusation because you were frightened, but when I did the same thing, suddenly it was different?"
Xie An’an’s lips trembled. "This one never said—"
"You didn’t need to." Wang Gege interrupted her. "You have been playing victim over and over again to make yourself look like the innocent one."
Old Madam Xie’s expression darkened. "Taotao, enough. An’an is already in distress."
Wang Gege turned toward her. "And what about me, grandmother? I am not allowed to be distressed when someone accuses me?"
She pointed toward her own chest.
"I am standing here listening to her accuse me while she is holding a broken piece of porcelain against her neck, and somehow everyone expects me to remain silent?"
Master Xie frowned. "Taotao, nobody is asking you to—"
"Then let her put it down." Wang Gege’s eyes returned to Xie An’an. "If you truly believe that I am trying to harm you, then stop threatening to kill yourself and let us investigate everything properly."
Xie An’an’s hand trembled.
"This one... this one really didn’t do anything like that, Grandmother..." Her tears continued falling as she looked toward Old Madam Xie. "Is it wrong for this one to want to know the truth?"
"By blaming someone directly?" Wang Gege immediately cut her off.
"Enough! You..." Old Madam Xie frowned deeply at Wang Gege. "I’ve been trying to understand you since the day you stepped into the Xie Residence as Rong’er’s wife, but you’ve really crossed the line."
"Which line, Grandmother?" Xie Rong finally opened his mouth.
His voice was calm, but the coldness beneath it immediately silenced the room.
Old Madam Xie turned toward him. "Rong’er..."
"Which line did she cross?" Xie Rong stepped forward, his blindfold concealing his eyes but doing nothing to hide the displeasure in his voice.
"Furen merely asked her to put down a piece of broken porcelain and speak about the matter properly. She did not accuse her of anything."
He paused, "Yet Grandmother says she has crossed the line?"
Old Madam Xie’s expression stiffened.
"An’an is frightened. As her elder, how could I possibly stand by and watch her be cornered?"
"And what about my wife?" His voice became colder. "She has been standing here while An’an repeatedly accused her, yet no one has asked whether she is frightened, angry, or even willing to listen."
Wang Gege’s eyes widened slightly. She had not expected him to defend her so openly, especially after everything they had just argued about.
Xie An’an’s tears continued to fall. "Brother... this one didn’t mean to accuse sister-in-law..."
Xie Rong turned his head toward her. "Then stop doing it."
The entire hall fell silent.
Xie Rong continued calmly, "If you want the truth, then we will investigate it. If Qing’er truly had something to do with the poisoning, she will answer for it."
His voice hardened, "But until there is evidence, no one in this residence has the right to declare another person guilty."
He turned slightly toward Qing’er. "Bring her in."
"Yes, Young Master." Qing’er immediately hurried toward the door.
"For now..." Xie Rong turned his face toward Xie An’an again. "Let’s continue our conversation about Madam Liu’s death."
A moment later, Qing’er returned. And behind her stood Yun’er.
The moment the maid stepped into the main hall, every pair of eyes w
idened.
Especially Xie An’an’s. Her face instantly drained of color.