In the tea room, Aunt He, resting her feet, felt she had forgotten something.
But with her advanced age, her memory wasn't good, and she couldn't recall what it was.
Taking the hot soup handed to her by Yan'er, Aunt He drank a couple of mouthfuls, then suddenly put down the bowl, slapping her thigh with a jolt.
She had been so focused on making space for the young master and Lord Yi that she forgot there was someone else in the young master's room!
Since returning from the palace, the young master hadn't left his room for three days, seemingly adhering to Prime Minister Xun's disposition to remain confined for ten days.
She felt the young master didn't need to show Prime Minister Xun such respect.
Her young master didn't need to show respect to anyone.
Her young master was not in the wrong; the useless lot raised by the imperial clan were making a spectacle of themselves everywhere and still had the nerve to complain!
For the young master to step in and discipline them was a blessing the ancestors of the Xia family had earned by burning incense for eight lifetimes.
Yet, they had the audacity to bite back.
They would surely be struck by lightning sooner or later!
The young master was inconveniencing himself by staying in the manor, and Lord Yi hadn't shown his face for three days. Shouldn't she find some comfort for the young master?
She couldn't stand to see the young master wronged! Regardless of why Lord Yi hadn't shown his face these past three days, shouldn't he be considerate of the young master?
However, while this was a matter of consideration, Aunt He was well aware of Lord Yi's jealous nature.
She could already imagine the scene of them entering the room intimately, only to discover another living person present, a veritable battlefield.
Having just seen the young master and Lord Yi ascend the stairs from the window, could it be that the room was already a scene of bloodshed?
Aunt He hurried out of the tea room, intending to rush upstairs to pull her young master out. She didn't care what happened between Lord Yi and Su Yang, as long as her young master wasn't harmed; anyone else could die.
As Aunt He emerged from the tea room, she saw Su Yang, shirtless, holding his clothes, and walking out of the room in a daze.
"Young Master Su Yang, this is..." He had been kicked out.
"Auntie."
Su Yang took a few steps, his gait unsteady and staggering, as if he might collapse at any moment if a gust of wind blew. He looked as if he had suffered severe harm and a crushing blow.
Seeing the bloodstains on him, Aunt He assumed he had been injured fighting Yi Yan Geng, and felt a pang of guilt and sympathy.
"Oh, you speak of this matter. I didn't expect Lord Yi to arrive so suddenly, and I forgot to inform Young Master Su Yang. Did Lord Yi cause a scene?"
Aunt He glanced towards the bedroom on the second floor.
Su Yang wanted Aunt He's guilt and sympathy. The next time Aunt He needed to arrange someone to serve the young master, he would naturally be the first person to come to mind.
"It doesn't matter if he shouts and threatens me; who is he but the young master's beloved? For the young master's sake, I would yield to him, but he actually did this to the young master too... cough, cough, cough..."
Su Yang appeared extremely angry, his face turning somewhat ashen. He covered his mouth, coughing until he was breathless, and blood streaks flowed from the corner of his lips.
Aunt He didn't care whether Su Yang was wronged. Being able to serve the young master was his fortune; how could he not endure a little grievance? But when it came to Xie Jiang, Aunt He would not tolerate it in the slightest.
Seeing Su Yang's furious expression, Aunt He became agitated. "What did he do to the young master? Did he dare lay a hand on the young master?"
Su Yang nodded with a pale face.
"Insubordination!" Aunt He gasped. "Where is the young master?"
Was the young master injured anywhere? Did he torture him to death?
Aunt He lifted her skirt and was about to rush to the main house, but then she quickly realized it shouldn't be the case. If Yi Yan Geng had accidentally injured the young master, could Su Yang have calmly walked out of the room like this?
It was likely that Lord Yi was displeased and had a small tiff with the young master; otherwise, there wouldn't be silence from the room.
"Young Master Su Yang, you should go back and rest tonight. There will be opportunities in the future." Aunt He appeased him with a few words and sent Su Yang away.
She believed Young Master Su Yang understood her meaning. Who could blame him? Lord Yi was currently more favored by the young master, and whoever was more favored had the confidence to cause a scene.
~
Xie Jiang sat on the bed, rubbing her back with her hand, and watched Yi Yan Geng walk towards her with a cold gaze.
"You still know how to come back?"
Staring at the two hands beneath his sleeves, Xie Jiang considered which one to chop off first.
"Not come back to make space for you and your effeminate companion?" Seeing her sitting on the bed, Yi Yan Geng's expression turned even more unpleasant.
"What effeminate companion! He's just a foolish fantasist acting on his own initiative! Are you blind! Don't you have any maids in your manor who try to get into your bed!"
He was already in his twenties; the women who had tried to get into his bed were likely more than ten fingers could count, but she hadn't witnessed it. It wasn't as if she had actively summoned Su Yang, so why was he throwing a tantrum at her!
"In my manor, besides the two who specifically serve you, there are a few elderly aunties in the embroidery room. When have you ever seen any other maids!"
Yi Yan Geng was so infuriated he almost spat blood. So she was projecting her own experiences onto him. "I never knew that besides the one just now, others had also tried to get into Young Master Xie's bed!"
"I advise you not to make baseless accusations without evidence!"
"Who was the one who started speculating!"
"It was you, it was you, it was you!"
Seeing Su Yang on her bed, he had already condemned her to death! What business was it of hers if Su Yang was on her bed! If he had the ability to strike Su Yang dead, she promised she wouldn't stop him! Why was he taking his anger out on her!
Yi Yan Geng, with a dark expression, stepped forward, grabbed Xie Jiang's arm, and pulled her off the bed.
"What are you doing!"
With a sudden, forceful tug, Xie Jiang fell headfirst into his arms, her skull nearly shattering.
Xie Jiang immediately became enraged. "Yi Yan Geng, do you want to die!"
"It's you who wants to anger me to death every day!" Yi Yan Geng's grip was as hard as cast iron. Xie Jiang's slender frame, squeezed by his angry hands without mercy, was almost about to snap.
In his rage, Yi Yan Geng's strength was astonishing, something the frail Xie Jiang couldn't resist, unless she intended to fight him seriously. However, Xie Jiang had no such intention at the moment.
Kicking aside a blood-stained screen on the floor that was in the way, Yi Yan Geng dragged Xie Jiang to the outer room.
"What exactly do you want?"
"What, are you planning to roll around on that bed?"
"It's my bed, I can roll around however I want..." Xie Jiang's mind flashed with inspiration, and the anger rushing to her head instantly dissipated. She glanced at him sideways with a languid look, tidied her clothes, and slowly walked towards the nearby couch.
After leaning back on the soft cushion, Xie Jiang's gaze swept over Yi Yan Geng again, her expression becoming peculiar.
"Give me an explanation."
Yi Yan Geng glared back fiercely, his face grim. Looking at her expression, he felt immense hatred, wishing he could dismantle her entire body! Did she think she had him by the Achilles' heel?
"Hmm?"
"I want a reasonable explanation," Yi Yan Geng repeated coldly.
"Oh, Auntie He arranged it."
Xie Jiang finally understood his meaning. He actually knew what was going on, but the scene he had just witnessed made it impossible for him to believe his own judgment.
In his position, how could he not trust his own judgment?
Seeing his disbelieving expression, Xie Jiang helplessly emphasized, "He said Auntie He arranged it. Auntie He was probably afraid I'd be cold at night, so she found someone to warm the bed."
Hearing this explanation, Yi Yan Geng's anger flared even more. "Is the vast Nanhai Marquis Manor lacking firewood or charcoal!"
How could he trust his own judgment? Based on her promiscuity? Or her unclear relationship with Xu Heng Yan?
She had never given him such confidence.