This wasn’t the time to laugh.
The reason she laughed was because she thought of the scene back then.
She had been suspected by A’Jiu of her identity, confronted him by the river and fallen into the water, then was rescued by Xiao Xun. To avoid getting entangled with Xiao Xun, she had grabbed onto A’Jiu and shouted those words about life and death together.
When she said those words back then, what expression did A’Jiu have? Probably as shocked as the girls in this room now, right?
Unfortunately, at that time she was buried in his embrace and didn’t see it.
However, if A’Jiu were present at this moment, his expression would definitely be one of gloating. His phoenix eyes would be upturned, the corners of his mouth full of that infuriating smile, and he would laugh at her saying, “Serves you right, you brought this on yourself.”
“A’Zhao,” Qi Leyun glared. “What are you laughing at! You’re still laughing!”
A girl beside her said softly: “It’s because this is ridiculous, right?”
Right, it’s ridiculous, right? It’s fake, right? The girls’ gazes fixed tightly on Chu Zhao.
Chu Zhao looked at Liang Qin with a smile, also seeing through her intentions.
This rumor was aimed directly at her, and deliberately delivered into the hands of Liang Qin, who needed it most.
Liang Qin didn’t want an explanation at all—
“Who said this?” Chu Zhao asked with a smile, neither refuting nor explaining, but questioning instead.
Qi Leyun immediately followed up: “That’s right, who told you this? You can’t just fabricate things and slander someone’s reputation.”
The girl standing beside Chu Tang, after being coached, spoke up again. Unlike Qi Leyun’s aggressive approach, she spoke with some sympathy: “A’Qin, I know you feel wronged, but you can’t let others manipulate you. However many people took pleasure in seeing you rejected by the Xie family’s son, that’s how many people are jealous and resentful seeing A’Zhao treated as an honored guest by Third Master Xie.”
These words were powerful.
The girls in the room showed expressions of sudden understanding—that’s right, exactly so.
After Third Master Xie arrived in the capital, there wasn’t even a single female family member in the Xie household, leaving all the women in the capital with no way to visit. They couldn’t very well go to the Crown Princess to get an introduction to Third Master Xie, could they? Even the Crown Princess had only met Third Master Xie once.
Chu Zhao was the first to be invited, or rather to barge in—regardless of how it happened, she had entered the Xie family’s doors. Most importantly, Chu Zhao was personally escorted out by Third Master Xie in the end.
How many people would be jealous?
Girls understood other girls’ methods best. When you hate someone, you try to create trouble for them.
“A’Qin, who exactly said this?”
“Speak up quickly. I want to see what kind of person could overhear others saying such intimate things.”
The girls pressed her with questions.
Liang Qin was instantly surrounded and attacked. Her maids and servants couldn’t help but hold Liang Qin tighter—should they take the young lady home after all? Watching the young lady rush out of the house, the madam didn’t stop her, but was this really alright?
What if there was another fight?
All the household servants had followed, hadn’t they? The young masters were here too, right?
Liang Qin was so angry she nearly vomited blood, furious that these girls still protected Chu Zhao after hearing these words. She pushed away her maids and servants and stood up: “The whole street is saying it, everyone is saying it—go ask them, go ask!”
Qi Leyun snorted: “I don’t believe the Xie family’s courtyard has become a public street where everyone can hear what people say inside their home.”
“I never said they said it at home,” Liang Qin shouted, staring hatefully at Chu Zhao. “Who knows where these two hid to do such shameless things—there’s no wall in the world without cracks.”
Chu Zhao sneered coldly: “Such shameless things would certainly require avoiding others’ eyes and ears. Aside from the two of us, how could anyone else easily overhear? So either I spread this, or the Xie family spread it. I’m going right now to ask the Xie family what exactly is going on!”
Having said this, she strode toward the exit.
Liang Qin hadn’t expected her to just leave—to go ask the Xie family?
“Don’t you run!” Liang Qin shouted, lunging forward to grab Chu Zhao.
How could Chu Zhao let her catch her? With a wave of her hand, the frail Liang Qin cried out and fell backward, fortunately caught by her servants and maids, while Chu Zhao walked away with large strides without looking back.
“Grab her,” Liang Qin shrilly urged her maids and servants.
Before the maids and servants beside her could move forward, a Liang family maid crowding at the door was kicked aside by A’Le.
“Don’t block my young lady’s path,” she barked.
The maids crowding at the doorway, regardless of whose household they belonged to, instantly made way, watching this master and servant swagger past.
Outside the door, quite a crowd had gathered, including shop assistants hesitating about whether to mediate—alas, Miss Chu had already competed in literature, yet she still hadn’t forgotten about martial combat.
There were also quite a few customers, pointing and commenting. Some were inquiring what had happened, while others clearly already knew and were whispering head-to-head in discussion.
Seeing the girl stride out, the noise instantly froze.
A’Le raised her eyebrows and shouted: “Make way!”
Whether shop assistants or customers, they all immediately stepped back.
Chu Zhao’s expression was calm as she walked at a measured pace.
“A’Le,” she said, “Pay the bill. Coming out to have fun was spoiled because of me—I can’t let everyone else pay too.”
A’Le responded affirmatively. The shopkeeper was watching from the side and blurted out: “No rush, Miss can put it on account—”
Only men could open accounts at Elegant Interest Pavilion; women could only have charges under their husbands’ or fathers’ names.
This was probably the first time Elegant Interest Pavilion had opened an account for a woman.
Chu Zhao showed no trace of panic, only nodding: “Thank you. All expenses for the private room today go on my account.”