Chapter 143: The Truth Revealed

Liang Xiao did not refuse the concubine maids sent by Madame Liang. With a slight nod, he instructed them to return to the courtyard first, stating that he still had matters to attend to, and left the Liang residence.

Seeing the wave of helplessness on Mammy Fang’s face, Madame Liang’s expression turned very cold. "He has never had maids to wait on him. It was fine when he was younger, but now that he is about to marry and settle a household, I must make sure everything that needs to be prepared is in place. I can no longer let him act so willfully and recklessly."

At this point, Madame Liang’s emotions became slightly agitated. "Take right now, for instance. I don't even know where he has gone. How can my heart be at ease? The eldest and second sons are currently missing without a trace, so I can only pin my hopes on him. It's just a pity that he is so opinionated..."

"The Fourth Master didn't say anything improper; he still understands your intentions, Madam."

Mammy Fang deliberately feigned incomprehension of the Madam's words. In truth, the Madam was expressing her lack of trust in Xu Ruojin.

Seeing that Mammy Fang refused to take the cue, Madame Liang truly ran out of options. In her heart, she knew she shouldn't vent her temper on Mammy Fang or suspect that she and Xu Ruojin were secretly colluding, but she just couldn't help herself.

"Forget it. After all, this is how it has to be, and I will bear it. I will simply handle the Fourth's wedding impeccably; we must not lose face for the Liang family."

Xu Ruojin had been busy with the grand wedding matters for several consecutive days, and she was completely exhausted.

She never would have imagined that getting married could be so tedious, with even more rigid rules and restrictions than her previous era.

Was this meant to make sure the bride wouldn't look pretty in her scarlet wedding robes, deliberately wearing her down until she lost a few pounds?

Xu Ruojin slumped across the bed, secretly complaining in her heart.

However, fate simply would not allow her to rest. Hongxing ran in from outside and said, "Second Young Miss, Miss Mo has come to present your wedding gifts. Will you see her or not?"

Mo Rong?

Xu Ruojin was quite surprised by this, but after a moment's thought, she nodded to receive her. "Invite her in. Since she has already reached the doorway, there is no reason to chase her away. Is she by herself, or are there others?"

"Madame Mo is with her as well. Master is entertaining them in the front parlor."

"Then I understand."

Xu Ruojin climbed off the bed, straightened her attire and hair ornaments, and went to welcome them at the entrance of the small courtyard.

Mo Rong stepped down from her small sedan chair and saw Xu Ruojin standing at the doorway looking at her with a smile. Her delicate face stiffened slightly, and then she forced a smile.

Although she was smiling, it looked even more miserable than crying.

Xu Ruojin walked over and looked her up and down. "As long as you're fine, that's all that matters! As long as you're safe and sound, everything is fine!"

Upon hearing these words, Mo Rong almost burst into tears.

Although she was the victim in this whole affair, unfortunately, very few people pitied her.

Along with her, the entire Mo family had suffered heavy discrimination and scorn, all because of her inexplicable disappearance.

Despite maintaining her purity, having been away from home for so long without reason—who could say what might have happened?

Even with a hundred mouths, the Mo family could not clear their name. They couldn't very well go outside and shout at the top of their lungs that their daughter's chastity remained intact, could they? Besides, the Mo family knew the truth in their hearts, and the reason they endured such severe grievance without daring to speak out was entirely because they were in the wrong.

Who asked them to agree in the first place to let their daughter come forward to slander Madame Xu?

Ultimately, they had to swallow this bitter pill in silence.

Originally, Madame Mo had been unwilling to let Mo Rong come and present wedding gifts to Xu Ruojin—did she want her to come and be scolded? Having already lost all her face, there was no need to deliberately invite abuse.

However, Mo Rong refused to give in.

She insisted on seeing Xu Ruojin; she would rather die than not see her.

Left with no choice, Madame Mo had no alternative but to accompany her personally.

Master Secretary Xu was, after all, an official of a certain standing, so he wouldn't let things blow up too terribly. He had just deliberately sent a maid to ask if Xu Ruojin was willing to see them. Hearing that Miss Ruojin had agreed, Madame Mo finally heaved a sigh of relief and allowed Mo Rong to meet her in the small courtyard.

Whether she was beaten or scolded in this private courtyard, it wouldn't cause too much loss of face.

Mo Rong had prepared herself mentally, yet she never expected that Xu Ruojin would be the very first person to say, "As long as you're fine."

Those who used to be on good terms with her either deliberately distanced themselves or made sarcastic, cynical remarks.

"It was all my fault. I've come to apologize to you. It was entirely my own doing, I deserved it..."

As Mo Rong spoke, her knees went soft, and she prepared to kneel before Xu Ruojin.

Xu Ruojin quickly reached out to support her, and Mo Rong's tears came pattering down.

"Let's go inside to talk. Let's talk inside."

Xu Ruojin instructed Hongxing to tend to Mo Rong's maids and mammy, and told Chuncao to fetch a basin of fresh water so Mo Rong could wash her face.

Mo Rong wiped her swollen, red eyes, and said with awkward embarrassment, "I originally came to present gifts and celebrate the joyous occasion, but instead I couldn't control myself and shed tears. Please don't mind it, Miss Xu, and don't make a laughingstock of me."

"Alright now, it's not like we're outsiders." Xu Ruojin looked at her closely.

Mo Rong had lost weight; her once fair and tender face had turned sallow, lacking its previous youthful glow. Fear and timidity lingered in her eyes, and she kept her head lowered even when looking toward Chuncao and Hongxing.

Her heart was filled with intense self-doubt and isolation; clearly, she had been terrified out of her wits by that incident.

"It was all my fault. Even though he forced me into it, I was the one who agreed, and I was the one who slandered Madame Xu to stir up trouble."

Mo Rong was confessing her faults, and Xu Ruojin did not stop her.

These were words from the depths of her heart. Letting her speak them out was much better than keeping them bottled up inside; otherwise, it would drive her to illness.

"One wrong step led to every step being wrong. I blame no one; I only blame myself."

Mo Rong looked at Xu Ruojin. "I only beg Elder Sister Xu to forgive me. My apology comes straight from the heart. I am willing to serve you like a beast of burden, and I will accept it. If you despise me, I will go find a nunnery to become a nun, so as not to bring further disgrace to my family."

"The one who committed the wrong is Zhang Zhongheng. Although you share some blame, you have also suffered greatly and paid the penalty. There is no need for me to hold a grudge against you anymore."

Xu Ruojin patted her shoulder. "You still have your family, so stop talking such nonsense. Otherwise, it will sound insincere to me and only distance our bond."

"Our bond..."

Mo Rong murmured softly. "These two words are far too heavy. How could I ever be worthy of them?"

"Why wouldn't you be worthy?"

Xu Ruojin gave a self-deprecating smile. "Before, my life was even worse than yours is now, and didn't I pull through it? As long as you don't give up on yourself, life will always get better day by day. What you should fear the most is losing hope within yourself, because then there will be no expectations left at all."

A complex expression surfaced on Mo Rong's face as she stared intently at Xu Ruojin.

"What is it?" Xu Ruojin felt her gaze was rather strange.

Noticing that only Chuncao was in the room, Mo Rong clearly wanted to confirm whether she could be trusted.

Xu Ruojin nodded slightly, and only then did Mo Rong speak up. "I came here today because there is something I want to tell you."

"Go ahead."

"Do you know who it was that lured me out and broke my leg?"

Without waiting for Xu Ruojin to ask, Mo Rong blurted out, "It was Yuan Huiling! She is the one who wanted to harm me. She and Zhang Zhongheng are in cahoots! She is the one who envies you the most, and she has always wanted to kill you. Back then, it was her who instigated Zhang Zhongheng to push you into the water, and she was the one who originally wanted to marry into the Zhang family!"