Chapter 23: Yun Manxia’s Counterattack

This time, however, Yun Manxia really was not bluffing.

After her mother’s notes had been taken by Yun Yiyi and her flowers had been secretly switched by Xiaomei, how could she feel at ease without installing a camera in her room?

She immediately took out her phone. After a few taps, she opened a surveillance video.

The footage clearly showed that from beginning to end, she had only touched the box once, and that was when she had just taken it down.

Xiaomei’s face turned deathly pale, and her legs went weak.

Seeing her reaction, it was already obvious who had broken the item.

Old Madam was furious.

“How wonderful. Now you even dare frame your master. Who gave you such nerve?!”

Xiaomei collapsed to the floor and cried out, “Old Madam, Ninth Master, I was wrong!”

At the same time, she instinctively looked toward Wu Xiaoya for help.

But Wu Xiaoya’s face was full of shock and anger.

“Xiaomei, and here I treated you like a good friend. I even spoke up for you just now! How could you do something like this?”

Xiaomei’s heart went cold.

She almost blurted out, Wasn’t it you who urged me to do it?

But when she met Wu Xiaoya’s threatening gaze, she swallowed the words back down.

No.

She could not drag Wu Xiaoya into this.

Wu Xiaoya was Aunt Wu’s daughter. If Aunt Wu pleaded with Old Madam, what could possibly happen to Wu Xiaoya?

When the time came, not only would Xiaomei gain nothing, but she would also be retaliated against by Wu Xiaoya.

So she forced herself to keep Wu Xiaoya’s name out of it and sobbed, “Old Madam, Ninth Master, I was just impulsive for a moment...”

Old Madam’s brows shot up.

“Being impulsive gives you the right to frame your master?”

“I didn’t want to do this either. Madam was the one who gave me no way to live!”

Yun Manxia lifted her brows.

“When did I give you no way to live?”

Xiaomei cried pitifully.

“I only touched a few of Madam’s flowers, but Madam made such a huge fuss and wanted to throw me out. In the end, it was Aunt Wu who pleaded for me, so I was allowed to stay. But Madam still deducted several months of my bonus...”

“Old Madam, please have pity on me. My father is disabled, my mother is seriously ill, and my younger brother is about to start school and needs tuition. My whole family is waiting for my salary and bonus to save our lives!”

“They were just a few flowers that were about to wilt. Even if I hadn’t touched them, Madam would have thrown them away as trash in a couple of days. Just because of that, Madam took away my family’s life-saving money. Boohoo...”

The surrounding servants could not help showing sympathy.

Even Old Madam’s attitude wavered slightly, and she looked at Yun Manxia with some displeasure.

As the new mistress of Yujing Garden, it was true that Yun Manxia needed to establish authority.

But was it necessary to make such a big deal out of something so small and leave no room for mercy?

The servants thought the same.

The new Madam was a little too heartless.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Xiaomei covered her face and secretly curled her lips.

Yet Yun Manxia, who stood at the center of the storm, remained completely calm.

She was just about to speak when Bai Hedu’s voice sounded beside her.

“The flowers I gave you were stolen?”

Yun Manxia froze and looked to the side.

Bai Hedu’s brows were slightly drawn together, his gaze darkening.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She had not expected him to care about such a small matter.

Warmth spread through Yun Manxia’s heart. She shook her head and said, “She swapped out half of them. I handled it myself, so I didn’t tell you. You’re already so busy and tired every day.”

Her voice was soft, and her words softened the heart.

Bai Hedu’s long fingers, resting casually on the armrest, curled slightly.

Then his eyes, without a trace of warmth, turned toward Xiaomei.

“Considering what you did, Madam only deducting several months of your bonus was already far too merciful.”

Xiaomei panicked and turned to plead.

“Old Madam...”

Ever since her grandson had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, Old Madam had begun eating vegetarian food and praying to Buddha. Thinking of Xiaomei’s pitiful story just now, she could not help frowning and sighing.

“Xiao Jiu, they were only a few flowers. Let it go. As for the jade Guanyin, we can ask for another one...”

“Stealing the master’s belongings without permission, damaging the master’s property, and deliberately framing the master. Yujing Garden cannot tolerate someone like this.”

Bai Hedu’s tone was calm.

“If she did it, then she must bear the responsibility and pay the price. What do other matters have to do with it?”

The tactic of “I’m pitiful, so I’m right” did not work on Bai Hedu.

This man was famous for his cold heart.

Seeing that he was standing up for her, Yun Manxia felt sweetness bloom in her chest. But at the same time, she did not want him and Old Madam to become unhappy over someone as insignificant as Xiaomei.

So she quietly tugged at his sleeve, signaling him not to say more.

Then she turned to Old Madam and said,

“Grandma, this Xiaomei is full of lies. Not a single word she says can be trusted.”

Old Madam frowned.

Xiaomei opened her mouth to argue, but Yun Manxia’s cold gaze locked onto her first.

“You said your father is disabled, your mother is seriously ill, and your younger brother needs money for school? Why is what I know completely different from what you said?”

“I heard that both your parents are perfectly healthy, with all their limbs intact. Every day, they’re addicted to gambling and living quite freely. As for that younger brother of yours, if I remember correctly, he took the college entrance exam two years ago and didn’t get into university at all. What school is he attending?”

Xiaomei’s face changed abruptly.

She stared at Yun Manxia in disbelief.

How did the new Madam know about her family?

Of course Yun Manxia knew.

She had dug it out from the memories of her previous life.

“You’re telling the truth?” Old Madam was shocked.

She had not expected a mere servant to dare deceive her.

Yun Manxia nodded, her delicate brows and eyes looking clear and obedient.

“Of course it’s true. If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to investigate.”

“No, Old Madam, I-I didn’t lie...”

Xiaomei’s face was as white as paper. She looked panicked and helpless, her eyes full of guilt.

Even a fool could see what was going on.

Clearly, everything Yun Manxia said was true.

Old Madam was furious. She also felt that she had lost face in front of her new granddaughter-in-law, so she simply refused to deal with it anymore and snapped,

“Xiao Jiu, handle it yourselves!”

Seeing that Old Madam was willing to believe her, Yun Manxia quietly let out a breath of relief.

When she came back to herself, she felt an unusual burning sensation on the back of her hand.

Looking down, she realized that she was still tugging at Bai Hedu’s sleeve.

The man was looking down at her hand, his brows lowered. It was impossible to tell whether he was happy or unhappy.

Yun Manxia startled and swiftly pulled her hand back.

He lifted his eyes, his gaze as deep as a cold pool, and looked at her.

Yun Manxia hid her hand behind her back and blinked her pretty eyes at him, looking utterly innocent.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”

“...Nothing.”

Maybe it was her imagination, but Yun Manxia seemed to hear a faint trace of regret in those two words.

She did not notice Old Madam’s surprised gaze from the side.

Honey?

Was that what the new granddaughter-in-law called him?

And Xiao Jiu actually answered her!

There was hope.

It seemed they had chosen the right girl this time.

While secretly observing Yun Manxia, Old Madam assessed her in her heart.

When she noticed the faint, almost invisible intimacy between Yun Manxia and Bai Hedu, she became even more excited.

But the girl’s character...

Thinking of what Wu Xiaoya had said about Yun Manxia’s arrogant behavior after arriving at Yujing Garden, Old Madam frowned slightly.