She didn't want this hot potato shoved her way. Although Wu Caiwei always got the worst of it when clashing with the Madam, which pleased him, he still wanted to find a suitable woman for his son, which would be best for the Wang family.
"Xiang Jun, it's bad! Your brother left this morning and hasn't returned yet," Father Liu and Mother Liu rushed to their daughter's courtyard, their faces etched with anxiety.
"Where did he go?" Wu Caiwei immediately put down the book in her hands upon hearing this. Her mind raced, trying to figure out who would plot against their family. Was it the magistrate? Old Master Wang? Madam Wang? Wang Zifeng? Or some mastermind behind the scenes?
"We're not entirely sure. He's been seeing Li Yan'er quite a bit lately. This morning when he left, his face was flushed, and he seemed a little excited," Mother Liu recounted everything she knew, intuitively feeling that he was going to see his fiancée.
Mentioning Li Yan'er, Wu Caiwei felt a pang of regret. She had been here for so long and completely forgotten about her. In the original owner's past life, as soon as the Liu family encountered trouble, Li Yan'er had eagerly broken off the engagement. To clear her family's name from being labeled ungrateful, she had placed all the blame on Liu Xiangjun, so much so that when news of Liu Xiangjun's death arrived, everyone said he deserved it.
"Father, Mother, please don't worry. Stay home and wait for news. I'll go look for him," Wu Caiwei said, patting her mother's hand to comfort her.
"Be careful, dear," Mother Liu urged with concern. If only they could, they truly wouldn't want their daughter to take such risks. The reason they had followed her without hesitation when she sent for them was out of worry that their daughter would be bullied here. After being here for so long, they understood that the Wang family couldn't do anything to her, recognizing her extraordinary abilities. But she was still a woman, and as dusk approached, they worried about her safety.
Without further delay, Wu Caiwei picked up her sword, mounted her horse, and left the Wang residence.
Before the city gates closed, she headed south, galloping at full speed. She soon returned to the familiar small town. It was completely dark now, and the streets were deserted.
"Who is it?" Mother Li called out as she walked towards the door upon hearing the knocking.
"Who on earth is it?" After asking for a long time without a response, the knocking at the door grew more urgent. She had no doubt that if she didn't open the door soon, the person would simply break it down.
Father Li also sensed something was amiss and brought the three helpers from their household. If someone with ill intentions were at the door, they could step forward to assist.
When the door opened, an unexpected person appeared before them. Father Li paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "Nie-niece has arrived. Quickly, come in."
Wu Caiwei's expression was grim as she entered unceremoniously. The couple exchanged a look, a bad premonition dawning on them.
In the living room, Father Li put on a polite smile. "It's already dark. Niece arriving at this hour, I presume something is the matter?"
"Where is Li Yan'er?" Wu Caiwei, unwilling to entertain pleasantries, asked directly.
Father Li's brows furrowed involuntarily. She seemed fine on normal days, so why was she so impolite today? He suppressed the surge of anger and, with a calm smile, said, "Around this time, she's usually in her room embroidering. She'll rest a while later."
Upon hearing this, Wu Caiwei went straight to her room. Fortunately, the original owner had visited the Li family before and knew where her room was.
Li Yan'er, with a handkerchief in her left hand and a needle in her right, couldn't seem to focus on her embroidery today, her mind preoccupied with the events of the day.
Suddenly, the door was violently pushed open, startling her. In her panic, the needle pricked her hand, the pain causing her to flinch. Without time to check, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Why are you here?"
"Tell me, where is my brother?" Wu Caiwei, impatient with small talk, urgently wanted to know Liu Xiangjun's whereabouts, fearing he might be in trouble.
"Isn't he staying at the Wang residence? Has something happened?" Li Yan'er quickly asked anxiously.
Wu Caiwei scrutinized her from head to toe, making her exceedingly nervous. After a moment, she drew her sword and placed it at her throat, a sinister glint in her eyes. "My sword has not yet tasted blood. They say an unfreshened sword is not sharp. I wonder if you can be its first offering."
"You... what do you mean?" Li Yan'er was on the verge of tears. She had never seen a real sword in her life, let alone one pointed at her throat. If she could, she would have fainted on the spot.
"What do you want?" Father Li and Mother Li, who had rushed over, felt their legs turn to jelly upon seeing the scene. Of course, they didn't believe Wu Caiwei had the nerve to actually harm their daughter. Thinking she only meant to scare her, they suppressed their fear and shouted sternly.
"I want to know where my brother is. Don't tell me you don't know. If anything happens to him, I will absolutely make the Li family pay with their lives."
"Do you know what you're doing? Have you considered your parents? I'm telling you again, we truly don't know where he is, nor have we seen him."
Wu Caiwei's gaze flickered back and forth between their faces, trying to discern the truth in their words. Finally, her eyes settled on Li Yan'er. "What do you say?"
"I truly don't know. He's my fiancé, would I harm him?" Li Yan'er looked at her with sincere eyes, then let out a scream the next moment.
Disbelievingly, she looked down. Wu Caiwei's sword was planted firmly in her leg. For a moment, her mouth gaped open, but no sound came out. The pain was so intense that she lacked the strength to speak and trembled all over. Su Dan Fiction Network
Father Li and Mother Li watched her in anguish and took a step forward to check on her. Wu Caiwei again placed her sword at Li Yan'er's throat, threatening, "If you don't tell the truth, the next sword will pierce her heart. Old Master Li, being so shrewd, wouldn't expect anyone to save you, would he?"
Seeing a fleeting flicker of evasion in his eyes, she sneered, "You've been shrewd your whole life, yet foolish at this moment. With their status, they could have dealt with me openly. Why resort to indirect tactics? It's because they can't do anything to me. If they can't deal with me, are you even more capable than they are?"
Old Master Li stiffened upon hearing this, then fell into deep thought, hesitant and undecided.
Li Yan'er, enduring the pain, stared intently at Wu Caiwei, afraid of further harm. When Wu Caiwei's shadowed gaze fell upon her, she quickly looked at her parents. Seeing their hesitation, she felt a pang of disappointment. As Wu Caiwei raised her sword to strike her, she closed her eyes and shouted, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you..."
The sword stopped a mere centimeter from her heart. Li Yan'er, both relieved and fearful, didn't hesitate. She quickly revealed everything she knew.
Father Li and Mother Li resignedly closed their eyes, collapsing to the ground. It was all over.
Having obtained the information she needed, Wu Caiwei left quickly. Then, she paused and turned back to face Father Li. "Given the state of our families' relationship, the engagement is likely off. I'll be waiting for you at home the day after tomorrow. Remember to bring the marriage contract."