After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yuqing came out in a wheelchair from the bluestone path behind the artificial hill and replied with a smile: "My grandfather was on good terms with Old Master Lin, so he asked me to come and offer my birthday wishes. I just didn't expect to see you lingering at Yuexian Residence."

"So, Young Master Gu had Little Stone deliberately release his killing intent to lure me away?" Fang Xiaoran turned around, looking at Gu Yuqing with suspicion.

She thought this was no coincidence. Gu Yuqing probably knew what was going on in that room, but how did he find out? This was the Lin family home. How could he have known about Xue Zhiming and his mother's secret plot? But if it was a coincidence, it was too much of a coincidence.

However, Gu Yuqing turned to look at Xiao Shitou and asked in a deep voice, "Did you do this on purpose?"

"Huh?" Little Stone scratched his head, looking bewildered. "What do you mean by 'intentionally'?"

Gu Yuqing thought for a moment and said slowly, "You see, he just happened to be passing by, but he didn't expect you to follow him."

Can it still be calculated this way?

The master and servant were clearly putting on an act, but she had no concrete evidence to suggest that they knew anything beforehand. What if it was just a coincidence?

Fang Xiaoran smiled helplessly, "I was just overthinking it."

She followed the figure and climbed over the wall, only to find Gu Yuqing admiring the flowers, while Little Stone was perched on a tree, carefully reaching for a small yellow cat.

When asked why, Little Stone simply said, "This little thing scratched my young master, so I'm going to pluck all the fur off its tail!"

"What nonsense is this?" Fang Xiaoran immediately forgot why she had come.

Unexpectedly, she heard hurried footsteps coming from next door, followed by the old lady's angry shout. The voice was not loud, but Fang Xiaoran had profound inner strength and exceptional hearing. She heard the contents of the words and couldn't help but feel curious. Without bothering to talk to Gu Yuqing, she hurriedly rushed over.

"The gift has been delivered. I have other matters to attend to, so I will not stay any longer. Farewell." Gu Yuqing nodded slightly. After saying this, Xiao Shitou immediately pushed the wheelchair away. Seeing them leave, Fang Xiaoran suddenly said, "In any case, thank you, Young Master Gu."

"Although I don't know why you thank me, I will accept your thanks. Please try to express your gratitude in a more substantial way next time." Gu Yuqing's voice came softly. Even though Fang Xiaoran could only see his back, she could still guess his expression at this moment.

Is this an insult to her for only offering verbal thanks? And saying she doesn't know why she should say thank you but still has to give a gift?

It has to be said that this person is truly unpredictable.

After talking with Madam Lin, the old lady came out of the room, looking unwell and in very poor condition. Her face also revealed a hint of resentment that was hard to conceal. It was clear that even though they were good friends, she would not compromise on some matters.

Seeing the old lady come out, Lin Cuilan bowed slightly and said, "Are you going back? I wonder what you plan to do about Miss Fang's matter?"

Lin Cuilan was clearly bringing up a sore spot. Even though her son was one of the people involved, she looked completely relaxed and didn't think it was a scandal at all.

But the old lady was different. She felt she had lost face, and having been humiliated by Madam Lin, she didn't want to bring it up again. So she said rather angrily, "This matter is not just about our Fang family. Do you think your Xue family can just stay out of it?"

After saying that, the old lady turned and left, leaving Lin Cuilan standing there with a gloomy face. "It is true that we cannot remain unscathed, but a woman's reputation is always more important than a man's. I dare to wait and see, do you dare?"

Of course, these were just words she uttered in anger, and she certainly wouldn't tell the old lady.

At this moment, Madam Lin's maid came over and said to her, "Miss, the old lady invites you in."

Lin Cuilan nodded slightly, turned around and went into the room.

As soon as they entered, the maid closed the door, leaving only the two of them in the room. Looking at the old lady Lin on the sickbed, Lin Cuilan immediately smiled and went over to her, patiently inquiring about her condition.

"You don't need to talk to me about this. Come here, stand in front of me." Old Madam Lin beckoned to her, signaling her to come over.

Despite being blind, no one in the Lin family dares to disobey Madam Lin. Everyone in the Lin family knows that she is the only one supporting the entire family. Although she doesn't concern herself with the affairs of the inner quarters, she is the only one recognized by others in the outside world.

"Mother, are you feeling unwell?" Sensing the anger in Old Madam Lin's eyes, Lin Cuilan panicked and rushed to the bedside, carefully grasping the old woman's hand. However, Old Madam Lin coldly pushed her away. "Although I am blind, it doesn't mean I don't know anything. You've gone so far as to use me to scheme against the Fang family's daughter. I could turn a blind eye to what you've done in the past, but this time you've really gone too far. As a woman myself, you should know how important a woman's reputation is. Are you trying to ruin the Fang family's daughter?"

"My actions are truly for the sake of the Lin and Xue families. The Lin family is currently in decline, and if we don't find a way to revive it, it will likely fall into ruin quickly. Although the Fang family is not the best choice, Fang Xiaoran is the eldest daughter of the Fang family, favored by the Empress Dowager, and has the support of the Bai family. I've also heard that her mother left her a small treasury. You should know that this is like a lifeline for both our families, so how could I not ruthlessly utilize it?" At this point, Lin Cuilan's voice became low, even slightly tearful. Her hand gripped the sleeve of the old lady again, her fingertips cold and trembling slightly. "Mother has already spoken with the old lady of the Fang family. Judging from her expression, Mother will not abandon either family. This time, I have gone too far. If Mother wishes to punish me severely in the future, I will have no complaints. However, I hope Mother will help me this time."

After saying this, Lin Cuilan released Madam Lin's hand, knelt in front of the bed, and kowtowed heavily. Hearing the sound of her forehead hitting the ground, Madam Lin couldn't help but shake her head with a bitter smile, "Wei Baihui and I have been friends since childhood. After this, our friendship of many years will be severed."

“We’ll be family then, sharing both glory and hardship. Even if we don’t have a romantic relationship, at least we won’t be enemies. Mother, you don’t need to worry about this.” Hearing there was a glimmer of hope, Lin Cuilan immediately spoke excitedly. Old Madam Lin sighed. That was a friendship from childhood; how could she let it go so easily, as Lin Cuilan suggested?

However, Old Madam Lin was aware of the current situation of the Lin family and knew that it could not be delayed any longer. So she said with a firm expression, "What you say is very true. The Lin family is in a critical situation. This birthday banquet is just a drop in the ocean and can hardly solve the immediate problem. Therefore, I have decided to let Heng'er marry Fang Xiaoran."

At first, Lin Cuilan was secretly pleased, but after hearing the last sentence, her expression changed drastically, and she asked incredulously, "Mother, this is completely different from what we said. Didn't we agree that we would marry the Sixth Miss tomorrow?"

“He already has a daughter from the Fang family, how can he marry again? Lan’er must not be greedy. I have already spoken to Bai Hui, she should know how to choose.” Old Madam Lin spoke solemnly, and Lin Cuilan was immediately shocked. “Mother, how could you do this… Ming’er is also your grandson, and the Xue family will become an asset to the Lin family in the future, why, why…”

Madam Lin, unwilling to waste any more words with her, said coldly, "Enough. My mind is made up. You don't need to say anything more. If you insist on interfering, don't blame me for disregarding our mother-daughter relationship."