Chapter 89: You're About to Be Calculated

  "Five, five daughters..." The two maids were really frightened and stood frozen in place, at a loss for what to do.

  Lin Ruoyan took a step forward, tilted her head and said softly: "You haven't told me what it is yet?" Seeing the two maids' pale faces, she bit her lip again, "Hmm, let me guess, is it about framing Fifth Young Miss?"

  The faces of the two maids instantly turned white.

  Lin Ruoyan finally put away her smile, standing tall and looking down at them, saying word by word: "I won't waste any more words, dig up the doll, then take me to see your master."

  Lin Xingyan was waiting patiently in the house for news from Han Dong and Xi Zhao, but suddenly she felt a sense of unease in her heart. She drank several cups of tea, but it didn't calm her down at all.

  Just as I was about to go outside to take a look, the door suddenly swung open and Han Dong and Xi Zhao appeared at the entrance.

  She felt a surge of joy in her heart and was about to ask questions, but found that their faces were not quite right, with even a thick layer of fear in their eyes.

  "What's wrong?" she asked subconsciously.

  "It wasn't anything, they just brought me to see their master and they got scared like this." Just then, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from outside the door.

  Lin Xing's eyes widened in horror as he saw a person walking out from behind Han Dong and Xi Zhao, who was none other than Lin Ruoyan.

  "Seventh sister, I'm very curious, what are you burying this in the courtyard of Eldest Aunt's house for?" Lin Ruoyan said, pulling out a cloth doll from her bosom that was stuffed with sharp needles and had a line of small characters written on it in fresh blood.

  Lin Xingyan's face suddenly turned pale.

  Lin Ruoyan pinched the cloth doll in her hand and stared quietly at Lin Xingyan without saying a word.

  Lin Xingyan's scalp felt numb under her glare, but he didn't dare respond lightly.

  The cool moonlight quietly envelops the earth, with a gentle breeze. A chill surrounds me all around.

  Two people stood like this, one outside the house and one inside, staring at each other.

  At last, Lin Ruoyan smiled and put the doll back in her arms, "Since Seventh Sister won't say, I'll have to go ask Grandmother or Eldest Aunt instead." After saying that, she pretended to leave.

  "Wait a minute!" Lin Xingyan was indeed anxious and hastily said: "Fifth sister, I'm telling you! I've already told you!"

  Lin Ruoyan curved her lips. She turned her head and smiled at her, "This is right, your aunt must have taught you that those who know the times are heroes."

  Lin Xingyu bit his lip, and his whole body began to tremble.

  She was really afraid that Lin Ruoyan would expose her, although she found it strange that Lin Ruoyan had discovered these things and yet came to find her instead of going to Old Lady Lin.

  But this is good for her.

  Lin Xingyan invited Lin Ruoyan into the house, letting Han Dong and Xi Zhao stand guard outside, and then locked the door tightly before finally stopping.

  Lin Ruoyan stood in front of the hall, coldly watching her actions, and smiled lightly with a raised eyebrow.

  It was a rare opportunity for Lin Xingyan, and in her eyes, he was like a mouse on the tip of her tongue, no matter how hard she struggled, it was all in vain.

  "Eldest Sister, please take a seat." Lin Xing walked over and invited her to sit in the high position at the front of the hall.

  Lin Ruo Yan didn't stand on ceremony with her and turned around to sit down. Then she coldly looked at her, "How do you plan to buy me off?"

  Lin Xingyan stood in front of her. Knowing that explaining more would be useless and might even make Lin Ruoyan feel disgusted, he took a deep breath and said: "I can contribute one person to Fifth Sister, everything is for her sake, including the fact that Fifth Sister Qiushui came ahead of time."

  She thought that this matter was a thorn in Lin Ruoyan's throat, and she had always wanted to pull it out. If she was willing to use this matter as an exchange, Lin Ruoyan would definitely be willing to let her off the hook.

  After all, Lin Ruoyan had no idea that she was making voodoo dolls in order to frame her.

  Lin Ruoyan had already sneered several times in her heart, but on her face, she still pretended to be shocked and angry, "Who is it?"

  "It's the pomegranate." Lin Xing replied without hesitation, "If the pomegranate is going to harm you, if Fifth Sister still thinks this exchange is not enough, then I can personally remove the pomegranate for Fifth Sister and let her be worry-free from now on!"

  "Pomegranate?" Lin Ruoyan's eyebrows furrowed, although she had already guessed that it was all because of the pomegranate, but hearing the truth with her own ears still made her tremble with rage.

  Pomegranate, pomegranate! How could you deceive me like this!

  "Yes, it's a pomegranate!" Lin Xingyan repeated firmly once again.

  Lin Ruoyan had adjusted her emotions, she raised her eyes and stared at Lin Xingyan, coldly saying: "You say that the pomegranate is just a pomegranate? Why should I believe you?"

  Lin Xing stepped forward hastily, "Sister will prove to Fifth Sister that all of this is Shi Liu's doing! As long as, as long as Fifth Sister is willing to return that voodoo doll to Sister."

  Jian Lin Xing Yan finally took the bait, and Lin Ruo Yan stopped playing along with her. She stood up straight and said: "If you want me to return the doll to you, it's possible, but first prove it. Before you knock down the pomegranate, this doll will be kept safe by me for now."

  "Eldest Sister!" Lin Xing's words were urgent as he hastily chased after her.

  Lin Ruoyan turned back, raising an eyebrow at her, "What? Are you deceiving me or are you unsure if you can win against Shi Cui?"

  Lin Xiang said one word and was unable to refute it.

  Lin Ruoyan smiled lightly and turned around, leaving without any hesitation.

  Only Lin Xingyan was left on the spot, regretful and remorseful, stamping his foot.

  Lin Ruoyan did not return to the Lushu Yutang, but instead went out of the Xiao Xiang Guan and waited for a while outside the door. Then, taking advantage of the absence of anyone, she quietly entered the courtyard and headed straight for the Qingfang Pavilion on the east side.

  Lin Zhaoyan and others were already there, when they saw her appear, they asked: "Is it done?"

  "Let's go inside and talk." Lin Ruoyan pulled her into the house, instructing Qing Shuang to go back and inform Liu Shi that she would be staying overnight at Qin Fang Pavilion. Only then did he take out from his pocket the voodoo doll with the eight characters of Madame Hou's birthdate written on it.

  "He took it and pushed all the responsibility onto Pomegranate's head, saying he would take care of Pomegranate for me and help me resolve my worries."

  "She's always been this kind of person." Lin Zhaoyan wasn't surprised at all. "How did you answer? Didn't you give yourself away?"

  "No." Lin Ruoyan shook her head, but after half a second of calmness, the veins on the back of her pale hand stood out clearly.

  "I didn't expect it was really the pomegranate that harmed me! That cheap servant girl, I must make her not die a good death!" Lin Ruoyan was so angry that she spoke recklessly, with flames of anger constantly spouting from her eyes. It seemed that she had been suppressed for too long just now at Lin Xingyan's place.

  Lin Zhaoyan sighed and patted her back to help her calm down, "Don't be angry, fortunately nothing big happened, just consider it a lesson learned from knowing someone."

  "And there's Lin Xingyan, that cheap woman! If it weren't for needing her to take my place in the palace this time, I would never let her off!"

  "Wicked people will be punished by wicked people, she's entered the palace and her days won't be good." The people in the palace are all refined and trained from large aristocratic families, Lin Xingyan wants to fight with them, but she's far from being a match.

  Lin Ruoyan's face finally looked better.

  Lin Zhaoyan said a few more comforting words, and was just about to invite her to go wash up and rest together when there came a knock at the door. The maid reported, "Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, Shi Liu is outside asking to see you."

  Pomegranate?

  Lin Zhaoyan and Lin Ruoyan stared at each other in shock, unable to react for a moment.

  Lin Zhao was the first to react and said: "It's not easy for Shi Liu to come, could it be that she found out about our plan and came to beg for mercy?"

  "It's very likely that, just like Lin Xingyan, he's here to shirk responsibility." Lin Ruoyan's eyes were filled with hatred, she was really afraid that she would lose control and directly kill Shi Liuli.

  Lin Zhaoyan hesitated for a moment and thought it was better to see Shi Guli and hear what she had to say, so he loudly ordered the person outside the door, "Let her in."

  In an instant, the pomegranate entered the house.

  Her face looked very bad, pale and wan, with a pair of deep eyes that had no fear, but instead had infinite sorrow flowing through them.

  To their surprise, Pomegranate did not come to make excuses for herself. She walked a few steps forward and knelt down with a thud, saying sorrowfully: "I, a slave, have wronged Fifth Young Lady, I deserve to die!"

  She acknowledged it so frankly that Lin Ruoyan couldn't react for a moment, and the scolding words got stuck in her throat, unable to utter a single word.

  Lin Zhaoyan leaned on one hand on the red sandalwood round table, looking down at her, "Since you know it's wrong, why do you still want to do it?"

  "Pomegranate lowered her body, her forehead pressed against the icy cold bluestone floor, and spoke word by word, 'Because I had no choice but to do so.'"

  "Is it just because you want to enter the palace?" Lin Zhao Yan knew her intention.

  Pomegranate did not hide, and honestly replied: "Yes! I want to enter the palace, my purpose in coming to the Hou Mansion is to enter the palace, getting close to Fifth Young Lady was also for entering the palace. But I found out that Fifth Young Lady doesn't want to enter the palace at all, I don't want to force someone against their will, so I can only change targets, which is Seventh Young Lady!"

  "So you'd betray me and use such despicable and vicious means to harm me just for the sake of wealth and glory!" Her words enraged Lin Ruoyan, who was listening in, almost to the point of pouncing on her.

  The pomegranate was not afraid at all, still kneeling on the ground, and said loudly, "I am not for wealth and honor, nor have I betrayed the fifth girl. My approach to the fifth girl is for another purpose, and I have never taken the fifth girl as my master. Where does the betrayal come from? Besides, that medicine is used to regulate blood circulation, only taking it once will not harm the body of the fifth girl."

  "You!" Lin Ruoyan was so angry she almost shook all over.

  "Because pomegranate has never been a slave to anyone, pomegranate is only itself, living for itself!" Although she had a good impression of Lin Ruoyan after being in contact with him for several months, those feelings were too small and insignificant compared to her hatred. She couldn't give up the purpose of her rebirth because of these fleeting emotions. She must enter the palace and take revenge!

  But she was too young after all, and suffered a huge setback like this. If not for her sensitivity and timely discovery, perhaps by tomorrow, only her shell would be left.

  When the time comes, where can this lonely soul be sent?

  The determination and hatred of Pomegranate shocked Lin Zhaoyan and Lin Ruoyan, they only understood now that Pomegranate's intention to enter the palace was not to covet wealth and honor, nor did she want to take a shortcut by relying on the Marquis' household.

  Pomegranate, there must be some bitter intention behind it.