His gaze sent chills down her spine, and the hairs on her body stood on end. Ling Muzhu's voice trembled with fear.
"What did you do to Chuqing just now?"
"Nothing... I didn't do anything!" Ling Muzhu hastily denied, shaking her head.
"Nothing?" Feng Jin asked suspiciously. "If you did nothing, why was Chuqing all wet just now, and how was the aphrodisiac on you dissolved?"
There was only one way to dissolve the effects of the aphrodisiac, and she couldn't think of a second method. Thinking of Chuqing's state earlier, Feng Jin felt even more terrified and stared at Ling Muzhu with murderous intent.
"I just told you I'd find you a woman, and you refused. Now you've done something like this. How old is Chuqing? You could actually be so cruel!"
Hearing this, Ling Muzhu realized Feng Jin had misunderstood and quickly explained, "Sister-in-law, I absolutely did not do anything of that sort to Chuqing. Just now, it was only..."
She hesitated for a moment before telling Feng Jin everything that had happened.
Feng Jin listened intently to Ling Muzhu's account and was truly shocked by the melodramatic turn of events. It was too coincidental. No wonder Chuqing had left in such a flustered state; anyone would have reacted that way.
"Sister-in-law, these are the events that transpired. Although it's a bit absurd, I definitely did not do those things to Chuqing."
Ling Muzhu looked sincere, worried that Feng Jin wouldn't believe her. She raised two fingers in a swearing gesture, about to swear to heaven.
"Alright, I believe you!"
Feng Jin said in a deep voice. The reason she believed him was that with Ling Muzhu's capabilities, he couldn't have done those things to Chuqing.
"You go change into clean clothes first. I'll take you to see a good show."
This matter happened in Ling Muzhu's courtyard, so it was only fitting that he be there to witness it and act as a witness.
"A good show... what good show?"
"You'll know when you see it."
Feng Jin deliberately kept him in suspense, thinking it would be more interesting if she saw it herself first.
After Ling Muzhu changed his clothes, the two of them set off immediately. Upon arrival, they found the courtyard and its surroundings heavily guarded by soldiers in black armor.
In the hall, Old Master Ling sat in the main seat with a cold expression. To his right sat Ling Mohan, who looked indifferent and had been dragged along to make up the numbers. To his left sat Ling Changyi, who appeared flustered and still didn't understand what was happening.
She had come to catch Ling Muzhu and Zhang Miaor, but the man entwined with her in bed had changed. Where had Ling Muzhu gone? Just as she was about to leave with Zhang Miaor, Old Master Ling and his party burst in, catching them in the act.
Zhang Miaor knelt on the ground, trembling. Her consciousness was hazy. She clearly remembered being with Ling Muzhu in bed, but when she woke up, the person beside her had become that disgusting man.
Having lost her purity and being caught by so many people, she wished she could die. Tears continuously streamed from the corners of her eyes.
When Ling Muzhu arrived, he saw the scene. His gaze fell upon Zhang Miaor kneeling on the ground, a flicker of disgust flashing in his eyes, immediately making him feel nauseous.
"The rest is up to you. What did I tell you when we came? Do you remember?"
"I remember it clearly, Sister-in-law. Just wait and see the good show."
Ling Muzhu's usually gentle eyes were filled with ferocity. The thought of being plotted against by Zhang Miaor, and that if his sister-in-law hadn't arrived, he would have been caught in bed, made him furious.
Seeing a seemingly gentle woman, he didn't expect her to be so vicious. Thus, he saw no need to show mercy.
"Greetings, Grandfather, Eldest Brother." Ling Muzhu stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Muzhu, where did you go just now?" Old Master Ling asked with displeasure. With such impropriety discovered within the Ling family, and him witnessing it firsthand, his old face had truly been disgraced.
"Replying to Grandfather, your grandson was studying tonight. Encountering a point of confusion, I went to the East Courtyard to seek guidance from Sister-in-law and played with my two nephews for a while. I heard Sister-in-law mention that something had happened in my courtyard, so I came over with Sister-in-law."
Ling Muzhu recounted the events sequentially, following the plan he had discussed with Feng Jin.
"No... impossible, I clearly was... clearly..."
Zhang Miaor replied with a look of panic, but her words were laced with uncertainty. She had no decisive judgment on how this matter had unfolded.
She clearly remembered being with Ling Muzhu, but when she woke up, the person beside her had changed into someone who made her sick to even glance at.
"Clearly what? I'd like to ask you, why were you in my courtyard committing such lewd acts!"
Ling Muzhu pressed her assertively, a single sentence completely stunning Zhang Miaor and Ling Changyi.
After a pause, Ling Changyi immediately knelt before Old Master Ling. "Father, your daughter merely saw that Muzhu was tired from studying at night, so she made some food and asked Miaor to deliver it to her cousin. Who would have thought such a thing would happen? It's truly a pity for Miaor, for a girl to have to endure something like this."
"What deep hatred could there be to plot and frame my Miaor like this? How will she live after this, how will she face people? My poor daughter, who could possibly not wish you any good!"
Ling Changyi wailed and cried, tenaciously insisting that Zhang Miaor had been framed, attempting to shift the blame.
Zhang Miaor, also quick-witted, saw this and quickly chimed in with Ling Changyi. "Mother... Mother, it's all my fault for disgracing you. With such a thing happening, I have no face to continue living. Only death can prove my innocence."
Saying this, Zhang Miaor staggered to her feet and was about to dash towards a pillar.
"Stop her!"
Old Master Ling roared, his voice filled with anger. She couldn't die in the Ling family, even if she had a thousand mouths to explain, it would be difficult to justify if his granddaughter's life was lost in the Ling residence.
A nearby attendant quickly stepped forward to stop Zhang Miaor, who was attempting to take her own life, and pinned her down, rendering her immobile.
"Let me go, let me die! With such a disgraceful thing happening, why should I continue to live? It would be better to die and prove my innocence!"
Zhang Miaor cried out loudly, acting as if she had suffered great injustice.
"Daughter, my poor daughter, if you are so distraught that you leave, how can your mother live? I might as well... might as well join you..."
Mother and daughter hugged each other and wept, lamenting their perceived injustices. Those who were unaware would truly be moved by this mother and daughter's plight.
However, everyone in the room was shrewd and clever, far from being fooled by the intentions of these mother and daughter.
This was a failed attempt at framing, which had backfired. Ling Muzhu looked at the two women kneeling on the ground, crying hysterically like shrewish women, his eyes filled with deeper disgust.