"Yes, Ye Qing has undergone quite a change recently." Liang Qian, who had been in the courtyard, felt it deeply. Ye Qing suddenly changed completely, if anyone didnât know better, theyâd think she was possessed.
The words of several people made Mei Shuqing fall into contemplation. He said, "If thatâs the case, then Aunt Wu is also suspicious. Sheâs the one who usually cleans the house, sheâs familiar with every corner of the old mansion."
Next to him, Mei Lang Jun ate a dumpling and said, "Aunt Wu wouldnât have the guts for this. Sheâs worked at the old mansion for so many years and knows my grandfather and grandmotherâs temperaments best. If she really had the guts, she wouldnât be able to manipulate Qu Liushou. Could this matter have been done by Ye Qing and Mei Langchi together? No matter how bad their relationship is, theyâre still a couple. Itâs a very likely possibility."
No matter who did it, this matter is closely tied to the people of the old mansion. But whatever the outcome, itâs the Mei Family that will ultimately suffer.
Mei Shuqing had already formed a plan in his heart and decided to discuss this matter with his elder brother tomorrow. Itâs best to catch Qu Liushou and interrogate him as soon as possible.
Chen Haichang was right; itâs best not to make a big deal of this situation. But one can only wonder what Old Meiâs reaction will be once he learns of this.
.....
"Aunt Wu, youâve been tired these days, and itâs been a long time since youâve gone home, right? Buy the things weâll need for the New Year, go back and rest for a couple of days. Iâll manage things here. Itâs just preparing food for the New Year, I can handle it." After dinner, Ye Qing entered the kitchen, smiling at Aunt Wu.
That smile made Aunt Wu a bit uneasy, and she quickly said, "Third Young Madam, I know itâs my fault regarding Young Master, itâs my negligence in taking care of the child. You can punish me however you wish, even deduct a monthâs salary. I just beg you not to fire me."
"Aunt Wu, youâre overthinking this, Hua Huaâs situation isnât your fault, itâs just him being mischievous. Anyway, itâs not a serious matter, the childâs fine now. Donât take it to heart, Iâm asking you to go home mainly because family matters shouldnât be aired publicly. We wanted to resolve it ourselves." Ye Qing just wanted to find an excuse to send Aunt Wu home.
Qu Liushou had been watching Aunt Wuâs neighborhood for several days without any movement. Ye Qing thought maybe the items were still with Aunt Wu. She had to give her a chance to dispose of them, so granting her leave was most suitable.
"Oh, is that so. Then fine, Iâll head to the market early tomorrow to buy all the New Year necessities and report back to Third Young Madam, then Iâll return home." Although Aunt Wuâs face maintained a smile, her heart was uneasy. She couldnât fathom whether Third Young Madam genuinely wanted her to rest or was subtly urging her to leave.
She didnât sleep well throughout the night.
Having dealt with Aunt Wu, Ye Qing went upstairs to sleep and found Mei Langchi had returned today.
Recently, Mei Langchi had been busy with his business outside. New Year was approaching, yet whichever factory or company should have been on holiday; she didnât know what kind of business Mei Langchi was involved in, always bustling around even at this time.
Mei Langchi was now indifferent to her, never sharing any details about his business. Of course, he frequently asked her for money, something that never ceased, even these past few days. Besides asking Old Mrs. Mei for money, heâd also extracted quite a sum from her.
She hadnât even enquired about what kind of business he was doing.
Given the secrecy, Ye Qing suspected Mei Langchi might not be engaged in any legitimate business.
Even if she wanted to ask, Mei Langchi wouldnât tell her anything useful. Though under the same roof, they were like strangers now, and life was almost unendurable.
If this unexpected situation hadnât occurred, sheâd have considered discussing divorce with Mei Langchi now.
"Youâre back?" Ye Qing said indifferently, not expecting Mei Langchi to respond, she finished speaking and directly sat by the table. Now Hua Hua was sleeping with Xie Lingzhi, so they didnât need their care.
Mei Langchi sat on the sofa, arms folded, looking up at Ye Qing, suddenly smirking inexplicably.
"Ye Qing, youâre quite clever. At first, you clung to me to enter the Mei Family. Initially, I thought you were truly unable to leave me. Unexpectedly, once inside the Mei Family, your focus wasnât on me, but rather on my mother and grandmother. How about it? Feel itâs unwise to leave without a fight, so youâve started setting your sights on the Mei Family?"
Mei Langchiâs words made Ye Qing pause in her actions, not daring to look into Mei Langchiâs eyes, "I donât understand what you mean."
"Donât understand? Ha..." Mei Langchi chuckled mockingly, retrieving a long box from behind him.
When Ye Qing saw the long box, she promptly stood up, panic-stricken, "What does this mean? What is this?"
"Ye Qing, didnât you know? Your way of hiding things is much like my motherâs. But you never expected that, although my mother has many good things, she hid them in my fatherâs study room."
Mei Langchiâs words made Ye Qingâs face alternately pale and flushed. She opened her mouth to speak but didnât know what to say. Could she admit her mistake?
Mei Langchi looked at her and sneered sarcastically, standing up, unwilling to give her a chance, he picked up the box and said, "Boxes like this are hard to find on the market. Back when I was still in school, there was a period I was fond of crafting. This box, I bought it, applied a layer of paint, and carved the patterns myself, all skewed if you look closely. Ye Qing, youâre bold enough to dare steal from the family. No wonder youâve seemed possessed lately. Reveal, when did you find out?"