Chapter 33: Can't Eat This Dead Cat

Xiao Yichen, who hadn't spoken for a long time, said: "If you want to know whether things are as Yunxi said, just send someone to check the account book of the dye shop where Xueer bought the dye—wouldn't it be obvious?"

Pei Shangyan agreed: "Exactly, since Mu Yuanzhi and Pei Yunxi each hold their own version, to be fair, just send someone to check right away and we'll know."

"Brother Chen and Crown Prince Brother don't believe me?" Pei Yunxi looked at them with tearful eyes.

"Are you scared?" Mu Yuanzhi sneered.

Pei Shangling, even if he wanted to defend himself, felt this was indeed the only way to clear Pei Yunxi's false accusation; he comfortingly patted her shoulder: "Little sister, it's not that we don't want to believe you, it's just that someone is spitting blood! You can't eat this dead cat."

After saying that, he glared fiercely at Mu Yuanzhi, wishing he could give her a good lesson right away!

"Little sister, the innocent need no fear; if you haven't done it, you don't need to worry." Pei Shangyan gave Pei Yunxi a reassuring smile.

Xiao Yichen also nodded.

Pei Yunxi let out a helpless, aggrieved hum from her throat.

Soon, the person Pei Shangyan sent to investigate returned, bringing the account book as well.

Pei Shangling was the first to snatch it up and look; before he could see clearly, the messenger said: "I've already asked the shopkeeper—Miss Xueer indeed once came to her place to order this batch of dye."

As soon as the messenger finished speaking, Pei Shangling found that page and exclaimed delightedly: "Look, it's right here!"

Sure enough, the little sister was wronged!

Pei Shangyan breathed a sigh of relief; fortunately, it was just a misunderstanding.

"Look for yourself!" Pei Shangling flung the account book straight at Mu Yuanzhi's forehead.

Quick-witted Gu Rongjin caught it with one hand and handed it to Mu Yuanzhi to look at.

Black and white text was crystal clear.

Mu Yuanzhi indeed hadn't expected that the dye in the vat had been ordered by Pei Yunxi; it seemed these dyes were originally placed there for some other purpose, though what exactly they were used for remains unknown.

Pei Shangling took Mu Yuanzhi's silence as guilt, pointing at her angrily: "Mu Yuanzhi, you've had enough! Why do you keep opposing my little sister? What has she done to deserve this?! Are you jealous that she's taken your favor, making you so narrow-minded and petty!"

"Favor? Do you mean the favor of being thrown into Yong Lane to suffer endless torment? Or the favor of death by lingchi, being flayed and exposed to the sun?"

Mu Yuanzhi didn't bother arguing with Pei Shangling about these meaningless things; she curled her lips in self-mockery, it was just another loss to Pei Yunxi.

Her expression made Xiao Yichen frown beside her, and he said: "But how would Yuanzhi know that Yunxi's jade pendant was stained with this dye that washes off in three days? She's been unconscious these past two days."

His words once again froze the air.

Mu Yuanzhi lifted her eyes to look at Xiao Yichen, not understanding why he suddenly spoke up for her.

"What do you mean, Xiao Yichen? Are you doubting your future wife just because of a few words from an outsider?!" Pei Shangling rebuked Xiao Yichen.

Accustomed to such remarks, the outsider Mu Yuanzhi showed no change in expression; she also wondered what had gotten into Xiao Yichen to suddenly help her, so she looked at him as well.

Xiao Yichen said lightly: "I'm merely raising a question."

"When I visited my sister, I once wore the jade pendant; perhaps she, in a dazed state, saw this dye and got excited, recalling the warehouse, leading to the misunderstanding." Pei Yunxi pursed her lips and explained sadly.

Her eyes were filled with sorrow over Xiao Yichen raising such a question.

Xiao Yichen met Pei Yunxi's sorrowful gaze, his heart sank, and he somewhat regretted his earlier words.

Perhaps sensing the unpleasant atmosphere between Pei Yunxi and Xiao Yichen, Pei Shangyan hurried to smooth things over: "Xiao Yichen is just out of professional habit, doubting everything unreasonable; since it's all a misunderstanding, let's drop it—we're all on the same side, don't let a small misunderstanding breed resentment."

Pei Shangling snorted coldly: "First, let certain people stop arbitrarily targeting my little sister!"

"Old Four, shut up."

Pei Shangling unwillingly closed his mouth, not wanting to stay another moment, he turned and left.

Having failed to trip Pei Yunxi, Mu Yuanzhi also didn't want to engage in eye games with these people; she simply lay back down in bed, too lazy to issue an eviction order.

Xiao Yichen, who had wanted to ask about her condition, seeing this, ended up saying nothing and also turned and left.

He felt torn inside, yet also thought he shouldn't be; there are so many coincidences in the world, he shouldn't hold a grudge against Yunxi just because of a coincidence—she's so kind.

Once Xiao Yichen left, Pei Yunxi naturally followed.

Although she resented his earlier doubt, just as the Crown Prince Brother said, it's a professional habit—he has solved countless cases, comparable to the Imperial Court of Justice and the Ministry of Punishment; such habitual suspicion is understandable, and it certainly wasn't aimed at Mu Yuanzhi!

After comforting herself, Pei Yunxi gained the motivation to run after Xiao Yichen.

Three people left at once, the inner chamber instantly emptied; Gu Rongjin still wanted to make it emptier, and asked Pei Shangyan bewilderedly: "Your Highness Crown Prince, why are you still standing here? The patient needs to rest."

Pei Shangyan countered: "Why are you still here, Master Gu, interfering with Little Sister's rest?"

"What's wrong with me guarding the future consort? On the contrary, Your Highness Crown Prince should be attending to myriad affairs; stop coming to cause trouble." Gu Rongjin said, becoming impolite toward the end.

Pei Shangyan immediately darkened his face: "Master Gu, you wouldn't think that having saved the princess and earned some merit means you can ignore the palace, would you?"

He assumed the airs of the heir apparent, his aura fully unleashed.

"I dare not, but compared to Your Highness Crown Prince abandoning little Yuanzhi while I saved her, do you think she'd rather not see you or not see me?" Gu Rongjin raised his eyebrows at Pei Shangyan.

Pei Shangyan lost his composure at once; he hurried to look at Mu Yuanzhi, who had her back to him and said nothing, as if acknowledging Gu Rongjin's words.

He knew she hadn't fallen asleep that quickly.

Yeah, no matter what, his abandoning her is a fact.

Though she was tightly wrapped in thick blankets, she still appeared frail and slender.

How desperate Little Sister must have been at that time.

Just thinking about this, Pei Shangyan's heart felt a sharp pang.

When Little Sister was brought back, she bled profusely; the servants' discarded clothes were all soaked in blood, not a single piece unstained, and the floor was covered in blood—so much blood that he even suspected she had none left to lose.

Even if Gu Rongjin had given her a lot of blood, her complexion remained as pale as paper, her eyes shut tight; he was terrified back then, afraid she would never open her eyes again, never call him "Crown Prince Brother" again.

"Little Sister…… I…… I'm leaving first." He asked hesitantly.