The door was pushed open, and Chu Huaiyu was already lying on the bed.
"Ah! Who is it?" she cried out, immediately grabbing the quilt to cover herself.
"Huaiyu, don't be afraid, it's me... and Miss Li'er."
Han Zhan, afraid of frightening her, quickly declared, "We mean no harm!"
"Breaking in late at night and claiming no harm?" Chu Qianli sneered and walked in.
Chu Huaiyu then got out of bed, fumbling to light the candle.
Looking up, she saw she was still thinly clad, and she angrily asked, "Fifth Sister, what do you mean?"
Han Zhan remained at the doorway.
Late at night, in a young lady's boudoir, how could he enter?
"Chu Qianli, I told you it couldn't be Huaiyu, let's go!"
He turned his face away, not even daring to cast a glance inside.
"How can you know if you don't look?" Chu Qianli walked up to Chu Huaiyu.
Although her words were laced with a smile, she remained on guard at all times.
The ghost's martial arts were truly formidable.
If it were indeed Chu Huaiyu, she might very well die at her hands if she wasn't careful.
Chu Huaiyu looked panicked and asked urgently, "Han Zhan, what is going on? Why are you with Fifth Sister so late? You... you..."
She almost burst into tears, "What have you done?"
Han Zhan quickly explained, "We haven't done anything, Huaiyu, don't misunderstand."
"Then what do you mean by being here now?"
"He suspects you are the assassin who attacked me tonight," Chu Qianli said with a cold snort.
Han Zhan retorted angrily, "I don't suspect anything!"
Chu Qianli ignored him, her gaze fixed on Chu Huaiyu, her expression chilling.
"An assassin attacked me tonight, and I wounded her chest. Chu Huaiyu, if you want to prove your innocence, let me see your chest now."
"You... what nonsense are you talking about?" Chu Huaiyu immediately clutched her clothes, tears threatening to fall.
"How can you be so malicious! How can you just demand to see a woman's chest?"
"If you weren't the assassin tonight, what are you afraid of me seeing?"
"Chu Qianli, don't push your luck too far!" Chu Huaiyu's tears rolled down her cheeks, and she said hoarsely, "You've gone too far!"
Han Zhan also felt uncomfortable.
Chu Qianli was truly going too far.
"Chu Qianli, are you leaving or not? If you don't, I will!" he said angrily.
"You're not looking, is it because you're afraid she really is the one?"
"I can't look!" He was a man, how could he look at such a place on a girl?
"You really haven't seen before?" Chu Qianli gave a cold laugh, her eyes suddenly darkening, "If you won't look, I will!"
As swift as lightning, Chu Qianli stepped forward and grabbed Chu Huaiyu's collar.
There was a glint of amusement in her eyes.
Chu Huaiyu tried to resist, but Chu Qianli smiled and said, "Miss Huaiyu, you wouldn't tell me you know martial arts, would you?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Huaiyu immediately withdrew her raised hand.
In that moment of hesitation, Chu Qianli had already grabbed her collar and pulled it hard.
"Ah!" Chu Huaiyu screamed.
Her collar was torn off, and on her snow-white chest, there was indeed a wound.
"Your wound..." Chu Qianli was stunned.
Han Zhan couldn't help but look out of curiosity.
Chu Huaiyu saw it clearly in that glance – he actually harbored a trace of suspicion towards her!
If he hadn't suspected her, Han Zhan wouldn't have looked.
He believed Chu Qianli!
The anger in Chu Huaiyu's eyes flashed and vanished. By the time Han Zhan reacted and looked away, her eyes were filled only with sorrow.
"Let go of me!" Chu Huaiyu started crying.
Chu Qianli narrowed her eyes, not only refusing to let go but also moving closer.
"Ah! Let go of me!" Chu Huaiyu pleaded softly, "Let go of me, don't let others see, please, I beg you, Fifth Sister, sob..."
"You used corrosive powder?" This wound was clearly not a knife wound!
This woman had realized this earlier and treated her wound with corrosive powder.
Now it was festering, but her powder was so potent that it looked nothing like a fresh wound.
It looked more like a burn scar from the past!
The area was not large, but it still looked quite unsightly.
To conceal her knife wound, Chu Huaiyu dared to be so ruthless to herself!
What kind of training produced such ruthlessness? It was certainly not something an ordinary person could achieve!
"Let go of me..."
"Chu Qianli, you've gone too far!"
Huaiyu's crying made Han Zhan feel very agitated.
He didn't know why, but it wasn't heartache or distress, just annoyance.
He hadn't expected Chu Qianli to be so outrageous!
Han Zhan still didn't look closely. He stepped forward, and just as Chu Qianli was about to strip Chu Huaiyu's clothes, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her out.
"Look closely, her wound is fresh, you can see the marks of a new wound if you look carefully!"
"Chu Qianli!"
"Han Zhan, have you forgotten my wound?"
Chu Huaiyu slowly pulled her clothes back up, looking at Han Zhan's back.
Han Zhan's back was to her, and he dared not look at a young lady's body.
But he also held Chu Qianli's wrist tightly, not allowing her to bully Chu Huaiyu any further.
Chu Huaiyu took a step forward, gave Chu Qianli a faint glance, and then looked at Han Zhan's tall back.
"Ten years ago, that great fire, have you forgotten?"
Han Zhan's body trembled violently.
How could he forget!
He had almost died in that fire back then!
"My wound was left from that time, when I saved you."
"That is a burn scar, why does Fifth Sister call it a new wound?"
She cried tearfully, her tears falling like rain, "I have to cover it with rouge every day. I don't even want to face my own damaged body, why must you be so cruel?"
So, she had been covering it with rouge every day...
Han Zhan's last shred of doubt was completely gone.
This was because Chu Huaiyu had previously undressed in front of him.
Although he hadn't looked, he had been forced to glance at it at the time, as he wasn't prepared.
At that time, there seemed to be no wound.
It turned out there wasn't no wound, but she had concealed it herself.
So back then, she had paid so much to save him...
Han Zhan's heart was instantly filled with guilt.
As Chu Qianli was about to step forward again, he suddenly darkened his expression and pulled her forcefully, "Let's go!"
Chu Qianli was forcibly dragged out by him.
The moment the door was closed, Chu Huaiyu's expression changed instantly.
Damn Han Zhan, he had actually suspected her just now!
Otherwise, given his nature, he would never have come here with Chu Qianli.
Did he also want to see if she had a knife wound on her chest?
It was all Chu Qianli's fault, that bitch!
Chu Huaiyu clenched her fists, a murderous intent flashing in her eyes.
Why did the master forbid her from killing her? On what grounds?
No! She refused to accept fate! She refused to be just a pawn used by others!
She was Chu Huaiyu, her mother was Long Qianyue, and she was the noble daughter of the Duke's mansion!
Anyone who stood in her way would die!