Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

In the months since Li Ruoyue's return, she's been constantly busy traveling between the clinic and the mansion. Her frequent absences and frequent absences from home have gradually drawn attention and sparked a flurry of gossip. Within her quiet courtyard and throughout the vast mansion, gossip has spread.

Some people spread rumors, saying, "That young lady is always away from home. She must be secretly meeting with other men outside!" Some even exaggerated, saying, "I heard she's a playboy outside, seducing men everywhere, and her behavior is very indecent! That's why she always stays out all night..." These rumors spread like an invisible undercurrent, spreading inside and outside the mansion, causing ripples in the once peaceful life. However, Li Ruoyue herself seemed to be unconcerned about all this, and continued to live her life as usual.

As night fell and the lights began to light up, Li Ruoyue was enjoying a sumptuous dinner in her mansion. As she savored her food, she suddenly heard a soft whisper from the courtyard. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw two young girls, about thirteen or fourteen, busy pruning branches and tending to flowers and plants by the courtyard wall. The little girl, with a round face and a chubby belly, fiddled with the branches in her hands while leaning close to the ear of the other girl with delicate features and whispering softly, "Liu Ye, have you heard something?"

Upon hearing this, the girl called Liu Ye's expression tensed up, and she quickly lowered her voice to respond, "Liu Qing, please don't talk nonsense! If the young lady hears us, we will both be in trouble. We might even be kicked out of the mansion!" However, Liu Qing didn't seem to care. Instead, she retorted with a look of disdain, "How could I be talking nonsense? This matter has spread like wildfire now. The whole yard and even outside the mansion know about it! They say that our young lady is behaving improperly, running out all day, and having secret meetings with those men! And they say it so vividly, as if they had seen it with their own eyes. They also say that the young lady has taken a fancy to two little boys and specially raised them outside, and goes out to meet them every day..."

Upon hearing this, Luzhu's face flushed crimson, like a ripe apple. Her beautiful eyes blazed with rage, as if she wanted to burn the person before her to ashes. She gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and trembled slightly. She had only one thought in mind—rush forward and ruthlessly tear apart the disgusting mouth of the little Liu Qing child!

However, just as Luzhu was about to act, a warm, strong hand gently rested on her shoulder. Li Ruoyue looked at her with a determined gaze and gently soothed her, "Don't worry, wait and see how we respond." She knew that acting impulsively at this moment was not the best strategy; only a calm response could resolve the situation.

At the same time, Li Ruoyue couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This courtyard had once been well-ordered, but now it had become a chaotic mess, with no rules at all. She, Lu Zhu, and the others had all trained in martial arts at the Taoist temple. Not only were they agile, but their hearing and vision were also exceptionally sharp, allowing them to clearly hear even the slightest sounds coming from beyond the courtyard walls.

All she could hear was Liu Qing chattering away explaining to Liu Ye: "What nonsense am I talking about? Don't you know? It was the gatekeeper at the door who told me that himself! That young lady goes out before dawn every day and doesn't come back until very late. Tell me, what could a lady from a wealthy family do when she goes out early and comes back late all day? Apart from secretly dating a man, what else could she be doing? Our lady is really kind-hearted. If it were any other family with strict family education, how could they tolerate her?" Our daughter is out wandering around all day and all night, not to mention such unpleasant gossip. If it were any other prominent family, they would have beaten this girl to death to prove her innocence. It's only because our wife is kind-hearted that she turns a blind eye to these things. Look at our Marquis' Mansion, after all, it's a prestigious family, how could they allow the eldest daughter to act so recklessly? It's almost ruined the reputation of our Marquis' Mansion..." At this point, Liu Qing couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. Being a stepmother was not easy.

Seeing this, Liu Ye hurriedly reached out to cover Liu Qing's mouth and said in a low voice, "Oh, stop talking! If anyone hears us, we'll both be sold out! Our lives depend entirely on the Marquis's wife. If you criticize the young lady like this and it gets out, will we still be able to survive?"

Li Ruoyue frowned slightly when she heard this, then turned her head and her eyes fell on Luzhu who was standing beside her. She asked softly, "Luzhu, how many women are there in our courtyard?" There was a hint of curiosity and doubt in her voice.

Upon hearing this, Luzhu hurriedly stepped forward and came in front of Li Ruoyue. After bowing respectfully, she lowered her head and replied, "My lady, there are a total of ten people in our yard. Six of them were specially arranged by the woman; the other four were bought from outside and are still young. In addition, these six are the 'house-born children' born to the children of the old servants in the mansion." While speaking, Luzhu kept her head down and spoke carefully, fearing that people outside would hear.

Upon hearing this, Li Ruoyue couldn't help but wonder, "Who are those four green pearls bought from outside?" She pondered secretly, her eyes fixed on the person in front of her. The other person seemed to sense her gaze and quickly responded, "Miss, they are Liu Ye, Liu Shuang, Liu Hong, and Liu Ying."

Li Ruoyue frowned upon hearing this and pressed on, "Who is Liu Qing then?" The name felt unfamiliar to her, yet she also felt it held a secret. Seeing this, Luzhu quickly explained, "Liu Qing, she's the daughter of Madam Qin, who works in the warehouse next to Madam!"

Li Ruoyue's eyes flickered with surprise when she heard this. "So that's how it is," she thought to herself. "They're actually relatives of Madam's family. This is truly fascinating..." Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were pondering something important. Meanwhile, Luzhu, standing nearby, looked at her expectantly, eager to see how Madam would deal with these disobedient little rascals.

Who were the remaining five people? Had they ever done anything excessive? Lu Zhu reported to Li Ruoyue, "Mammy Ma didn't do anything particularly special. She simply reported the young lady's daily whereabouts and various trivial matters that happened in the courtyard to the lady. That's all."

As for the two maids, Shuanghong and Shuangjiang, they were quite honest and capable. All clothing, accessories, and other household items were meticulously taken care of by them, and they were responsible for looking after the young lady's daily life. However, on the surface, there was nothing unusual about Jingxin. I imagine they would also report your daily life to the lady faithfully.

However, those two remained relatively tight-lipped, not saying a single word. On the other hand, the other two vulgar old women were restless all day, gossiping like idiots. They not only discussed all matters of the courtyard, big and small, but even details like when the young lady would return were casually spread around the courtyard like gossip.

Even more abominable is that they often gossip about the young lady, criticize her, and even do things in a rather dishonest way. Those little bits of jewelry and loose change that I despise often disappear without a trace. I guess these two lost them in gambling!

Upon hearing this, Li Ruoyue couldn't help but reveal a hint of curiosity and interest, and exclaimed softly, "Hmm, this is getting even more interesting. I didn't expect that the indentures of everyone in the courtyard were all in Madam Hua's hands. Now, I really want to see how she plans to deal with these people. Since they are her servants, there is naturally no need for us to get involved in the dust ourselves." After saying this, Li Ruoyue gently waved to Lizhu, indicating that she should come forward to support her. Then, she lowered her voice and said to Lizhu, "Lizhu, tomorrow you go and tell Madam Hua that I accidentally lost my jade pendant."

Lu Zhu looked puzzled upon hearing this and asked, "Miss, which jade pendant are you talking about? Could it be the precious one your mother left you? You've clearly been wearing it all the time, so how could it disappear for no reason?" Facing Lu Zhu's series of questions, Li Ruoyue's lips curled up slightly, revealing an enigmatic smile. She said slowly, "Since someone is so dishonest and tried to steal, why not take this opportunity to use some means to get rid of them?"

It was not until this moment that Luzhu suddenly realized as if she had just woken up from a dream: "Oh, so that's how it is!" She finally understood the wishful thinking in her young lady's mind, and couldn't help but secretly admire Li Ruoyue's wisdom.

Sunlight streamed into the room through the window, illuminating the figures of Li Ruoyue and Lu Zhu. They had just finished a delicious breakfast and were preparing to face the challenges of the new day. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened.

Li Ruoyue and Luzhu exchanged a glance and, in tacit agreement, began their "performance" for the day. Suddenly, Luzhu cried out in surprise, "Oh my! Miss, the jade pendant that Madam left behind is gone! Aren't you used to carrying it with you all the time?" Her voice betrayed a hint of anxiety and worry.

Upon hearing this, Li Ruoyue's face instantly became tense. She hurriedly reached for her waist, only to find the spot where the jade pendant should have been hung was completely empty. Panicked, she muttered to herself, "No way... I clearly remember putting it on my body..." Then, turning to Luzhu, she urgently ordered, "Luzhu, please help me find it! That's a precious relic my mother left me. If I lose it, how can I face her? How can I ever feel at peace with myself?" Her eyes were already slightly red as she finished speaking.