How would Auntie Fang dare to lift her sleeve up in front of Mo Huawen?
"Ah!" Mo Xuetong's slender body was pushed away forcefully by Auntie Fang. She wobbled, stumbled backward and then fell to the ground. Mo Lan moved swiftly in front of Mo Xuetong, wanting to catch her. However, she failed to do so and fell down together with Mo Xuetong. As her hand was in front of Mo Xuetong, she fell on it with a dull thud. It hurt so much that she could not get up.
"Auntie, what's wrong? Have I said something to make you unhappy?" Mo Xuetong reached out to hug Mo Lan. She looked up tearfully and curled up in fear. Her long lashes fluttered and she bit her lips, tears flowing from her eyes. Then, she turned to look at Mo Lan who was frowning in pain. She called out hurriedly, "Father, quick get the physician. Mo Lan, how are you? Are you in pain? Are you alright? Auntie's arm is injured, she couldn't have pushed us with that much force!"
Mo Huawen immediately understood. His expression turned frosty.
"Old sir, I..." Auntie Fang was flustered. She held out her sleeve wanting to explain, but was frightened by Mo Huawen's sharp glance and she dared not say anything else.
Mo Huawen ignored Auntie Fang and went to pull up Mo Xuetong's sleeves. Indeed the skin on her pale arm had broken. There were a few streaks of blood, making it obvious how forceful that push had been. His eyes grew even sharper.
"Father, I'm alright. Go look at Auntie...Did I do something wrong...I've made Auntie unhappy!" Mo Xuetong looked at Auntie Fang anxiously and with fear. She trembled slightly as if she was extremely frightened. Her face was paler that Mo Lan and her forehead glistened with sweat. Her eyes were wild and it was obvious that she was very scared!
She was the legal daughter of the family, but she had been so frightened by a concubine that she could not even speak clearly. Coupled with Auntie Fang's actions, Mo Huawen almost raged on the spot. He took a deep breath and glared viciously at Auntie Fang. He then reached out to stroke Mo Xuetong's hair tenderly and said gently, "It's alright. Auntie is not angry at you. Don't be afraid. Take Mo Lan with you. I'll get a physician for her. Everything will be alright."
The maids in the study helped Mo Xuetong hold Mo Lan. Mo Xuetong bade Mo Huawen farewell and walked out anxiously, holding back tears.
Mo Huawen turned to look at Auntie Fang when he saw that Mo Xuetong had left. His expression was dark as he said angrily, "Go back to your courtyard and reflect on your behavior. This is the study, don't go to the other courtyards if there's nothing going on!"
"Old sir..."Auntie Fang wanted to say something but was interrupted by Mo Huawen. "Maids, take Auntie Fang back."
A few maids stepped forth and they dragged the tearful Auntie Fang away.
In Qingwei Gardens.
Mo Yu, Mo He and Mother Xu were waiting for her. They hurried to help Mo Lan in when they saw that her arm was injured. Later, a physician that Mo Huawen called for arrived to help Mo Lan bandage her wound. He said that it was just a knock and that it was not serious. Mo Lan just had to rest for five or six days and not do anything strenuous and she would be fine in a few days.
Mother Xu sent the physician out. Mo Xuetong turned around and entered Mo Lan's room. She saw Mo Lan lying on the bed silently, but her face was still pale. There was a bandage around her arm and her frown was deep. Mo Xuetong shut the door and walked up to the bed.
Mo Lan opened her eyes when she heard the door shut and saw that Mo Xuetong had entered the room. She struggled to sit up but was pressed back by Mo Xuetong. "Miss, why have you come here? What are Mo Yu and Mo He doing? They didn't even take you to rest!"
"Why?" Mo Xuetong looked at her silently and did not react to what Mo Lan had just said. She looked at Mo Lan coldly, completely different from her cowardly image. There was a sharpness behind her facade.
"Miss, what are you asking about? Your servant doesn't understand!"
Mo Xuetong's voice sharpened. "Who told you to step in front of me today?"
Mo Lan could not continue to pretend since Mo Xuetong had gone straight to the point. She looked at Mo Xuetong and did not try to hide. "Miss, your health is poor and I couldn't bear to let you get hurt. I could only feel at ease if I stood in front of you." Mo Lan said, her eyes growing red.
"Mo Lan, I thought you knew better. That's why I let you handle some things without worry. I didn't expect you to do things without consulting me. Since this is so, I should have let you go long ago. "Mo Xuetong looked into Mo Lan's eyes and said every word clearly, her words piercingly cold.
She had been fallen in the direction of Auntie Fang's hand. Even though she would be injured, she would not be as badly injured as Mo Lan. Furthermore, the effect on her father would not be as good if she had fallen by herself.
"Miss, Mo Lan was wrong. Mo Lan won't do it again. I'll listen to miss in all things." Mo Lan understood when she saw Mo Xuetong's tightly pinched face. She looked at Mo Xuetong with an apologetic expression. She had always been steady but had been flustered because she saw Auntie Fang. She only realized that her mistress had planned for this long ago and she had ruined her plans.
"Mo Lan, we have only just got here and will still have to go against Auntie Fang in the future. I hope that you all won't be injured because of me, and some injuries, I have to suffer." Mo Xuetong sat down and held Mo Lan's hand. Her eyes, while having turned gentle, hid some tears. If she could not steel her heart, then how could she fight with Mo Xuemin?
"Yes, miss." Mo Lan held Mo Xuetong's hands tightly, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
Inside Auntie Fang's Lihe Garden.
Mo Huawen sat on the nanmu wood chair coldly. His expression was dark, and even though his voice was not loud, it was extremely indifferent. He seemed calm on the surface, but those who knew him knew that he was extremely angry. "Kneel down!"
Auntie Fang did not dare to hesitate. She lowered her head and knelt. She asked tearfully, "What has your concubine done wrong?"
"You helped Tong'er prepare her courtyard and cleaned it out personally thus injuring your arm so much that you can't even touch it. How benevolent of you!" Mo Huawen grew angrier as he spoke. He pulled Auntie Fang's hand and pushed back her sleeve. There were no other markings other than the fresh burns. He was so enraged that he flung her hand away, saying, "You thought that I won't interfere in the matter didn't you. I can still tell the difference between a bruise and a burn. You pushed Tong'er away so forcefully, and if her maid had not blocked her fall, you might have knocked into Tong'er. Do you want me to get a physician to come and examine your arm before you'd admit it?!"
Auntie Fang had already thought that Mo Huawen would ask her this on their return. She was long prepared for this. She prostrated herself and looked at Mo Huawen with tears in her eyes that slowly flowed down her cheeks. She looked slightly resentful, "Old sir, are you blaming me because of this incident?" Her voice sounded pitiful and she looked wronged.
"Have I wronged you?" Mo Huawen asked coldly, his expression grave.
"Old sir, you know what happened in the past...Something like that had already happened and I was worried that something like that would happen again. It's been more than a year since we last saw her and I did not know if third miss's character had changed. I just wanted to become closer to her, and I thought...she is naturally stubborn. Otherwise, she wouldn't...Even Old sir can't get close to her, so how could I?" Auntie Fang cried pitifully.
"What has this to do with you pretending to be injured?" Mo Huawen looked at her and his expression lightened.
"I just wanted to use this to get closer to third miss. Old sir, you saw that back then...I just wanted to mend the fence between us. I've ran the household for so many years while you took care of the ailing madam. I've done everything but worried that I was not doing them well enough. I was worried that I would let madam down, and was afraid that I'd make third miss unhappy...I did this because of the family. I want Old sir to be able to enjoy a close relationship with third miss. I did this all for you, but I didn't expect you to be angry at me..."
Auntie Fang started to cry behind her handkerchief. She looked weak and wronged.
Mo Huawen fell silent and looked at Auntie Fang darkly. He asked after a moment, "You did this for me?"
"Who else could I do this for? Why do I have to make third miss like me, what good can I gain from this?" Auntie Fang cried and looked at Mo Huawen pitifully. She gritted her teeth and continued, "Old sir, do you not believe me? If you don't trust me, then you can punish me as you deem fit. But if you say that I have other intentions, I'd rather die than to admit that!" Auntie Fang said as she wiped away her tears.
One had to admit that this was done beautifully. She had not only pointed out her good intentions, she even said that Mo Xuetong was hard to please. She'd mentioned the past again and again. The past was a thorn in Mo Huawen's heart that still hurt. Even though she did not look violent now, Mo Wenhua still felt upset thinking about what happened then.
Coupled with Auntie Fang's touching act, he could not even grow angry even if he wanted to. He sighed and told Auntie Fang to get up. After thinking deeply, he said, "Don't do this again. Tong'er is really sensible now. Furthermore, she is the legal daughter. Don't play your tricks on her. If I find out you're doing it again..."
"I won't. I won't do it again." Auntie Fang replied delicately.
Mo Huawen's gaze landed on a letter on Auntie Fang's table. His words grew cold again, "I'll sleep in the study tonight. Don't wait up for me!"
Then, he ignored Auntie Fang's expression of despair and turned to leave. Tong'er had not written to him in the past year. Could it be that her letters were lost on their way? Why had the letters Tong'er written to her mother's family not been lost but he had not received a single letter? Mo Huawen was not stupid. He started to feel slightly suspicious and felt a lump in his throat. Even though he did not believe that Auntie Fang would do something like that, he felt that he could not really believe what she said.
"Auntie..."Nanny Li entered from the eaves hurriedly and asked anxiously when she saw Mo Huawen walking out coldly.
"It's alright. But I'm worried about the other side. She grew more capable after a year. Even though Old sir believes what I said, he is still angry. It's all that little slut's fault. Get someone to keep a close eye on Qingwei Garden. Report every single move that little slut makes." Auntie Fang wanted to tear her handkerchief into shreds when Mo Huawen had ignored her and left her there.
"Then the matter tonight?" Nanny Li heaved a sigh of relief and asked.
"The Duke's son is unworthy of her!" Auntie Fang said frostily.
"But first miss and sir Sima..."Nanny Li was worried!
"Min'er is smart. She should have other plans. She has long had her own target. She's more suited for a person with an even more powerful family background." Auntie Fang released her death grip on the handkerchief and smirked. Her Min'er was the most distinguished miss. How could that orphaned little slut Mo Xuetong compare to her?