Chapter Forty-Eight: Innocence

Xu Ruojin’s sudden burst of resolve stunned everyone present.

Xu Yaohui felt a tremor in his chest, and Madam Yang was so frightened she couldn’t utter a word. The people around them began to shriek, while Xu Zilin remained firmly holding Li Qiuping down, not allowing her to cause more trouble.

It was Xu Zimo who rushed forward, snatching the wine jar from Xu Ruojin’s hand. “Enough! I’d like to see who dares bully my second sister. That man grabbed the wine and drank it himself—it wasn’t my sister who forced him. Why should she bear all the blame?”

Xu Ruojin had never been able to hold her liquor. After forcing so much down in a single go, her head swam and her vision blurred. Still, she warned herself not to collapse—if she did, she would lose.

Chuncao, ever attentive, noticed the second young lady’s distress and hurried over to support her.

Xu Zimo glared furiously at the others. “What are you looking at? What’s so amusing? Get out of here, all of you!”

“No more nonsense,” Xu Yaohui finally regained his composure, stopping Xu Zimo’s outburst. “Your second sister wishes to prove her innocence with her actions. If you drive people away now, wouldn’t that betray her intentions?”

He turned to his attendants. “Go hurry the doctors—see when they’ll arrive. Call every physician in the county, summon all renowned healers to render a joint verdict!”

With Xu Yaohui’s words, the matter was set in stone. Say what you will about the Xu family’s private affairs, but with every doctor in the county brought here to examine one fainted man, could they all be bribed to lie? If anyone still doubted after this, they were simply looking for faults where none existed.

Even if the Xu family claimed responsibility, the doctors would not tolerate their own reputations being sullied. Their honor was at stake.

Before long, the first doctor hurried in. News of the incident had spread like wildfire, and many were already aware of what had happened at the foot of the mountain. More and more people flocked to witness the commotion. The doctor, without needing to ask much, could already piece together the situation.

Setting down his medical case, he knelt to feel Li Zhonglin’s pulse, lifted his eyelids, checked his breath, and after some thought, pronounced, “His body is frail and depleted. He drank far too much. His life is not in danger, but he’ll need medicine to recover.”

“But wasn’t that medicinal wine? Shouldn’t it have been good for someone weak? Why did he end up with a nosebleed and fainting?” someone questioned nearby.

The doctor answered gravely, “Have you never heard the saying, ‘the weak cannot bear supplements’?”

“I see…” murmured several in the crowd, some now feeling ashamed. So this young man was in poor health to begin with—no wonder a few bowls of medicinal wine caused him to bleed and collapse, while the second Miss Xu had drunk a whole jar and was still standing.

They had wronged her!

Many harbored similar thoughts, and fell silent or slipped away quietly.

Xu Yaohui did not want the incident to end so simply, but as an official, having just shown his authority, he could not now forbid people from leaving without risking backlash. He signaled to Xu Zilin to step forward.

Since Li Qiuping had been stirring up trouble, Xu Zilin, though unwilling, had no choice but to raise his voice. “Why are you all leaving? Weren’t you shouting so loudly just now? If any of you have a shred of conscience, stay until the next doctor arrives and the truth is confirmed. Otherwise, you are slanderers—you are the real culprits!”

He glared at each person, as if committing every face to memory.

Those who had thought to slip away quickly shrank back, not wanting to draw attention.

Soon, another doctor arrived to examine the patient, and his conclusions matched the first: the weak cannot bear supplements—he simply drank too much!

Xu Ruojin felt as if her heart were on fire, her stomach churning unbearably, but she refused to embarrass herself now. She fixed a steely gaze on Zhang Zhongheng until he, disgruntled, gave a cold snort and left. Only then did she allow herself a smile.

The victor is never the one who is base and despicable—never!

Pinching Chuncao’s arm for support, Xu Ruojin whispered, “Help me to the carriage, quickly!”

Chuncao nodded at once and assisted her quietly through the crowd.

The moment she climbed into the carriage, Xu Ruojin collapsed, her head splitting as if it would burst. She didn’t know when she lost consciousness, nor how her father resolved the aftermath.

She knew only one thing…

After today, in the eyes of the crowd, the name Xu Ruojin would never again be that of a weak girl to be bullied.

Never again!

When Xu Ruojin awoke, it was already the afternoon of the following day.

Her head was still heavy, her eyes ached and stung so badly she could barely open them.

“Chuncao, are you there?” she called softly.

Chuncao immediately replied at her side, “Second Miss, you’re awake!” She pressed a cup of water to Xu Ruojin’s lips. “Drink some more.”

After downing the whole cup, Xu Ruojin asked for a cool cloth to soothe her eyes. When she managed to open them, she saw she was in the Xu family’s small courtyard. She breathed a sigh of relief and asked in a hoarse voice, “How long have I slept?”

“You had a high fever after coming home yesterday,” Chuncao replied, “dazed and vomiting constantly. Master and Madam both came to check on you several times. Second Miss, you took such a risk yesterday—you nearly scared me to death!”

Chuncao wouldn’t let her get up. “You should stay in bed. The doctor said you need several days to recover. Your food must be soft and light. I’ll bring you some porridge soon.”

As Chuncao rambled on, Xu Ruojin recalled the events of the previous day and couldn’t help but ask, “How was it all resolved in the end?”

“You fainted in the carriage, so I ran to tell Master. He sent for the doctor to check your pulse, then had the eldest young master settle everything. Master and Madam brought you home first, and you had a raging fever after that.”

Chuncao gently wiped Xu Ruojin’s cracked lips. “You even blistered from the fever.”

“What about Li Zhonglin? Did he wake up?” Xu Ruojin’s question made Chuncao snort. “He came around last night, but no one wanted to bother with him.”

“Well, at least let him walk around in good health for a few days before he dies, or people will use this to stir up trouble again.”

Chuncao laughed at that. “Exactly—let him recover before he dies, or they’ll blame our second miss again.”

As the two spoke, a voice called out from the courtyard.

Chuncao hurried out and said to the visitor, “Second Miss is awake. Please inform Master and Madam. I really can’t leave her right now.”

The messenger left at once to report.

Soon, Madam Yang arrived in haste with Nanny Huang. Seeing Xu Ruojin half-reclining on the bed, Yang was silent for a long while before speaking. “You really are fearless—to treat yourself so harshly. Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

Though Xu Ruojin’s voice was weak, her words carried a force that startled everyone: “I am afraid—I am very afraid of dying. I’m not willing to throw my life away, which is why I will not allow anyone to sully its innocence. If I could do it over, I would make the same choice. I would never shrink back.”