Chapter 296: Our Master Said That’s Called Threatening
Xie Yushan was finally smart for once, dispatching the trusted heart-and-soul servant who had grown up by his side to fetch Xie Anyi.
Qiu Rongrong, on her end, was completely unaware as the man had already arrived at the academy.
Xie Anyi and Datou were practically inseparable from Jin Xiuyi, and their two older brothers came to visit them whenever they had free time. What’s more, with Guan Shengrui joining them now, the several boys were glued to each other all day long.
When the servant from the Xie family was brought over, they happened to be enjoying a break between classes, gathering together to eat pastry snacks that Wang Zhao had quietly slipped outside to buy for them.
“Young Master, Madam sent this servant to fetch you. There are a few matters at the estate requiring your immediate return.” The newcomer was very clever, omitting any mention of Xie Yushan and claiming instead that Qiu Rongrong had sent him.
Looking puzzled, Xie Anyi asked, “My mother? What matters?”
The servant replied respectfully, “Distinguished guests have arrived at the house today, and Madam wishes to bring Young Master along to greet the guests.”
Although Xie Anyi felt it was a bit strange, the man was indeed a household servant from his family, so he thought no more of it: “Alright then, I’ll go inform the master.”
The servant hurriedly said, “This servant has already informed the master. Young Master may follow this servant directly.”
“Oh.” Xie Anyi stood up and bade farewell to his companions.
Just as he was about to leave, Datou suddenly caught hold of Xie Anyi’s hand and asked, “Is he from your house?”
As Datou spoke, he even squinted his eyes to shoot a glance at the servant from the Xie family.
The man lowered his head guiltily, causing Datou’s brow to furrow even deeper.
Delighted by his companion’s concern, Xie Anyi nodded: “He’s a servant from my house. You guys continue class first, and I’ll come pick you up after school later.”
“Alright then.” Datou gave the man another look of lingering mistrust before finally releasing Xie Anyi’s hand.
Datou kept watching as he saw Xie Anyi follow the man away.
Sensing something off, Jin Xiuyi asked, “Datou, what’s wrong?”
Datou said, “Why is that man walking so fast? Xie Anyi can barely keep up with him.”
The moment he said this, the group stopped eating their pastries and all looked over. Sure enough, the servant was walking extremely fast, seemingly urging Xie Anyi to hurry up—and had the location not been improper, he might have picked Xie Anyi up to carry him off.
“Bu Xie Anyi said he was a servant from his house,” Jin Xiuyi remarked, finding it peculiar.
Datou remained lost in thought, unsure of what he was contemplating, but his gut told him this man didn’t look like a good person.
“Brother Wang Zhao.” Datou beckoned to Wang Zhao, whispering a few sentences into his ear.
Nodding, Wang Zhao immediately followed after them.
The others looked at him with curious faces: “Datou, what did you send Brother Wang off to do?”
Datou resumed eating his pastries, replying, “I had Brother Wang follow them. If Sister Rongrong truly did call for Xie Anyi, Brother Wang can just come back; if not, Brother Wang will bring Xie Anyi back.”
“Ah?” The boys froze for a moment.
Datou added another line: “I feel that man doesn’t look like a good person.”
The moment they stepped out of the academy, the servant could hardly wait to scoop Xie Anyi up into the horse carriage, then drove off immediately.
However, the carriage didn’t head straight back to the Xie estate, but arrived at a completely different location instead. It was only when Xie Anyi saw that the person boarding the carriage was his grandmother that he realized something was wrong.
“I want to go back to the academy! Quickly send me back to the academy!” Xie Anyi yelled in a panic.
Seeing this, Old Mistress Xie had her maid pin Xie Anyi down, quickly opening her mouth to soothe him: “Yi’er, be a good boy. Grandmother is taking you out to play—isn’t going out to play much better than studying at the academy?”
She had originally assumed Xie Anyi would be coaxed by her just as he had been in the past, yet this time Xie Anyi refused to listen no matter what, screaming endlessly that he wanted to return to the academy to find Qiu Rongrong.
Old Mistress Xie’s face gradually darkened. She simply had her maid stuff something into his mouth to gag him, then ordered the driver to set off immediately.
Meanwhile, Qiu Rongrong hadn’t sensed a thing, looking at her swollen cheek in the mirror with deep distress. She had mentioned hosting a dinner for Magistrate Chen and Uncle Wen tonight—how could she step out looking like this?
Standing behind her, Qiaoyan gritted her teeth and simply suggested, “Madam, why don’t you just go like this and let Lord Wen and the others see what kind of life you’re living in the Xie family?”
Qiu Rongrong’s face darkened: “Nonsense.”
Qiaoyan felt extraordinarily aggrieved. If Lord Wen saw Madam like this, given Madam’s relationship with Miss Wen, Lord Wen would certainly back Madam up—and so would Master Qiu.
Yet Qiu Rongrong didn’t wish to cause them trouble, merely letting out a sigh as she instructed Qiaoyan: “Go fetch some ice.”
Qiu Rongrong applied ice to her face for an entire afternoon, finally making her cheek look somewhat less swollen, though the finger prints across her face remained quite distinct.
With no other choice, she could only cover it with a thick layer of cosmetic powder, preparing to attend the banquet.
“Don’t forget to send someone to fetch the young master and the others,” Qiu Rongrong reminded Qiaoyan.
Qiaoyan complied. Just as the two were about to step out the door, Xie Yushan suddenly emerged.
“Madam, for an important occasion such as inviting the two officials, it is best for your husband to accompany you,” Xie Yushan said in a tone devoid of emotion, just as he always did.
Qiu Rongrong couldn’t be bothered to pay him any mind. If this man wanted to follow, let him—she lacked even the slightest interest to cast a second glance at him now.
The two boarded the carriage and quickly arrived at Zui Xian Tower, where Manager Lu had made arrangements well in advance.
Before long, Magistrate Chen, Wen Xiuyi, and Master Qiu arrived, with Magistrate Chen bringing his own wife along as well.
It wasn’t Qiu Rongrong’s first time meeting the Magistrate’s wife, so she conversed with her in a familiar manner, while Xie Yushan took the initiative to step forward, acting every bit the master of the house as he entertained Wen Xiuyi and the other two.
The three were also polite and courteous toward Xie Yushan, keeping things quite harmonious.
Yet when Qiaoyan sent someone to bring the schoolboys over, Qiu Rongrong only then realized her own son was missing from the group.
“Where’s Yi’er?” Qiu Rongrong asked Datou.
Datou’s heart skipped a beat—as he had guessed, Wang Zhao hadn’t returned even after an entire afternoon of waiting.
Fortunately, Brother Wang’s absence meant he was still trailing behind Xie Anyi, so Xie Anyi was certainly in no danger.
Composing his thoughts, Datou replied with a look of confusion: “Around noon, a servant from the Xie family came and took Xie Anyi away, saying you sent him, Sister Rongrong.” As Datou spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Xie Yushan the entire time.
Qiu Rongrong froze in an instant as if struck by lightning, and before she could even open her mouth, she heard Xie Yushan’s voice sound right beside her ear.
His voice was very low, seemingly meant for only the two of them to hear: “Madam, no need to worry. I had someone fetch Yi’er. Mother said she missed seeing Jie’er, but couldn’t bear to part with Yi’er, so she brought Yi’er along with her.”
Qiu Rongrong snapped her head around to glare at Xie Yushan, her eyes looking as though she wished to murder him.
Xie Yushan offered a subtle smile: “Madam, so many distinguished guests are present—do not lose your manners.” Yet the warning in his eyes was clearly understood by Qiu Rongrong.
Her hands resting on her lap slowly tightened into fists as she uttered every single word in a low voice: “If anything happens to Yi’er, I will absolutely never let you off!”
Xie Yushan wore a victor’s smile, saying coolly, “Naturally. Yi’er is my son as well. As long as Madam behaves obediently…”
Their voices were very quiet, and the others inside the room couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying; they only saw the expressions on their faces change repeatedly—especially Qiu Rongrong’s, whose sudden surge of rage was by no means faked.
However, Xie Yushan had forgotten one person—Datou.
At this moment, Datou stood right in front of Qiu Rongrong, extremely close by, hearing every single word of their conversation with absolute clarity. Blinking his innocent, large eyes, he asked in a very loud voice: “Master Xie, are you using Xie Anyi to threaten Sister Rongrong? Our master said that what you’re doing is called threatening!”
