She hadn't expected to be favored for just a few days before encountering such a situation. She knew these masters wanted to pry information from her, but it was clear her husband had been in the wrong first. Even after suffering such humiliation, he refused to betray Li Shiqin, indicating there was something between them she didn't know about.
If she were to tell these covetous masters of the Xu family what happened today, she would offend her husband. Not only would her future be bleak, but she likely wouldn't be tolerated in the Xu family even now. Thus, she feigned ignorance.
The masters didn't believe her, thinking the concubine was being deceitful. In reality, they were afraid to provoke the master of the house, yet unwilling to let go of any shred of information, so they pressured her.
The concubine, young as she was, had managed to rise above the many women in the harem to become the Xu family master's most favored concubine, so she wasn't easily cowed. When pushed too far, she covered her head and rolled on the ground, claiming a headache.
It was the first time the Xu family members had seen her lose her composure like this. Fearing they might push her too far and incur the master's wrath, they sheepishly rubbed their noses, exchanged silent glances, and slipped away.
"Was it you?" Liu Baishi asked Wu Caiwei from a distance, his eyes filled with fear.
"What do you think?" Wu Caiwei offered a meaningful smile. When he asked this question, he already had the answer in his heart.
Leaning against the wall, Liu Baishi watched her graceful departure. He trembled uncontrollably, his mouth opening and closing, unable to utter a word. He knew it was too late to say anything. Given what he had done in the past, even kneeling and begging for mercy at her feet wouldn't make her let go.
In the past, although Liu Baishi considered her a major security threat, believing he couldn't have a good life in Yangcheng as long as she was there, he had never worried this much. He knew there were plenty of people in Yangcheng who wanted to deal with her. By cooperating with them, he could drive Li Shiqin out, not to mention her current poor reputation.
However, after what happened last night, she realized that even the renowned Master Xu of the city was no match for her. What about himself? It seemed she had been holding back before.
He had doubted whether Wu Caiwei was human or a ghost. The events of that day were vivid in his memory. He thought about it again and again, and was astonished to discover that Wu Caiwei was indeed human. It was possible, as the former county magistrate had said, that she was skilled in martial arts and medicine, deceiving everyone. They had always assumed those with profound medical skills must have long white beards. Who would have thought a young woman possessed such a gift?
The reason he hadn't considered that possibility before was that her first fifteen years were spent under his surveillance, with no contact with the outside world, nor any learning of medicine or martial arts. He was certain there were no issues during those first fifteen years. He just didn't know what she had encountered after arriving in Lan City.
Later, he had sent people to investigate, and there was nothing unusual. Besides her good fortune in entering the Zhuangyuan Mansion and giving birth to a daughter, everything else was normal.
Thinking about it now was useless. From her expression just now, it was clear she no longer intended to conceal her past actions. Would she now publicly retaliate against him?
Recently, all the shops belonging to the Liu family had been closed, and most of their possessions had been sold. However, the six shops and the old Li family residence remained. The thought of her taking these things back made his heart bleed. These were what he intended to leave for his son.
If they were to return to the Li family's hands, wouldn't all his efforts have been in vain? What made him feel panicked was that after so many years, he had grown accustomed to being called Master Liu and living a life of ease. If he were forced to return to the countryside to farm diligently, he would be utterly incapable.
He couldn't help but sigh, touching the white hairs at his temples. After she came to Yangcheng, he had aged rapidly. Could there truly be such a thing as karma?
When Wu Caiwei learned that Liu Baishi was selling the Li family's shops at a low price, she couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. It seemed he had recognized the situation, intending to dispose of the Li family's assets and flee with the money.
This was the first time Wu Caiwei thought Liu Baishi had shown some intelligence. The shops, originally worth four thousand taels, were secretly sold by him for two thousand taels to the Wu family. If not for the skilled and meticulous martial artists Wu Caiwei had sent to monitor him, who had discovered clues and secretly climbed onto the rooftops at night, his scheme might have succeeded. Although Wu Caiwei felt Liu Baishi was no match for her, in the vastness of the world, if he deliberately hid in a remote village and lived in seclusion, she wouldn't be able to find him immediately.
Knowing this, and to avoid further complications, Wu Caiwei, for the first time in many years, stepped into the Liu family's mansion. The honor and disgrace of the Liu family concerned the future of every servant. They had naturally heard of Wu Caiwei and hated her deeply, believing she had disrupted their peaceful lives. Yet, facing her directly, they couldn't help but feel a sense of panic. They wanted to drive her away, but it wasn't something they could decide. They quickly reported to Liu Baishi.
Upon hearing her name, Liu Baishi instinctively hid. He then felt he was being too cowardly. Wasn't she just a woman? What could she do to him in broad daylight? Besides, with so many people in the Liu family, even if they weren't her match, they could spread the news of his demise. He didn't believe someone as cunning as her would make such a basic mistake. It seemed she hadn't come to kill him today.
After thinking this through, he tidied his clothes and tried to calm his emotions before reluctantly heading towards the living room. As he entered the door, he saw Wu Caiwei staring at a painting on the wall, lost in thought.
Looking at the content of the painting, Liu Baishi's face immediately showed embarrassment. This painting was his father-in-law's favorite, and hanging it in the living room was a display of ostentation, as well as a desire to show everyone his most prized acquisition. After his death, Liu Baishi took over everything here and didn't think there was anything wrong. Seeing it under Wu Caiwei's gaze today, he instantly flushed red.
Wu Caiwei had long noticed his presence. Turning around, she saw his ashamed expression and said impassively, "I saw this painting many times when I was little. I originally thought my maternal grandfather's death would lead my father to remove these paintings, as they were his favorite. Having done so many wrong things, isn't he afraid of being haunted by him at night? I didn't expect you to be more shameless than I imagined, feeling no guilt at all."
Liu Baishi froze upon hearing her words. It wasn't regret for his past actions, but her use of the word "father" that shattered all his hopes.