Chapter Eleven: How Could My Sister Commit Arson Just to Slander Me?

Jiang Lingyao began to cough. "Wen... Wenqiu."

"Miss! Miss, you're awake!"

Wenqiu wailed even louder, her tears falling in large drops onto Jiang Lingyao’s face. Jiang Lingyao felt as if her entire body had been crushed by a massive boulder; her hands were numb, and her throat felt as dry and jagged as if it had been sliced by a blade. Realizing she could not speak, she shook her head helplessly, signaling for Wenqiu to help her up.

At least, thank heavens, she hadn't died an unknown death in this inferno.

Jiang Lingyao felt the coolness on her face—whether it was her own tears or Wenqiu's, she could not tell. Hearing the voices from across the courtyard, her heart turned cold. Her eldest brother and her mother were all concerned for Song Lian'er; not a single soul cared for her.

A sharp ache pierced Jiang Lingyao’s nose. As she was half-lifted into a sitting position, she looked at the blackened, charred ruins of the Pearl Pavilion behind her and was suddenly overcome by a fit of racking coughs. This was her family—the family who had once cherished her like a precious pearl, the family who had once held her as the apple of their eye! They were all gathered around the already-conscious Song Lian'er, listening to her aggrieved accusations, without a single one of them noticing her.

"Boom—"

Jiang Lingyao felt the last shred of her attachment burn away along with the Pearl Pavilion. The soreness in her eyes vanished, leaving her heart numb.

"Why, why did no one save me? I was so scared, Lian'er," Song Lian'er cried loudly. "Why is my sister so cruel? She actually set the fire, wanting us to perish together!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the courtyard seemed to notice Jiang Lingyao’s presence for the first time. They turned their heads, and upon meeting the dead, hollow look in her eyes, they were all momentarily stunned.

Father Jiang’s face darkened, and he looked at Pei Xingzhi with a questioning gaze. "Why did you not save Lian'er?"

So, it was Pei Xingzhi who had saved her. Yet, the next moment, his words tore through every ounce of gratitude in her heart.

"I mistook her for someone else." Pei Xingzhi’s tone was indifferent, his gaze fixed intently upon her with a complexity she could not fathom. "I thought she was Lian'er."

Jiang Lingyao did not know whether to cry or to be relieved. Her expression was bitter, and her numb heart grew even colder, plummeting into the deepest abyss.

"Jiang Lingyao!"

Jiang Xiuyuan quickly regained his composure, strode over to her, and struck her across the face with a fierce slap. "How can you be so vicious? Lian'er’s father died saving you! And yet you dare to try to kill her!"

Jiang Lingyao felt dizzy from the blow. Wenqiu shielded her in her arms, bordering on madness. "Eldest Young Master, is the Sixth Miss not your sister? What are you doing? Are you trying to force her to her death?"

"I beg you, my masters, can you not spare the Miss? It was clearly Song Lian'er who forced her way in, had people drag me away, and locked the room tight, leaving the Miss with no way out!"

"Who would set their own house on fire? The Miss is already suffering from old injuries; how could she have the heart to do such a thing? Open your eyes and look at the Miss’s hands—they are covered in blood, her palms shredded by the wood! She is the Sixth Miss of the Duke’s household, she is a mistress too! How can you be so heartless!"

As Wenqiu’s cries grew more frantic, the tears Jiang Lingyao had been holding back finally burst forth. She curled up in Wenqiu’s arms, trembling as she sobbed.

Jiang Xiuyuan was left speechless. He frowned and looked at Song Lian'er, his eyes filled with doubt. "Is this true, Lian'er? Did you force people out and set the fire?"

Song Lian'er wanted nothing more than to kill the eyesore that was Wenqiu. She gripped her palms tightly, crying with an air of grievance. "Does Big Brother not believe me?"

Seeing the doubt in Jiang Xiuyuan’s eyes, her heart tightened in panic for a moment. But then, remembering what had just happened, she quickly added, "Sister said that this time she had to show me who the true pearl of the Duke’s household is, and see who you would choose to save if we were both in the fire."

"Otherwise, otherwise why would Brother Pei have mistaken her for me?"

The atmosphere turned icy. Song Lian'er felt smug, crying even louder. "Sister, I know you are dissatisfied with me, but how could you set a fire just to spite me?"