CHAPTER 575: CHAPTER 564: THE MARCHIONESS’S MAID

"Husband?" Zhong Lan looked at Duan Rongjing in a daze, not understanding what he meant by leaving Zhong Yin with him. Did he believe Zhong Yin’s words? Did he think she was too malicious?

However, Ye Qiu raised his eyebrows when he heard Duan Rongjing asking Zhong Yin if she had been to Ci Yun Temple.

"Ci Yun Temple?" When Zhong Yin first heard Duan Rongjing defending her, she felt overjoyed, but then her expression became puzzled when the topic turned to Ci Yun Temple, and she seemed to recall something, casting an uneasy glance at Zhong Lan.

Ye Qiu didn’t miss the series of expressions on her face and decided to wait and see what she would do.

At that moment, Zhong Yin courageously looked at Duan Rongjing, her memory gradually returning, and her heart trembled. Wasn’t this the man who was seriously injured at Ci Yun Temple?

What does the Lord mean? Does he mistake her as the one who saved him?

Yes, that must be it, otherwise why would he ask that question?

Zhong Yin’s heart began to pound, feeling as if a huge opportunity had just landed in front of her.

"I... I did indeed go to Ci Yun Temple two years ago." Zhong Yin lowered her head, her heart fluttering with trepidation and covert joy.

"Did you encounter anything special there?" Duan Rongjing asked further.

"It seems I saved someone." Zhong Yin hesitated, her voice very low, as if afraid that Zhong Lan might hear.

Upon hearing this, Duan Rongjing’s heart was shocked, and then he looked at Zhong Yin with gratitude, and then said to Zhong Huaiwen, "Father-in-law, Miss Zhong Yin has been gracious to me, could you give your son-in-law some face?"

"This..." Zhong Huaiwen’s face colored with awkwardness, unnaturally looking at Zhong Lan.

Zhong Lan and Zhong Jue’s faces also looked unhappy, didn’t Duan Rongjing realize that Zhong Yin was just putting on an act? Why was he still protecting her?

At this moment, Zhong Yin was overwhelmed with huge surprise. She had never thought her brother-in-law would believe her, and Zhong Lan apparently didn’t remember.

"Brother-in-law..." Zhong Yin’s voice was soft and melodious, chillingly sycophantic, "Brother-in-law, please save Yin’er, Yin’er really knows her mistake, Yin’er will no longer compete with my sister."

Duan Rongjing frowned almost imperceptibly upon hearing this, but his words still protected her: "Lan’er, since your sister has graced me, why don’t you forgive her for now?"

Zhong Lan widened her eyes, unable to believe her husband actually believed Zhong Yin’s words, a flicker of disappointment crossing her eyes: "Husband, do you also believe that I have mistreated Zhong Yin?"

Actually, Duan Rongjing did not believe it; he had long understood his wife’s nature, but after all, Zhong Yin had saved him, and he couldn’t just ignore her.

"I..."

"Sister, do you really hate Yin’er so much?" Zhong Yin’s voice rose again just as Duan Rongjing was about to explain, "Brother-in-law, Yin’er is really suffering, please show mercy and save Yin’er, I will definitely be more cautious and no longer anger my sister in the future."

"Please stand up first," said Duan Rongjing with a somewhat subdued voice.

From Zhong Yin’s perspective, at that moment, Duan Rongjing truly looked tall and handsome, and her heart suddenly fell for him.

She got up, her "fragile" body staggering a bit, as if she could faint at any moment.

Because she stood too close, Duan Rongjing uncomfortably shifted his footsteps.

"Do you really intend to protect her?" Zhong Lan actually didn’t hear clearly why Duan Rongjing was protecting Zhong Yin, but she was very disappointed after he said that.

Duan Rongjing dared not look directly at his young wife, turned his head with a stiff expression, and answered rigidly: "Yes."

A wave of anger surged in Zhong Jue’s eyes, but out of fear of his status as the Duke and worrying that his sister was married to him, he could only endure it.

"Fine, since you insist on protecting her, I won’t say much. I just hope you think it through," Zhong Lan’s tone had already become indifferent.

Duan Rongjing felt panic and irritation at the same time; he knew his wife’s sister might not be as innocent as she appeared, but after all, she had saved him. Should he really be ungrateful?

"What do you want? I’ll try to satisfy you as long as I can do it," Duan Rongjing wanted to end this matter quickly and then explain things properly to his wife, so he gave a promise.

However, to his surprise, Zhong Yin was ecstatic after hearing this, even wanting more, and she asked with expectation: "Really?"

"Really." Duan Rongjing was even more impatient.

Zhong Lan did not want to listen anymore, feeling that if she continued to face the two, she would lose her temper, and she didn’t want to expose her irritable side to Duan Rongjing.

Thinking this, she felt somewhat amused. Duan Rongjing didn’t care about her feelings but was protecting Zhong Yin; why should she care so much about him?

"Brother, let’s go in first," Zhong Lan said, not even glancing at Duan Rongjing, and led the two children out of the hall.

"Lan’er..." Duan Rongjing felt a sudden panic and called out, but Zhong Lan didn’t want to listen to him anymore, her expression turning even colder.

Zhong Yin lowered her head, secretly delighted. With Zhong Lan gone, wasn’t there even less chance of anyone exposing her? She would definitely make the Duke believe she was the one who saved him.

She never expected things to turn out this coincidentally. In fact, the one who saved him wasn’t her but Zhong Lan. At that time, their grandmother took them to Ci Yun Temple to offer incense. Seeing that Zhong Lan’s attendants were not around, she intended to play a prank on her and quietly followed behind.

Unexpectedly, when they reached the back mountain, Zhong Lan found a man covered in blood. She was so scared that she was about to leave, but in the next moment, the man woke up from a coma and grasped Zhong Lan’s neck and covered her mouth.

Watching Zhong Lan struggle, she felt a thrill of pleasure. She wished Zhong Lan would die right there.

But before Zhong Lan could suffocate, the blood-covered bandit fainted again. She thought Zhong Lan would report it to the authorities, but to her surprise, Zhong Lan called a young monk and a doctor instead.

What a fool! Zhong Yin still remembered the words she scorned Zhong Lan with.

Later she changed her mind, planning to use that man to ruin Zhong Lan’s reputation, but since that day, Zhong Lan never went to see that man again. Now that she thought about it, wasn’t that man the Duke?

Zhong Lan didn’t know the face of the person she saved back then, but she remembered it clear as day.

Now only the three of them knew about the incident, and if she wanted to impersonate, there was no one to expose her. As for the young monk and the doctor, couldn’t she just bribe them with some Silver Tael?

Zhong Yin’s heart was filled with greed, seeing a huge opportunity before her, wouldn’t it be too regrettable to miss it?

Perhaps by exploiting the Duke’s guilt, she could even get an opportunity she couldn’t have imagined before.