Chapter 99: Confrontation

Chunxiu struggled to gather her thoughts and cautiously asked, “Sister, are you saying… you didn’t write down the complete formula?”

Ji Rong smiled faintly. “Exactly. Only by hiding it in this way can I ensure no one finds it.”

While Chunxiu felt reassured, she couldn’t help but marvel at Ji Rong’s meticulous planning. She had anticipated that the tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder would incite envy, so she deliberately recorded a partial formula in the notebook to mislead any ill-intentioned individuals. The true formula remained securely stored in her mind, known only to her.

“Even if what she stole was just a fragment of the formula, we can’t let this slide. Let’s go—before she hides it, we’ll catch her red-handed and then report her to First Young Master.”

This time, Ji Rong didn’t refuse. Together with Chunxiu, she set out to confront Zhang Chenyue. Before leaving, they locked their room to prevent anyone else from sneaking in.

Unaware that the formula she had painstakingly stolen was incomplete, Zhang Chenyue was carefully studying it, her eyes gleaming with greed and delight.

The tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder… what a miraculous creation! With this, she wouldn’t need to remain a dancer in the governor’s residence. She could sell it for an enormous sum and live comfortably with her family for the rest of her life.

Ji Rong… how fortunate she is to possess such a family heirloom. If only it were me who had this formula, I’d be the one basking in glory in Qingchun Garden.

After meticulously copying the formula, she removed the lampshade and ignited the paper in her hand. Just as she did so, the door was suddenly pushed open. Startled, she quickly turned around and hid her hands behind her back. Chunxiu, sharp-eyed, immediately noticed her movement and demanded sharply, “Hand it over!”

Zhang Chenyue’s gaze darted nervously. “What are you talking about? What thing?”

“Still pretending to be innocent?” Chunxiu lunged forward to seize whatever Zhang Chenyue was hiding. Zhang Chenyue dodged frantically, stammering, “What are you doing, Sister?”

“You know exactly what I’m doing, Zhang Chenyue. I’ve never met anyone as shameless as you. You didn’t help me before, and now you dare steal Ji Rong’s hard-earned formula!”

Zhang Chenyue feigned indignation. “I never stole any formula. Don’t make false accusations!” As she spoke, she prayed for the paper to burn completely.

Ji Rong stepped forward calmly. “I’ve already examined the notebook. The last page has been torn out. Besides Chunxiu, the only person who entered my room today was you. Who else could it be?”

“How should I know? Maybe…” Zhang Chenyue glanced at Chunxiu slyly. “Someone is trying to frame me?”

“I’m not as shameless as you!” Chunxiu spat angrily. “If you didn’t steal it, why are you hiding whatever’s behind your back?”

Zhang Chenyue avoided her gaze guiltily. “My affairs are none of your concern!”

Chunxiu sneered. “You’re going to show me whether you like it or not.” She lunged again, and in the ensuing struggle, she managed to snatch the paper from Zhang Chenyue’s hand. However, Chunxiu’s smile faded when she realized the paper was almost entirely burned, leaving only a small corner with no legible text.

Seeing this, Zhang Chenyue relaxed visibly. “Alright, the evidence is in your hands now. Tell me, Sister, is this the formula you’re accusing me of stealing?”

Enraged, Chunxiu threw the charred scrap onto the ground. “If it wasn’t the formula, why did you burn it?”

“Do I need your permission to burn something?” With the evidence destroyed, Zhang Chenyue grew bold, no longer as timid as before.

Chunxiu clenched her teeth. “Even if you destroyed the formula, so many people saw you sneak into our room. You won’t get away with this.” With that, she grabbed Zhang Chenyue’s arm. “Come with me to see First Young Master.”

At the mention of Li Jiancheng, Zhang Chenyue flinched slightly. While she wasn’t afraid of Chunxiu, she couldn’t dismiss the authority of the First Young Master. However, she quickly regained her composure. Even he couldn’t execute her arbitrarily—he might expel her from the residence, but with the formula in hand, she no longer needed this position.

With feigned indignation, she declared, “Fine! Let’s go see First Young Master and ask him to deliver justice for me.”

Inevitably, the matter escalated to Li Jiancheng. Without concrete evidence of the stolen formula, the incident concluded with Zhang Chenyue being expelled from the governor’s residence.

________________________________________

Life returned to normal afterward. Ji Rong continued treating Li Jiancheng’s foot ailment, while Chunxiu resumed her duties in the firewood shed. Everything seemed calm.

One day, after Yunyi and the others finished practicing dance, they were about to disperse when Aunty Yang called them back. She announced, “Lady Two has instructed that two distinguished guests will visit the residence in a few days. You will perform for them. Starting this afternoon, you are to practice an additional two hours daily. Stay focused—if anything goes wrong during the performance, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Someone curiously asked, “Aunty, who are these distinguished guests?”

“I’m not sure. All I know is that they are two officials from the capital. That’s all. Go have lunch now and return half an hour earlier than usual.” Aunty Yang’s words startled Yunyi. Though she had grown up in the palace, she wasn’t entirely isolated from the outside world. She had accompanied her mother to meet many officials. If these visitors happened to be among those she had met, it could spell trouble.

After Aunty Yang left, the women gathered to excitedly speculate about the guests’ identities. Yunyi remained silent. Noticing her demeanor, Jiang Caiping asked worriedly, “Sister, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?”

Yunyi shook her head. “No, I’m just concerned. What if we perform poorly and displease these esteemed guests?”

Hearing this, Jiang Caiping laughed confidently. “That won’t happen! Sister dances better than anyone—even Chang’e from the Moon Palace couldn’t compare.”

Amused, Yunyi playfully pinched Jiang Caiping’s cheek. “Who praises people like you? You’re too much.”

“Not at all! I’m telling the truth. So, Sister, please don’t worry.”

“Alright, alright. I understand. You go ahead—I want to take a walk in the rear garden. I’ll be back soon.” With that, Jiang Caiping obediently left.

Surrounded by the sight of blooming wintersweet, Yunyi’s mood finally improved. “One step at a time,” she thought. If the visitors turned out to be officials she knew, she could always feign illness and avoid the performance. It should work.

“What are you thinking about?” A sudden voice startled Yunyi. Turning around, she saw Li Shimin standing behind her, having arrived unnoticed.