Turning around, the two saw Liang Cheng grab the cloak. His eyes were wide, and his expression was indescribably bizarre. Mrs. Zhang and the woman of the He Family looked puzzled. "Family Head—"
Unexpectedly, Liang Cheng waved a hand, silencing them. His eyes were exceptionally bright as he stared fixedly at Liang Wan, holding the cloak with an exaggerated cautiousness. "Awan, did you see this peony?"
Liang Cheng's burning gaze made her very uncomfortable, and she did not dare reply carelessly. It had been dark at night, so she had not noticed that a delicate, exquisite peony was embroidered with hidden silver threads in a corner on the inner side of the cloak. Recalling Lu Xiu's expression, which was only slightly better than a vicious demon's, Liang Wan felt a wave of guilt.
Mrs. Zhang was a little bewildered. She leaned forward to peer closely at the pattern. "What is wrong with this peony?"
Liang Cheng turned back to glare at her. "What does a woman who stays deep in the inner courtyard know? The peony represents the ultimate honor and supreme status. Looking across all of Daqi, which clan wields world-shaking power and holds unspeakable nobility? And who else can bear the title of the number one honor and use this as their crest?"
Mrs. Zhang was astonished. "This cloak?"
Completely ignoring everyone's shock, Liang Cheng brought the peony pattern closer to Liang Wan. "Awan, a silver-threaded peony is far from ordinary. You must know that I have only ever seen this type of pattern on the garments of the Empress Dowager and the Grandmaster! Just who exactly did you go to see?"
Liang Wan felt her head grow heavier. She truly had not expected a simple cloak to hide such a profound secret! If she told the truth without Lu Xiu's permission, she wouldn't dare! But if she kept quiet, the people from the Ministry of Justice had already seen them, and she couldn't guarantee her uncle wouldn't hear rumors outside. She remained silent for a moment before looking up to meet their inquiring eyes. "I just said that I fell into the river, but actually, the one who saved me wasn't a boatman. It was Lu Xiu. He gave me this cloak and escorted me back."
Liang Cheng gasped. "The Grand Commandant really escorted you back?"
"We met people from the Ministry of Justice on the way, and they saw it too," Liang Wan nodded gently.
Liang Cheng suppressed his joy, though his words were scolding. "Look at you! Why didn't you mention such a huge matter earlier? And you even tried to hide it!" He held the cloak, his eyes darting back and forth. "Since he saved you, shouldn't we show some gratitude?"
Liang Wan watched him coldly, wondering if he wanted to gift her to Lu Xiu now. Unfortunately, the man wouldn't care for it! "He just happened to be passing by. It was merely a small effort on his part. If we rashly show up at his door, it might seem presumptuous. If we end up displeasing him, wouldn't we just be asking for trouble?" She already couldn't figure out what Lu Xiu's intentions were; she definitely couldn't let them add to the mess!
"What kind of talk is that! You aren't thinking about who the Lu Family is. Even if it was just a small effort on his part, we must be deeply grateful and actively visit to offer our thanks. This is called proper etiquette!"
Mrs. Zhang secretly nudged the excited Liang Cheng. "Don't be so hasty. What are the Grand Commandant's intentions?"
Liang Cheng froze for a moment, then immediately asked, "Right, right, right. Did the Grand Commandant say anything else to you?"
This reaction was exactly as she had predicted! Liang Wan shook her head firmly. "No."
"No? How could there be nothing? I've never seen him take the initiative to get close to any woman! He even gave you his own clothing!"
"There really was nothing." She wondered what he would think if he knew Lu Xiu gave her the cloak merely to cover up the evidence of her being a murderer.
The woman of the He Family, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up. "Since that is the case, rest well and recover." With that said, she stepped out of the room without hesitation.
Liang Cheng was burning with anxiety. If the Grand Commandant had truly taken a liking to Awan, what should he do about Wang Sikong? Although the Lu Family was the foremost noble house, Wang Su also enjoyed great favor in the imperial court. Liang Cheng was caught in a dilemma. If he had known they could connect with the Lu Family, he wouldn't have made a promise to Wang Su so easily in the first place! Now he was bound to offend one side, but unfortunately, he couldn't afford to offend either of them! Liang Cheng pulled a long face, feeling quite troubled.
Mrs. Zhang's mind raced with countless thoughts until a plan suddenly struck her. She pulled back Liang Cheng, who was pacing back and forth, and whispered, "I was thinking, since Awan is ill, why don't we delay the date of her visit to the Sikong Mansion? Once she has fully recovered, then we can—"
Her phoenix-like eyes watched Liang Cheng with a shrewd gleam.
"Deal!" Although she hadn't finished her sentence, Liang Cheng's knotted brows had already smoothed out. "Tomorrow, go hire a better doctor. Have her properly nourished and treated during this time!"
Before leaving, the two of them offered another round of concerned instructions.
It wasn't until everyone left that Liang Wan finally lost the strength to hold herself up. She collapsed onto the bed unmoving, staring blankly at the silver-threaded peony on the black cloak. She wondered, "Lu Xiu, does this count as your protection?"
"Miss—"
Chun'er walked in from the outer room carrying a bowl of medicine, seeing the person on the bed slumped over. Perhaps because the medicinal soup was scalding, her hands holding the bowl trembled slightly.
Liang Wan's vision darkened, and she let Chun'er slowly help her sit up.
"Miss, please drink this medicine before you sleep."
Liang Wan lifted her eyelids. Chun'er had been in the Liang Mansion for four years and had followed her for four years. She could never have imagined that four years of companionship could not compare to a man Chun'er had only known for over half a year. It had brutally ruined her entire life!
As the medicinal soup entered her mouth spoonful by spoonful, Liang Wan furrowed her brows tightly. It was so bitter!
Chun'er glanced toward the door and lowered her voice. "Weren't you supposed to meet Cui Xiaolang, Miss? Why did you come back?"
Liang Wan kept her eyes on the medicine spoon. "Didn't I already say? I encountered thieves and couldn't make it."
"Then should I go and inform Cui Xiaolang?"
"Sure."
After finishing the last spoonful, Liang Wan rinsed her mouth and lay down. She instructed Chun'er, "Make sure to put that cloak away properly. After it's washed clean, I still need to find a chance to return it to the Grand Commandant." Her cheeks were already burning red, but her watery eyes revealed a hint of shyness.
Liang Wan closed her eyes and stopped talking. Although she couldn't deal with Chun'er for the time being, she simply couldn't suppress the wave of disgust welling up from the bottom of her heart.
Chun'er put away the cloak, unable to resist stealing a few more glances at it, wondering if her mistress had fallen for the Grand Commandant.
The next day, Mrs. Zhang indeed brought in a doctor to check her pulse. Liang Wan did not decline and cooperated fully. She had suffered from a weak spleen and stomach and a cold constitution since childhood, so she might as well take this opportunity to properly nourish her body. Remembering how taking medicine had ruined her health in her previous life, she decided that in this life, she absolutely would not harm herself for the sake of others ever again. Not only was she going to exact her revenge, but she was also going to cherish herself!
After taking the medicinal decoctions for three consecutive days, her cold was mostly cured. Feeling slightly better in spirits, Liang Wan had Chun'er support her as she went to sit in the small pavilion in the courtyard for a while.
The spring breeze brushed past the railings, and the tender willows sprouted new threads, but Liang Wan was in no mood to admire the scenery. Thanks to that cloak, she would be able to stay in the Liang Mansion for a few more days. However, once her uncle found out that Lu Xiu had absolutely no interest in her, she feared she still wouldn't be able to escape the arrangement of being sent to the Sikong Mansion.
If that happened...
In the midst of her thoughts, Liang Wan caught sight of a few figures approaching from the corridor not far away out of the corner of her eye. She lowered her head and picked up her embroidery needle again.
"Mother, I'm not seeing things, am I? Look, Sister is actually doing needlework!"
The exclamation of surprise from nearby made her lips curl into a smile.