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Interrogation
Translated by atsam
Edited by atsam
Xie shi was tired from beating her and slumped back on her chair.
After taking a few breaths, she told Gu Shan, “Shan’er, help your sister up.”
Gu Shan stepped forward to support the foolish Gu Yue who had been beaten. “San jiejie, let me help you up.”
Gu Yue silently pushed Gu Shan away and stood up by herself, supporting herself with the table.
Xie shi sternly asked, “Yue’er, do you know why I hit you?”
Gu Yue raised her head, crying silently, her eyes filled with grievances.
Xie shi snorted coldly, taking a yellow handkerchief from her bosom. “Do you recognise this handkerchief?”
When Gu Yue saw this handkerchief, how could she not understand?
Her face paled, her lips quivered and her body shook. She wasn’t even able to speak.
“Mother, I… I…”
Xie shi’s expression was impassive. The anger that had subsided once again rose.
“Do you know where I got this handkerchief?”
Gu Yue lowered her head, feeling nervous and keyed up. For a while, she didn’t know what to do or say.
“This handkerchief fell from Xie Xian’s clothes. If my eyes weren’t keen and my hands were quick enough, and I grabbed the handkerchief and hid it, this handkerchief might have been seen by your father and your . Have you ever thought of the consequences of that?”
Gu Yue’s small face was now as white as snow. Clearly, she was terrified.
“Mother, this, this, I lost this handkerchief in my courtyard and hadn’t found it yet. Daughter doesn’t know how it fell into biaoge’s hands.”
Gu Yue stubbornly defended herself, tears falling down her face making her look miserable.
But Xie shi didn’t believe her.
Pa!
Xie shi slapped her palm on the table. The teacup jumped, making the sound of porcelain colliding.
That sound made all the listeners feel alarmed.
“Even now you dare to quibble.”
Saying so, she picked up the teacup from the table and threw it at Gu Yue.
“Ah…!”
Gu Yue shrieked with fright, scared until her soul flew and scattered. She was even more afraid than when her mother was beating her.
Her mother had never raised a hand against her.
But today, her mother not only raised her hand but also threw a teacup at her.
The teacup tumbled on the carpet, soaking it with tea. It left behind a large stain on the luxurious carpet.
It appeared to be an eyesore.
Gu Yue immediately felt wronged and cried loudly. She fell softly on the ground, kneeling in front of Xie shi. “Mother, daughter knows her mistake.”
“Cry, cry, cry, all you know is how to cry. Is crying useful? Is it useful to just say that you know your mistake?”
Red hot fury burned inside Xie shi. She stood up and came to Gu Yue’s side, grabbing her hair and asking fiercely, “What is so good about Xie Xian, that you go so far as to fall for him? All my teachings for over ten years have been in vain. You unexpectedly fell for some rubbish. You have thrown my many years of meticulous care on the ground and even stomped on it with your feet. Don’t you know that mother’s heart is dripping with blood at this time?”
“Daughter was wrong, daughter won’t dare anymore!”
Gu Yue was truly afraid!
Her eyes were teary, her makeup was fancy, her hair was scattered and her clothing was disheveled.
She looked at Xie shi anxiously. “Mother, please give daughter a chance. Daughter will not dare to act recklessly again.”
Xie shi snorted coldly, “Tell me, why were you interacting with Xie Xian? Why did you take a fancy to him?”
“Daughter doesn’t like him.”
Now that matters had reached this stage, Gu Yue could only deny desperately.
“Daughter doesn’t dare to deceive mother. Daughter truly doesn’t like Xie Xian. Xie Xian is er jiejie’s. Daughter just wanted to take a look at how messy Xie Xian was to taunt er jiejie. Daughter really doesn’t know how this yellow handkerchief fell into Xie Xian’s hands. It must be Xie Xian who wanted frame me.”
Gu Yue’s eyes were frantic. The more she spoke, the more she realised that what she had said was true.
She was deceived by her own lies. No, she was brainwashed by her own lies. To deceive others, one had to deceive oneself first.
Only in this way could she firmly speak the words about Xie Xian framing her.
Xie shi stared at her. “Is there really nothing between you and Xie Xian?”
Gu Yue repeatedly nodded. “Daughter swears, daughter only met Xie Xian twice, but feelings were absolutely not involved.”
Xie shi gazed at Gu Yue unwaveringly.
Gu Yue’s heart thumped, reacting to her panic.
But on the surface, she seemed very earnest and genuine.
Xie shi suddenly laughed. “It’s cold on the ground. Why are you still kneeling?”
Saying so, Xie shi personally helped Gu Yue up, patted off the dust on her body and arranged her clothes and hair for her. Then she took out a handkerchief and wiped the tear-stained makeup away.
Then, Xie shi asked softly, “Do you resent me for being so strict with you?”
Gu Yue cautiously shook her head. “Mother did this for daughter’s well-being.”
Xie shi sighed. “I have gone to many lengths for you two sisters. This handkerchief was almost discovered by your er jiu. If he had found this handkerchief, he could have threatened me, forcing me to marry you to Xie Xian.
“You are mother’s most precious daughter. In the future, if you want to marry into a titled, influential and noble family, how can you marry Xie Xian, that lecher? Xie Xian only deserves to marry Gu Jiu, that sickly thing.”
Gu Yue lowered her head, tears still staining her cheeks. But inwardly, she suddenly calmed down. She seemed to have grown up within seconds.
Xie shi took Gu Yue’s hand, leading her to sit beside Gu Shan. Xie shi sat on the main seat, examining her two daughters.
She suddenly discovered that Gu Shan had grown taller, looking much better than when she was younger.
“Because of Xie Xian’s incompetence, laoye is furious, already rejecting Xie Xian and Gu Jiu’s marriage. It’s because I have been busy for so long that everything has been destroyed in Xie Xian’s hands. It makes me so angry. Shan’er, you have many ideas. What do you think should be done?”
Gu Shan was surprised, but she quickly reacted, saying calmly, “It’s better not to move right now.”
“Is that so?” Xie shi didn’t express her opinion.
She looked at Gu Yue again. “Yue’er, when you return, transcribe the family rules a hundred times. You mustn’t ask someone else to write. During this time, you shouldn’t go out. Cultivate your moral character and mentality and grind your temper.”
Gu Yue was flustered for a second. Wasn’t this the same as confining her?
She whispered, “Daughter obeys mother.”
Xie shi nodded. “When you transcribe the family rules, don’t forget to reflect on your past actions. This time, regardless of whether there was something between you and Xie Xian, not keeping your personal belongings safely with you and causing today’s misunderstanding is your fault. You have to deeply recognise your mistake. Before saying or doing, you must think everything over carefully in your mind. Do you understand?”
“Daughter will bear this in mind.” Gu Yue agreed docilely.
Xie shi said, “En. You two should withdraw. Don’t speak about today’s matter once you go out.”
“Thank you, mother.”
Gu Yue and Gu Shan stood up and left together. The sisters walked into the garden one after another. The servants were following them at a distance, not coming any closer.
Gu Yue halted but didn’t turn around. She plucked the tender leaves, asking with gritted teeth, “Si meimei, why did you follow me all this way? Haven’t you mocked me enough?”
Gu Shan walked forward a few steps, facing Gu Yue. “San jiejie, you having a private relationship with Xie Xian is just like before. If er jiejie has something you don’t, do you always want to snatch it from her?”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Gu Yue sternly berated her. “Gu Shan, I am your full-blooded sister. So who exactly are you speaking up for?”
Gu Shan calmly said, “From san jiejie’s perspective, I couldn’t understand why you would fall for Xie biaoge. But after thinking over it, I could come up with only one reason. You want to grab Xie Xian for yourself. You want to see er jiejie’s miserable appearance when she is betrayed by Xie Xian. You want to ridicule er jiejie.
“In any case, the more pathetic she is, the happier you are. But it’s a pity that the plans of marriage fell through. Er jiejie won’t marry Xie Xian. San jiejie worked so hard in executing this scheme but in the end, it was like using a wicker basket to draw water. Such a pity!”
Gu Yue snorted coldly. “Are you done speaking?”
Gu Shan solemnly said, “San jiejie, you don’t need to target er jiejie everywhere. Er jiejie’s health isn’t good and with Su jia’s decline, her marriage will definitely not be as good as yours. Why should you keep doing this?”
Gu Yue glared at Gu Shan ferociously. “Shut up. What do you know? You don’t understand anything and you just act clever. Get out of my way! I feel annoyed just looking at you now!”
Gu Yue stretched out her hand and pushed Gu Shan away.
Gu Shan’s feet were unsteady and she nearly fell on the ground. Fortunately, she supported herself by holding on to the shrub beside her.
By the time she stood up, Gu Yue had already walked some distance.
Gu Shan frowned, stomping her foot, and went to find her eldest sister, Gu Zhen.