However, her arm was suddenly seized by someone. Madam Zhang looked up, meeting An Rushuang's cold eyes.

“Since she is my maid, it's not your turn to reprimand her!” An Rushuang got rid of her arm before retorting coldly.

Almost being pushed to the ground, Madam Zhang turned exasperated, her face still retaining her graceful bearing suddenly livid with anger. Gasping for air, she turned back and knelt down before An Yipei, shouting with sobs, “Lord, you must believe us. Lingshan definitely hasn't even touched the invitation! If she really had it, there would be no need for her to ask for your help!”

Madam Zhang wiped her tears away, her voice tuneless due to the heavy sob.

Staring at his injured eldest daughter, An Yipei felt his heart poked by something. Though suffering bad injury, she was composed and calm when facing difficulties. It seemed that Rushuang had grown up suddenly, no longer a child in want of her father when having a nightmare.

“Rushuang, do you have anything to say?”

An Rushuang looked up at him, saying slowly by slightly opening her lips, “Since father has already made a decision, there is no need to aske me about it.”

With a sigh in his heart, An Yipei said in a low-pitched voice, “Zhong Yi, have a thorough search in the two yards. You must find the invitation even if you have to dig the earth to a depth of three feet!”

Upon hearing his rising voice, Madam Zhang and An Lingshan, standing closely beside him, couldn't help shuttering in disturbance.

Clenching her fists, An Lingshan tried her best to hold back the uneasiness in her heart. Though she asked Silver to pa.s.s message to her, she had never allowed her to enter her bedroom. Even they found the invitation at her yard, she could argue that it was Silver who hid it and kept her from knowing the reality. No matter what happened, she would never fall into An Rushuang's trap!

Everybody was waiting silently in the room. An Rushuang helped Zhao Xiaotao rise to her feet. Given her bad injury, it may be intolerable for her to kneel for such a long time.

Zhao Xiaotao glanced at An Rushuang in grat.i.tude before walking to Hong Yu.

She was frightened then, but it was her mother she really worried about. As for the father, it was better for them if he was killed.

Zhao Xiaotao actually felt relieved when thinking of Zhao Laoda.

Zhong Yi came back after an hour. He walked ahead with a lantern, followed by several menservants.

“Lord, I have found the invitation.”

He presented it to An Yipei.

With the light fragrance emitting from the invitation lingering in the air, An Yipei asked directly, “Where did you find it?”

Madam Zhang interrupted in a hurry, “Was it in Liuxi Pavilion?” Seeing Hong Yu glaring at her, she ground her teeth and finally stopped talking.

With a strange look on his face, Zhong Yi nodded slightly before saying, “There was an invitation in Liuxi Pavilion.”

Having a full vent to her anger, Madam Zhang, filled with pleasure, turned to look at An Rushuang in arrogance. “Hum, we have got the proof indeed! Do you still have anything to say? As I see it, the truth is very clear now!”

An Rushuang, still expressionless as before, stared at An Yipei without saying a word.

Though she kept silent, no one could ignore her existence.

Fixing her eyes upon An Rushuang from the beginning to now, An Lingshan began to feel worried instead.

Why would she feel worried?

As for Lady An, as pale and weak as she was, her maid Mo Zhu hurried to hold her arms, in case she would slump to the ground.

“Can you explain it to us?”

An Yipei threw the invitation to An Rushuang.

Picking it up and opening it, An Rushuang smiled before turning to ask Zhong Yi, “You only found one invitation?”

Zhong Yi was stunned for a little while and shaked his head. “There is also an invitation at the second Miss' room.” He presented another same-looking invitation to An Yipei while answering.

An Yipei, not knowing her intention, frowned. An Rushuang nodded in smile. “That's right. Father will understand my words after opening it.”

She presented the other invitation to An Yipei.

Two invitations?!

“Where did you find it?” An Lingshan howled in a shudder.

“Under the box containing the jewellery and cosmetics,” Zhong Yi answered.

He glanced at An Lingshan with contempt. Putting the invitation under the jewellery and cosmetics box she used every day. How silly she was to conceal it at such an easily-exposed place.

Since the second Miss moved here, everybody began to get involved in trouble.

“No, impossible.” An Lingshan shook her head before looking at her father, her face ghastly pallid.

Ignoring her totally, An Yipei checked one of the invitation, and then the other.

After a long while, he sighed before turning to An Rushuang. “Rushuang, I blamed you wrongly.”

Zhao Xiaotao was stunned at the lord's change. Why did he become so kind after reading the small piece of paper?

Feeling strange, she turned to look at An Rushuang.

Her eyes were slightly reddened, though she seemed to care nothing a minute ago.

“Since father has learned that I am innocent, there is no grievance in my heart. I know father just tried your best to keep harmony in our family.”

In An Lingshan's eyes, her gentleness was no more than putting on an act, so abominable.

She merely fell into An Rushuang's trap carelessly! Though getting money from her, Silver was working for An Rushuang. It was all because she was not rich or powerful enough in this family!

Raised by a concubine, she must find a powerful supporter...

She couldn't be thrown into panic. Since An Rushuang missed the last party, Princess Mingxi would surely punish her severely the day after tomorrow.

She could take the chance to gain a strong foothold in the An family by getting Princess Mingxi's favor!

Seeing An Lingshan keeping silent, Madam Zhang was worried at their reconciliation. “Lord! Lingshan has been framed. The invitation must be a fake...”

Before she finished speaking, Madam Zhang was slapped and knocked to the ground.

She stared at the man before her blankly.

“It's you who started the fight! If you dare to do it again, I will send you to the village and never allow you to return to the capital!”