Chapter 438 Am I a thief?
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Lady Qian nudged Mingzhu, whispering, “Stop acting like a child! With so many eyes watching, do you want to be the laughingstock?” With that, she pulled Fu Zifei’s hand and walked away without looking back.
Walking, Fu Zifei glanced back curiously at Yuwen Chu, whispering, “Did Uncle and Auntie have a fight?”
Lady Qian gently but firmly replied, “No. Children don’t understand adult matters. Don’t inquire. When you enter the palace later, remember not to be too curious. Curiosity can be deadly.”
Fu Zifei blushed and dared not speak further.
Yuwen Chu approached Mingzhu and whispered, “Let’s get on the carriage.”
Mingzhu stood still, pouting stubbornly, “No!”
Yuwen Chu was frustrated by today’s setbacks and was also filled with grievances towards Fu Mingzheng. Feeling extremely upset, seeing her still being disobedient and opposing him, he couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation, “Are you two siblings teaming up to annoy me? What did I do? One treats me like a thief to guard against, while the other directly accuses me of being one.”
Mingzhu remained silent, her eyes inadvertently reddening, tears welling up as she looked at him.
Yuwen Chu had intended to say more cutting remarks, but seeing Mingzhu’s distressed expression and teary eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to. He sighed and wordlessly grabbed her hand, leading her forward.
Mingzhu squirmed, intending to resist, but with so many eyes around, she lacked the bravery and thick skin of her youth. She couldn’t resist Yuwen Chu’s pull and was reluctantly led to the carriage.
Wanting to put on another act, Mingzhu was followed closely by Yuwen Chu, who squeezed in. With a stern expression, he grabbed her and pressed her down onto the seat, sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulder, preventing her from moving. Coldly, he ordered, “Go!”
The well-trained coachman immediately drove the carriage. Mingzhu remained silent, her face dark, eyes downcast, but she no longer fidgeted.
Seeing her compliance, Yuwen Chu withdrew his hand. Frowning, he said, “Jiang Shanshan escaped. From now on, you’re not allowed to act alone. Otherwise, you’ll face consequences.”
“Escaped?” Mingzhu was disappointed and surprised. “You two teamed up, yet she still managed to escape!” Realizing her slip, she immediately shut her mouth, turning her head away.
Yuwen Chu glared at her sternly. “How did you know we teamed up? With whom?”
Mingzhu didn’t dare reveal she had sneaked to the pavilion near Suiyu Pavilion. Instead, she pouted and whispered, “Didn’t you say we siblings conspired against you? I’m not stupid. I heard you.”
Yuwen Chu sneered, “Staying alone outside for a few days indeed has made you bolder. Not only sharp-tongued but also adept at finding loopholes in my words. Lying without batting an eye. Shall I ask Donghui and Su Lan? Don’t think they won’t tell me. I may not hit you, but I won’t spare them.”
Mingzhu angrily retorted, “Go ahead, hit me! Who said I want your pity? They won’t sweet-talk you like babies just to get your favor! Shameless! Disgusting!” She pushed Yuwen Chu hard, tears streaming down her face. Feeling embarrassed, she turned away and sobbed softly in a corner of the carriage.
Yuwen Chu’s face darkened upon hearing her words. How dare she! Sneaking to eavesdrop on them at the unfamiliar Linan Mansion, was she not afraid Jiang Shanshan had set a trap for her? Thinking of Jiang Shanshan, lurking like a snake in the water, he couldn’t help but shudder. Grabbing Mingzhu, he forced her to face him. “How do you know about this? Did you go to Suiyu Pavilion? Why did you go? Were my words just empty talk?”
His gaze was terrifying. Despite her bravery and anger, Mingzhu felt intimidated. She quickly shook her head, “I didn’t go to Suiyu Pavilion. I swear!”
Ignoring her protest, Yuwen Chu ordered the coachman to stop the carriage. “Get Donghui and Su Lan here immediately!” he barked.
Donghui and Su Lan silently got off another carriage and stood before them, bowing respectfully. Yuwen Chu’s voice turned cold. “How did I instruct you? Allowing the Wangfei to wander freely. Punish yourselves by slapping your mouthes!”
Donghui and Su Lan hesitated for a moment, raising their hands to hit themselves in the face. Mingzhu panicked, feeling that Yuwen Chu was just venting his anger on her. She couldn’t explain to Yuwen Chu why she was so bold at this moment, nor dared to confront him now for fear of further angering him. She lunged forward, tightly hugging Yuwen Chu’s waist, pressing her face against his back, and softly sobbing, “It’s not their fault, it’s all my fault, Your Highness, please forgive them.”
Hearing her cry, Yuwen Chu’s heart softened, but in his eyes, Mingzhu dared to wander around freely in Linan Wang’s mansion, a completely unfamiliar place, which was unforgivable. He must seize this opportunity to teach her a lesson and prevent her from acting so recklessly in the future. He coldly ignored Mingzhu, and looked at Donghui and Su Lan, “What are you waiting for?”
Donghui and Su Lan smiled bitterly, resigned to their fate.
Mingzhu suddenly let go of Yuwen Chu’s waist, hugged her abdomen tightly, curled up in a ball, trembling, “My stomach hurts.”
Yuwen Chu didn’t believe her, but dared not disbelieve her either. After all, there had been too many incidents during this pregnancy, especially these days. Not to mention Mingzhu, even he had been extremely worried and nervous. He reluctantly waved his hand to let Donghui and Su Lan step back, and whispered, “Send someone to ride back and quickly bring Tang Chunlai over.” He instructed the coachman, “Drive faster and steadier.”
With the arrangements made, he lifted Mingzhu up and laid her flat. Mingzhu rested her head on his legs, turned her face away, refusing to let him see, and tightly hugged her abdomen, feeling extremely resentful. This shameless person was just afraid that her fourth brother would come later and tell her what good deeds he had done, so he preemptively attacked her, finding fault with her. This cunning and malicious person, she wondered if the one inside her belly was just as devious and cunning.
The dim light cast a yellowish hue on Mingzhu’s face, creating shadows from her long eyelashes and softening her clenched expression. Yuwen Chu glanced at her and knew she had been lying to him just now. He sighed with relief, preferring to be deceived rather than seeing her in trouble. After all they had been through, he decided it was best for Tang Chunlai to check on her for reassurance.
Sighing, he reached out to touch Mingzhu’s face. “You’re the one who wouldn’t listen and ran around everywhere. Why are you even angrier than me?”
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