Nanny Li almost fainted with fear when she saw this. She crawled on the ground in front of Su Erya, and begged, “Please spare her life, Third Miss. If you beat her again, she’ll die!”
Su Zipei frowned. Nanny Zheng came forward with her cane, and Nanny Li closed her eyes expecting the worst.
“That’s enough.”
Su Erya moved weakly as she spoke. She left Nanny Li’s protection and looked directly at Su Zipei. “I’ve taken the rap for you, and I’ve paid the price of being kicked out of the mansion. Why don’t you leave me be?”
Su Zipei looked a little flustered. “What are you talking about?” She said with a cold face. “How could I be the one who stole the night-luminescent pearl?”
Su Erya’s body trembled. With a bitter face and a hoarse voice, she said, “I saw everything. That day when you went to see Cousin Yang at Sanhe Bridge outside the town, and you gave him the night-luminescent pearl with your own hands.”
Su Zipei grew pale, and started to panic.
How was this possible?
There was no one around Sanhe Bridge that day. How did Su Erya know?
Su Zipei rolled her eyes and regained her calm demeanor. She smiled and said, “What if I did it? You’re a sinner of the Su family. No one in the Su family will believe what you say. Even our oldest brother won’t believe you! And the oldest brother is only sixteen years old. There are still two years left to nominate him! But as for cousin Yang, this is his last year. What I did before was the best of both worlds. It was the right thing to do!”
“The best of both worlds?!” A voice full of anger suddenly came from outside the door, “So you should stand up and accept the thanks of your oldest brother!”
The sudden sound made Su Zipei tremble. When she recognized the owner of the voice, her ruddy little face turned pale again.
“B… brother, what are you doing here?”
Su Zipei turned her head stiffly and her lips trembled badly. When she saw Su Qingtan standing in the doorway, she wanted to pass out.
Had he heard everything she said?
“Get out of here!”
Su Qingtan swept his arm, and his strength was so great that it made the nannies stagger. He pointed at Su Zipei, and his every word hit her on the heart like a hammer. “You get out of here, too! I don’t want a sister like you who lives in the Su family while helping a guy of another family!”
Su Zipei panicked. If the eldest brother told her father about it, then she…she… Well the second sister was the best example of what would happen.
Mother, now only my mother can save me!
Thinking of her mother, Su Zipei had infinite motivation immediately. She ran away with the nannies in a panic.
Su Qingtan saw Su Zipei’s embarrassment, and his anger subsided a little. He looked back, and his eyes immediately became gentle, without a trace of hostility.
“Oldest brother…”
Su Erya called blankly. Her tears flowed like beads falling from a broken thread.
This was a cry of true affection. Even in the previous life, the oldest brother treated her very well. If the oldest brother had not sympathized with her because of her disfiguration, she would have been left to die in the wild.
However, the oldest brother believed in loyalty, righteousness, filial piety and honesty. He was quick to trust others. In her previous life, with Su Zipei’s scheming, he became a puppet and carried out all her bad wishes.
Now, Su Erya would change that.
Su Qingtan picked up Su Erya in his arms. A thick sense of guilt almost drowned him. As he coaxed Su Erya as if she were still a little girl, he asked Nanny Li to rent a carriage and drove directly to Baicao Tang in the town. Su Erya had so many injuries on her body that he couldn’t waste a single second.
In Baicao Tang.
“First young master of Su family, your sister…”
The old doctor hesitated. Su Qingtan grew nervous, “Dr. Qi, please say it directly. No matter how much valuable medicine you need, I…”
Dr. Qi shook his head and interrupted, “Her illness is a minor problem. But she’s too weak to do any heavier work. The wounds on her body…”
Dr. Qi looked puzzled. At last he could not help saying, “Young Master, please don’t blame me for my word. But your sister has too many injuries, new and old. Some of which are years old. If I remember correctly, your sister is only fourteen years old this year…”
Su Qingtan looked angry and said in a deep voice, “Doctor, don’t worry. I won’t let my second sister get hurt again.”
Dr. Qi stroked his beard slightly and told him, “OK, I’ll trust you for once. Remember. She needs rest. If you can’t find a way, send her here.”
Dr. Qi obviously did not trust him. Su Qingtan took a deep breath, picked Su Erya up, who was sleeping soundly, and left Baicao Tang without looking back. Although he trusted the doctor, he was too embarrassed to stay here.
Dr. Qi stood at the door and shook his head with some regret. Despite appearances, the girl was extremely intelligent. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it.
She had such a gift that she might be the right person to take up his mantle. Unfortunately, the Su family was very powerful in town, and he did not want to destroy his life. So he just put it behind him.
Su’s mansion was only a few miles from Baicao Tang, and soon Su Qingtan came home from the main gate with Su Erya, who was sleeping soundly. Nanny Li gave the cart driver money and followed Su Qingtan.
After that shock, she knew clearly that once she left the first young master, the punishment waiting for her would be no better than death.
In front of the western courtyard, Su Qingtan was about to go in, and Nanny Li finally could not help whispering, “First young master, the Second Miss does not live in the western courtyard.”
Su Qingtan was stunned. “All the women of Su family live in the western courtyard, don’t they? Why…”
