CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 71: ACCIDENT (4)

Xiqiu suddenly shed her usual weakness, quickly walked a few steps, grabbed Tong Xiyang’s hand, and her face had turned cold: "Third Sister, don’t forget, this is the Wujin Bo Mansion. We are both daughters of the Tong Mansion. If you do something, we all have to bear the consequences for you. If Eldest Sister wants to compete, there are many ways to do it, but don’t do anything that disgraces the Tong Mansion and drags us down."

Tong Xiyang tried to shake off her hand several times but could not. Her face showed anger: "Let go!" She gritted her teeth as she spoke: "Bear the consequences? Then why are you here, little sister? Don’t laugh at me for something you’re also doing, hypocrite!"

Xiqiu was unwilling to say more to her, exerted some strength: "Hypocritical or sincere, everything shall wait until we return home to discuss!"

"What right do you have to interfere with me?" Tong Xiyang didn’t expect Xiqiu to be so strong, gripping her arm painfully: "I insist on going today. If you want to tell Mother, go ahead, when everything is settled, what does it matter even if Mother knows." She suddenly sneered, "Are you afraid I’ll snatch your marriage? Humph! Don’t think that by currying favor with Lady, you can rest easy? The Capital is so big. Today I will show you that even Lady has a time when she cannot reach you!"

She suddenly used great force and flung Xiqiu’s hand away.

Xiqiu’s gaze flickered, and she raised her hand and slapped her!

The crisp sound was especially clear in the quiet peach grove, followed by Xiqiu’s voice filled with anger.

"Tong Xiyang, try taking one more step!"

Tong Xiyang was stunned, staring blankly where she stood: "You... you dare hit me!"

Siliu was also dumbfounded on the side, momentarily unable to react, as the normally gentle Sixth Miss gave the Third Miss a slap. Her heart pounded, fearing someone would burst in at this moment, and her ears again caught Xiqiu’s cold voice, "If you dare take one more step, it won’t be as simple as just a slap."

Tong Xiyang clutched her swollen cheek, as if looking at a stranger, stared at Xiqiu.

Xiqiu ignored her, turned and said to Siliu, "Third Miss is tired, help her back." Siliu responded, immediately stepped forward, tightly gripping Tong Xiyang’s arm, dragging and pulling her away.

Xiqiu fell half a step behind, suddenly turned around to look into the grove, and then her lips curled into a slight smile as she walked back.

Bihuai stood dumbfounded, although not knowing exactly what happened, she had clearly seen Xiqiu slap Tong Xiyang. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but feel that appearances can be deceiving. Just looking at those young ladies just now, if anyone seemed the most quiet and gentle, it was Sixth Miss. Yet who expected her to be so fierce, daring to hit even her elder sister!

Bihuai, still frightened, turned and quickly left the grove.

As Bihuai left, in the depths of the grove, a figure clad in ink green now stepped out from behind a peach tree, his narrow phoenix eyes slightly squinting, lips curled into a taunting and fierce smirk. The young servant behind him murmured, "I didn’t expect that young lady, who looks so weak, to be so quick when she acts." He tutted a few times and muttered to himself, "But what she said was quite reasonable."

The man in front snorted through his nose, turned and walked towards another side!

The young servant shook his head and hurriedly followed: "Fourth Master, that’s not the way to Third Master Ren’s courtyard, we should go this way..."

Here, as Xiqiu exited the grove, Moxiang saw her own young lady being helped back by Siliu, her eyes red as if she had been crying. She quickly ran over and exclaimed, "Miss, what happened to your face?"

Tong Xiyang resentfully shook off Siliu’s hand, not even glancing at Xiqiu, headed straight out, but then Xiqiu said behind her, "Third Sister, your face is injured from the fall, maybe you should find a maid to get some ice to apply."

Tong Xiyang paused, turned and glared harshly at Xiqiu, "I don’t need your fake kindness."

Xiqiu smiled gently, making Tong Xiyang doubt whether the cold and menacing person who hit her just now was the same as the gentle and timid Sixth Sister from before!

But there was no answer, the Xiqiu in front of her was as always, softly smiling, gentle and delicate!

Fuming, she abruptly turned to Moxiang and shouted, "What are you standing there for, hurry and get Bihuai, tell her I fell, and have her find a place for me to rest."

Moxiang nodded suspiciously and went as instructed.

"Then I shall return first." Xiqiu smoothly bowed to Tong Xiyang, and with Siliu, exited the grove and returned to the pavilion, her face calm as if nothing had happened.

Tong Xiyang stomped her foot hard, had no choice but to lower her head and follow behind.

After a while, Bihuai hurried over: "Third Miss, what happened, why is your face swollen like this? "

Tong Xiyang dared not speak of what had just happened, after all, no matter how it was told, she was at fault, so she could only frown and say: "I tripped, bother Sister Bihuai to help me find a place to rest so that Mother doesn’t see and worry."

Bihuai nodded, again supporting Tong Xiyang, "It’s thoughtful of Third Miss... it’s closest to Second Madame’s courtyard here, would you like to accompany me to Second Madame for a while."

With no other choice, Tong Xiyang could only nod, "Then I’ll trouble Sister."

Miss Fang and Tong Xiyu also came back with their kite, surprised to see the red mark on Tong Xiyang’s face: "Sister went to the restroom and came back like this."

In front of outsiders, no matter how angry Tong Xiyang was, she could only suppress it, unwilling to compound her mistake, she forced a smile, "I tripped, little sister keep playing, I’m going to change clothes at Second Madame’s courtyard."

Tong Xiyu frowned, her gaze lingering on Tong Xiyang’s face for a moment before looking at Xiqiu, who stood there smiling, showing no signs of anything amiss.

She couldn’t help but grow more suspicious.

Miss Fang, however, smiled brightly, went over to take her arm: "I’ll go with you, I haven’t seen Second Madame for a while."

Tong Xiyu also said softly, "I’ll go too, maybe I can help." With that, the pavilion was left with only Xiqiu, and Bihuai awkwardly asked Xiqiu, "Sixth Miss, would you like to play a bit longer?"

Xiqiu smiled and rose, glanced at the hour and said, "With so many of you going, I won’t go, lest we disturb Second Madame." She smiled at Bihuai, "Could Sister arrange for a maid to lead me back to the theater hall in front?"

Bihuai, her expression odd, nodded and instructed Nanny Luo to attend well, while she accompanied Tong Xiyang to Second Madame’s courtyard.

As Xiqiu approached the small garden, she noticed some mud on her hand, turned and smiled at Nanny Luo, "Could you take me to the restroom first?"

"Sure, Miss, follow me." Leading Xiqiu, she turned into a small courtyard by the garden, the structure and layout suggesting a guest room, though unoccupied currently, it was kept quite clean. Nanny Luo led her to the rear chamber of the courtyard, lifted the curtain, and said, "Miss, just call if you need anything." Xiqiu nodded, left Sixing and Siliu outside, and went in alone.