After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

“Miss Zhao, I have some doubts about my cousin falling into the water later. I went to investigate the pleasure boat where the accident happened and actually found some things. Do you want to know what I found?”

Liu Langyue's eyes were sharp as blades as he looked at her with a meaningful gaze.

"Didn't Miss Ye lose her balance, get bumped, and fall into the water?"

I had originally planned to visit her at the Ye residence after hearing she had come back to life, but I'm getting married in a few days, and that's kept me in the way. If I see the Fourth Miss later, I'll have to apologize to her properly.

Zhao Qingrou remained calm, revealing not a single clue.

Liu Langyue couldn't read anything from her face, and cursed inwardly that she was indeed good at pretending and really knew how to keep her composure.

"Cousin, who are you talking to?" Ye Yaoyao's clear and pleasant voice came from over.

"Aunt, cousin, you've arrived." Liu Langyue smiled radiantly. With her cousin here, Zhao Qingrou would have nowhere to hide.

Zhao Qingrou, with her back to the passage, stiffened slightly upon hearing Ye Yaoyao's voice, then composed herself and turned around.

"Qingrou greets Madam Ye."

Zhao Qingrou slightly bent her knees and bowed to Liu Yunshu, her eyes respectful and docile.

Looking at the unfamiliar Madam Xin standing to the side, she also bowed to her, her demeanor elegant and graceful.

Looking at Ye Yaoyao, tears instantly streamed down her face. She walked over, took Ye Yaoyao's hand, and smiled.

"Miss Ye, it's so good to see you here. When I heard the news of your death a few days ago, I wished it was me who fell into the water that day."

Thankfully, God protected you and you're safe and sound; otherwise, I would have lived with guilt for the rest of my life.

Ye Yaoyao withdrew her hand, feeling inexplicably displeased at being touched.

Looking at Zhao Qingrou's words and actions, Liu Yunshu thought to herself, no wonder her niece had suffered losses at her hands many times.

Xin Chuli had heard of Zhao Qingrou's great reputation on her way here, and looked at the beautiful woman in front of her with genuine emotion on her face.

Thinking back, if Liu Langyue hadn't talked about her all the way, she wouldn't have realized how good she was at pretending.

"Does Fourth Miss not forgive me?"

Zhao Qingrou's eyes reddened as she looked at Ye Yaoyao with a pitiful expression, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"Miss Zhao, I don't know you."

Ye Yaoyao responded coldly.

"Hey! Why are you making that face? I'm not a man who can be so easily protected just because someone looks so pitiful and weak."

Who are you kidding?! Would someone who really wants to apologize put on a pitiful, wronged act like they can't forgive them?

This girl in front of me is definitely a green tea bitch, probably a really old one.

Ye Yaoyao couldn't help but ask:

What kind of tea does Miss Zhao like?

"I prefer Biluochun tea."

Zhao Qingrou didn't know why she suddenly asked this question, so she answered in this way.

"Biluochun! What a fine tea."

"The Fourth Miss likes to drink tea. I'll get you some of the tea I usually drink when we get back to the manor."

"No need, I don't like tea."

Those who heard Ye Yaoyao's inner thoughts felt that the tea she mentioned was not the kind she usually drank, and it didn't seem like a good word. They exchanged glances, but no one understood what was going on.

The Xin family mother and daughter were completely bewildered as to why they were talking about green tea.

Zhao Qingrou looked at her strangely, wondering what Ye Yaoyao meant.

At this moment, Madam Zhao came looking for her.

"Mrs. Ye, you're here too! Let's come in, sit down, and have a chat!"

A moment later, Madam Zhao apologized again for Ye Yaoyao falling into the water.

Ye Yaoyao has already thoroughly exposed the person.

Holy crap! She really did plan the drowning incident.

The group of people who had been chatting and laughing instantly stopped smiling and stared at Zhao Qingrou with sinister expressions.

[Oh my god! She's not trying to harm my cousin, she's really trying to harm me! Do I even know her? I should just stay home; how could I be targeted like this?]

Ye Yaoyao angrily clutched the hem of her clothes. Since she was a child, she had been studying medicine under the tutelage of the divine physician Han. Liu Yunshu rarely took her to banquets or similar events.

People outside only heard that Miss Ye had been in poor health since childhood and rarely showed her face. She enrolled in girls' school but didn't attend often.

When the Ye family heard that Zhao Qingrou wanted to harm Ye Yaoyao, their gazes turned even colder.

Zhao Qingrou shivered involuntarily, a nameless fear rising in her heart.

Madam Zhao had just met Madam Xin and was chatting and laughing with her, so she didn't sense anything unusual at all.

It turns out that Zhao Qingrou and a poor scholar had fallen in love. After a period of intimacy, their affair was discovered by Madam Zhao, who then separated them.

Perhaps the passion had faded, or perhaps she was persuaded by Madam Zhao that eating coarse food and drinking bird's nest porridge was incomparable, she agreed to break off her relationship with the poor scholar.

Later, Zhao Qingrou met the Second Prince, and her affected manner made him fall in love with her. He then went to the Emperor to request an imperial decree to grant them marriage.

The poor scholar, unwilling to be abandoned by Zhao Qingrou, lured her out and attempted to assault her in the alley.

The Zhao family sent men to follow him, and the poor scholar was severely beaten by the servants.

Since it was his first love, Zhao Qingrou gave him some money and told him not to bother her, otherwise the Zhao family would not let him off the hook.

As Zhao Qingrou exited the alley, she encountered me on my way to Doctor Han's house. The poor scholar was crying so loudly after being beaten that Zhao Qingrou suspected I knew about their affair, so she planned to kill me.

You green tea b*tch, don't do anything immoral. You were just passing through an alley, and you're already thinking about other people's lives. Why are you dragging innocent passersby into your mess?

With a character like yours, you still dream of marrying the Second Prince and enjoying wealth and luxury? Dream on! Tomorrow, after we go down the mountain, I'll find that poor scholar who'll take you far away.

Liu Yunshu looked at Madam Zhao.

"Madam Zhao, Miss Zhao is betrothed to the Second Prince, what a blessing!"

Liu Yunshu wore a perfectly measured smile, but her eyes held a hint of coldness.

"My daughter is of good character and is fortunate to have caught the eye of the Second Prince."

Madam Zhao tilted her head slightly, her eyes full of pride. Talking about this made her happy; a proud expression graced her face.

The Second Prince's birth mother, Consort Mei, enjoyed the Emperor's favor in the harem for over twenty years.

Although my daughter will only be a concubine after marrying into the family, given the Emperor's favor towards Consort Mei, things could change in the future.

"Is the wedding date approaching?" Liu Yunshu continued to ask, her tone indifferent.

"It's not even been half a month yet. After she gets married, I won't be able to take her out for walks as often anymore."

Although Madam Zhao expressed regret verbally, her facial expression clearly reflected it.

"With the wedding date approaching, we really should come and offer incense for good luck and peace."

Ye Yaoyao's words were quite meaningful.

These two, mother and daughter, were probably praying to Buddha to bless Zhao Qingrou so that she could marry into the Second Prince's household smoothly, in case something went wrong.

"Mother, even after I get married, I will still come back to visit you often."

Zhao Qingrou held Madam Zhao's hand, looking obedient.

"Good child, as long as you are doing well, your mother is content."

Madam Zhao gently patted Zhao Qingrou's hand, her face full of affection.

That depends on whether you have the good fortune.

If Ye Jingyang hadn't wanted to hear his younger sister's thoughts, he wouldn't have wanted to look at this mother and daughter at all.