Chapter 168 Who Is the One Conducting the Affair

When Mo Xuemin heard Yu Mingyong mentioning Mo Xuetong without being prompted, a flash of viciousness appeared in her eyes. Good. The person in front of her was a sc.u.mbag. If she dragged Mo Xuetong in, Yu Mingyong might even just insist that Mo Xuetong was the one he was meeting. After all, she was beautiful and which man could resist her? Furthermore, Mo Xuemin had already laid the groundwork for him. If Yu Mingyong insisted that Mo Xuetong was the one who invited him to meet secretly, then she would be able to walk out of this scot-free.

Mo Xuetong would not be able to live with her head held up high after this. Mo Xuemin was pleased and her expression grew even more delicate.

“Young Master Yu, my third sister is a n.o.ble young lady. Is she someone you can meet when you want to? Furthermore, my third sister did not know that you would be here when she asked me to meet here. How could she be trying to frame us?” Mo Xuemin looked up tearfully and tried to defend Mo Xuetong fearfully. She looked as if she did not want to let Yu Mingyong get close to Mo Xuetong at all. She appeared totally different from the previous times she brought up Mo Xuetong.

However, the implications were clear. She was trying to say that it was intentional on Mo Xuetong’s part. Mo Xuetong had brought her here intentionally and got someone to hurt her. She had intentionally put her and Yu Mingyong together…

This was so hateful!

Yu Mingyong had already long forgotten Consort Yu’s orders. He was a rogue, and he really did not care about his manners when angry. He thought that Mo Xuemin was pus.h.i.+ng the blame onto him. He walked up and was about to grab her as he scolded, “Are you still not going to get that third sister of yours here? She’s just as troublesome as you. You’ll know if I’m telling the truth or not then.”

He was a man, but he dared to hold the hand of a n.o.ble lady in front of so many people.

Mo Xuemin was so frightened that she took two steps backward. She tripped on her long skirt and almost fell. Two maids caught her hurriedly and Mo Xiu grabbed her hands, catching her just in time. A note drifted out from Mo Xuemin’s wide sleeve then. Mo Xuemin was startled, and she moved quickly, trying to catch it.

Yu Mingyong discovered the note as well. He was a man, after all, and his reactions were faster. He slapped Mo Xuemin’s hand away and grabbed the note. Then, he backed away and read it angrily. Then, he started yelling, “You still won’t admit it? You were the one who made plans to meet a man here secretly and tried to frame your sister and me. You are a shameless woman. I don’t know why Lord Mo treasures you so. Why was I so unlucky to have encountered this? So unlucky, so unlucky! I have to burn this set of clothes when I get home to get rid of bad luck.”

Then, he threw the note onto the ground and looked at Mo Xuemin with disdain. Then, he quickly looked away as if the sight of her would pollute his eyes. The crowd was shocked by Yu Mingyong’s unusual reaction. A few people went forward to try to see what was written on the note that had been tossed onto the ground.

How could this be? Mo Xuemin was stunned and the satisfied look in her eyes froze. This note was the one Mo Xiu had stuffed in her sleeve earlier. Sima Lingyun would definitely be aware that something like this had happened to her. She saw Sima Lingyun in the crowd and gave him a look before gesturing the word “three” with her hands. Then, Mo Xiu placed the note into her sleeve.

Even though she did not have time to see what was written on the note, she was sure that Sima Lingyun had written about Mo Xuetong inviting her to meet. As long as she could prove that Mo Xuetong was the one who invited her here and tried to frame her, she would be able to extricate herself from the situation. This plan was the result of a flash of inspiration!

Rationally speaking, Yu Mingyong’s first reaction after reading the note should not be to look at her with disdain but with pity. After all, the delicate and beautiful First Miss had been framed and was crying so pitifully. Everyone would sympathize with her and pity her. The more pitiful she seemed right now, the more they would feel that Mo Xuetong was shameless and vicious. Then, she could pretend to care for her sister deeply and try to defend Mo Xuetong. She would then talk about Mo Xuetong’s damaged reputation. She wanted to see how Mo Xuetong would deal with it then! Would she die? Or would living be worse than dying? It all depended on what Mo Xuemin would say.

But something unexpected happened!

Why was Yu Mingyong behaving so oddly? What did he mean by her meeting a man in secret? Her fingers shook violently beneath her sleeves and a sense of cold dread welled up within her. She had a bad feeling and her eyes turned cold. She could not help but look at that note. She wanted to see what was written on it so she could deal with it appropriately.

Li Youmo moved the fastest. He s.n.a.t.c.hed up the paper that drifted to his feet and read it. After that, he started laughing out loud and dangled the note from his fingers. He did not speak but pa.s.sed on the note to others. Some of the young masters and ladies began to look at Mo Xuemin mockingly and with disdain after reading the note.

The ominous feeling in Mo Xuemin’s heart grew even stronger. She bit her lips and stared at the note that was being pa.s.sed around.

Li Youmo’s oily voice was a little scornful as he glanced at a person standing in the crowd. “His Excellency Sima? Isn’t he here? Look, Your Excellency Sima, were you late? We got to watch a good show. Please come here, Your Excellency. Your beauty is here. She has already done so much for you; you must not hurt her feelings!”

“Look, His Excellency has been watching this for so long. It is time for him to come up on stage.”

The crowd parted voluntarily and Sima Lingyun, who was hidden in the crowd, appeared awkwardly. The smile on his face was stiff.

Sima Lingyun had not expected to become involved in the matter. He had come to Qingyu Pavilion slightly later than the others. He caught Mo Xuemin rus.h.i.+ng out with blood streaming down her face. Then, their gazes met. He understood that Mo Xuemin intended to push the blame onto Mo Xuetong. He quickly found a quiet spot and casually faked a note, which read Mo Xuetong wanted to meet Mo Xuemin.

He stuffed the note into Mo Xiu’s hand while everyone was busy blaming Yu Mingyong. Then, Mo Xiu secretly placed the note into Mo Xuemin’s sleeve. No one noticed the entire process as everyone was focused on Yu Mingyong. Mo Xuemin appeared to be the victim and seemed so delicate and weak, no one paid her any attention.

Everything should have gone according to plan. As long as Mo Xuemin revealed the note that had Mo Xuetong’s invitation to her to meet here, all the blame would be pinned on Mo Xuetong. No matter whether she was the one having an affair or if she was trying to frame her elder sister, Mo Xuetong’s reputation would be ruined.

However, Sima Lingyun could never imagine that the situation would change! He had wanted to keep a low profile but had become the focus of attention. Furthermore, everyone was looking at him disdainfully and with ridicule in their gazes. This feeling made him feel cold all over his body and he felt confused and helpless as well.

“Your Excellency, did you forget? You have a note as evidence, too. If you really planned to meet a beautiful girl at dusk, you have to be able to leave the palace. It is the New Year, and I really would not dare to do something like this in the palace! I have underestimated Brother Sima. We are actually the same sort of people. I admire you!”

Li Youmo’s exaggerated laughter could be heard. His statement had made it sound as if Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuetong’s secret relations.h.i.+p were a fact. Mo Xuemin had mistaken him for Sima Lingyun, but it was too late for her to leave when she realized that, which was why she fabricated this dispute.

Furthermore, he had even appeared to be letting them off, smiling and admitting defeat. He was totally treating Sima Lingyun as a person who was like him. Being so shameless in the palace was not something an ordinary person could do.

“So you’re the rascal who did it. I don’t care which beauty you are with, but how could you let me take the blame?” Yu Mingyong understood what was happening and immediately grabbed Sima Lingyun with a roar. He punched him without a second thought. Yu Mingyong did not care about Sima Lingyun, who came from a fallen family.

He would not treat Sima Lingyun as carefully as he did with Li Youmo!

“Brother Mingyong, we are in the palace. Even though there’s a scoundrel amongst us, we cannot do something like this in the palace. I thought the two of us were the largest rascals, but I didn’t expect Sir Sima to be even more of a sc.u.mbag than us. It is such a shame that the two of us have such a reputation, so we have to take the blame for others.” He sighed. “It is true that your reputation will get you into trouble.” Li Youmo fanned himself as he spoke, looking really sympathetic to Yu Mingyong.

It was as if he had also suffered a major grievance and became Yu Mingyong’s buddy in just mere moments.

Everyone watching felt chilled and got goose b.u.mps. This man really had a glib tongue! He had made a playboy look so good, as if he were a good person who had been framed by a sc.u.mbag. Look at how he was behaving! Did he even look like that?!

However, while some did not agree, others seemed convinced.

Yu Mingyong had never gotten along with Li Youmo. When he heard Li Youmo defending him, he suddenly felt that Li Youmo truly understood him. He felt emotional. He did not expect that the person who understood him the most would be his nemesis, Li Youmo. His feelings towards Li Youmo immediately took a turn for the better.

He felt that Li Youmo was not an entirely detestable person, but rather intelligent and wise.

He pushed Sima Lingyun away and approached Li Youmo. He put his hands together seriously and thanked him. “Many thanks, Brother Li, for speaking up for me. Those two were the ones who were meeting up secretly and implicated me. Only you know that I am a good person. Oh, being in love is a good thing, but why did they have to be so shameless? It is an embarra.s.sment to the polite society.” He even recited a few phrases of a poem, looking like a dignified gentleman who could not bear to see people behaving shamelessly.

Yu Mingyong had become a gentleman who was defending justice. This made everyone watching feel s.h.i.+vers down their spine and they shuddered in the cold winter day. There were all kinds of people in the world!

“So First Miss Mo really has something going on with His Excellency Sima. It seems that she really got the wrong person and intentionally created such a scene.”

“The Duke’s Manor’s young lady even let First Miss Mo copy His Excellency’s poem at the banquet earlier. I thought it was impossible and His Excellency also said that it was not true. But it seems like it was the truth. The two are having a secret affair, so is there anything that His Excellency cannot agree to give her? It is just a poem after all.”

“You all don’t know about it. But I heard that the girl His Excellency carried out of the fire at the Mo’s was First Miss Mo and not Fourth Miss Mo.”

“It can’t be! How can they do that?”

“Of course, look at her. She might have framed Fourth Miss then. Look, didn’t she try to drag Third Miss down too earlier!”

“Weren’t there rumors long ago…? You really can’t tell. She usually looks so delicate, gentle and gracious. So it is all fake. She’s really vicious to frame all her sisters and besmirched their reputations. She’s the last one with a good name in her family. Lord Mo can’t dote on her too much.”

…

Life was like that. Now that the matter had blown up, everyone would think about it. And the more they talked about it, the more they felt that they were right!