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Chapter 60: Something Happened to Miss An
“Young Miss, Miss An is in trouble!” Xin’er lowered her voice.
Gu Yunlan’s group of three jumped in fright. Trouble? What kind of mishap could happen to her?
“She stole a man and was discovered by the household’s madam. Then forcefully taken straight to our doorsteps to cause a fuss! I could only tell them you weren’t home. She said she would come again this afternoon! She’s asking for an explanation!” Xin’er pursed her lips and looked left and right, explaining what happened with a low voice.
Gu Yunlan’s group of three stared blankly again. Stealing a man. The three of them looked at one another. Did she actually take Mengmeng’s words from before seriously? Then went to go find a man…
“Young Miss! I think we were unfair to her last time. This woman is totally different from us, so foolish! She actually went to steal a man!” Xin’er leaned toward Gu Yunlan’s ear and whispered.
Hearing her say this, Gu Yunlan understood what ‘last time’ meant. Gu Yunlan felt she really was dumb in her previous life. To actually be sent to death by this kind of brainless woman… Just like Xin’er said, this isn’t even a fair fight!
“It can’t be! This woman really is dumb!” Xuanyuan Meng snapped back to consciousness. Her kindhearted advice turned into this? That An Jiaona woman is too brainless! She fears death that much?!
“Where is she right now?” Gu Yunlan asked as she glanced at Xuanyuan Meng coldly, then started walking back inside.
“Her old courtyard!” Xin’er hurriedly followed her through the gates.
Xuanyuan Meng immediately pulled Bai Yiran along, wanting him to be a part of this event.
Bai Yiran clapped his hands as they walked. Acting as if he owned the courtyard, he said, “Mengmeng! I’m really tired! I wish to go back to rest! You women are enough to handle such gossip! If you really need another, I’ll call Nightspring to accompany you!”
What a joke. She wants a man to eavesdrop outside a girl’s room? What’s next? Furthermore, when the topic to eavesdrop on is adultery!
“No way! I need someone with me! Bai Nightspring is far too dumb!” Xuanyuan Meng firmly grasped onto him; they must watch the drama unfold together!
Bai Yiran’s forehead was dripping with sweat as he was dragged along by her! “My Little Auntie! I beg of you, alright? As long as you let me go, I’ll agree to anything!”
This was the first time Bai Yiran found himself in such a sorry state. This must be a joke. He, a High Priest, was actually being dragged off by a little girl to eavesdrop? And it was about adultery too. This really is too much! He wouldn’t even dare to touch Xuanyuan, much less give her a beating, because he fears her!
“Really? Okay! Let’s do this!” Xuanyuan Meng raised her brows and hooked up the corners of her mouth to look at him devilishly. “I haven’t decided what I’ll ask of you yet, but I’ll tell you when I do! Bye bye!”
Bai Yiran could only watch helplessly as she left. She hasn’t decided yet? For her to tell him later, isn’t this what they call ‘being taken advantage of’?
Gu Yunlan and Xin’er walked leisurely on their way to An Jiaona’s courtyard. “When was she sent back? How many people were there when it happened?”
“She was sent here yesterday, and there was a whole crowd around, and… and…” Xin’er was hesitant to tell, as she she didn’t know how to word it.
“And what?” Gu Yunlan was puzzled as she looked at her. Since when did this girl stammer so much?
“She was probably discovered in bed. When she was sent back, she was wrapped in a big cotton blanket. That old madam actually tore open Miss An’s blanket in front of everyone.” Xin’er held back, but when her Young Miss remained silent, she followed, “She was completely naked inside, not wearing a single piece of clothing…”
“That family’s madam?” Gu Yunlan knitted her brows. That madam has gone too far. If something happened then it happened. She could strip An Jiaona naked on the streets and parade her around, but sending her to the Gu Household under everyone’s gaze was a slap to the Gu Family’s face.
“It’s the Zhao Family from the western side of the city!” Xin’er quickly pushed the courtyard gate open. “She’s a mere auntie madam from the tiny Wang Family.Even the main madam didn’t care. When they came yesterday, they were told the Young Miss wasn’t home, but said they’d come back today. They want to negotiate! I had no choice but to let An Jiaona in the household!”
Xin’er looked at Gu Yunlan carefully, afraid to voice her fears. She was in such a helpless situation- We could only let her in because if we didn’t, they would blame the house for being heartless! They would also say that the Gu Family’s daughter lacks education, and that would harm the young miss’ reputation.
“It’s not your fault!” Gu Yunlan hooked up the corners of her mouth disdainfully as she walked in and glanced at the girl staring blankly in a corner of the courtyard. “I remember hearing, on the day Little Sister was married off, you said with your own mouth that you cut ties with the Gu Family. What are you doing back here then?”
An Jiaona, huddling in a corner, looked dirty and ragged. Upon hearing what Gu Yunlan said, she shuddered as she immediately lifted her head to look at Gu Yunlan in panic. She crawled over while shouting, “Big Sister! Big Sister! Save me! That was Little Sister’s mistake on that day! I beg you, Big Sister, to forgive me!”
Xin’er immediately stepped in front of Gu Yunlan and said, “Madam Yang cannot come closer, should you disturb my Young Miss. Obediently stay where you are and talk- my Young Miss can hear you from there!”
“I… Big Sister!” An Jiaona jolted. Her tears couldn’t help but drop to the ground as she cried out, “I didn’t want it to be like this either, but, but, I don’t know how I ended up in that man’s bed! Wuwu…”
Gu Yunlan was surprised. She had thought that An Jiaona feared death, so she would go to any random man for help. She hadn’t suspected that something shifty could be going on. Was someone trying to frame An Jiaona?
An Jiaona’s tears flowed like a waterfall. “That day, I heard someone by Big Sister’s side say that I should go find a man to rely on. After returning, I wanted to go. I thought about it but I didn’t want to betray Big Brother Jin. I fell asleep while taking a bath and when I woke up, I was laying on another man’s bed. Then, then… wuwu… I wronged Big Brother Jin! Wuwu…”
Gu Yunlan sunk deep into her thoughts. When Mengmeng was talking, they were on the household grounds so there were no random passersby. So how could someone else know? Unless there was a traitor in the household?Perhaps it was accidentally slipped out, or An Jiaona is lying, and when she failed, she came crying to the Gu Family?
“Big Sister! At least for Father’s sake, you must save me!” An Jiaona looked at Gu Yunlan with a desperate hope, begging her to agree.
“Oh! You said yourself that you didn’t want to wrong Yangjin, yet you still gave yourself away? That’s called wronging him. What’s the point in pleading to Yunlan? How about you commit suicide to prove yourself innocent, and leave the Gu Family and Yang Family in peace?” Xuanyuan Meng walked forward leisurely, her face lit with an evil smile.
Hearing what she said, An Jiaona’s face suddenly paled. Die? They want her to die? But, she, she…
“What? You’re scared of death?” Xuanyuan Meng squatted down in front of her mockingly, “So you came here because you’re scared of dying?”
“I’m not! I don’t want to die, I want to see Big Brother Jin!” An Jiaona lifted her dirty little face, streaked with two stripes of tears.
“Xin’er! Help her get cleaned. There’s something I want to ask her later!” Gu Yunlan coldly watched the exchange. After Xuanyuan Meng was done, Gu Yunlan spat out those words before turning to leave.
Only An Jiaona remained, weeping bitterly.
“Yunlan, why?” Xuanyuan Meng caught up to her, visibly not understanding why they would do that. Truthfully, if they chased Jiaona out, then the Gu Family would be cleared of any responsibility.
“An Shufen is dead, but Father doesn’t know that yet…” Gu Yunlan’s voice was rather heavy. The An Shufen of the previous life didn’t have any sort of relation to her. Even if it wasn’t her who directly killed her, she certainly did have a hand in it. “I don’t want Father to be sad, so we’ll protect her just this once! The main reason being, someone wants to kill An Jiaona to spur Yangjin’s hate for us. Right now we don’t fear Yangjin, but I’d prefer to avoid giving your brother any unnecessary enemies!”
“That’s true. It would have been better if An Jiaona died from sickness, then Yangjin can just find another woman. If An Jiaona were to die of humiliation, or from this incident, then to him, it’s the biggest insult. The first one he’ll hate is us for not helping the girl despite being her family!” Xuanyuan Meng nodded.
”So we need to help her avoid this disaster. Though of course, we can’t give her a pass so easily. Also, I think somebody is scheming against us. Even if we can’t figure out who it is right now, we can still let him have a taste of our gift!” Gu Yunlan hooked up the corners of her mouth. She had always believed that if someone gives her an inch of respect, she shall return it with ten feet in kind. She has been provoked!
“Talk then! Is there anything you want my help with?” Xuanyuan Meng said as she came closer excitedly.
“Right! How much of Master’s jar of poison insects did you steal?” Gu Yunlan clapped her shoulder, asking forcefully.
“Eh, not much…” Xuanyuan Meng muttered before blurting out in shock, “No way! How did you know?”
She immediately covered her mouth after that. Oh no! Why did she say that?
“With an itchy-handed person like you, how can I not know?” Gu Yunlan explained with a rare cheerfulness. “Every time Master needed anything done, you’d fight to do it for her. With a sweet tongue like yours, you’ve probably fished up quite a few treats from her!”
Life or death, Gu Yunlan has great respect for Old Madam Zhu. She doesn’t get it; with one nod of the master’s head, anything she lacked interest in, Xuanyuan Meng would learn it in her place…
“Alright! That’s enough, Martial Sister! Is it alright if I call you Martial Sister?” Xuanyuan Meng smiled sweetly at her, then reached out to hug her waist. It was the first time she recognized Yunlan as her Martial Sister, “It’s not much! Really not much!”
She didn’t know what Gu Yunlan wanted. She felt nervous; she wouldn’t use this to threaten her, right? If she were to be rejected, would Gu Yunlan tell on her to Master?
Gu Yunlan lowered her eyes and smiled, whispering a few things into her ears before letting go. She watched Xuanyuan Meng’s reaction with half-lidded eyes.
Xuanyuan Meng immediately nodded. She liked this. She let go of Gu Yunlan and started jogging back.
Gu Yunlan watched her retreating figure before heading towards the study room. She never did figure it out- exactly who is behind all this?
Half an hour later, a clean and tidy An Jiaona appeared in the study room. Xin’er, who brought her, closed the door as she left.
“Big Sister!” An Jiaona fell onto the desk in her anxiety. “Big Sister! You must think of something to save Nana! That scary auntie madam said that she’ll come again this afternoon!”
“Sit!” Gu Yunlan put down the book she was holding and looked at her before asking quietly, “Did you lose your virginity or not?”
“I… I don’t know either!” An Jiaona sat down slowly, shaking her head in confusion. Lose her virginity? She and that man slept together. Does that mean she lost her virginity?
Gu Yunlan had a headache. Seeing this, she couldn’t help but think she was far too stupid in the previous life! To somehow be tricked by this kind of person. She rubbed her forehead and asked, “Is your lower body hurting? When you got out of bed, were the sheets clean? How was the man?”
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