A Beautiful Duchess with a Dark Heart – Chapter 71

Chapter 71: A Word ━ “Coincidence”

Outside the Qi family’s grand gate, two enormous stone lions stood majestically, showcasing the grandeur of the wealthy household. 

At the entrance, everyone appeared tense, some leaving, some returning.  

Their faces were grim.  

As Wen Yu’s carriage arrived, someone approached, sternly saying, “Move along, you can’t park here.” 

Xiao Ji stepped out of the carriage and spoke to the man, “My young mistress is in the carriage. She has an urgent matter to discuss with your Madam.” 

Inside the house, Madam Qi was weeping uncontrollably, her eyes swollen like peaches. She couldn’t even stand up, her voice hoarse, “Still… still no news?” 

The old servant woman beside her had a look of despair. She whispered, “Fourth Master has already informed Magistrate Zhang. Magistrate Zhang dispatched men to block all exits of the town. They’ve also alerted the temple and contacted the local rogue leader… If child traffickers are involved, they’ll know.” 

“It’s all my fault, for insisting on bringing her out… It’s all my fault.” Madam Qi stamped her feet and beat her chest, filled with regret. “When will Wulang return?! Why is he never by my side…” 

At that moment, a servant girl rushed in, “Madam! Madam! Our young mistress is back!” 

“What did you say?” 

Madam Qi abruptly stood up, feeling a wave of dizziness.  

“Our young mistress is back. A young lady brought her back.” 

“Don’t lie to me, don’t lie to me!” Madam Qi frantically ran outside, nearly tripping over the threshold.  

People beside her quickly supported her.  

Just then, Wen Yu entered with the little girl, Yuanyuan, who was clutching a rabbit in her small hands.  

Madam Qi’s eyes widened as she looked at them, “Yuanyuan?!” She could hardly believe it.  

Yuanyuan saw her aunt and grinned, “Auntie…” 

The servants gathered around, their faces beaming with excitement.  

Some even kowtowed in the direction of Heavenly Dragon Temple.  

Madam Qi rushed over and embraced Yuanyuan, tears streaming down her face. “Yuanyuan, where have you been? You scared Auntie to death…” She felt like she had just woken up from a nightmare, overwhelmed with joy and fear that it wasn’t real.  

Wen Yu said softly, “Madam, Yuanyuan has returned safely. Please don’t cry anymore.” 

Madam Qi, her eyes filled with tears, looked at Wen Yu, speechless.  

Wen Yu smiled, “I’m the eldest granddaughter of the Wen family from Jiangzhou. I came here with my grandmother to burn incense. While running errands, I encountered this little girl chasing a rabbit. She must have been running too fast and fainted.  

I saw her and rescued her. But she remained unconscious, so I had to take her to a medical clinic. The doctor examined her. When she woke up, she seemed frightened and couldn’t clearly tell me where her home was. It took quite some time to figure it out. Therefore, I was a bit late in bringing her back.” 

“Thank you… young lady!” 

Madam Qi’s heart felt a sense of relief. Though she didn’t entirely believe the story, in front of so many people, it was the best explanation.  

The old servant woman said, “Madam, please invite the young lady inside.” 

“Oh, yes, please come in, young lady.” Madam Qi held onto Yuanyuan tightly.  

Yuanyuan hugged her rabbit.  

Inside the room, Madam Qi looked at the little girl with trembling hands, “Yuanyuan, are you hurt anywhere?” 

Yuanyuan shook her head, “Don’t worry, Auntie, Yuanyuan is not hurt. Look, Auntie, a little rabbit! Older Sister even let me name it. I named it Tuan Tuan. Do you like it?” 

“Yes! Good meaning! Quickly take the young lady to wash up and change her clothes. Oh, and check the rabbit for lice.” 

“Auntie, Tuan Tuan doesn’t have lice. Tuan Tuan is very clean.” Yuanyuan defended her rabbit.  

“Alright, alright, it doesn’t. Go now…” Madam Qi spoke gently.  

Yuanyuan turned back and said, “Older Sister, don’t leave yet. Yuanyuan has something fun to give you!” 

Wen Yu nodded, “Alright!” 

Once the room was empty, Madam Qi, disregarding the details, stepped forward and bowed, “Thank you, young lady, for saving my niece.” 

Wen Yu was startled and quickly helped her up, “Madam, you honor me too much! Wen Yu just took care of a small matter. It’s nothing.” 

Madam Qi shook her head, “Regardless, to me, this is an immense kindness. Please sit, young lady, let’s talk in detail.” 

They both took their seats.  

Wen Yu observed Madam Qi. Although she looked exhausted, her eyes red and swollen, and her voice hoarse, as she sat there, her inherent grace and noble air were truly something her grandmother and Yuan Shi couldn’t match.  

The house and its furnishings were obviously several levels above the Wen family’s.  

One could imagine how prestigious the Qi family was in the capital.  

What approach should she use to interact with her?

Madam Qi, unaware of the calculations in Wen Yu’s mind, was carefully examining her, unable to conceal her astonishment: How could this girl be so beautiful? 

Especially those large, fluttering eyes, serene yet bright, radiating intelligence and understanding!

Moreover, her sitting posture was composed. Even after learning of her identity, she showed no shyness or flattery.  

She seemed to surpass even the refined young ladies of the capital…

✿✿✿ 

What kind of family could raise such a daughter?

“Are you Miss Wen?” she asked softly. 

“Yes. Wen Yu. My father is Wen Qian, who was transferred to the capital last month.” 

“Oh. Miss Wen, could you tell me more about what happened?” 

Wen Yu said, “To describe this matter, only one word is needed: coincidence!” She had a general idea of how she should act now.  

“The Wen family has a villa in Heavenly Dragon Town. My sisters and I accompanied our grandmother to burn incense. We just arrived this morning. Grandmother had family matters to attend to, so my sisters and I secretly went out to fly hawks. I spent half the day shopping and was about to return home with my servants. But a newly opened shop blocked the road, so we decided to take a detour.  

Just as we reached a fork in the alley, my carriage was hit by a speeding donkey cart. A woman and a little girl were thrown from the cart. I saw it all!” 

Hearing this, Madam Qi clutched her handkerchief, her heart filled with both distress and anger.  

“I suffered a slight bump. My servants were furious and argued with the other party for a while. The woman was initially quite arrogant, but later apologized. Originally, I was going to let it go and leave. But by chance, I noticed Yuanyuan’s skirt.” 

“…Brocade gauze?” 

“Yes. Master Qing, the tailor who makes my clothes, cherishes this fabric and told me about it. Although beautiful, it’s extremely expensive, so I didn’t buy it. But I remembered its characteristic shimmering effect.” Wen Yu smiled.  

Madam Qi observed the girl speaking, unhurriedly and with a touch of playfulness… Her heart felt like it was being scratched by mice, a tingling sensation she quite enjoyed.  

“But that woman insisted that Yuanyuan was her daughter. I was utterly bewildered. How could she, with her appearance, possibly have such a daughter?!” 

Madam Qi loved hearing this even more! 

Humph, Yuanyuan’s mother was a County Princess, for goodness sake! 

If I could get my hands on that bitch, I’d skin her alive!!

Then, Wen Yu recounted the entire event again, naturally, without the rambling and disorganization of Li Jiang… 

Madam Qi listened quietly, remaining silent.  

“…Madam, that’s how it happened. The identities of three people were obvious, easy to discern their intentions. But the man in blue, my hired guards noticed something different about him. And when things got troublesome, he left very decisively. So… regarding the specifics, I’m afraid you’ll have to investigate further, Madam.” 

Madam Qi regained her composure, “Although you make it sound simple, young lady, I know the process must have been terrifying!” 

However, a new doubt arose in Madam Qi’s mind: Wen Yu was just a young girl of about fifteen, and so beautiful. Shouldn’t she be at home, sipping tea, embroidering, and bickering with her sisters?

Why was she so calm, brave, and decisive in her actions? And her analysis was so clear and logical!

If her suspicions were correct, that man in blue was a ruthless killer!

Even with her guards and the presence of onlookers, it wouldn’t have been difficult to kill her.  

This beautiful, naive girl! Unaware of the danger, yet so bold.  

She needed to investigate her further later.  

“Miss Wen, I will remember your kindness. I’ll have someone escort you back shortly and pay respects to your grandmother. Later, I will personally visit with my son and Yuanyuan to express our gratitude. I’ll inquire about a convenient time for her.” 

Wen Yu said, “Madam Qi, I appreciate your kind intentions. However, Yuanyuan is still shaken from the experience and needs proper care. These days, Heavenly Dragon Temple is crowded with visitors from all over. Until this matter is clarified, it might not be wise to make a big fuss.” 

Madam Qi stared intently at Wen Yu, analyzing her thoughts.  

“Furthermore… if my grandmother learns that I rescued Madam Qi’s niece, she will be overjoyed and feel honored. She will also commend me. However… as a girl who hasn’t reached sixteen, venturing out without an elder’s company and getting into an argument with those people on the street… I’m afraid it will become difficult for me to go out alone in the future.” She smiled playfully.  

Madam Qi’s heart felt suddenly clear, and she chuckled, “You little rascal! I come from a family of military officials. When I was a young lady, I even paraded around in riding clothes, carrying a leather whip!” 

“Really? You must have been a sight to behold, Madam!” 

“Haha, that’s all in the past. But how can I not express my gratitude for such a great kindness, Miss Wen?” 

“Madam, there’s plenty of time. Perhaps, one day, Wen Yu will need to ask for your help.” 

“Good. You’re a good girl!” 

The old servant woman entered and whispered in Madam Qi’s ear, “The young mistress is perfectly fine.” 

Madam Qi finally felt at ease.  

Her smile brightened slightly, “Yuanyuan is my younger brother’s daughter. I don’t have any daughters, so I cherish her dearly. This time, I brought her back home to broaden her horizons. I never imagined such a thing would happen. If it weren’t for you, young lady…” How could I face my brother and sister-in-law?! 

“I’d rather have something happen to myself than…” 

“Madam, Yuanyuan is resilient. After waking up, she only cried for a bit. Once she saw the rabbit, she was fine! You don’t need to blame yourself so much. Little girls are clever and blessed. If you’re constantly angry and regretful, it will only make her uneasy.” 

“Haha, to think I need a young lady of fifteen to enlighten me!” Madam Qi shook her head and smiled wryly, her impression of Wen Yu improving even further.  

At that moment, there was a commotion outside, and someone rushed into the room, “Mother, Yuanyuan has been found?!” 

Wen Yu’s eyes were sharp, and with a single glance, she recognized the newcomer.  

Only one word came to her mind: What a “coincidence”!

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